This show grew out of a 1958 novelty record titled The Chipmunk Song which sold over four million copies. The voices of the chipmunks were created by speeding up recorded vocal tracks to create ridiculously high-pitched voices.
Conceived and created by Ross Bagdasarian (who used the stage name David Seville), the trio of singing chipmunks from the record began their own CBS TV series – The Alvin Show – in April 1961.
Chipmunks Theodore and Simon were beyond reproach, but their brother Alvin was a problem child. He was the lead singer and the most mischievous of the three.
Each half-hour show featured two regular cartoon segments: The Adventures of Clyde Crashcup, concerning a deranged professor (voiced by Shepard Menken) who took credit for the invention of any and all objects mentioned in the episode (and always paid a heavy price for assuming the responsibility), and Sinbad Jr. which featured the “thrilling” adventures of the titular sailor (voiced by Tim Matthieson) and his parrot companion, Salty (voiced by the great Mel Blanc).
There was also at least one musical interlude in each episode.
Ross Bagdasarian retired from show business in 1967 and died in 1972. His son Ross Jr. revived Alvin, Simon and Theodore in 1979 on Saturday mornings for NBC.
Alvin/Theodore/Simon/David Seville
Ross Bagdasarian Clyde Crashcup
Shepard Menken Sinbad
Tim Matthieson Salty
Mel Blanc Other voices
June Foray
Lee Patrick
Bill Lee
William Sanford
Res Dennis
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