Voiced by veteran radio actor Arnold Stang, Top Cat was the indisputable leader of a gang of New York City alley cats – a feline cartoon version of Sergeant Bilko from The Phil Silvers Show.
Tricked out in a straw boater and purple waistcoat, “TC” – as he was known to his gang – was an irrepressible con artist who lived in a customised dustbin (“trash can” to our trans-Atlantic friends) in Hoagy’s Alley (near the 13th precinct police station), stole milk from doorsteps, and used the police phone on a nearby pole for his personal calls.
He was always on the lookout for new money-making scams, including a memorable occasion when he tried to pass off his tone-deaf gang member, Benny the Ball (voiced by Maurice Gosfield), to Carnegie Hall as the world-famous violinist, Lazlo Lazlo (in the episode ‘The Violin Player’).
Officer Dibble (voiced by Allen Jenkins) was the local beat cop from the 13th who had the unenviable job of trying to keep TC and his gang under control.
The full line-up of the gang (all loosely based on members of Bilko’s entourage) was: TC, Benny the Ball (a vision of chubby and well-meaning incompetence), the terribly earnest Choo-choo (voiced by Marvin Kaplan), ladies Tomcat Fancy-Fancy (John Stephenson), and Spook and the dim-witted “Brain” (both voiced by Leo De Lyon).
Top Cat was one of the few animated series to debut in prime time in the US. The ABC show aired as Boss Cat in the UK to avoid inadvertently promoting a short-lived brand of cat food.
Hanna-Barbera revived the character of Top Cat on Yogi’s Ark Larkin 1972. Daws Butler provided the voices of both Yogi and TC. John Stephenson was Benny. Arnold Stang reprised the role for three seasons of Yogi’s Treasure Huntstarting in 1985.
In 1988, the surviving cast reunited for a syndicated television film called Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats.
Maurice Gosfield died on 9 October 1964, at the age of 51. Allen Jenkins died of lung cancer on 20 July 1974, aged 74.
Arnold Stang died on 20 December 2009, aged 91. Marvin Kaplan died in his sleep on 25 August 2016. He was 89.
John Stephenson died of Alzheimer’s disease, aged 91, on 15 May 2015. Leo De Lyon (real name Irving Levin) died on 18 September 2021. He was 96.
He’s the boss, he’s the VIP
He’s the championship
He’s the most tip-top Top Cat!
L to R: Top Cat, Fancy-Fancy, Benny the Ball, Brains, Choo-Choo, Spook and Officer Dibble.
Top Cat (TC)
Arnold Stang
Benny the Ball
Maurice Gosfield
Brain/Spook
Leo De Lyon (Irving Levin)
Choo-Choo
Marvin Kaplan
Fancy-Fancy
John Stephenson
Officer Dibble
Allen Jenkins Pierre
John Stephenson Goldie
Jean Vander Pyl Honey Dew
Sallie Jones
He was always on the lookout for new money-making scams, including a memorable occasion when he tried to pass off his tone-deaf gang member, Benny the Ball (voiced by Maurice Gosfield), to Carnegie Hall as the world-famous violinist, Lazlo Lazlo (in the episode ‘The Violin Player’).
Top Cat was one of the few animated series to debut in prime time in the US. The ABC show aired as Boss Cat in the UK to avoid inadvertently promoting a short-lived brand of cat food.
