Remember the Banana Splits Movie That Was Filmed at KI?

Banana Splits at Kings Island

Kings Island fans and history buffs know about the two TV families that visited the park shortly after it opened. The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch filmed episodes at KI in 1972 and 1973, respectively. However, another popular TV show also filmed there: The Saturday morning children’s program The Banana Splits

The Show

It was produced by Hanna-Barbera, which, at the time, was owned by Taft Communications, owner of Kings Island. The Banana Splits debuted in fall 1968 and ran for two seasons. The show centered on a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters created by Sid and Marty Krofft. In addition to singing and engaging in general merriment, the quartet presented live action and animated segments. During the show’s second season, many exterior scenes were filmed at Coney Island in Cincinnati, also owned by Taft.

That theme song!

The theme song was an absolute banger called “The Tra La La Song." It was released as a single in 1968 but barely dented the Hot 100 in the US, peaking at #96. American punk rock band The Dickies managed to get their version to #7 on the UK Singles Chart in 1979. In 1995, Liz Phair and Chicago’s Material Issue recorded a version for the compilation album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits.

Filming in Cincinnati

In fall 1970, The Banana Splits began running in syndication, but no new episodes were produced. There was a TV movie made, though, and that was filmed at Kings Island. The movie, called The Banana Splits at Hocus Pocus Park, featured live action scenes filmed at KI mixed with animated segments. It followed the Banana Splits as they attempted to rescue a young girl from a power-hungry witch.

The movie debuted on November 25, 1972, two months ahead of The Partridge Family episode and almost a year to the day The Brady Bunch episode first aired. It ran as part of ABC’s Super Saturday Movie series. It was shown on Cartoon Network and its sibling network Boomerang well into the early 2000s. It’s currently on YouTube, below, in three parts. 

The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park starts with live action, and about six minutes in goes to animation. The last five minutes are also live action. It features a concert by the band in front of the fountains across from the Eiffel Tower and a montage of the characters riding different rides. That’s only around 10 minutes, but there is a lot of great footage of the park in its first season. 

Reading next

Old Cincinnati Ballparks
Cincy Shirts Student Spiritwear Design Contest!

3373 comments

Michael Davenport

Michael Davenport

I was recently scammed out of $53,000 by a fraudulent Bitcoin investment scheme, which added significant stress to my already difficult health issues, as I was also facing cancer surgery expenses. Desperate to recover my funds, I spent hours researching and consulting other victims, which led me to discover the excellent reputation of Capital Crypto Recover, I came across a Google post It was only after spending many hours researching and asking other victims for advice that I discovered Capital Crypto Recovery’s stellar reputation. I decided to contact them because of their successful recovery record and encouraging client testimonials. I had no idea that this would be the pivotal moment in my fight against cryptocurrency theft. Thanks to their expert team, I was able to recover my lost cryptocurrency back. The process was intricate, but Capital Crypto Recovery’s commitment to utilizing the latest technology ensured a successful outcome. I highly recommend their services to anyone who has fallen victim to cryptocurrency fraud. For assistance, contact Recovercapital@cyberservices.com Capital Crypto Recover on Telegram OR Call Number +1 (336)390-6684 via email: Capitalcryptorecover@zohomail.com

Sabrina Jackson

Sabrina Jackson

I threw all my hard-earned cash into Bitcoin. Fast forward to today, I had amassed a cool 5000 worth of BTC, which was now worth over a million bucks. I thought my private keys were safely tucked away offline, but turns out I fell for a sneaky phishing scam. Next thing I knew, my crypto fortune had disappeared into the abyss of an anonymous wallet. Lesson learned: always keep your keys close and your scams closer. Distraught at having my nest egg wiped out, I turned to Forensic Web Recovery, a new service specializing in tracking stolen crypto funds and assisting victims. Through advanced blockchain analysis, Forensic was able to trace the path the stolen Bitcoins took as they got laundered through various wallets under the hacker’s control. Eventually Forensic located the hacker’s main wallet and coordinated with law enforcement to seize the wallet and return the stolen crypto to me. Thanks to Forensic web recovery crypto tracking expertise and perseverance, I recovered my lost life savings. I am now a firm believer in using crypto recovery services for protection against theft. My story highlights that even if you lose crypto funds to hacking or scams, there are still options like Forensic Web Recovery, their Email Forensichackerstech @ gmail.com that may be able to recover your losses by following the digital trail on the blockchain. So call forensic web recovery today through: Email; Forensichackerstech @ gamil com

Jovita Wang Aratmus

Jovita Wang Aratmus

I verified that I had lost $78,000 in Bitcoin as a result of fraud, and I was able to get all of my money back into my wallet after collaborating with the Redeemed Hacker Pro (RHP) team. This team fixed the problem using sound technology and put my stolen money back in my wallet. I advise anyone experiencing a similar problem to contact the RHP team at Redeemed.h.p@hackermail.com or visit redeemedhackerpro.com to get their money returned from crooks.
Let them know Jovita recommends you.

emily faye

emily faye

I have been suffering from Herpes for the past 1 years and 8 months, and ever since then I have been taking series of treatment but there was no improvement until I came across testimonies of Dr. Silver on how he has been curing different people from different diseases all over the world, then I contacted him as well. After our conversation he sent me the medicine which I took according to his instructions. When I was done taking the herbal medicine I went for a medical checkup and to my greatest surprise I was cured from Herpes. My heart is so filled with joy. If you are suffering from Herpes or any other disease you can contact Dr. Silver today on this Email address: drsilverhealingtemple@gmail.com

Laura Paola

Laura Paola

I’m overjoyed to share my incredible journey with the amazing spell caster, Dr Peter, who helped me reunite with my boyfriend. My relationship was facing numerous challenges, and things got so bad that we ended up breaking up. I was heartbroken. I loved him more than anything. I cried endlessly until a friend of mine, who has a perfect relationship, shared her story and introduced me to the wonderful Dr Peter. He reassured me that everything would be fine and that no relationship is flawless, but he would help me fix mine. He guided me with specific steps, which I followed, and just 24 hours later, my boyfriend returned to me. I’m beyond thrilled! Thank you so much, Dr Peter! I’m leaving his contact information here so you can also benefit from his incredible work: You can reach him on WhatsApp. +1 (646) 494-4360
Email. drpeterspellcaster21@gmail.com

Read more on his website

https://drpeterspellcaster.wixsite.com/my-site-1

Leave a comment

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.