The Flintstones, the animated cartoon created in 1962, was a not-so-subtle homage to Hollywood’s famous Rat Pack.
Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., respectively. Fred’s boss Mr. Slate was Peter Lawford, pet dinosaur Dino was crooner Dean Martin, and red-headed Wilma Flintstone was a stand-in for Shirley MacLaine.
Bitter at being left out of the original cast, Joey Bishop was finally inserted as the wisecracking Great Gazoo during the show’s final season.
