Uncle Sam Magoo

In 1969, Hank Saperstein, in an attempt to revitalize his star property, approached Lee Orgel with the idea of producing a patriotically themed special starring Mr. Magoo. NBC, who had previously run both Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol and The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, agreed to air it with Maxwell House Coffee’s sponsorship. Lee got Barbara Chain to write it and Abe Levitow was brought back to direct it, reassembling much of the production team from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. The special aired in February of 1970 an although the film did not receive either the ratings or critical success the crew had hoped for, it did win a Christopher Award, given for media that brings “positive and constructive values into the mainstream of life”.