Springfield is home to many celebrities, but perhaps the most famous of these is Troy McClure. The actor and presenter has starred in everything from 'Suddenly Last Supper' and 'Dial M For Murderousness,' becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the world of The Simpsons.
His career is nothing short of remarkable, with Troy having dropped the names of a long line of movies, TV shows, and self-help videos that he has starred in. Sometimes, viewers have even been given a glimpse of his filmography, and on one occasion, audiences were treated to a stage musical adaptation of one of Hollywood's most iconic movies, starring Troy in the lead role. But which ones would fans say stood out the most?
The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel
Mentioned by an unnamed newscaster during "A Fish Called Selma's" closing credits, The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel not only stars Troy McClure in the lead role, but it's also written and directed by the esteemed actor. The movie is described as a 'pet project' for Troy, who turned down a part in McBain 4 in order to produce the feature.
Not much is known about the film, but the promotional image presented in the news broadcast is gloriously absurd. The photo depicts Troy strapped to a jetpack with wings and a helicopter propeller, alongside a pair of rockets on either side, a clear parody of the unique inventions seen in family fantasy flicks such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.
Someone's In The Kitchen With DNA
Alongside his fictional film offerings, Troy has also starred in a variety of films satirizing educational movies. These films have been shown everywhere from Springfield Elementary to Chief Wiggum's traffic school, and have covered a number of topics. Arguably the most iconic is Someone's In The Kitchen With DNA, which features in the episode "Lisa The Simpson."
Produced by 'Med-Films,' with the title a play-on reference to a lyric in the children's song "I've Been Working on the Railroad," this movie sees Troy take a young boy named Billy on a journey through a scientific research facility to discover the meaning of DNA. The actor's rather basic definition of DNA, coupled with his chef's hat marked 'God,' is hilarious to witness, and it's topped off in hysterical fashion by his seemingly clueless reaction when asked what DNA stands for.
The Revenge Of Abe Lincoln
Originally referenced in one of Bart's funniest episodes 'Bart The Murderer', 'The Revenge Of Abe Lincoln' is a satirical mash-up of the revenge thriller and biopic movie genres. Produced by 19th Century Hyena Pictures, it features Troy McClure in the titular role of the famed U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
Little is known about this movie, but a poster for the feature film can be viewed in the videogame 'Virtual Springfield', which offers a hint at the movie's clear bombastic nature. The poster is amusingly overblown in its depiction of Abraham Lincoln, who's surrounded by fire and wielding a pair of machine guns, in an image that feels reminiscent of the Arnold Schwarzenegger feature Last Action Hero.
Good-Time Slim, Uncle Doobie, And The Great 'Frisco Freak-Out'
Seen in the episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy," Good-Time Slim, Uncle Doobie, and the Great 'Frisco Freak-Out' stars Troy McClure as Slim and airs on the 'Thousand Dollar Movie' channel. This parody of the crime genre depicts a pair of hippies, who are on the run from the law, after committing a diamond robbery.
The movie scene glimpsed here is gloriously over the top, with the two men driving a rather colorful getaway car that jumps into the air at a ludicrously high length upon reaching a particularly high point in the road. It's Troy's final line as Slim that really sells the humor in this clip, however, as he strongly implies that he ate the pair's entire stash of drugs.
Noah’s Ark
Witnessed by the Simpsons family in the episode "Das Bus," Troy McClure's adaptation of the famous 'Noah's Ark' story is an especially unique take. The Simpsons start watching this movie the night before the start of another school day for Bart and Lisa, and the film's runtime is so long that by the time it finishes, it's the start of a new day.
Noah's Ark is a suitably bombastic parody of the biblical movie genre, as Troy McClure plays the titular role of Noah. This version of Noah is a studious note-taker, as he scribbles down all of God's demands, and it leads to one of the most hilarious Troy McClure moments, as he incredulously questions whether the 'two of every creature' rule should also apply to stink beetles.
The Wackiest Covered Wagon In The West
First referred to by Troy McClure in one of Principal Skinner's best episodes "Bart The Murderer," The Wackiest Covered Wagon In The West is a satirical take on the movie The Wackiest Wagon Train In The West, and features Troy in the lead part as an unnamed gunslinger. Whilst there is not a great deal known about this film, a poster is glimpsed in the videogame Virtual Springfield, offering a brief look at this in-universe movie.
The poster's more animated approach to this Troy McClure feature is what really stands out here, as it fully embraces the 'wacky' nature teased in the movie's title. With a rather giddy expression from Troy and a horse with its tongue sticking firmly out of its mouth, this is a film that clearly promises to take its viewers on a wild ride.
Young Jebediah Springfield
Young Jebediah Springfield is a cinematic documentary shown to the students of Springfield Elementary in the episode "Lisa The Iconoclast," and stars Troy McClure as Springfield's founding father Jebediah Springfield. The movie acts as a parody of docudramas, such as the 1964 film Culloden, which combines the traditional documentary format with dramatic historical depictions.
The way the film over-glorifies Springfield's historical figure makes this a Troy McClure movie to remember, made all the funnier by the startlingly obvious buffalo prop Jebediah rides after taming the vicious beast. It also contains one of the Simpsons' greatest lines, "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man," which left such a lasting impression on viewers that the previously made-up word 'embiggen' soon entered popular usage.
Gladys The Groovy Mule
First mentioned during Troy McClure's video tour of Rancho Relaxo in the episode "Homer Alone," Gladys The Groovy Mule is a parody of the '50s film Francis The Talking Mule, and watched by Bart and Milhouse in the comics story "Bore Us The Movie Gruel." The movie was written, directed, and produced by Rose Mayer, and stars Troy as a college "nerd" who teams up with the titular mule.
The film contains a hilariously offbeat narrative, with Troy and his talking mule, Francis, teaming up to win a game of American Football, and prove the football coach wrong, who had been continuously denying the pair a place on the college's sports team. The movie's poster, glimpsed in the videogame Virtual Springfield, also contains some amusing details, such as the film's surprising American 'R' rating, and the rather elaborately decorated mule.
Stop The Planet Of The Apes, I Want To Get Off!
The Simpsons is known for its musical moments, but one of the best also happens to be one of Troy McClure's greatest movie parodies. Featured in the episode "A Fish Called Selma," Stop The Planet Of The Apes, I Want To Get Off! stars Troy McClure as the astronaut, who finds himself on an all-too-familiar planet ruled by the primates.
Acting as a parody of Planet Of The Apes, the segment is an ingenious send-up of the often exaggerated stylings of a stage musical. Including some of The Simpsons' best songs, and the overly dramatic staging of iconic moments from the Apes movies, such as the reveal that the apes' planet was Earth, make this a Troy McClure parody to remember.
The Muppets Go Medieval
Like Troy McClure, the Muppets have also made a variety of media appearances, so it's perhaps not too surprising that they eventually crossed paths, in the film The Muppets Go Medieval. A satire of the Muppets' cinematic endeavors, The Muppets Go Medieval was first seen in the episode "A Fish Called Selma," and features Troy McClure as a knight seeking Miss Piggy's hand in marriage.
Two clips are shown within the episode from this film, and they contain some of the show's strongest pieces of writing. Featuring some truly great puns on iconic medieval names, such as 'Hamelot' instead of 'Camelot', or 'Lies-A-Lot' instead of 'Lancelot', and an epic sword fight between Troy and Kermit, The Muppets Go Medieval is one of Troy McClure's most memorable movies.