Wilma's personality is based on that of Alice Kramden, married to Ralph Kramden on the 1950s television series The Honeymooners. Much like Alice, Wilma plays the strong-willed, level-headed person in her marriage, often criticizing Fred for pursuing his various ill-fated schemes. Wilma is often the one to bail out Fred when one of his schemes lands him in trouble or brings up the problem.
Fictional character biography
Similar to Fred Flintstone's family, Wilma came from "Arkanstone". As a young adult, Wilma worked with Betty as a cigarette girl at a resort. There, they first met and fell in love with their future husbands, Fred and Barney, who were working there as bellhops.[8]
Wilma and Fred eventually married, and Wilma became a homemaker, keeping house with such prehistoric aids as a baby elephantvacuum cleaner and pelicanwashing machine. Wilma is a good cook; one of her specialties is "gravelberry pie", the recipe for which she eventually sold to the "Safestone" supermarket chain.[9] Wilma also enjoys volunteering for various charitable and women's organizations in Bedrock, shopping, and occasionally getting to meet the celebrities of their world, including Stony Curtis,[10]Rock Quarry,[11] and Jimmy Darrock.[12] Despite her petite appearance Wilma is quite capable of causing havoc when angry, at times knocking a prizefighter out with one blow,[13] knocking out crooks with her stone purse[14] or striking Fred Flintstone with a club[15] or a frying pan.[16]
Wilma is a truly modest woman however her obvious beauty and attractiveness has been referenced from time to time, especially in the season 2 episode "The Beauty Contest", where she and Betty entered a beauty contest.
In the original series' third season, Wilma becomes pregnant and gives birth to the couple's only child, Pebbles.
Later still, after Pebbles grows up and leaves home, Wilma starts a successful catering business with her neighbor and friend Betty, before becoming a grandmother to Pebbles' twin children, Chip and Roxy.[5]
Wilma's maiden name is the subject of a continuity error. Several early episodes in the original series clearly stated Wilma's maiden name was "Pebble". In the second-season episode "The Entertainer", Wilma's old friend Greta Gravel remembers her as "Wilma Pebble", and in the third-season episode "Dial S for Suspicion", one of Wilma's old boyfriends, calls her "Wilma Pebble".
However, later episodes and spin-offs firmly state her maiden name is indeed "Slaghoople", based upon the name of Wilma's mother in the original series, Pearl Slaghoople. Flintstones' writer Earl Kress explained the discrepancy as such: "Unfortunately, it's just as simple as [Hanna-Barbera] not caring about the continuity."[17]
Wilma figurine
Portrayal
Jean Vander Pyl was the original voice artist of Wilma until her death in 1999.[18] Since then, Tress MacNeille has taken over as Wilma's voice.
^"1967 Busch Advertising 1of2". YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2022. This was specifically created for a late 1966 Busch sales meeting (previewing Busch's 1967 ad campaign), and never seen by the general public. Jean Vander Pyl was unavailable to record the soundtrack, so Gerry Johnson doubled as Wilma's AND Betty's voices. Gerald Mohr is the narrator.
^""Why Aren't These the Real Cartoon Voices?"". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 20 April 2022. Also agree about Jean Vander Pyl, it's not a matter of being snide and nasal. Probably the most skillful "cover" I recall from records is the Peter Pan one — not the later "Even Steven/Primeval" LP (that isn't even written to character), but the 1972 LP with four stories including one focusing on Wilma. My guess is it is Corinne Orr.
^"Deborah Sale Butler". voices.com. Retrieved 20 April 2022. When asked to sing again, Deborah provided the speaking and singing voice for Wilma Flintstone in an online Fruity Pebbles campaign, "Bedrock Superstar."
