Marvin Miller (actor)
Marvin Miller | |
|---|---|
 Miller in 1958 | |
| Born | Marvin Mueller July 18, 1913 St. Louis, Missouri,U.S. |
| Died | February 8, 1985(aged 71) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1945–1985 |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth Florence Dawson
(m.1937;div.1965) |
| Children | 2 |
Marvin Elliott Miller(bornMarvin Mueller;July 18, 1913 – February 8, 1985) was an American actor. Possessing a deep baritone voice, he began his career in radio inSt. Louis, Missouribefore becoming a Hollywood actor. He is remembered for voicingRobby the Robotin thescience fiction filmForbidden Planet(1956), a role he reprised in the lesser-knownThe Invisible Boy(1957).
Miller's next most notable role is that ofMichael Anthony,the loyal assistant ofPaul Frees's generous billionaire John Beresford Tipton Jr., on the TV seriesThe Millionaire(1955–1960).
Career
[edit]Radio and recordings
[edit]Born in St. Louis, Miller graduated fromWashington Universitybefore commencing his career in radio. When a singer named Marvin Miller debuted on another St. Louis radio station, he began using his middle initial to distinguish himself from the newcomer. For theMutual Broadcasting System,he narrated a daily 15-minute radio show titledThe Story Behind the Story,which offered historical vignettes. He also served as announcer on several Old Time Radio shows of the 1940s and 1950s, includingThe Jo Stafford Show[1]and the long-running mystery seriesThe Whistler.[2]
Miller played Dr. Lee Markham onThe Woman in WhiteonNBC radioand Howard Andrews onMidstreamon theBlue Network[3]and appeared as "The voice of the Past" on the May 21, 1942 broadcast of The Right to Happiness. In 1945–47, he was the announcer forSongs by Sinatra.[4]He played two characters and was the announcer onThe Billie Burke Show(1943–1946).[5]: 89
In 1952, Miller had a one-man program,Armchair Adventures,onCBS Radio.He did "all voices and narration" in the 15-minute dramatic anthology.[5]: 40 He also recorded 260 episodes of a program described in a 1950 trade publication as "Marvin Miller: Famous radio voice in series of five minute vignettes about famous people." The program was syndicated viaelectrical transcriptionby The Cardinal Company.[6]
He also wonGrammy Awardsin 1965 and 1966 for his recordings ofDr. Seussstories on RCA Records: in 1967 for Dr Seuss Presents –If I Ran the ZooandSleep Bookand 1966 for Dr Seuss PresentsFox in SocksandGreen Eggs and Ham.[7]He also readBartholomew and the Oobleck,Horton Hatches the Egg,The Sneetches and Other Stories,andYertle the Turtle and Other Stories.,[8]
In the mid-1970s, Miller even lent his voice to sports films, narrating the officialIndianapolis 500films in 1975 and 1976.
Films
[edit]In films, the heavyset Miller was often cast as a villain, many times playing Asian roles. He portrayed a sadistic henchman in the 1947Humphrey BogartfilmDead Reckoningand was Yamada in the 1945James CagneyfilmBlood on the Sun.[9]In 1946's film noirDeadline at Dawnhe plays Sleepy Parsons, a blind pianist.[10]Miller played George "Gusty" Gustafson in theGeorge Raftfilm noirclassicJohnny Angel.[11]
Additionally, he also appeared in "Red Planet Mars" (1952), "Forbidden" (1953), "Time Stood Still" (1956) and "When the Girls Take Over" (1962).
Miller also did a great deal of voice work in animation from the 1950s into the 1970s, from the narration on the 1950Academy Award-winningUnited Productions of AmericacartoonGerald McBoing Boingto the 1970The Ant and the AardvarkcartoonScratch a Tiger.[12][13]
Television
[edit]From 1949 to 1950 Miller starred as Dr. Yat Fu on the short-livedABCseriesMysteries of Chinatown,withGloria Saunderscast as his niece, Ah Toy.[14]In 1961, Miller guest-starred as Johnny Kelso, withErin O'Brien,in "The Marble Slab" episode of theFrederick Ziv-,United Artists-, andMGM-producedBat Masterson,starringGene Barry.[15]Original air date was May 11, 1961.[16]
Further, in television, he was a narrator on "The F.B.I.", "Police Squad", "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl", plus appeared on "Land of the Lost" and "Love, American Style".
Miller voiced "Mr. Sun" in theAT&Teducational filmOur Mr. Sun,and "Hemo" in theAT&Teducational filmHemo the Magnificent,parts of a series featuring Dr.Frank C. Baxterand directed byFrank Capra,which was shown on American network television in 1956 and 1957.[17][18]Miller crossed paths with other prolific voice-over artists many times in his career, includingJune Foray,playing "Deer" inHemo the Magnificentand in the TV seriesRocky and Bullwinklealong withPaul Frees,who voiced "Boris Badenov"in that program.[19]Miller and Frees also performed in separate segments on the audio recordingStan Freberg Presents The United States of America Volume One The Early Years.[20]
Miller made a guest appearance in 1963 onPerry Masonas unscrupulous attorney F.J. Weatherby in "The Case of the Lover's Leap".[17]
Miller voicedAquamanfor theFilmationstudio for their 1967 seriesThe Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.[17]He was also the voice of pilot/scientist Busby Birdwell in the company's animated seriesFantastic Voyage.[21]
He was the voice of the arrogant alien "Zarn" in three episodes of the second season ofLand of the Lost.[22]Miller also lent his distinct voice toThe Pink Panther Show,often talking with the feline offscreen and asking questions, while also voicing The Inspector, his second Deux Deux and their boss The Commissioner.[23]
He also won Grammy Awards in 1965 and 1966, for his recordings of stories by Dr. Seuss.
In more than 200 episodes ofThe Millionaire,Miller played Michael Anthony, conveying the wishes of the "fabulously wealthy" John Beresford Tipton Jr., voiced by Paul Frees.[24]
Death
[edit]Miller died in 1985 at the age of 71 from aheart attack.[24]He is entombed atPierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuaryin Los Angeles.[citation needed]
For his contribution to the television industry, Marvin Miller has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6101Hollywood Boulevard.[25]
Filmography
[edit]| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1945 | Blood on the Sun | Yamada | |
| Johnny Angel | George "Gusty" Gustafson | ||
| 1946 | Deadline at Dawn | Sleepy Parsons | |
| Just Before Dawn | Casper | ||
| The Phantom Thief | Dr. Nejino | ||
| Night in Paradise | Scribe | ||
| Without Reservations | Louella's radio announcer | Uncredited Alternative title:Thanks God, I'll Take It from Here | |
| 1947 | Dead Reckoning | Krause | |
| The Brasher Doubloon | Vince Blair | Alternative title:High Window | |
| The Corpse Came C.O.D. | Rudy Frasso | ||
| Intrigue | Ramon Perez | ||
| 1951 | Gerald McBoing-Boing | Narrator | Voice |
| Smuggler's Island | Bok-Ying | ||
| Peking Express | Kwon | ||
| The Prince Who Was a Thief | Hakar | ||
| The Golden Horde | Genghis Khan | ||
| 1952 | Hong Kong | Tao Liang | |
| Red Planet Mars | Arjenian | ||
| Off Limits | Vic Breck | Alternative title:Military Policemen | |
| 1953 | Ben and Me | Dr. Palmer / Miscellaneous Men | Voice |
| Forbidden | Chalmer | ||
| 1954 | King Dinosaur | Narrator | Voice |
| Jivaro | Jivaro Chief Kovanti | ||
| The Shanghai Story | Colonel Zorek | ||
| Beauty and the Bull | Narrator | Short, Voice | |
| 1955 | New York Confidential | Narrator | Voice, Uncredited |
| Godzilla Raids Again | Narrator | English version, Voice | |
| King Dinosaur | Narrator | Voice | |
| 1956 | Forbidden Planet | Robby the Robot | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Deadly Mantis | Narrator | |
| The Invisible Boy | Robby the Robot | Voice | |
| The Story of Mankind | Armana | ||
| 1958 | Manhunt in the Jungle | Narrator | Voice |
| Senior Prom | Narrator | Voice | |
| Panda and the Magic Serpent | Narrator | Voice | |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Narrator | Voice, Uncredited |
| Sampo | Narrator | English version, Voice | |
| 1961 | The Phantom Planet | Introductory Narrator | Voice |
| 1962 | When the Girls Take Over | Henri Degiere | |
| Panic in Year Zero! | Radio Announcer | Uncredited | |
| 1965 | The Agony and the Ecstasy | Prologue Narrator | Uncredited |
| Saturday Night in Apple Valley | |||
| Invasion of Astro-Monster | Fuji | English version, Voice | |
| Inside Daisy Clover | Narrator - The Daisy Clover Story | Voice, Uncredited | |
| 1966 | Gamera the Invincible | Voice over | Uncredited |
| 1967 | Hell on Wheels | The Announcer | |
| 1967-1969 | The Inspector | The Commissioner / Pig-Al / Warden / Ranger / Psychiatrist | |
| 1970 | MASH | PA Announcer | Uncredited |
| Blood of the Iron Maiden | Claude | ||
| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? | Catering Manager | |
| The Sexpert | Michael Anthony | Uncredited | |
| 1973 | Fantastic Planet | Great Tree Chief / Master Kon | English version, Voice, Uncredited |
| The Naked Ape | Fat Man | ||
| Tidal Wave | (US version) | ||
| 1974 | How to Seduce a Woman | Racetrack Announcer | |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? | Jordan's Boss | |
| 1976 | The Call of the Wild | Narrator | TV movie |
| 1977 | Empire of the Ants | Voice, Uncredited | |
| John Hus | Sigismund | ||
| American Raspberry | Henry Wideman | Alternative titles:Prime Time Funny America | |
| Space Cruiser Yamato | Voice, English version | ||
| 1981 | Kiss Daddy Goodbye | Bill Morris | |
| 1984 | Swing Shift | Rollo | |
| 1984 | Gremlins | Robby The Robot | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1986 | Hell Squad | The Sheik | Alternative titles:Commando Girls Commando Squad,(final film role) |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1949 | Mysteries of Chinatown | Dr. Yat Fu | unknown episodes |
| 1952 | Space Patrol | Mr. Proteus(continuing character)& other roles | 1952–1954 13 episodes |
| 1955 | The Millionaire | Michael Anthony | 1955–1960 206 episodes |
| 1959 | The Danny Thomas Show | Mr. Chow | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Bat Masterson | John Kelso | 1 episode (episode 31) |
| 1961 | The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet | Man in Dream | 1 episode |
| 1963 | Perry Mason | F. J. Weatherby | 1 episode |
| 1966 | Batman | TV Announcer | 1 episode (episode 12) |
| 1966–1974 | The F.B.I | Narrator | 117 episodes |
| 1967 | The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure | Aquaman (voice) | 36 episodes |
| 1967 | The Green Hornet | On-the-scene Reporter | 1 episode |
| 1969-1970 | The Pink Panther Show | Narrator / The Inspector / Sgt Deux-Deux / The Commissioner | Bumper segments only |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Smith | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Land of the Lost | Zarn | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Electra Woman and Dyna Girl | Narrator | 15 episodes |
| 1978 | Wonder Woman | Mr. Beamer | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Narrator | 6 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972).The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950.The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 125.
- ^Breesee, Frank."Golden Days of Radio".Interview with Marvin Miller, Part I.American Forces Radio and Television Service.RetrievedJuly 15,2011.
- ^"Say Hello to..."(PDF).Radio and Television Mirror.13(4): 46. February 1940.Retrieved21 February2015.
- ^Mackenzie, Harry (1999).The Directory of the Armed Forces Radio Service Series.ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.ISBN9780313308123.Retrieved24 July2015.
- ^abDunning, John. (1998).On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-507678-3.
- ^Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1950).Shows: 1950 Radio Daily Program Buyers Guide.Radio Daily Corp. P. 40.
- ^"Marvin Miller".GRAMMY.com.November 19, 2019.
- ^Marvin Miller - Dr Suess Presents...Horton Hatches The Egg, The Sneetches And Other Stories
- ^"Marvin Miller".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon September 30, 2017.
- ^"Deadline at Dawn (1946) - Harold Clurman | Cast and Crew".AllMovie.
- ^"Johnny Angel (1945) - Edwin L. Marin | Cast and Crew".AllMovie.
- ^"Marvin Miller | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos".AllMovie.
- ^"Gerald McBoing Boing (1950)".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon December 30, 2019.
- ^The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present.Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 823.ISBN0-345-45542-8.
- ^"Bat Masterson | TV Guide".TVGuide.com.
- ^Rainey, Buck (November 17, 2015).Western Gunslingers in Fact and on Film: Hollywood's Famous Lawmen and Outlaws.McFarland.ISBN9781476603285– via Google Books.
- ^abc"Marvin Miller | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances".AllMovie.
- ^"Hemo the Magnificent (1957)".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon December 30, 2019.
- ^Lawson, Tim; Persons, Alisa (December 9, 2004).The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who's Who of Cartoon Voice Actors.Univ. Press of Mississippi.ISBN9781578066964– via Google Books.
- ^"Stan Freberg - Presents The United States Of America, Vol. 1: The Early Years".Discogs.1961.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (November 7, 2013).Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949.Scarecrow Press.ISBN9780810892507– via Google Books.
- ^Erickson, Hal (March 13, 2015).Sid and Marty Krofft: A Critical Study of Saturday Morning Children's Television, 1969-1993.McFarland.ISBN9781476607849– via Google Books.
- ^Perlmutter, David (May 4, 2018).The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN9781538103746– via Google Books.
- ^ab"Marvin Miller, Actor on TV; Appeared in 'The Millionaire'".The New York Times.1985-02-10.Retrieved2009-03-02.
- ^"Marvin Miller".Los Angeles Times.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1913 births
- 1985 deaths
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American male radio actors
- Audiobook narrators
- Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
- Grammy Award winners
- Male actors from St. Louis
- Radio and television announcers
- Washington University in St. Louis alumni
- 20th-century American male actors