Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc | |
---|---|
Born | Melvin Jerome Blank May 30, 1908 |
Died | July 10, 1989 | (aged 81)
Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Other names | "The Man of 1,000 Voices" |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1927–1989 |
Spouse |
Estelle Rosenbaum (m.1933) |
Children | Noel Blanc |
Awards | Inkpot Award(1976)[1] |
Melvin Jerome Blanc(bornBlank/blæŋk/;[2][3]May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989)[4]was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During theGolden Age of Radio,he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy radio programs, including those of:Jack Benny,Abbott and Costello,Burns and Allen,The Great Gildersleeve,Judy Canovaand his ownshort-lived sitcom.
Blanc became known worldwide for his work in theGolden Age of American Animationas the voices ofBugs Bunny,Daffy Duck,Tweety,Sylvester the Cat,Yosemite Sam,Foghorn Leghorn,theTasmanian Devil,and numerous other characters from theLooney TunesandMerrie Melodiestheatrical cartoons.[5]Blanc also voiced theLooney TunescharactersPorky PigandElmer Fuddafter replacing their original performersJoe DoughertyandArthur Q. Bryan,respectively, although he occasionally voiced Elmer during Bryan's lifetime as well.[5]He later voiced characters forHanna-Barbera's television cartoons, including:Barney RubbleandDinoonThe Flintstones,Mr. SpacelyonThe Jetsons,Secret SquirrelonThe Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show,the title character ofSpeed Buggy,and Captain Caveman onCaptain Caveman and the Teen AngelsandThe Flintstone Kids.[5]
Referred to as "The Man of a Thousand Voices",[6]he is regarded as one of the most influential people in thevoice actingindustry, and as one of the greatestvoice actorsof all time.[7]
Early life
[edit]Blanc was born on May 30, 1908, inSan Francisco,California,to Eva (née Katz), aLithuanian Jewishimmigrant, and Frederick Blank (born in New York toGermanJewish parents[8]), the younger of two children. He grew up in San Francisco'sWestern Additionneighborhood,[9]and later inPortland, Oregon,where he attendedLincoln High School.[10]He had an early fondness for voices and dialect, which he began practicing at the age of 10. He claimed that he changed the spelling of his name when he was 16, from Blank to Blanc, because a teacher told him that he would amount to nothing and be like his name, a "blank". He joined theOrder of DeMolayas a young man, and was eventually inducted into its Hall of Fame.[11]After graduating from high school in 1927, he divided his time between leading an orchestra, becoming the youngest conductor in the country at the age of 19; and performingshtickinvaudevilleshows around Washington, Oregon and northern California.[12]
Career
[edit]Radio work
[edit]Blanc began his radio career at the age of 19 in 1927, when he made his acting debut on theKGWprogramThe Hoot Owls,where his ability to provide voices for multiple characters first attracted attention. He moved to Los Angeles in 1932, where he met Estelle Rosenbaum (1909–2003), whom he married a year later, before returning to Portland. He moved toKEXin 1933 to produce and co-host hisCobweb and Nutsshow with his wife Estelle, which debuted on June 15. The program played Monday through Saturday from 11:00 pm to midnight, and by the time the show ended two years later, it appeared from 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
With his wife's encouragement, Blanc returned to Los Angeles and joined Warner Bros.–ownedKFWBinHollywoodin 1935. He joinedThe Johnny Murray Show,but the following year switched toCBSRadio andTheJoe PennerShow.
Blanc was a regular on theNBCRed Network showThe Jack Benny Programin various roles, including voicing Benny'sMaxwell automobile(in desperate need of a tune-up), violin teacher Professor LeBlanc, Polly the Parrot, Benny's pet polar bear Carmichael and the train announcer. The first role came from a mishap when the recording of the automobile's sounds failed to play on cue, prompting Blanc to take the microphone and improvise the sounds himself. The audience reacted so positively that Benny decided to dispense with the recording altogether and have Blanc continue in that role. One of Blanc's characters from Benny's radio (and later TV) programs was "Sy, the Little Mexican", who spoke one word at a time.[12]He continued to work with Benny on radio until the series ended in 1955 and followed the program into television from Benny's 1950 debut episode through guest spots on NBC specials in the 1970s.
Radio Dailymagazine wrote in 1942 that Blanc "specialize[d] in over fifty-seven voices, dialects, and intricate sound effects",[13]and by 1946, he was appearing on over fifteen programs in various supporting roles. His success onThe Jack Benny Programled to his own radio show on theCBS Radio Network,The Mel Blanc Show,which ran from September 3, 1946, to June 24, 1947. Blanc played himself as the hapless owner of a fix-it shop, as well as his young cousin Zookie. Blanc also appeared on such other national radio programs asTheAbbott and CostelloShow,the Happy Postman onBurns and Allen,and as August Moon onPoint Sublime.During World War II, he appeared as Private Sad Sack on various radio shows, includingG.I. Journal.Blanc recorded a song titled "Big Bear Lake".
Animation voice work during the golden age of Hollywood
[edit]In December 1936, Mel Blanc joinedLeon Schlesinger Productions,which was producing theatrical cartoon shorts forWarner Bros.After sound manTreg Brownwas put in charge of cartoon voices, andCarl Stallingbecame music director, Brown introduced Blanc to animation directorsTex Avery,Bob Clampett,Friz Freleng,andFrank Tashlin,who loved his voices. The first cartoon Blanc worked on wasPicador Porky(1937) as the voice of a drunken bull.[12]He soon after received his first starring role when he replacedJoe Doughertyas Porky Pig's voice inPorky's Duck Hunt,which marked the debut of Daffy Duck, also voiced by Blanc.
Following this, Blanc became a very prominent vocal artist for Warner Bros., voicing a wide variety of the "Looney Tunes" characters. Bugs Bunny, as whom Blanc made his debut inA Wild Hare(1940),[14][15]was known for eating carrots frequently (especially while saying his catchphrase "Eh, what's up, doc?" ). To follow this sound with the animated voice, Blanc would bite into a carrot and then quickly spit into aspittoon.One often-repeated story is that Blanc was allergic to carrots, which Blanc denied.[16][17]
InDisney'sPinocchio,Blanc was hired to perform the voice of Gideon the Cat. However, it was eventually decided to have Gideon be a mute character (similar to Dopey fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs), so all of Blanc's recorded dialogue was deleted except for a solitary hiccup, which was heard three times in the finished film.[18]
Blanc also originated the voice and laugh ofWoody Woodpeckerfor the theatrical cartoons produced byWalter LantzforUniversal Pictures,but stopped voicing Woody after the character's first three shorts when he was signed to an exclusive contract with Warner Bros. Despite this, his laugh was still used in theWoody Woodpeckercartoons until 1951, whenGrace Staffordrecorded a softer version, while his "Guess who!?" signature line was used in the opening titles until the end of the series and closure ofWalter Lantz Productionsin 1972.[12]
During World War II, Blanc served as the voice of the haplessPrivate Snafuin a series of shorts produced by Warner Bros. as a way of training recruited soldiers through the medium of animation.[19]
Throughout his career, Blanc, aware of his talents, protected the rights to his voice characterizations contractually and legally. He, and later his estate, never hesitated to take civil action when those rights were violated. Voice actors at the time rarely received screen credits, but Blanc was an exception; by 1944, his contract with Warner Bros. stipulated a credit reading "Voice characterization(s) by Mel Blanc". According to his autobiography, Blanc asked for and received this screen credit from studio BossLeon Schlesingerafter he was denied a salary raise.[20]Initially, Blanc's screen credit was limited only to cartoons in which he voiced Bugs Bunny. This changed in March 1945 when the contract was amended to also include a screen credit for cartoons featuring Porky Pig and/or Daffy Duck. This however, excluded any shorts with the two characters made before that amendment occurred, even if they released after the fact (Book RevueandBaby Bottleneckare both examples of this). By the end of 1946, Blanc began receiving a screen credit in any subsequent Warner Bros. cartoon for which he provided voices.[21]
Voice work for Hanna-Barbera and others
[edit]In 1960, after the expiration of his exclusive contract with Warner Bros., Blanc continued working for them, but also began providing voices for the TV cartoons produced byHanna-Barbera;his roles during this time includedBarney RubbleofThe FlintstonesandCosmo SpacelyofThe Jetsons.His other voice roles for Hanna-Barbera includedDino the Dinosaur,Secret Squirrel,Speed Buggy,andCaptain Caveman,as well as voices forWally GatorandThe Perils of Penelope Pitstop.
Blanc also worked with former "Looney Tunes" director Chuck Jones, who by this time was directing shorts with his own company Sib Tower 12 (laterMGM Animation/Visual Arts), doing vocal effects for theTom and Jerryseries from 1963 to 1967. Blanc was the first voice ofToucan SaminFroot Loopscommercials.
Blanc reprised some of his Warner Bros. characters when the studio contracted him to makenew theatrical cartoonsin the mid- to late 1960s. For these, Blanc voiced Daffy Duck andSpeedy Gonzales,the characters who received the most frequent use in these shorts (later, newly introduced characters such as Cool Cat and Merlin the Magic Mouse were voiced byLarry Storch). Blanc also continued to voice the "Looney Tunes" for the bridging sequences ofThe Bugs Bunny Show,as well as in numerous animated advertisements and several compilation features, such asThe Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie(1979). He also voicedGrannyonPeter Pan Recordsin4 More Adventures of Bugs Bunny(1974) andHolly-Daze(1974), in place ofJune Foray,[22]and replaced the lateArthur Q. BryanasElmer Fudd's voice during the post-golden age era.
Car accident and aftermath
[edit]On January 24, 1961, Blanc was driving alone when his sports car was involved in ahead-on collisiononSunset Boulevard;his legs and his pelvis were fractured as a result.[23][24]He was in a coma and completely non-responsive. About two weeks later, one of Blanc's neurologists at theUCLA Medical Centertried a different approach than just trying to address the unconscious Blanc—address his characters instead. Blanc was asked, "How are you feeling today, Bugs Bunny?" After a slight pause, Blanc answered, in a weak voice, "Eh... just fine, Doc. How are you?"[12]The doctor then askedTweetyif he was there, too. "I tawt I taw a puddy tat", was the reply.[25][26]Blanc returned home on March 17. Four days later, Blanc filed aUS$500,000 lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. His accident, one of 26 in the preceding two years at the intersection known asDead Man's Curve,resulted in the city funding the restructuring of curves at the location.
Years later, Blanc revealed that during his recovery, his sonNoel"ghosted" several Warner Bros. cartoons' voice tracks for him. Warner Bros. had also askedStan Frebergto provide the voice for Bugs Bunny, but Freberg declined, out of respect for Blanc.[citation needed]At the time of the accident, Blanc was also serving as the voice ofBarney RubbleinThe Flintstones.His absence from the show was relatively brief;Daws Butlerprovided the voice of Barney for a few episodes, after which the show's producers set up recording equipment in Blanc's hospital room and later at his home to allow him to work from there. Some of the recordings were made while he was in full-body cast as he lay flat on his back with the otherFlintstonesco-stars gathered around him.[27]He returned toThe Jack Benny Programto film the program's 1961 Christmas show, moving around by crutches and a wheelchair.[28]
Later years
[edit]On January 29, 1962, Mel and his son Noel formed Blanc Communications Corporation,[29][30]a media company which produced over 5,000 commercials and public service announcements, which remains in operation.[31]Mel and Noel appeared with many stars, including:Kirk Douglas,Lucille Ball,Vincent Price,Phyllis Diller,LiberaceandThe Who.
In the 1970s, Blanc gave a series of college lectures across the US and appeared in commercials forAmerican Express.Mel's production company, Blanc Communications Corporation, collaborated on a special with the Boston-based Shriners' Burns Institute calledOunce of Prevention,which became a 30-minute TV special.[32]
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Blanc performed his "Looney Tunes" characters for bridging sequences in various compilation films ofGolden Age-eraWarner Bros. cartoons, such as:The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie,The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie,Bugs Bunny's 3rdMovie: 1001 Rabbit Tales,Daffy Duck's Fantastic IslandandDaffy Duck's Quackbusters.His final performance of his "Looney Tunes" roles was inBugs Bunny's Wild World of Sports(1989). After spending most of two seasons voicing the diminutive robot Twiki inBuck Rogers in the 25thCentury,Blanc's last major original character wasHeathcliff,who he voiced from 1980 to 1988.
In the live-action filmStrange Brew(1983), Blanc voiced the father ofBob and Doug MacKenzie,at the request of comedianRick Moranis.In the live-action/animated movieWho Framed Roger Rabbit(1988), Blanc reprised several of his roles from Warner Bros. cartoons (Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Tweety, andSylvester), but leftYosemite SamtoJoe Alaskey(who later became one of Blanc's regular replacements until his death in 2016). The film was one of the fewDisneyprojects in which Blanc was involved. Blanc died just a year after the film's release. His final recording session was forJetsons: The Movie(1990).[33]
Personal life
[edit]Blanc and his wife Estelle Rosenbaum were married on January 4, 1933,[4]and remained married until his death in 1989.[4]Their son,Noel Blanc,was also a voice actor.[4]
Blanc was aFreemasonas a member of Mid Day Lodge No. 188 inPortland, Oregon.[34][35]He held membership at the lodge for 58 years. Blanc was also aShriner.[36][37][38]
Death
[edit]Blanc began smoking at least one pack of cigarettes per day at the age of nine and continued up through 1985, having quit smoking after being diagnosed withemphysema.[39]He was later diagnosed withchronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), after his family checked him into theCedars-Sinai Medical Centerin Los Angeles on May 19, 1989[4]when they noticed he had been coughing profusely while shooting a commercial. He was originally expected to recover,[40]but doctors later discovered that he had advancedcoronary artery diseaseafter his health had worsened. He also fell from his bed and broke his femur during the stay.
Blanc died at the age of 81 from complications related to both illnesses on July 10, 1989 at 2:30 p.m., nearly two months after being admitted into the hospital.[4]He is interred inHollywood Forever Cemeterysection 13, Pinewood section, plot #149 in Hollywood.[41][42]His will specified that his gravestone read "That's all folks"—the phrase with which Blanc's character, Porky Pig, concluded Warner Bros. cartoons from 1937 to 1946.
Legacy
[edit]Blanc is regarded as the most prolific voice actor in entertainment history.[43]He was the first voice actor to receive on-screen credit.[44]
Blanc's death was considered a significant loss to the cartoon industry because of his skill, expressive range, and the sheer number of the continuing characters he portrayed, whose roles were subsequently assumed by several other voice talents. As film criticLeonard Maltinobserved, "It is astounding to realize that Tweety Bird and Yosemite Sam are the same man!"[45]
Blanc said that Sylvester the Cat was the easiest character for him to voice, because "[he's] just my normal speaking voice with a spray at the end"; and that Yosemite Sam was the hardest, because of his loudness and raspyness.[12]
A doctor who examined Blanc's throat found that he possessed unusually thick, powerfulvocal cordsthat gave him an exceptional range, and compared them to those of opera singerEnrico Caruso.[12]
After his death, Blanc's voice continued to be heard in newly released productions, such as recordings of Dino the Dinosaur in the live-action filmsThe Flintstones(1994) andThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas(2000). Similarly, recordings of Blanc as Jack Benny's Maxwell were featured inLooney Tunes: Back in Action(2003). More recently, archive recordings of Blanc have been featured in newcomputer-generated imagery-animated "Looney Tunes" theatrical shorts;I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat(shown withHappy Feet Two) andDaffy's Rhapsody(shown withJourney 2: The Mysterious Island).[46][47]
For his contributions to the radio industry, Blanc has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6385Hollywood Boulevard.His character Bugs Bunny was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 10, 1985.[48]
Blanc trained his son Noel in the field of voice characterization. Noel performed his father's characters (particularly Porky Pig) on some programs, but did not become a full-time voice artist. Warner Bros. expressed reluctance to have a single voice actor succeed Blanc,[49]and employed multiple new voice actors to fill the roles since the 1990s, including Noel Blanc,Jeff Bergman,Joe Alaskey,Greg Burson,Billy WestandEric Bauza.
Filmography
[edit]Radio
[edit]Original air date | Program | Role |
---|---|---|
1933 | The Happy-Go-Lucky Hour | Additional voices |
1937 | The Joe Penner Show | |
1938 | The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air | Mayor of Hamelin, Neptune's Son, Priscilly, Royal Herald, additional voices |
1939–1943 | Fibber McGee and Molly | Hiccuping Man |
1939–1955 | The Jack Benny Program | Sy, Polly the Parrot, Mr. Finque, Nottingham, Train Announcer, Jack Benny's Maxwell, additional voices |
1940–1944, 1947–1948 | Point Sublime | August Moon |
1941–1943 | The Great Gildersleeve | Floyd Munson |
1942–1947 | The Abbott and Costello Show | Himself, Botsford Twink, Scotty Brown |
1943–1947 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | The Happy Postman |
1943–1955 | The Judy Canova Show | Paw, Pedro, Roscoe E. Wortle |
1944 | Nitwit Court | Bigelow Hornblower |
1945 | The Life of Riley | Additional voices |
It's Time to Smile(The Eddie Cantor Show) | ||
1946–1947 | The Mel Blanc Show | Himself, Dr. Christopher Crab, Zookie |
1955–1956 | The Cisco Kid | Pan Pancho (replacingHarry E. Lang),[50]additional voices |
Film
[edit]Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1937–1989 | Looney TunesandMerrie Melodiesshorts | Numerous voices | Includes theBugs Bunny,Elmer Fudd(before and afterArthur Q. Bryanvoiced Elmer, and even during Bryan's lifetime.)Porky Pig,Daffy DuckandSylvesterseries (817 cartoons total) |
1938–1939 | The Captain and the Kidstheatrical shorts | John Silver | 5 shorts, uncredited |
1940 | Pinocchio | Gideon (hiccup) | uncredited |
1940–1941 | Woody Woodpeckertheatrical shorts | Woody Woodpecker | 3 shorts, uncredited |
1941 | Color Rhapsodytheatrical shorts | Various Insects,Fox,Crow | 1 short, uncredited |
1941–1942 | Speaking of Animalstheatrical shorts | Various animals (voices) | uncredited[51] |
1942 | Horton Hatches the Egg | Horton the Elephant(sneezing), Small Hunter, various characters | uncredited |
Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book | Kaa(voice) | uncredited[52] | |
1943–1945 | Private SnafuWWIIshorts | Private Snafu,Bugs Bunny,additional characters | 24 shorts, uncredited |
1944 | Jasper Goes Hunting | Bugs Bunny | Puppetoon;cameo uncredited |
1948 | Two Guys from Texas | Bugs Bunny (voice) | Animated cameo |
1949 | My Dream Is Yours | Bugs Bunny,Tweety(voices) | Animated cameos |
Neptune's Daughter | Pancho | ||
1950 | Champagne for Caesar[53] | Caesar (parrot) | |
1952 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Various animals (voices) | uncredited[54] |
1961 | Snow White and the Three Stooges | Quinto the puppet (voice) | (uncredited)[55] |
Breakfast at Tiffany's | Over-eager date | Cameo | |
1962 | Gay Purr-ee | Bulldog | |
1962–1965 | Loopy De Looptheatrical shorts | Crow, Braxton Bear, Skunk, Duck Hunter | 5 shorts |
1963–1967 | Tom and Jerrytheatrical shorts | TomandJerry's vocal effects | 34 shorts directed byChuck Jones |
1964 | Kiss Me, Stupid | Dr. Sheldrake | |
Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! | Grifter Chizzling; Southern-accented bear on train; Mugger (grumbling sounds) | ||
1966 | The Man Called Flintstone | Barney Rubble,Dino | Based onThe Flintstonesseries |
1970 | The Phantom Tollbooth | Officer Short Shrift, The Dodecahedron, The Demon of Insincerity | |
1974 | Journey Back to Oz | Crow | |
A Political Cartoon | Bugs Bunny (voice) | Cameo | |
1979 | The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie | ||
1981 | The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie | Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Yosemite Sam/Porky Pig/Pepé Le Pew/Sylvester/Tweety/Rocky/Judge and O'Hara (voice) | |
1982 | Bugs Bunny's 3rdMovie: 1001 Rabbit Tales | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Yosemite Sam (voice) | |
1983 | Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island | Daffy Duck/Porky Pig/Sylvester/Yosemite Sam/Speedy Gonzales/Taz/Foghorn Leghorn/Pepé Le Pew/Spike and Crows | |
Strange Brew | Father MacKenzie (voice) | ||
1986 | Heathcliff: The Movie | Heathcliff | |
1988 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester | |
Daffy Duck's Quackbusters | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and J.P. Cubish | ||
1990 | Jetsons: The Movie | Cosmo Spacely | Additional lines byJeff Bergman;dedicated in memory; posthumous release |
1994 | The Flintstones | Dino | Archival recordings; posthumous release |
2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Puppy Dino | |
2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Gremlin Car | |
2011 | I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat | Tweety, Sylvester | |
2012 | Daffy's Rhapsody | Daffy Duck | |
2014 | Flash in the Pain | Tweety |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1950–65 | The Jack Benny Program | Professor LeBlanc, Sy, Department Store Clerk, Gas Station Man, Mr. Finque, additional characters | 62 episodes |
1958 | Perry Mason | Casanova (voice) | Episode: "The Case of the Perjured Parrot"[56]: 108–109 |
1959 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Mr. Ziegler | Episode: "The Best Dressed Man" |
1960–1966 | The Flintstones | Barney Rubble,Dino,additional voices | 163 episodes |
1960 | Mister Magoo | Additional voices | 37 episodes |
1961 | Dennis the Menace | Leo Trinkle | Episode: "Miss Cathcart's Friend" |
1962–1963; 1985–1987 |
The Jetsons | Cosmo Spacely,additional voices | 55 episodes |
1962–1963 | Lippy the Lion & Hardy Har Har | Hardy Har Har, additional voices | 52 episodes |
1963 | Wally Gator | Colonel Zachary Gator | Episode: "Carpet Bragger" |
1964–1965 | Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long | Droop-a-Long Coyote, additional voices | 23 episodes |
1964–1966 | Breezly and Sneezly | Sneezly Seal | 23 episodes |
1964 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Dick Burton | 1 episode |
1964–1966 | The Munsters | Cuckoo clock(voice) | 6 episodes |
1965–1966 | The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show | Secret Squirrel | 26 episodes |
Sinbad Jr. and his Magic Belt | Salty the Parrot | 81 episodes | |
1966 | The Monkees | Monkeemobileengine (voice) | 1 episode |
1969–1970 | The Perils of Penelope Pitstop | Yak Yak, The Bully Brothers, Chug-A-Boom | 7 episodes |
1969 | The Pink Panther Show | Drunk Man | 1 episode |
1970 | Where's Huddles? | Bubba McCoy | 11 episodes |
1971–1972 | Curiosity Shop | Ole Factory the Bloodhound, Halcyon the Hyena, Computer, additional voices | 17 episodes |
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show | Barney Rubble, additional voices | 15 episodes | |
1972–1989 | Looney Tunes TV specials | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Tasmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn | 20 specials |
1972–1973 | The Flintstone Comedy Hour | Barney Rubble, Dino, Zonk, Stub | 18 episodes |
1973 | Speed Buggy | Speed Buggy | 16 episodes |
The New Scooby-Doo Movies | Episode: "The Weird Winds of Winona" | ||
A Very Merry Cricket | Tucker R. Mouse, Alley Cat | TV special | |
1975 | Yankee Doodle Cricket | Tucker R. Mouse, Rattlesnake, Bald Eagle | |
1977–1978 | Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics | Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman, Barney Rubble | 4 episodes |
1977–1980 | Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels | Captain Caveman | 40 episodes |
1977–1986 | Flintstones TV specials | Barney Rubble, Dino | 6 specials |
1978 | Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue | TV special | |
1978–1979 | Galaxy Goof-Ups | Quack-Up | 13 episodes |
1979 | The New Fred and Barney Show | Barney Rubble, Dino, additional voices | 17 episodes |
1979–1981 | Buck Rogers in the 25thCentury | Twiki (voice) | 25 episodes |
1980–1982 | Heathcliff | Heathcliff | 26 episodes |
The Flintstone Comedy Show | Barney Rubble, Dino, Captain Caveman | 36 episodes | |
1980 | Murder Can Hurt You | Chickie Baby (voice) | TV movie[57] |
1981–1982 | Trollkins | Additional voices | 13 episodes |
1982 | Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper | Barney Rubble, additional voices | TV special |
1984–1988 | Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats | Heathcliff | 86 episodes |
1986–1988 | The Flintstone Kids | Dino, Robert Rubble, Captain Caveman, Piggy McGrabit | 26 episodes |
1987 | The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones | Barney Rubble, Dino, Cosmo Spacely | TV movie |
1988 | Rockin' with Judy Jetson | Cosmo Spacely | |
1989 | Hanna-Barbera's 50th:A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration | Barney Rubble and Dino | TV special; aired seven days after his death |
Video games
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball | Sylvester | Archival recording |
1999 | Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time | Pirate Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck | Archival recordings |
Theme parks
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Looney Tunes River Ride | Tasmanian Devil | Archival recordings |
1992 | Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure! | ||
1993 | Bugs Bunny Goin' Hollywood | Archival recordings[58] |
Discography
[edit]- Yah, Das Ist Ein Christmas Tree and I Tan't Wait Til Quithmuth Day (Capitol, 1950, Album CAS-3191)
- Clink, Clink, Another Drink(Bluebird,1942)[50]as Drunk
- Bugs Bunny Stories for Children(Capitol,1947)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, additional voices
- The Woody Woodpecker Song(Capitol, 1948)[60]as Woody Woodpecker
- Bugs Bunny and the Tortoise(Capitol, 1948)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Cecil Turtle, Daffy Duck, Henery Hawk, additional voices
- That's All Folks!(Capitol, 1948)[59]as Porky Pig
- Won't You Ever Get Together With Me(Capitol, 1948)[59]as Tweety, Sylvester
- Bugs Bunny in Storyland(Capitol, 1949)[61]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Beaky Buzzard, Old King Cole, Fiddlers Three, Mary's Lamb, Bo Peep's Sheep, Big Bad Wolf
- "Clink, Clink, Another Drink" (withSpike Jones and His City Slickers) (Bluebird Records, 1949), sings the bridge and hiccups
- Woody Woodpecker and His Talent Show(Capitol, 1949)[62]as Woody Woodpecker, Stanley Squirrel, Billy Goat, Plato Platypus, Fido, Happy Hedgehog, Harry Humbug
- Bugs Bunny Sings with Daffy Duck, Tweety Pie, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester(Capitol, 1950)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Tweety, Sylvester
- Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha(Capitol, 1950)[59]as Bugs Bunny
- Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam(Capitol, 1950)[59]as Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam
- Tweety Pie(Capitol, 1950)[59]as Tweety, Sylvester
- Woody Woodpecker's Picnic(Capitol, 1951)[62]as Woody Woodpecker, Tommy Turtle, English Bulldog, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Scotty
- Henery Hawk(Capitol, 1951)[59]as Henery Hawk, Foghorn Leghorn, Daffy Duck
- Tweety's Puddy Tat Twouble(Capitol, 1951)[59]as Tweety, Sylvester
- Tweet, Tweet, Tweety(Capitol, 1952)[59]as Tweety, Sylvester
- Bugs Bunny and the Grow-Small Juice(Capitol, 1952)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck
- Henery Hawk's Chicken Hunt(Capitol, 1952)[59]as Henery Hawk, Foghorn Leghorn, additional voices
- Bugs Bunny and Aladdin's Lamp(Capitol, 1952)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Genie
- Woody Woodpecker and the Scarecrow(Capitol, 1952)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Daffy Duck's Feathered Friend(Capitol, 1952)[63]as Daffy Duck
- Sylvester and Hippety Hopper(Capitol, 1952)[50]as Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker and the Animal Crackers(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker and the Lost Monkey(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Bugs Bunny and Rabbit Seasoning(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Bugs Bunny
- Snowbound Tweety(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Tweety, Sylvester
- Woody Woodpecker and His Spaceship(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Wild West Henery Hawk(Capitol, 1953)[50]as Henery Hawk, Foghorn Leghorn, additional voices
- Pied Piper Pussycat(Capitol, 1953)[59]as Sylvester, additional voices
- Daffy Duck's Duck Inn(Capitol, 1954)[50][64]as Daffy Duck, Dog
- Bugs Bunny and the Pirate(Capitol, 1954)[59]as Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam
- Woody Woodpecker and the Truth Tonic(Capitol, 1954)[60]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Tweety's Good Deed(Capitol, 1954)[59]as Tweety, Sylvester, additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker's Fairy Godmother(Capitol, 1955)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker in Mixed-Up Land(Capitol, 1955)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker Meets Davy Crockett(Capitol, 1955)[50]as Woody Woodpecker, additional voices
- Woody Woodpecker's Family Album(Decca,1957)[65]as Pepito, Sailor, Malamute,Andy Panda,Fluten Bluten, Heinie the Hyena,Homer Pigeon,Cuckoo,Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
- "There's a Hole in the Iron Curtain" (withMickey Katzand His Orchestra) (Capitol, 1960, Album 45-5425)
- Bugs Bunny Songfest(Golden,1961)[66]as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweety, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Henery Hawk, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Hippety Hopper, Foghorn Leghorn, Cicero Pig
- Speedy Gonzales(Dot,1962) as Speedy Gonzales
- Magilla Gorilla and His Pals(Golden, 1964)[67]as Droop-A-Long
- The Flintstones: Flip Fables(Hanna-Barbera, 1965)[68]as Barney Rubble, Chubby, Tubby, Stubby, Landlord, Beowolfe
- The Flintstones: Hansel and Gretel(Hanna-Barbera, 1965)[68]as Barney Rubble, Hansel, Gretel, Strudelmeyer, Fang, Witch, Reporter
- Treasure Island Starring Sinbad, Jr.(Hanna-Barbera, 1965)[69]as Salty
- Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole in: Super Spy(Hanna-Barbera, 1965)[70]as Secret Squirrel, Tyrone
- The New Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?(Hanna-Barbera, 1966)[71]as Barney Rubble, March Hare, Prosecuting Attorney/King's Son
- The Flintstones Meet the Orchestra Family(Sunset,1968)[72]as Barney Rubble
- The New Adventures of Bugs Bunny(Peter Pan,1973)[61]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Petunia Pig, Speedy Gonzales, Pablo, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, additional voices
- Four More Adventures of Bugs Bunny(Peter Pan, 1974)[61]as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Petunia Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, additional voices
- Holly Daze(Peter Pan, 1974)[73]as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Granny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Junior, Santa Claus, Narrator, Radio Announcer
- Looney Tunes Learn About Numbers(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, additional voices
- Looney Tunes Learn About The Alphabet(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, additional voices
- Looney Tunes Learn About Going To School(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Tweety, additional voices
- Looney Tunes Learn About Sing-Along Songs(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, additional voices
- Looney Tunes Learn About Colors(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, additional voices
- Looney Tunes Learn About Shapes and Sizes(Warner Audio Publishing, 1986)[74]as Bugs Bunny, Cecil Turtle, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, additional voices
References
[edit]- ^"Inkpot Award".Comic-con.org.December 6, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 27,2022.
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- ^Harmetz, Aljean(November 24, 1988)."Man of a Thousand Voices, Speaking Literally".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 8,2016.
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- ^"Did Mel Blanc hate carrots?"A Straight Dope column by Science Advisory Board Member Rico November 4, 2008 (accessed November 20, 2008)
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- ^Scott, Keith(September 13, 2016)."Mel Blanc: From Anonymity To Offscreen Superstar (The advent of on-screen voice credits)".Cartoon Research.RetrievedJuly 18,2017.
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- ^Blanc, Mel; Philip Bashe (1988).That's Not All, Folks!.Warner Books.ISBN978-0-446-51244-2.
- ^Horowitz, Daniel (November 6, 2012)."What's Up, Doc?".Radiolab.RetrievedOctober 27,2014.
- ^Rix, Kate (May 6, 2013)."The Strange Day When Bugs Bunny Saved the Life of Mel Blanc".OpenCulture.
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- ^Blanc, Mel (1988).That's Not All Folks!.Warner Books. pp. 228, 252.ISBN0-446-51244-3.
- ^"Blanc Communications Corporation, California, US".Open Corporates.RetrievedJune 21,2021.
- ^"Blanc Communications Corporation official site".RetrievedOctober 8,2017.
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- ^Beck, Jerry.The Animated Movie Guide(2005).
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- ^Tribe, Ivan."Brother Mel Blanc:" The Man of a Thousand Voices "".Archived fromthe originalon May 19, 2023.RetrievedJuly 16,2023.
- ^"Famous Freemasons (A – Z) – Freemasons Community".freemasonscommunity.life.RetrievedMay 19,2023.
- ^Baum, Gary (May 25, 2017)."Inside Hollywood's Secret Masonic History, From Disney to DeMille".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedMay 19,2023.
- ^"Brother Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices".knightstemplar.org.RetrievedMay 19,2023.
- ^Harmetz, Aljean (November 27, 1988)."Mel Blanc: His Voice Is His Fortune".Sun-Sentinel.Ft. Lauderdale. Archived fromthe originalon November 8, 2013.RetrievedJuly 19,2013.
- ^Feldman, Paul (July 11, 1989)."Mel Blanc Dies; Gave Voice to Cartoon World".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2016.
- ^Wilson, Scott (2016).Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons(3 ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 68.ISBN978-0-7864-7992-4.
- ^"Grave Hunter finds Mel Blanc burial place".Gravehunter.net.Archived fromthe originalon August 4, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 4,2019.
- ^Thomas, Nick (2011).Raised by the Stars: Interviews with 29 Children of Hollywood Actors.McFarland. p. 217.ISBN978-0-7864-8807-0.
- ^Horvath, Suzanne V. (October 13, 1946)."Look Who's Talking!".The Cincinnati Enquirer.p. 9.RetrievedJanuary 20,2020.
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- ^"More 3D Looney Tunes Shorts On The Way".ComingSoon.net. June 8, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon August 25, 2012.RetrievedOctober 29,2012.
- ^Vary, Adam B. (November 14, 2011)."Looney Tunes short with Tweety Bird, Sylvester".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedOctober 29,2012.
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- ^Alaskey, Joe (2009).That's Still Not All Folks!.BearManor Media.ISBN978-1-59393-112-4.
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- ^DataBase, The Big Cartoon."Speaking Of Animals Theatrical Series – Paramount Pictures".Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB).RetrievedNovember 19,2021.[dead link]
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{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961)".threestooges.net.RetrievedNovember 19,2021.
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- ^"Chickie Baby".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
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- ^abc"'Bugs Bunny in Storyland': The Good, The Bad, and the Bugs".Carttonresearch, Retrieved 2019-10-09.
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- ^"Golden Records'" Bugs Bunny Songfest "(1961)".Cartoonresearch, Retrieved 2019-10-09.
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- ^ab"Flintstone Bedtime Stories".Cartoonresearch, Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- ^"Sam Singer and Hanna-Barbera's" Sinbad Jr. "on Records".Cartoonresearch, Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- ^"Hanna-Barbera's" Secret Squirrel "on Records".Cartoonresearch, Retrieved 2019-10-14.
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Bibliography
[edit]- That's Not All, Folks!,1988 by Mel Blanc, Philip Bashe. Warner Books,ISBN0-446-39089-5(Softcover),ISBN0-446-51244-3(Hardcover)
- Terrace, Vincent.Radio Programs, 1924–1984.Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999.ISBN0-7864-0351-9
External links
[edit]- Mel BlancatIMDb
- Mel BlancatTurner Classic Movies
- Mel Blancdiscography atDiscogs
- The Mel Blanc Showat theInternet Archive
- Toonopedia article about Mel Blanc
- 40 MP3 downloads of The Mel Blanc ShowArchivedSeptember 29, 2009, at theWayback Machine
- The Mel Blanc Show on Old Time Radio OutlawsArchivedMay 14, 2023, at theWayback Machine
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