For our unKnown actor this week, we have a man of many voices and accents. He has been featured in many different Disney films over a span of 20 years playing several characters that Disney fans have grown to love. This man is Bill Thompson, born July 8, 1913 in Indiana and died July 15, 1971 in Los Angeles. Besides his Disney roles, Bill is also known for providing the lovable monotone voice for Droopy the dog in all of his cartoons throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Bill’s bit with Disney started in 1951 with Alice in Wonderland. He voiced the frantic White Rabbit and the know-it-all Dodo.
The same year, he was in the Walt Disney Christmas Show, which was a TV movie, as the character Willoughby.
1953 was Bill’s next voice stint, bringing the gullible yet lovable Mr. Smee to life in Peter Pan. He also voiced a few of the other pirates as needed, though he was not credited for them.
In the 1953 short Ben and Me, Bill gave his voice to some of the background characters and to Governor Keith.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) would not be the same without Bill’s voice talents because he did a handful of the characters in that film! His main character was the scotty dog Jock, but he also voiced Bull the Bull Terrier, the Policeman at the Zoo, Dachsie and Joe.
Four years later, we hear him in Sleeping Beauty, giving a voice to Prince Phillip’s father, King Hubert.
There was a long break before his next Disney film, which came as a short film in 1967. He voiced Scrooge McDuck in Scrooge McDuck and Money.
There were two characters that Bill brought to Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color throughout its broadcast. Those characters were Ranger J Audubon Woodlore and an Ajax Employment Agency Proprietor.
Bill’s last Disney film came the year before his death, in 1970, where he had a short yet memorable voice part as Uncle Waldo in The Aristocats. It was a small part, but I know that is one that my sister and I laugh at every time we watch it! "Neighbourhood!!"
I hope you are enjoying reading about all of the different actors throughout Disney history and how they shared their many talents with us and future generations!
Showing posts with label unKNOWN Actors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unKNOWN Actors. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons, Born September 19, 1948 in Isle of Wight, England, is a very serious actor, known for serious roles and having a deep and lovely accented voice. This is an actor that you would not expect to have a Disney resume entry, but alas, he certainly does! He has a few actually, most of them being within the Disney theme parks!
Let us first talk about his one movie debut, which was in 1994. Irons voiced one of the most evil villains in Disney history, Scar in The Lion King. It was his portrayal of Scar that is also used in the Hollywood Studios show, Fantasmic!
His other well-known Disney contribution was heard in Epcot from 1994 to 2007 as the narrator for Spaceship Earth. His narration is the longest used to date, being replaced after 13 years by Dame Judi Dench, who is currently used.
There are a couple more places in the parks where you used to hear Irons’ voice. He gave a voice to H.G. Wells in the Tomorrowland attraction The Timekeeper, which was open from 1994 until 2006. This attraction was also in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.
In Disneyland Paris, he narrated the English version of the Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic.
Jeremy Irons is an actor with an awesome voice that can be heard around the world not only in movies but in several of the parks over the year. We will have to see if Irons will be featured in any other Disney projects in his lifetime.
Do you have an actor you would like me to research? Let me know by commenting below or sending me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
Let us first talk about his one movie debut, which was in 1994. Irons voiced one of the most evil villains in Disney history, Scar in The Lion King. It was his portrayal of Scar that is also used in the Hollywood Studios show, Fantasmic!
His other well-known Disney contribution was heard in Epcot from 1994 to 2007 as the narrator for Spaceship Earth. His narration is the longest used to date, being replaced after 13 years by Dame Judi Dench, who is currently used.
There are a couple more places in the parks where you used to hear Irons’ voice. He gave a voice to H.G. Wells in the Tomorrowland attraction The Timekeeper, which was open from 1994 until 2006. This attraction was also in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.
In Disneyland Paris, he narrated the English version of the Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic.
Jeremy Irons is an actor with an awesome voice that can be heard around the world not only in movies but in several of the parks over the year. We will have to see if Irons will be featured in any other Disney projects in his lifetime.
Do you have an actor you would like me to research? Let me know by commenting below or sending me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Eva Gabor
This actress we are featuring has a very recognizable voice and an even more recognizable name, Eva Gabor. Born February 11, 1919 in Hungary and passed away July 4, 1995, Eva is most known for portraying Lisa Douglas on the 1960’s shows Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. Since she is so well known, you are probably wondering why on earth we are going to talk about her on this site. Well, what is not as well known about Eva was that she had a few Disney appearances in her time, which is naturally what I’m going to be talking about.
She first came to work for Disney in 1963 for a TV movie, voicing Contessa Czigoina in Mickey and the Contessa.
Eva must have enjoyed working with Disney because she accepted her first animated movie voice over job in 1970 providing a voice to Duchess in The Aristocats.
1977 is when we hear Eva again. She is heard in The Rescuers as the brave mouse, Miss Bianca. She revived this role thirteen years later in 1990’s The Rescuers Down Under.
While her Disney parts are few, she has her place in Disney history because of them.
She first came to work for Disney in 1963 for a TV movie, voicing Contessa Czigoina in Mickey and the Contessa.
Eva must have enjoyed working with Disney because she accepted her first animated movie voice over job in 1970 providing a voice to Duchess in The Aristocats.
1977 is when we hear Eva again. She is heard in The Rescuers as the brave mouse, Miss Bianca. She revived this role thirteen years later in 1990’s The Rescuers Down Under.
While her Disney parts are few, she has her place in Disney history because of them.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Barbara Luddy
The actress we are going to talk about today is special because today, she would have been 103 years old! Barbara Luddy, Born May 25, 1908 in Montana and died April 1, 1979 in LA, is a very familiar and distinctive Disney voice that we must celebrate!
Barbara got her start with Disney in 1955 providing the voice for the adorably proper Lady in Lady and the Tramp.
In 1959, Barbara was called to record for Sleeping Beauty. She was the loveable yet stubborn good fairy, Merryweather. (For those of you who know the fairies by their color, she’s the blue one!)
She had a small part in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians, giving a little voice to the puppy Rover.
Her biggest and most repeated role came in 1966 when she was asked to voice loving mother figure, Kanga, in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. She also voiced Kanga in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
There was one more movie that Barbara was in, and that was 1973’s Robin Hood. She voiced the Mother Rabbit and Mother Church Mouse.
Barbara had a sweet and fun voice and I know that I really enjoy hearing her in her movies. I hope this will help you to pick out this birthday girl’s voice the next time you watch these movies!
Barbara got her start with Disney in 1955 providing the voice for the adorably proper Lady in Lady and the Tramp.
In 1959, Barbara was called to record for Sleeping Beauty. She was the loveable yet stubborn good fairy, Merryweather. (For those of you who know the fairies by their color, she’s the blue one!)
She had a small part in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians, giving a little voice to the puppy Rover.
Her biggest and most repeated role came in 1966 when she was asked to voice loving mother figure, Kanga, in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. She also voiced Kanga in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
There was one more movie that Barbara was in, and that was 1973’s Robin Hood. She voiced the Mother Rabbit and Mother Church Mouse.
Barbara had a sweet and fun voice and I know that I really enjoy hearing her in her movies. I hope this will help you to pick out this birthday girl’s voice the next time you watch these movies!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Pat Buttram
This time on unKNOWN Actors, we are going to look at a guy who’s voice is one that I have always found unique and always stands out to me when I hear it in a movie; the distinctive southern drawl of Pat Buttram. Born June 19, 1915 in Alabama and died Jan 8, 1994 in LA, California, there are several movies that you can find him in.
The first would be in 1970’s The AristoCats, where Pat provides the voice for the self-appointed hound leader, Napoleon.
In Robin Hood (1973) his voice is used to bring the cruel and greedy Sheriff of Nottingham to life.
Luke the Swamp mouse, a somewhat lazy character in The Rescuers (1977) is Pat’s next voice.
The next movie brings Pat back to doing the voice of another somewhat mean character, giving a voice to the, at times, mean spirited Chief in The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Pat had a short voice job in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voicing one of the toon bullets that fires out of the cartoon gun that Eddie tries to use in Toontown.
The last Disney movie that Pat voiced for, in fact, the last movie he ever voiced for, was A Goofy Movie in 1995. He was the voice for Possum Park Emcee.
And now, you can put a name to that unique voice that you hear next time you watch any of these movies! See if you can pick out Pat Buttram’s voice easier!
If you have a fact about this actor or the name of someone you would like me to research, send me an email to lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com or leave me a comment below.
The first would be in 1970’s The AristoCats, where Pat provides the voice for the self-appointed hound leader, Napoleon.
In Robin Hood (1973) his voice is used to bring the cruel and greedy Sheriff of Nottingham to life.
Luke the Swamp mouse, a somewhat lazy character in The Rescuers (1977) is Pat’s next voice.
The next movie brings Pat back to doing the voice of another somewhat mean character, giving a voice to the, at times, mean spirited Chief in The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Pat had a short voice job in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voicing one of the toon bullets that fires out of the cartoon gun that Eddie tries to use in Toontown.
The last Disney movie that Pat voiced for, in fact, the last movie he ever voiced for, was A Goofy Movie in 1995. He was the voice for Possum Park Emcee.
And now, you can put a name to that unique voice that you hear next time you watch any of these movies! See if you can pick out Pat Buttram’s voice easier!
If you have a fact about this actor or the name of someone you would like me to research, send me an email to lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com or leave me a comment below.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: John Fiedler
The voice of John Fiedler is a voice that, every time I hear it, it makes me smile because it makes me think of one of my favorite little characters. John, born February 3, 1925 and died June 25, 2005, is best known for being the voice for the lovable little Piglet from Winnie the Pooh!
In fact, providing the voice for Piglet is what got John started in the Disney voicing business. His first Disney gig was in 1968, voicing Piglet for Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. After that, every single thing with Piglet has John doing the voice, all the way up to 2005! You can hear him as Piglet in everything from Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), all of the different Winnie the Pooh Holiday specials, the television show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991), The Tigger Movie (2000), Pooh’s Big Movie (2003) and even Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005). He even voiced Piglet in other shows, such as the TV show House of Mouse (2001-2002), the show’s movie House of Villains (2001) and in the Kingdom Hearts Video game.
While he may be most known for this beloved character, that is not the only Disney film we hear or see John Fiedler in.
His first non-Piglet film was Robin Hood in 1973 playing the Churchmouse Father Sexton.
During Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, John has two appearances. First was in 1973 as Bill Wasdahl in The Mystery of Dracula’s Castle and the other was in The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974) was Charles Blackburn.
He next was seen in The Shaggy D.A. (1976) as Howie Clemmings. This is the last live action film that John does for Disney.
The Rescuers (1977) brought his next voice acting movie outside of Piglet, lending his voice to Deacon Owl. There is a porcupine in The Fox and the Hound (1981) that John voices as well. He seems to favor animals….
The last set of Disney movies we hear John in is The Emperor’s New Groove (2000). He give a voice to the old man who was thrown out the window by the emperor. We later find out in the sequel, The Emperor’s New Groove 2: Kronk’s New Groove (2005) that the old man’s name is Rudy, as John voices him as well in this movie. This will be the last movie that he voices before his death.
This is the Disney voice and acting history for John Fiedler. Next time you watch one of these movies, listen for his voice and see if you can pick out its distinct resemblance to any of these other characters, especially little Piglet. I know I hear it!
If you have any extra facts about John or any of the other actors I have previously researched, please feel free to email me or just leave a comment below! I love sharing information with everyone and I love learning just as much! Also, if you have any suggestions of people you would like to see me research, let me know that as well.
In fact, providing the voice for Piglet is what got John started in the Disney voicing business. His first Disney gig was in 1968, voicing Piglet for Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. After that, every single thing with Piglet has John doing the voice, all the way up to 2005! You can hear him as Piglet in everything from Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), all of the different Winnie the Pooh Holiday specials, the television show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991), The Tigger Movie (2000), Pooh’s Big Movie (2003) and even Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005). He even voiced Piglet in other shows, such as the TV show House of Mouse (2001-2002), the show’s movie House of Villains (2001) and in the Kingdom Hearts Video game.
While he may be most known for this beloved character, that is not the only Disney film we hear or see John Fiedler in.
His first non-Piglet film was Robin Hood in 1973 playing the Churchmouse Father Sexton.
During Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, John has two appearances. First was in 1973 as Bill Wasdahl in The Mystery of Dracula’s Castle and the other was in The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974) was Charles Blackburn.
He next was seen in The Shaggy D.A. (1976) as Howie Clemmings. This is the last live action film that John does for Disney.
The Rescuers (1977) brought his next voice acting movie outside of Piglet, lending his voice to Deacon Owl. There is a porcupine in The Fox and the Hound (1981) that John voices as well. He seems to favor animals….
The last set of Disney movies we hear John in is The Emperor’s New Groove (2000). He give a voice to the old man who was thrown out the window by the emperor. We later find out in the sequel, The Emperor’s New Groove 2: Kronk’s New Groove (2005) that the old man’s name is Rudy, as John voices him as well in this movie. This will be the last movie that he voices before his death.
This is the Disney voice and acting history for John Fiedler. Next time you watch one of these movies, listen for his voice and see if you can pick out its distinct resemblance to any of these other characters, especially little Piglet. I know I hear it!
If you have any extra facts about John or any of the other actors I have previously researched, please feel free to email me or just leave a comment below! I love sharing information with everyone and I love learning just as much! Also, if you have any suggestions of people you would like to see me research, let me know that as well.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Hermione Baddeley
The unKNOWN actress that we have today is one who is probably known moreso for her live action roles than her voiceover, especially since she only did a cartoon voice once. Nonetheless, she is a Disney actress and should be recognized. Its Hermione Baddeley, born November 13, 1906 in England and died August 19, 1986 in Los Angeles, CA.
Her first Disney role was as the Domestic named Ellen in Mary Poppins (1964), the maid who ends up having to take care of the children every time they get rid of a nanny.
The Happiest Millionaire (1967) is Hermione’s next live action role, and her last one in Disney, playing Mrs. Worth.
Her final Disney role is the one voiceover she did, giving a voice to Madame Adelaide Bonfamille in The AristoCats (1970). A short Disney resume, but a good one for Hermione Baddeley.
Her first Disney role was as the Domestic named Ellen in Mary Poppins (1964), the maid who ends up having to take care of the children every time they get rid of a nanny.
The Happiest Millionaire (1967) is Hermione’s next live action role, and her last one in Disney, playing Mrs. Worth.
Her final Disney role is the one voiceover she did, giving a voice to Madame Adelaide Bonfamille in The AristoCats (1970). A short Disney resume, but a good one for Hermione Baddeley.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley, born in London, England August 16, 1939, had a small Disney career, but was in well-known films providing the voice for small but memorable characters.
Her first Disney appearance was in 1970 in The AristoCats. She gave a voice to Amelia Gabble, one of the geese that help the family of cats find their way back to Paris as her and her sister go to meet up with their rather obnoxious uncle.
In 1973, Carole provides the voice for another bird, this one being Lady Klucky, the chicken that plays Maid Marion’s lady in waiting in Robin Hood.
It wasn’t until 1997 that we hear Carole again in Disney, and in another small part once again. She is the voice for Lachesis, one of The Fates from Hercules. She also provided the voice for the Fates in the Hercules television show in 1999.
While Carole Shelley only had a few small parts in Disney Films, her voice is still part of the Disney family and the knowledge should be shared. You can still hear her voice today; she is currently performing on Broadway in Wicked and Billy Elliot: The Musical.
Her first Disney appearance was in 1970 in The AristoCats. She gave a voice to Amelia Gabble, one of the geese that help the family of cats find their way back to Paris as her and her sister go to meet up with their rather obnoxious uncle.
In 1973, Carole provides the voice for another bird, this one being Lady Klucky, the chicken that plays Maid Marion’s lady in waiting in Robin Hood.
It wasn’t until 1997 that we hear Carole again in Disney, and in another small part once again. She is the voice for Lachesis, one of The Fates from Hercules. She also provided the voice for the Fates in the Hercules television show in 1999.
While Carole Shelley only had a few small parts in Disney Films, her voice is still part of the Disney family and the knowledge should be shared. You can still hear her voice today; she is currently performing on Broadway in Wicked and Billy Elliot: The Musical.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Phil Harris
Phil Harris, Born June 24, 1904 in Linton, Indiana and died August 11, 1995 in Rancho Mirage, California, is a guy who I knew was a Disney name. He has a very familiar voice; one I thought was more involved than it turns out that he is. He did only 3 movies, but you will immediately recognize his characters and voice.
His short stint with Disney began in 1967, providing the voice of Baloo the Bear in The Jungle Book.
Three years later, Phil lent his voice to Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, also known as Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats.
1973 was his third and last performance for Disney, playing Little John in Robin Hood.
While this is a very short list of performances, the three characters are very well known and it is Phil's very recognizable voice that brings them to life and makes them the characters we know and love.
His short stint with Disney began in 1967, providing the voice of Baloo the Bear in The Jungle Book.
Three years later, Phil lent his voice to Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, also known as Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats.
1973 was his third and last performance for Disney, playing Little John in Robin Hood.
While this is a very short list of performances, the three characters are very well known and it is Phil's very recognizable voice that brings them to life and makes them the characters we know and love.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Paul Frees
The actor we are highlighting today is a name that many people probably do know, but the unKNOWN comes in when you see just how much you may know this man from! Paul Frees, Born June 22, 1920 in Chicago and died November 2, 1986, had an amazing voice that brought to life such characters as Ludwig Von Drake, Boris Badenov from Rocky and Bullwinkle and Morocco Mole and Squiddily Diddly in The Secret Squirrel Show.
I am doing Paul this time of year for a very specific reason; he is known for being a voice actor for some of the most popular and classic Christmas Specials in the history of Christmas specials! All of those stop-motion classics that we love to watch every Christmas, Paul had a big hand in several of them. Before we get to his Disney feats, lets take a quick look at his Christmas special history, since it is the season for it!
His first Christmas special was in 1968 in The Little Drummer Boy, providing the voices for Aaron’s father and the Magi.
The following year, Paul was the voice of Santa, the Traffic Cop and other additional voices in the cartoon classic Frosty the Snowman.
1970 brought his next hit, and one of my personal favorites, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Paul was the voice of the villain Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, and the soldiers and some townspeople. Oh, and why is this my favorite do you ask? Next time you watch it, pay attention to the school teacher’s name, the one who eventually becomes Mrs. Claus.
After a few years, Paul came back in 1976 for Frosty’s Winter Wonderland to provide the voice for Jack Frost. The same year, he did several characters in Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, including Santa Claus, Eon, General Ticker, and Seventeen Seventy Six, aka “Sev”.
The next year brought his next Christmas classic, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, where Paul voiced Olaf and the Donkey Dealer.
His last two Christmas Specials came in 1979. The first was Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July for which he was the voice for Winterbolt, Jack Frost and a policeman. His final special was Jack Frost where, surprisingly, he was not the voice for Jack himself, even after portraying him a couple times in past shows. In this Jack Frost, he was the voice of the villain Kubla Kraus and for Father Winter.
Wow, this is a lot that the guy has done, and we haven’t even gotten to his Disney Contributions yet!
Paul Frees first Disney contribution started long before he was in any Christmas specials. All the way back to 1950, where he did some voicework for some of the Disney Shorts, including the Pluto short, Primitive Pluto.
His first movie was in 1959, where he actually acted as the Narrator and J.W. Glavin, Psychiatrist in The Shaggy Dog. The same year, he did the voice of the Narrator and the True Spirit of Adventure in the very popular short Donald in Mathmagic Land.
In 1961, One Hundred and One Dalmatians came out with Paul voicing Dirty Dawson. He also did some voice work the same year for The Absent Minded Professor, being the Loudspeaker voice and the Air Force Dispatcher.
Paul’s next Disney roll was in Mary Poppins (1964), bringing the Barnyard Horse to life on the big screen.
Throughout his time with Disney, from 1957 to 1986, Paul did voicework for The Wonderful World of Color, doing various Narrators and at one point, doing the voice for a “Fake” Donald Duck. His biggest part throughout this series though was giving a voice to the bubbly Professor Ludwig Von Drake. He even sang a song about the colors, called The Spectrum Song, that was a favorite of my co host and mine on my University Disney show.
Not only did Paul do all of this, he also did some voice work for Disney’s parks! His first was being the Narrator for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the very first version which was seen at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair.
One other now extinct attraction that Paul had a part of was Adventures through Inner Space, which was around from 1967 to 1985 and for which he provided the narration.
Today in the Disney parks, you can find Paul Frees voice in two distinct places. The first is in Adventureland; he is the voice of many different pirates, including the Auctioneer in Pirates of the Caribbean. His more known role in the parks though is the eerie voice of the ominous Ghost Host in Haunted Mansion.
Phew! Wow did Paul do a lot in his lifetime! His being honored as a Disney Legend in 2006 is definitely a deserved honor and I hope this information will help for you to hear his vocal talents and appreciate them in all of his many roles.
If there is an actor in Disney history that you would like me to cover, send me an email and let me know, I would love to do some research on it!
I am doing Paul this time of year for a very specific reason; he is known for being a voice actor for some of the most popular and classic Christmas Specials in the history of Christmas specials! All of those stop-motion classics that we love to watch every Christmas, Paul had a big hand in several of them. Before we get to his Disney feats, lets take a quick look at his Christmas special history, since it is the season for it!
His first Christmas special was in 1968 in The Little Drummer Boy, providing the voices for Aaron’s father and the Magi.
The following year, Paul was the voice of Santa, the Traffic Cop and other additional voices in the cartoon classic Frosty the Snowman.
1970 brought his next hit, and one of my personal favorites, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Paul was the voice of the villain Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, and the soldiers and some townspeople. Oh, and why is this my favorite do you ask? Next time you watch it, pay attention to the school teacher’s name, the one who eventually becomes Mrs. Claus.
After a few years, Paul came back in 1976 for Frosty’s Winter Wonderland to provide the voice for Jack Frost. The same year, he did several characters in Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, including Santa Claus, Eon, General Ticker, and Seventeen Seventy Six, aka “Sev”.
The next year brought his next Christmas classic, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, where Paul voiced Olaf and the Donkey Dealer.
His last two Christmas Specials came in 1979. The first was Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July for which he was the voice for Winterbolt, Jack Frost and a policeman. His final special was Jack Frost where, surprisingly, he was not the voice for Jack himself, even after portraying him a couple times in past shows. In this Jack Frost, he was the voice of the villain Kubla Kraus and for Father Winter.
Wow, this is a lot that the guy has done, and we haven’t even gotten to his Disney Contributions yet!
Paul Frees first Disney contribution started long before he was in any Christmas specials. All the way back to 1950, where he did some voicework for some of the Disney Shorts, including the Pluto short, Primitive Pluto.
His first movie was in 1959, where he actually acted as the Narrator and J.W. Glavin, Psychiatrist in The Shaggy Dog. The same year, he did the voice of the Narrator and the True Spirit of Adventure in the very popular short Donald in Mathmagic Land.
In 1961, One Hundred and One Dalmatians came out with Paul voicing Dirty Dawson. He also did some voice work the same year for The Absent Minded Professor, being the Loudspeaker voice and the Air Force Dispatcher.
Paul’s next Disney roll was in Mary Poppins (1964), bringing the Barnyard Horse to life on the big screen.
Throughout his time with Disney, from 1957 to 1986, Paul did voicework for The Wonderful World of Color, doing various Narrators and at one point, doing the voice for a “Fake” Donald Duck. His biggest part throughout this series though was giving a voice to the bubbly Professor Ludwig Von Drake. He even sang a song about the colors, called The Spectrum Song, that was a favorite of my co host and mine on my University Disney show.
Not only did Paul do all of this, he also did some voice work for Disney’s parks! His first was being the Narrator for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the very first version which was seen at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair.
One other now extinct attraction that Paul had a part of was Adventures through Inner Space, which was around from 1967 to 1985 and for which he provided the narration.
Today in the Disney parks, you can find Paul Frees voice in two distinct places. The first is in Adventureland; he is the voice of many different pirates, including the Auctioneer in Pirates of the Caribbean. His more known role in the parks though is the eerie voice of the ominous Ghost Host in Haunted Mansion.
Phew! Wow did Paul do a lot in his lifetime! His being honored as a Disney Legend in 2006 is definitely a deserved honor and I hope this information will help for you to hear his vocal talents and appreciate them in all of his many roles.
If there is an actor in Disney history that you would like me to cover, send me an email and let me know, I would love to do some research on it!
Friday, December 3, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Sebastian Cabot
There are a few actors that I have featured that are known more for doing a character other than their Disney projects. Sebastian Cabot is no exception. Born July 6, 1918 in London, England and died August 22, 1977 in North Saanich, British Columbia, Sebastian is best known for playing Mr. Giles French, the butler in the 1960’s TV show Family Affair. His Disney career did not start long before this television series.
His first Disney appearance was in 1963, providing the voice for Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone, the caretaker for young Arthur.
The Jungle Book in 1967 is where we can hear Sebastian next, voicing the responsible panther, Bagheera.
Sebastian was featured in The Wonderful World of Color three different times, in three different years. The first was in 1956 in Along the Oregon Trail; he played Bissonette. The next was in 1964 as he did the narration for One Day at Teton Marsh and his last was also as a Narrator in One Day on Beetle Rock (1967).
While there were no more individual characters that Sebastian provided the voice for, he did provide a much needed voice for many years, the voice of The Narrator for Winnie the Pooh movies from 1966 until 1977. The movies you can hear his narration in include Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Sebastian had a deep, strong yet soft voice that lent itself to being the voice of a narrator or a guardian of some kind, fitting the characters he portrayed. The only exception for this is the voice of Sir Ector, where he has more of a gruff voice, but yet still is a guardian. No matter which character he is voicing, it is still a Disney classic voice and helps make the Disney movies we know and love come to life!
His first Disney appearance was in 1963, providing the voice for Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone, the caretaker for young Arthur.
The Jungle Book in 1967 is where we can hear Sebastian next, voicing the responsible panther, Bagheera.
Sebastian was featured in The Wonderful World of Color three different times, in three different years. The first was in 1956 in Along the Oregon Trail; he played Bissonette. The next was in 1964 as he did the narration for One Day at Teton Marsh and his last was also as a Narrator in One Day on Beetle Rock (1967).
While there were no more individual characters that Sebastian provided the voice for, he did provide a much needed voice for many years, the voice of The Narrator for Winnie the Pooh movies from 1966 until 1977. The movies you can hear his narration in include Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Sebastian had a deep, strong yet soft voice that lent itself to being the voice of a narrator or a guardian of some kind, fitting the characters he portrayed. The only exception for this is the voice of Sir Ector, where he has more of a gruff voice, but yet still is a guardian. No matter which character he is voicing, it is still a Disney classic voice and helps make the Disney movies we know and love come to life!
Friday, November 12, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: George Lindsey
The actor we are looking at today is from Jasper, Alabama, born on December 17th, 1935, and is best known for playing a character that was, as my sister would say, quite a goober. This actor is none other than George Lindsey, and that character is Goober Pyle, a comedic character from such shows as Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, and Mayberry RFD. When he wasn’t playing this goofy cousin to Gomer, he had several other acting gigs, some of them with, you guessed it, Disney!
George is first spotted in a Disney work in 1964 during Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. In the show Bristle Face, he played Hermie Chadron.
In 1970, he did his first Disney voice over, providing the voice of Lafayette, the bloodhound sidekick of Napoleon in The AristoCats.
A few years later George was once again voicing an animal, but quite a different kind. In Robin Hood (1973), he was the voice of Trigger, a vulture who worked alongside of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
The last Disney voiceover he did was in 1977 for The Rescuers, the voice of a Rabbit.
After his voiceovers, his only other Disney gig was in 1982, playing a guy named Wally in the Herbie the Love Bug television show, an apparently unsuccessful show that only had 5 episodes. From what I have read, none of these episodes have been released on DVD or anything by Disney.
He may have only been in a few movies, but George Lindsey has a recognizable, comedic tone in his voice that can be heard through his characters, making them easy to pick out. His characters were silly and his voice complimented the characters actions perfectly!
George is first spotted in a Disney work in 1964 during Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. In the show Bristle Face, he played Hermie Chadron.
In 1970, he did his first Disney voice over, providing the voice of Lafayette, the bloodhound sidekick of Napoleon in The AristoCats.
A few years later George was once again voicing an animal, but quite a different kind. In Robin Hood (1973), he was the voice of Trigger, a vulture who worked alongside of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
The last Disney voiceover he did was in 1977 for The Rescuers, the voice of a Rabbit.
After his voiceovers, his only other Disney gig was in 1982, playing a guy named Wally in the Herbie the Love Bug television show, an apparently unsuccessful show that only had 5 episodes. From what I have read, none of these episodes have been released on DVD or anything by Disney.
He may have only been in a few movies, but George Lindsey has a recognizable, comedic tone in his voice that can be heard through his characters, making them easy to pick out. His characters were silly and his voice complimented the characters actions perfectly!
Monday, November 1, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: David Ogden Stiers
For our featured actor this week, we have a relatively well known actor, David Ogden Stiers. He was born on October 31, 1942 in Peoria, Illinois and has had cameos in many different television shows throughout his career. His most known television appearance is in the show M*A*S*H, playing Major Charles Winchester from 1977 to 1983. His first Disney appearance was several years after this and, you will see throughout his Disney appearances what a unique voice David has, being able have many different accents and tones throughout his career.
David was used first in a Disney film in 1991. In Beauty and the Beast, we get his first set of contrasting voices, providing the low, smooth voice of the narrator at the beginning and the high strung high pitched voice of Cogsworth. He is the only one who has ever done the voice for Cogsworth, making voice appearances for supplemental movies including Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Belle’s Magical World (1998) and appearances in television shows, such as The House of Mouse (2001). He was even the voice for Cogsworth in the 2005 Playstation video game, Kingdom Hearts II.
After his first appearance, he next appeared in Pocahontas (1995), providing two opposite type of voices once again; the dark, stern voice of Governor Ratcliffe and the light, airy voice of Ratcliffe’s assistant, Wiggins. He would voice Ratcliffe once more in 1998’s Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
In 1996, David leant his voice to the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) had him voicing Fenton Q. Harcourt for the film.
In the American version of the 2001 Studio Ghibli Film presented by Walt Disney Studios, Spirited Away, David provided the English voice for the character Kamajii.
After doing some of these minor voices for a few years, David’s next huge character came to be: Mr. Jumba Jookiba from 2002’s Lilo and Stitch. Jumba, like Cogsworth, would be a repeating character for David. You can hear him voicing Jumba in the Experiment 626 video game (2002), Stitch! The Movie (2003), Lilo and Stitch II: Stitch has a Glitch (2005), the TV movie Leroy and Stitch (2006) and he was occasionally featured in Lilo and Stitch the Series (2003-2007) on television.
There are two other small movies that he has done a voice for, and those are Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004) and Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005) where he voiced the Narrator for both.
David has even done a couple of Disney voices this year! For the Kingdom Hearts: Birth to Sleep video game, he provided the voices for Jumba and, surprisingly, Doc, one of the dwarfs from Snow White.
It seems as though David Ogden Stiers is hooked on Disney. Since his first appearance, he has made dozens more and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. I know I will look forward to hearing his voice in future Disney creations.
David was used first in a Disney film in 1991. In Beauty and the Beast, we get his first set of contrasting voices, providing the low, smooth voice of the narrator at the beginning and the high strung high pitched voice of Cogsworth. He is the only one who has ever done the voice for Cogsworth, making voice appearances for supplemental movies including Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Belle’s Magical World (1998) and appearances in television shows, such as The House of Mouse (2001). He was even the voice for Cogsworth in the 2005 Playstation video game, Kingdom Hearts II.
After his first appearance, he next appeared in Pocahontas (1995), providing two opposite type of voices once again; the dark, stern voice of Governor Ratcliffe and the light, airy voice of Ratcliffe’s assistant, Wiggins. He would voice Ratcliffe once more in 1998’s Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
In 1996, David leant his voice to the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) had him voicing Fenton Q. Harcourt for the film.
In the American version of the 2001 Studio Ghibli Film presented by Walt Disney Studios, Spirited Away, David provided the English voice for the character Kamajii.
After doing some of these minor voices for a few years, David’s next huge character came to be: Mr. Jumba Jookiba from 2002’s Lilo and Stitch. Jumba, like Cogsworth, would be a repeating character for David. You can hear him voicing Jumba in the Experiment 626 video game (2002), Stitch! The Movie (2003), Lilo and Stitch II: Stitch has a Glitch (2005), the TV movie Leroy and Stitch (2006) and he was occasionally featured in Lilo and Stitch the Series (2003-2007) on television.
There are two other small movies that he has done a voice for, and those are Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004) and Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005) where he voiced the Narrator for both.
David has even done a couple of Disney voices this year! For the Kingdom Hearts: Birth to Sleep video game, he provided the voices for Jumba and, surprisingly, Doc, one of the dwarfs from Snow White.
It seems as though David Ogden Stiers is hooked on Disney. Since his first appearance, he has made dozens more and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. I know I will look forward to hearing his voice in future Disney creations.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Candy Candido
This time on unKNOWN Actors, we are looking at an actor with a very unique voice who played many unique characters. Johnny Candido, known throughout his work as Candy Candido, was born on December 25, 1913 in New Orleans and died in Los Angeles on May 19, 1999. Why was Candy so unique you may ask, besides his unique name? Candy’s voice was exceptional, he had a huge range, going from a soprano all the way to a low scratchy baritone. You hear very few voice actors and singers who are able to do this. You will recognize Candy’s low gruff voice from many Disney films.
The first Disney film that Candy was in was Peter Pan in 1953. He provided the voice for the Indian Chief who played with the lost boys and Peter Pan.
Sleeping Beauty (1959) was the movie that I recognized his voice from, as it is one of my favorites. He give a voice to Maleficent’s main goon or henchmen. He tells Maleficent that they have been searching in all of the cradles looking for Princess Aurora.
Candy was next heard in Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color 10 years later as just an extra voice in the series. A few years later, in 1973, he leant his voice to the Captain of the Guards in Robin Hood, which happened to be a crocodile. Most of his lines are during the archery competition scene.
He kept with the animal theme for his next movie, doing the voices of Brutus and Nero, the evil Medusa’s alligators in The Rescuers (1977).
The last movie voice that Candy provided for Disney was in 1986, bringing Fidget, the bat assistant of Ratigan to life in The Great Mouse Detective.
There is one voice that Candy did for Disney theme parks; in the Haunted Mansion attraction, he does the voice of the Graveyard Executioner.
There is a controversy that is found on the internet about whether or not Candy did the noises made by the Raven in both Sleeping Beauty and the Haunted Mansion attraction. Because of his incredible voice range and the fact that both ravens never had a voice actor listed, it is quite possible that he did do the sound effects for them, we cannot be entirely sure though. What we do know is that Candy’s unique voice can be heard in several Disney films and now you can pick out his distinctive gruffness when you next watch the films!
Is there an actor you would like me to investigate? Leave me a comment or send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
The first Disney film that Candy was in was Peter Pan in 1953. He provided the voice for the Indian Chief who played with the lost boys and Peter Pan.
Sleeping Beauty (1959) was the movie that I recognized his voice from, as it is one of my favorites. He give a voice to Maleficent’s main goon or henchmen. He tells Maleficent that they have been searching in all of the cradles looking for Princess Aurora.
Candy was next heard in Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color 10 years later as just an extra voice in the series. A few years later, in 1973, he leant his voice to the Captain of the Guards in Robin Hood, which happened to be a crocodile. Most of his lines are during the archery competition scene.
He kept with the animal theme for his next movie, doing the voices of Brutus and Nero, the evil Medusa’s alligators in The Rescuers (1977).
The last movie voice that Candy provided for Disney was in 1986, bringing Fidget, the bat assistant of Ratigan to life in The Great Mouse Detective.
There is one voice that Candy did for Disney theme parks; in the Haunted Mansion attraction, he does the voice of the Graveyard Executioner.
There is a controversy that is found on the internet about whether or not Candy did the noises made by the Raven in both Sleeping Beauty and the Haunted Mansion attraction. Because of his incredible voice range and the fact that both ravens never had a voice actor listed, it is quite possible that he did do the sound effects for them, we cannot be entirely sure though. What we do know is that Candy’s unique voice can be heard in several Disney films and now you can pick out his distinctive gruffness when you next watch the films!
Is there an actor you would like me to investigate? Leave me a comment or send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Cheech Marin
Yes, I know, when you see the name Cheech Marin, there is a good chance you think of something quite different from Disney, and probably something that is not very Disney like. You may be surprised to know though that Cheech has done several parts in Disney films. Cheech also brings a first to the unKNOWN Actors series; he is the first actor that I am covering that is still alive! Born in Los Angeles July 13, 1946, he is still acting today.
Cheech’s first appearance in a Disney related project was for Mickey’s 60th Birthday in 1988. You can see Cheech in a Disneyland segment as a janitor.
The same year, you hear Cheech providing the voice for Alonzo Ignacio Julio Federico de Tito, also known as Tito in Oliver and Company (1988).
The Lion King provides him with his next opportunity in a Disney film, voicing one of the three main hyenas in Scar’s posse, Banzai. He also comes back in 2004 to voice Banzai in The Lion King 1 ½ and even does his voice in the Playstation game, Kingdom Hearts II.
Cheech is heard once again in 2006 in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, lending his voice to the artistic body shop car, Ramone. He also does the voice for Ramone in the short Mater and the Ghostlight.
After hearing his voice in these movies, you can even go to Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World and hear him. Cheech’s voice was used in the 4D movie attraction It’s Tough To Be a Bug as the deadly Chilean spider, Chili.
Hey, just realized that Cheech allowed me to have two firsts in my series; the first actor still alive and the first actor in a Pixar movie. Pretty cool stuff! Make sure to check out Cheech Marin in these films and who knows, maybe we will be able to hear him in more Disney creations in the future!
Cheech’s first appearance in a Disney related project was for Mickey’s 60th Birthday in 1988. You can see Cheech in a Disneyland segment as a janitor.
The same year, you hear Cheech providing the voice for Alonzo Ignacio Julio Federico de Tito, also known as Tito in Oliver and Company (1988).
The Lion King provides him with his next opportunity in a Disney film, voicing one of the three main hyenas in Scar’s posse, Banzai. He also comes back in 2004 to voice Banzai in The Lion King 1 ½ and even does his voice in the Playstation game, Kingdom Hearts II.
Cheech is heard once again in 2006 in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, lending his voice to the artistic body shop car, Ramone. He also does the voice for Ramone in the short Mater and the Ghostlight.
After hearing his voice in these movies, you can even go to Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World and hear him. Cheech’s voice was used in the 4D movie attraction It’s Tough To Be a Bug as the deadly Chilean spider, Chili.
Hey, just realized that Cheech allowed me to have two firsts in my series; the first actor still alive and the first actor in a Pixar movie. Pretty cool stuff! Make sure to check out Cheech Marin in these films and who knows, maybe we will be able to hear him in more Disney creations in the future!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Eleanor Audley
This unKNOWN actress, while she may not have had many parts in Disney, has such a memorable voice in the few parts that she does have that I just had to mention her. Eleanor Audley was born November 19, 1905 in New York City and passed away November 25, 1991 in Hollywood, California. Eleanor had this fierce and powerful voice, a voice that Disney seemed to see as an awesome villainess voice.
The first Disney character she played was the cunning Lady Tremaine in Cinderella (1950). This is not the villainess she is known for though.
Nine years later, she is heard in Sleeping Beauty playing the dark and powerful witch, Maleficent. The sinister and commanding voice is what makes Maleficent so terrifying, putting her up in the ranks as one of the best villains in Disney movies.
The other appearance that Eleanor made for Disney was during Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. During this television series, she was on the mini-series Swamp Fox (1960) playing Mrs. Videau.
Because Eleanor’s voice can be so spooky, it even found a place in one of the spookiest attractions in Disney Theme Parks! In the Haunted Mansion, both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s versions, you can hear Eleanor’s voice bringing Madame Leota, the woman in the crystal ball, to life!
As you can see, while Eleanor Audley did not have many appearances in Disney film, you can easily remember her for the characters she did lend her voice to.
Please feel free to send me feedback on what you think of this series so far or if you know of any actors you would like to see me cover in this series; leave a comment on this post or send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com
The first Disney character she played was the cunning Lady Tremaine in Cinderella (1950). This is not the villainess she is known for though.
Nine years later, she is heard in Sleeping Beauty playing the dark and powerful witch, Maleficent. The sinister and commanding voice is what makes Maleficent so terrifying, putting her up in the ranks as one of the best villains in Disney movies.
The other appearance that Eleanor made for Disney was during Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. During this television series, she was on the mini-series Swamp Fox (1960) playing Mrs. Videau.
Because Eleanor’s voice can be so spooky, it even found a place in one of the spookiest attractions in Disney Theme Parks! In the Haunted Mansion, both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s versions, you can hear Eleanor’s voice bringing Madame Leota, the woman in the crystal ball, to life!
As you can see, while Eleanor Audley did not have many appearances in Disney film, you can easily remember her for the characters she did lend her voice to.
Please feel free to send me feedback on what you think of this series so far or if you know of any actors you would like to see me cover in this series; leave a comment on this post or send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com
Saturday, September 4, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Thurl Ravenscroft - Part 2
Ok, we have already talked about Thurl Ravenscroft’s incredible singing and acting career throughout the Disney films. Now, we shall talk about his numerous appearances in the Disney Theme Parks.
There are two extinct attractions in Disneyland where Thurl’s voice could be heard. The first one being Adventures through Inner Space; the Mellomen sang the song “Miracles to Molecules”. The second one is Submarine Voyager, on which Thurl was the Narrator.
There were several places in Disneyland in California that used to house Thurl’s voice, and while the attractions still exist, his voice on the attraction does not. In 2001, Thurl’s Narration on the Disneyland Railroad was removed as well as his voice as the First Mate on the Mark Twain Steam Boat.
Currently in Disneyland, you can hear Thurl on Peter Pan as a background singer. In the Enchanted Tiki Room, he can be found in several places. During the Preshow outside, he is the voice of Tungaroa and on the inside, he is the voice of Fritz. The Mellomen also do a bit of singing for the Enchanted Tiki Room.
In Walt Disney World, the original voice of the Railroad was Thurl. In both versions of the Enchanted Tiki Room, Tropical Serenade and Under New Management, Thurl is the voice of Fritz.
There are a few attractions in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World that currently feature Thurl’s deep voice. The first being Pirates of the Caribbean. Not only does he sing the main song in the background, he is the voice of a drunken pirate by a lamp post, an accordion player and, as mentioned before, a dog who is singing along with the group. In the Country Bear Jamboree, he provides the voice for Buff, the buffalo head on the wall of the theatre. Haunted Mansion is the only place in a Disney park where you can actually see Thurl’s face. He is a singing bust in the graveyard scene, the one whose head has been knocked off of its pedestal. Many who see Thurl singing as this bust mistake him for Walt Disney because of the similar mustache both men have. He is also the bass voice that you hear singing the main song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts”.
Thurl has had many features in the Disney parks in the USA and has even had a couple spots over in Tokyo Disneyland! Thurl’s voice, like in both US parks, was the original voice for the Railroad and in the version of Country Bear Jamboree, he also is kept as the voice of Buff.
Whew! There we go, the full story behind the Disney Legend, Thurl Ravenscroft! He is even a true Disney Legend, inducted in 1995 for all the work he has done for the company. If you would like to find out more about Thurl and his work, just visit www.allaboutthurl.com and make sure to check out the section on all of his projects with Disney!
*Update* Listening to some audio from Disneyland, Thurl Ravenscroft also did the voice for the narrator of an audio version of The Jungle Cruise.
There are two extinct attractions in Disneyland where Thurl’s voice could be heard. The first one being Adventures through Inner Space; the Mellomen sang the song “Miracles to Molecules”. The second one is Submarine Voyager, on which Thurl was the Narrator.
There were several places in Disneyland in California that used to house Thurl’s voice, and while the attractions still exist, his voice on the attraction does not. In 2001, Thurl’s Narration on the Disneyland Railroad was removed as well as his voice as the First Mate on the Mark Twain Steam Boat.
Currently in Disneyland, you can hear Thurl on Peter Pan as a background singer. In the Enchanted Tiki Room, he can be found in several places. During the Preshow outside, he is the voice of Tungaroa and on the inside, he is the voice of Fritz. The Mellomen also do a bit of singing for the Enchanted Tiki Room.
In Walt Disney World, the original voice of the Railroad was Thurl. In both versions of the Enchanted Tiki Room, Tropical Serenade and Under New Management, Thurl is the voice of Fritz.
There are a few attractions in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World that currently feature Thurl’s deep voice. The first being Pirates of the Caribbean. Not only does he sing the main song in the background, he is the voice of a drunken pirate by a lamp post, an accordion player and, as mentioned before, a dog who is singing along with the group. In the Country Bear Jamboree, he provides the voice for Buff, the buffalo head on the wall of the theatre. Haunted Mansion is the only place in a Disney park where you can actually see Thurl’s face. He is a singing bust in the graveyard scene, the one whose head has been knocked off of its pedestal. Many who see Thurl singing as this bust mistake him for Walt Disney because of the similar mustache both men have. He is also the bass voice that you hear singing the main song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts”.
Thurl has had many features in the Disney parks in the USA and has even had a couple spots over in Tokyo Disneyland! Thurl’s voice, like in both US parks, was the original voice for the Railroad and in the version of Country Bear Jamboree, he also is kept as the voice of Buff.
Whew! There we go, the full story behind the Disney Legend, Thurl Ravenscroft! He is even a true Disney Legend, inducted in 1995 for all the work he has done for the company. If you would like to find out more about Thurl and his work, just visit www.allaboutthurl.com and make sure to check out the section on all of his projects with Disney!
*Update* Listening to some audio from Disneyland, Thurl Ravenscroft also did the voice for the narrator of an audio version of The Jungle Cruise.
Friday, September 3, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Cammie King
Yes, I know that I did not finish Thurl's article yet, but I thought I should mention the passing of an actress who really fits the bill of an unKNOWN actress. She only had two acting jobs her whole life, both before the age of 10 and both well known acting parts. Cammie King, born August 5, 1934, passed away from lung cancer this past Wednesday, September 1.
Why, you may ask, would I find this death significant enough to post on my Disney site? Well, it is simply because half of her acting career was for Disney! While half of her acting career was only one film out of two, I feel it is definitely worth mentioning!
Cammie's first role was when she was 4 years old, and what a role it was! She played Bonnie Butler, the daughter of Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind (1939). While it was a small role, her character played a huge part in the plot line of the movie. Plus, how cool that must have been to work with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh!
Her second and final acting role, as I said earlier, brings her to Disney 3 years after Gone With the Wind. Cammie, now 7, is heard as the voice of the female deer Faline in Disney's Bambi (1942).
She spent the rest of her life leading a normal life, with the occasional Gone With the Wind public appearances. While her acting career was short, she definitely put her place in acting history with the two parts that she played.
Why, you may ask, would I find this death significant enough to post on my Disney site? Well, it is simply because half of her acting career was for Disney! While half of her acting career was only one film out of two, I feel it is definitely worth mentioning!
Cammie's first role was when she was 4 years old, and what a role it was! She played Bonnie Butler, the daughter of Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind (1939). While it was a small role, her character played a huge part in the plot line of the movie. Plus, how cool that must have been to work with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh!
Her second and final acting role, as I said earlier, brings her to Disney 3 years after Gone With the Wind. Cammie, now 7, is heard as the voice of the female deer Faline in Disney's Bambi (1942).
She spent the rest of her life leading a normal life, with the occasional Gone With the Wind public appearances. While her acting career was short, she definitely put her place in acting history with the two parts that she played.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: Thurl Ravenscroft
So far in this series, I have focused on voice actors from Disney movies who most Disney fans may not know. This is probably not the case with this next actor. Thurl Ravenscroft is a name not only known throughout Disney movies, within Disney theme parks and even outside of the Disney name!
Let’s begin with the couple big things outside of Disney that Thurl is known for. In 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the deep singer of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is Thurl, though he was not in the credits of the film. The other voice that he is famous for is Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes commercials with the trademark quote “They’re grrrrrrrrreat!”
While these two roles are larger roles, he got his start much earlier than that, especially in the Disney area.
Thurl’s deep bass voice is what makes him recognizable and while he did do several speaking parts, he is best known for his singing roles in many Disney films. These singing roles started out in shorts, including the popular short “The Nifty Nineties” (1941). There was even one short where Thurl had a speaking part, and that was as Paul Bunyan in 1958’s Paul Bunyan.
After doing some shorts, Thurl was put into some full length animated features as a singer, including Dumbo (1941), Make Mine Music (1946), and Cinderella(1950).
Alice in Wonderland was the first movie that featured Thurl with The Mellomen, a quartet that he helped form that became very well known as back up singers for several artists and appeared in movies. In Alice in Wonderland, Thurl and the Mellomen were the voices for the card painters who were “Painting the Roses Red”. The Mellomen were also featured as background singers in Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955) and Sleeping Beauty (1959).
The first large character voice that Thurl had was in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmations as Captain, the horse in the barn by the De Ville Mansion.
In 1963, he was the voice for Black Bart, a knight fighting to become king in The Sword and the Stone.
In Mary Poppins (1964), Thurl did the voice for the singing Hog during “Jolly Holiday”.
I think now is a good time to point out that Thurl was quite good at making dog noises. The howling song of “Home Sweet Home” in Lady and the Tramp was…howled by Thurl, in Mary Poppins he did the wimper noises made by Andrew, he made dog sounds for The Fox and the Hound, and in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, the dog that is singing along with “Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me” is Thurl. Interesting, no?
In 1967, Thurl was in The Jungle Book and many believe him to be the voice of the ruthless tiger, Shere Khan. This is completely false! He did not do Shere Khan’s voice, not even the low singing voice. That was done by George Sanders. Thurl did sing however in the movie, he can be best heard singing Captain Haiti’s March.
The Artistocats (1970) had Thurl doing the voice of the Russian bass-playing cat, Billy Bass. In the 1971 movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, he is a background singer and he even has a solo line in the song “Portobello Road”. Thurl’s deep voice can be heard singing songs in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).
One of the last voices that Thurl did was the voice of Kirby from The Brave Little Toaster. While this movie is not labeled as Disney, it was produced by Hyperion Pictures, which is a Disney owned company.
Wow, this is a long history huh?? I haven’t even touched on Thurl’s appearance in the Theme Parks! I am going to take a break and I will post a second part of this unKNOWN Actors article soon.
Let’s begin with the couple big things outside of Disney that Thurl is known for. In 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the deep singer of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is Thurl, though he was not in the credits of the film. The other voice that he is famous for is Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes commercials with the trademark quote “They’re grrrrrrrrreat!”
While these two roles are larger roles, he got his start much earlier than that, especially in the Disney area.
Thurl’s deep bass voice is what makes him recognizable and while he did do several speaking parts, he is best known for his singing roles in many Disney films. These singing roles started out in shorts, including the popular short “The Nifty Nineties” (1941). There was even one short where Thurl had a speaking part, and that was as Paul Bunyan in 1958’s Paul Bunyan.
After doing some shorts, Thurl was put into some full length animated features as a singer, including Dumbo (1941), Make Mine Music (1946), and Cinderella(1950).
Alice in Wonderland was the first movie that featured Thurl with The Mellomen, a quartet that he helped form that became very well known as back up singers for several artists and appeared in movies. In Alice in Wonderland, Thurl and the Mellomen were the voices for the card painters who were “Painting the Roses Red”. The Mellomen were also featured as background singers in Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955) and Sleeping Beauty (1959).
The first large character voice that Thurl had was in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmations as Captain, the horse in the barn by the De Ville Mansion.
In 1963, he was the voice for Black Bart, a knight fighting to become king in The Sword and the Stone.
In Mary Poppins (1964), Thurl did the voice for the singing Hog during “Jolly Holiday”.
I think now is a good time to point out that Thurl was quite good at making dog noises. The howling song of “Home Sweet Home” in Lady and the Tramp was…howled by Thurl, in Mary Poppins he did the wimper noises made by Andrew, he made dog sounds for The Fox and the Hound, and in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, the dog that is singing along with “Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me” is Thurl. Interesting, no?
In 1967, Thurl was in The Jungle Book and many believe him to be the voice of the ruthless tiger, Shere Khan. This is completely false! He did not do Shere Khan’s voice, not even the low singing voice. That was done by George Sanders. Thurl did sing however in the movie, he can be best heard singing Captain Haiti’s March.
The Artistocats (1970) had Thurl doing the voice of the Russian bass-playing cat, Billy Bass. In the 1971 movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, he is a background singer and he even has a solo line in the song “Portobello Road”. Thurl’s deep voice can be heard singing songs in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).
One of the last voices that Thurl did was the voice of Kirby from The Brave Little Toaster. While this movie is not labeled as Disney, it was produced by Hyperion Pictures, which is a Disney owned company.
Wow, this is a long history huh?? I haven’t even touched on Thurl’s appearance in the Theme Parks! I am going to take a break and I will post a second part of this unKNOWN Actors article soon.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
unKNOWN Actors: J Pat O’Malley
This next actor in our unKNOWN Actors series is a British actor whose voice can be heard all over, and I do mean all over, several Disney films. This man is J Pat O’Malley, born in Burnley England on March 15th 1904 and dies in San Juan Capistrano, California on February 27th, 1985.
When you first research the name J Pat O’Malley, billed several times as Pat O’Malley, you will notice that he was involved in a lot, it seems as though he made a cameo in just about every television show from the 60’s and 70’s! He played a variety of characters, and not only in television, but in his Disney appearances as well. There was movies where he voiced multiple character and, while he only voiced a couple main characters, his voice helped to make the characters he did bring alive memorable!
One of his first Disney productions was The Wind and the Willows doing the voice for Cyril Proudbottom, which was heard once again the same year with the combination release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad in 1949.
Disney liked Pat’s voice so much, he had him do not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 voices for Alice in Wonderland (1954). He was the voices for Tweeledee and Tweedledum, The Walrus and The Carpenter.
In Goliath II (1960), he provided the voice for Goliath I.
During Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, there was a series called Swamp Fox. In this series, the story of Francis Marion was told, a farmer who tricked and frequently ambushed the British during the Revolutionary War. In this television series, Pat played Sergeant O’Reilly.
Pat went back to voicing multiple characters in 1961 for One Hundred and One Dalmatians. He provided voices for the bumbling villain Jasper and the Colonel, the fuzzy dog who helps the puppies escape from the old De Ville Place.
I think that Pat gets an award for his many parts in Mary Poppins (1964): The Award for Most Characters Voiced with the Shortest Amount of Screen Time. All the characters that he voiced appear on screen in about a 20 minute time span, during the cartoon sequence of Mary Poppins. He voiced one of the penguins, the Master of Hounds, Huntsman, Hound, Horse, Pearly Drummer, Reporter and Photographer!
His voice in The Jungle Book (1967) is very much like the voice he used when playing The Colonel in One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This is not surprising since he is playing another Colonel, Colonel Hathi to be exact, the elephant!
Pat’s last Disney movie was a small part in Robin Hood (1973). He played Otto the Blacksmith, a dog in the movie.
As I said, although Pat O’Malley did not have many huge parts, he still has a memorable voice, providing us Disney movie lovers with many wonderful memories. And isn’t that what Disney is all about?? If you have any ideas for actors you would like to see covered in this series, just send me an email and let me know!
When you first research the name J Pat O’Malley, billed several times as Pat O’Malley, you will notice that he was involved in a lot, it seems as though he made a cameo in just about every television show from the 60’s and 70’s! He played a variety of characters, and not only in television, but in his Disney appearances as well. There was movies where he voiced multiple character and, while he only voiced a couple main characters, his voice helped to make the characters he did bring alive memorable!
One of his first Disney productions was The Wind and the Willows doing the voice for Cyril Proudbottom, which was heard once again the same year with the combination release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad in 1949.
Disney liked Pat’s voice so much, he had him do not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 voices for Alice in Wonderland (1954). He was the voices for Tweeledee and Tweedledum, The Walrus and The Carpenter.
In Goliath II (1960), he provided the voice for Goliath I.
During Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, there was a series called Swamp Fox. In this series, the story of Francis Marion was told, a farmer who tricked and frequently ambushed the British during the Revolutionary War. In this television series, Pat played Sergeant O’Reilly.
Pat went back to voicing multiple characters in 1961 for One Hundred and One Dalmatians. He provided voices for the bumbling villain Jasper and the Colonel, the fuzzy dog who helps the puppies escape from the old De Ville Place.
I think that Pat gets an award for his many parts in Mary Poppins (1964): The Award for Most Characters Voiced with the Shortest Amount of Screen Time. All the characters that he voiced appear on screen in about a 20 minute time span, during the cartoon sequence of Mary Poppins. He voiced one of the penguins, the Master of Hounds, Huntsman, Hound, Horse, Pearly Drummer, Reporter and Photographer!
His voice in The Jungle Book (1967) is very much like the voice he used when playing The Colonel in One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This is not surprising since he is playing another Colonel, Colonel Hathi to be exact, the elephant!
Pat’s last Disney movie was a small part in Robin Hood (1973). He played Otto the Blacksmith, a dog in the movie.
As I said, although Pat O’Malley did not have many huge parts, he still has a memorable voice, providing us Disney movie lovers with many wonderful memories. And isn’t that what Disney is all about?? If you have any ideas for actors you would like to see covered in this series, just send me an email and let me know!
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