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3 Animated Voice Giants Passed Away This Week... They were grrrreat!
Hey folks, Harry here... I felt we had some readers that felt like writing about these three voice giants, that knew more about their lives than I. To be honest, I never knew the name of the voice behind Fred Flintstone... kinda odd that one. But Thurl Ravenscroft - I was a huge fan of his work. From his "You're a mean one, Mr Grinch" to... even better, his singing of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" on the Haunted Mansions ride at DISNEYLAND - that one day, I'll express exactly how influential that ride and that song was upon me. But for now, I hand over this digital eulogy to this pair...
Three classic animation voices silenced this past week:
HENRY CORDEN R.I.P.
Best known for his voice of Fred Flintstone (replacing Alan Reed after his death), character actor Henry Corden has passed away at age 85.
Outside of his Flintstone work, my favorite role of his was his recurring stint as Mr. Babbitt, the gruff landlord of THE MONKEES.
HOWARD MORRIS 1919-2005
Comedian-actor-director Howard Morris passed away Saturday afternoon.
Morris, well known for his appearances with Sid Ceaser and Carl Reiner on YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS in the 1950s, joined the regular cast at Hanna Barbera with his portrayal of Jet Screamer (above) on THE JETSONS in 1962. He also voiced Atom Ant, Mr. Peebles and Breezly Bruin among others for H-B. More importantly, Morris did most of the voices for Gene Deitch's Oscar winning short MUNRO (1960), was King Features' BEETLE BAILEY (1962) and enacted several voices on Filmation's THE ARCHIE SHOW (1968), including Jughead.
He was a regular voice in Disney films, a member of the Mel Brooks stock company, and directed numerous 60s sitcoms and comedy features.
And the one I kinda knew had to happen soon, as he was getting WAY up there...
Thurl Ravenscroft 1914-2005
Thurl Ravenscroft, who roared "They're Grrrrreeeat!" in Kellogg's Tony the Tiger ads and voiced a host of Disney characters, died Sunday of prostate cancer. He was 91.
For more than 50 years, Ravenscroft was the voice behind Tony the Tiger, TV's popular cartoon pitchman for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. He is also well known for his cartoon voice work with Disney and Chuck Jones - including singing the classic "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - and lent his voice to characters on rides at Disneyland, including the Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Haunted Mansion.
Born in Norfolk, Neb., Ravenscroft moved to California in 1933 to study art. By the mid-1930s he was appearing regularly on radio, and by the late-1930s he was singing backup for Bing Crosby. In 1952, Ravenscroft's voice appeared in the first Frosted Flakes commercial.
Sucks bigtime buddy.
Dave
And Austin's own Horror Host, Professor Griffin added this about Thurl Ravenscroft!
And the Haunted Mansion has it's 1000 ghost.
Greetings Night Creatures.
Thurl Ravenscroft has shuffled off his mortal coil. For those of you who do NOT know the name, the voice will be familiar. His was the voice that sang 'Grim Grinning Ghosts' in the graveyard of the Disney Haunted Mansion and indeed his FACE can be seen as one of the singing busts in the graveyard.
I am actually deeply saddened by his passing for numerous reasons.
My feelings of love for for this particular DARK RIDE ala The Magic Kingdom (The Mansion) is great and his voice has brought me boundless joy time and time again. But even more than that, MUCH more is the fact that for ME, Thurl Ravenscroft WAS THE voice of Disney.
His deep baritone and harmonies with his group The Mellow Men, not only rang loud and deep throughout the Haunted Mansion, but the jaunty pirate number in Pirates of the Carribean as well.
His voice was the voice of the narrator on the 33 RPM record of the Haunted Mansion that I listened to again and again as a child and it was HIS voice, not Bing Brosby's that first introduced me to the 'Headless Horseman' via my record of The Legend of Sleep Hollow.
His 'You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch' is played again and again every holiday season and will live eternally. (No one will ever sing the words, "Rotten Banana with a Greasy Black Peel" quite like Mr. Ravenscroft)
But I suppose his greatest contribution to popular culture, and one that will live on beyond all our lives, is the voice of the one and only Tony the Tiger.
Thurl Ravenscroft (LOVE that name) was GRR-EAT!
And may angels speed thee to they rest....
-Prof. Griffin
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A great comedic talent gone. He will be missed.
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There's not much else to be said, or at least, not much else I can say. But they were major contributors to their industry even if they're largely unrecognized, and thank goodness someone has the passion to write about them with such eloquence.
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May 25, 2005 7:39:51 AM CDT
In honor of Howard Morris/Ernest T. Bass, we should all throw a
by boynamedsue
This is just as bad as the day Otis the drunk died.
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He also sang No Dogs Allowed in Snoopy Come Home -- a childhood favorite of mine.
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Thurl Ravenscroft, that is.
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Wasn't Corden also the stand-in voice-over for Jackie Gleason in the television edits for all three "Smokey and the Bandit" films? It's most obvious in the second film when he laughs over Gleason's track, and it sounds just like Fred Flintstone.
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If so, wow!
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Thanks for reminding me, thanks for the Memories.
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I always thought it was Boris Karloff singing on the Grinch. Now I am truly sad...and the "No Dogs Allowed" from Snoopy Come Home always made me laugh/broke my heart. I hope they keep him alive at Disney in perpetuity. Last night on Letterman they eulogized him by saying his final resting place was in a "grrrrrrave!"...kinda tacky but still an honest to goodness tip of the hat to an industry icon. I just can't get over that it wasn't Boris singing Mr. Grinch...what have I done with my life??!!??
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May 25, 2005 10:11:52 AM CDT
that's pretty weird. they got the guy who did a Kramden voice f
by hypeendshere
kind like how Lorenzo Music (the voice of Garfield) was Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters cartoon. and then Bill Murray was Garfield in the movie. or maybe it's nothing like that. i don't know. i'm not married to the idea...
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"...they're GRRREAT, BROTHER"
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'The Brave Little Toaster' rules all.
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rest in peace gentlemen.
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Howard Morris also directed many TV shows.
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Down, Down to Goblin Town
Down, Down to Goblin Town
Down, Down to Goblin Town! -
May 25, 2005 11:27:36 AM CDT
I used to watch that fucking thing almost every fucking day...
by ribbons
"I need a hero! Doop doop DOOP!" Ahhh, that was cathartic.
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Yeah can't praise these guys enough. Even down here in Mexico City their work is loved by generations, but double obits? Father Geek had already done Cordell and Morris Tuesday morning in his introduction to Elston's weekly report.
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It's a shame to see talent like this go.
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May 25, 2005 12:23:46 PM CDT
Is this a hint on what we can expect to see in GHOST TOWN?
by raulmonkey
'I was a huge fan of his work. From his "You're a mean one, Mr Grinch" to... even better, his singing of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" on the Haunted Mansions ride at DISNEYLAND - that one day, I'll express exactly how influential that ride and that song was upon me.'
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www.supershadow.com
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Hmmm....didn't catch that. Could very well be. Then again, could just mean that Harry plans on writing his own eulogy.
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I hope they'll be remembered for such awe inspiring work. RIP
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Father Geek told us about Cordell and Morris yesterday, and I mentioned my Obit of Ravenscroft in a talkback yesterday. http://leftofcentrist.blogspot.com/
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I always thought that Mel Blanc took over after Alan Reed died (since he was already doing the Barney voice).
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May 25, 2005 3:35:51 PM CDT
Yesterday was an ironic day for me, just before I heard the news
by minderbinder
I think I worked with Thurl once years ago at my first job. Supposedly Thurl was left out of the credits of Grinch, and someone involved with the production (Chuck Jones?) would make sure he got a special mention whenever stations would air it.
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May 25, 2005 4:20:18 PM CDT
It's probably a safe guess that the people who have posted give
by minderbinder
If they didn't give a shit, they wouldn't be making comments. Did that answer your question?
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Voice acting has its pluses and minuses. On the plus side one
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I think the point is that your grandfather wasn't immensely talented and didn't entertain millions of people over several generations. That doesn't mean that your grandfather was worth less than these three, only that many, many people who are aware of show-business beyond what's coming out this summer do give a shit.
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great doctors, nurses, leaders of men. its sad when anyone dies to some extent but lets get it in context people
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Sad day indeed. Thurl was one of a kind.
Anyone interested, I've got a Haunted Mansion "backstage" site at hauntedmansion.info. (No ads, no cookies or none of that crap.)
RIP Thurl! -
May 25, 2005 11:07:19 PM CDT
Howard Morris as Ernest T. Bass *was* The Andy Griffith Show
by cknightshift
Or a good part of it anyway. In only five episodes he became one of the most famous characters in television history. Godspeed Howard Morris. Hope there's a window in Heaven that you can throw a rock through...
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He also did Tigger, another famous tiger. This is if it the same person. I always saw him listed as Paul Frees. I saw an interview with him that they did after the really bad "live action" movie of the Grinch came out.
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Paul Frees did a ton of work for rankin bass.
I think he was in everything they did from the Beatles cartoon to Rudolph to The Hobbit.
If you know the narrator from the Haunted Mansion, The Manchurian Candidate and any number of Hanna-Barbera action cartoons, or The talking rings in The time machine, You know Paul frees voice.
The voice of Tigger was Paul Winchell.
Now it's done by Jim Cummings.
Hit IMDB and you'll be suprised by where you've heard all these guys before.
All three will be missed. -
...Ravenscroft sang the songs...
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just because...
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Not to take away from the great work done by Mr. Ravenscroft but... the title "Voice of Disney" will forever belong to the late,great Paul Frees
http://www.spookytoms.com/Paul_Frees_Tribute.html -
I hope there's some kind of tribute to Thurl in the Disney theme parks, and if there is, I hope it's still there when I go in September. I saw him interviewed once in the park (I think the show was called 'Disneyland Inside Out' or something like that), and he seemed like a hell of a nice guy, too. So long Thurl, you were grrrrreat!
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