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Mel Blanc Biography (1908-1989)

Full name, Melvin Jerome Blanc; born May 30, 1908, in San Francisco, CA; diedof heart disease and emphysema, July 10, 1989, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Frederick and Eva (Katz) Blanc (co-managers of a women's clothing business); married Estelle Rosenbaum, 1933; children: Noel.

Mel Blanc once estimated that he supplied more than 400 different voices in approximately 3,000 cartoons between the mid-1930s and the late 1980s. Among his more familiar characterizations are those of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, DaffyDuck, Sylvester and Tweetie, the Road Runner, Yosemite Sam, Speedy Gonzalez,Foghorn Leghorn, Woody Woodpecker, Barney Rubble, Dino the dinosaur, Speed Buggy, Tasmanian Devil, Pepe LePew, the Frito Bandito (on television commercials), and Jack Benny's dilapidated automobile. During World War II, Blanc alsoprovided the voice of Private Snafu for Frank Capra's wartime newsreel, The Army-Navy Screen Magazine, as well as voices for the Trigger Joe film series for the Army Air Forces and for a series of Navy and Marine Corps health films.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

May 30, 1908

San Francisco, California, United States

Death Details

July 10, 1989

Los Angeles, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; FILM APPEARANCES
• Voice of Gideon, Pinocchio (animated), Walt Disney, 1940.
• Julio, Neptune's Daughter, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949.
• voice of Caesar, Champagne for Caesar, United Artists, 1950.
• voice characterizations, Gay Purr-ee (animated), Warner Brothers, 1962.
• voice of Grifter, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (animated), Columbia, 1964.
• Dr. Sheldrake, Kiss Me, Stupid, Lopert, 1964.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, The Man Called Flintstone (also known asThat Man Flintstone; animated), Columbia, 1966.
• Voice characterizations, The Phantom Tollbooth (animated), Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, 1970.
• voice of Barfly the Parrot, Scalawag, Paramount, 1973.
• voice characterizations, Journey Back to Oz (animated), Filmation, 1974.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny, Superstar (animated), Warner Brothers, 1975.
• voice of Twiki and Dr. Theopolis, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Universal, 1979.
• voice characterizations, The Great American Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Chase(animated; also known as The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Movie), Warner Brothers,1979.
• voice characterizations, The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie, Warner Brothers, 1981.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny's Third Movie--1001 Rabbit Tales (animated), Warner Brothers, 1982.
• voice characterizations, Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (animated),Warner Brothers, 1983.
• voice of Mr. McKenzie, Strange Brew, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists,1983.
• voice of Heathcliff, Heathcliff: The Movie (animated), Atlantic/Clubhouse, 1986.
• voice of Daffy Duck, Howard the Duck, Universal, 1986.
• voice characterizations, Porky Pig in Hollywood (animated), Warner Brothers, 1986.
• voice characterizations, The Duxorcist (short animated film), Warner Brothers, 1987.
• voice characterizations, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (animated), Warner Brothers, 1988.
• voice of Daffy Duck, Night of the Living Duck (short film; animated), Warner Brothers, 1988.
• voices of Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, and Porky Pig,Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Buena Vista, 1988.
• Also provided voice characterizations for more than 850 short animated films for Warner Brothers, 1937-88.
• Credits; TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Regular, The Jack Benny Program, CBS, 1950-64, then NBC, 1964-65.
• panelist, Musical Chairs, NBC, 1955.
• voice characterizations, The Bugs Bunny Show (animated), ABC, 1960- 62.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, The Flintstones (animated), ABC, 1960-66.
• voice characterizations, The Dick Tracy Show (animated), syndicated, 1961.
• voice of Salty the Parrot, "Sinbad, Jr." in The Alvin Show (animated), CBS, 1961-62.
• voice of Hardy Har Har, Lippy the Lion (animated), syndicated, 1962.
• voice of Mr. Spacely and other characters, The Jetsons (animated), ABC, 1962-64.
• voice of Deputy Droop-A-Long, "Ricochet Rabbit," The Magilla Gorilla Show(animated), syndicated, 1964.
• voice of Sneezly, "Sneezly" in The Peter Potamus Show (animated), syndicated, 1964.
• voice characterizations, Porky Pig and Friends (animated), ABC, 1964- 67.
• voice of Secret Squirrel, The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (animated), NBC, 1965-68.
• voice characterizations, The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show (animated),syndicated, 1966.
• voice characterizations, The Tom and Jerry Show (animated), CBS, 1966-72.
• voice characterizations, The Wacky Races (animated), CBS, 1968-70.
• voice of Chugaboom, Yak Yak, and Bully Brothers, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (animated), CBS, 1969-71.
• Voice of Bubba McCoy, Where's Huddles? (animated), CBS, 1970.
• voice characterizations, The Road Runner Show (animated), ABC, 1971- 72.
• voice characterizations, Curiosity Shop (animated), ABC, 1971-73.
• voice of Barney Rubble, Dino, Bronto, Zonk, and Stub, The Flintstone Comedy Hour (animated), CBS, 1972-74.
• voice of Speed Buggy, Speed Buggy (animated), CBS, 1973-74.
• voice characterizations, The Bugs Bunny Show (animated), CBS, 1975.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, and others, The Bugs Bunny/Road RunnerShow (animated), CBS, 1976.
• voice characterizations, Sylvester and Tweety (animated), CBS, 1976- 77.
• voice of Captain Caveman, Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics (animated), ABC, 1977-78.
• voice of Officer Quack-Up, The Galaxy Goof-Ups (animated), NBC, 1978- 79.
• voice of Quack-Up, Yogi's Space Race (animated), NBC, 1978-79.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, The New Fred and Barney Show (animated),NBC, 1979.
• voice of Captain Caveman, Captain Caveman (animated), ABC, 1979.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, Fred and Barney Meet the Thing (animated), NBC, 1979.
• voice of Twiki, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, NBC, 1979-81.
• voice of Captain Caveman, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (animated),ABC, 1980.
• voice characterizations, The Heathcliff and Dingbat Show (animated), ABC,1980-81.
• voice of Barney Rubble, Dino, and Chester, The Flintstone Family Adventures (animated), NBC, 1980-81.
• voice of Barney Rubble, Dino, and a pterodactyl chick, The Flintstones (animated), NBC, 1981.
• voice of Heathcliff and Spike, The Heathcliff and Marmaduke Show (animated), ABC, 1981-82.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, The Flintstone Funnies (animated), NBC,1984.
• voice characterizations, The New Jetsons (animated), syndicated, 1985.
• voice characterizations, The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour (animated), ABC, 1985.
• voice of Captain Caveman, Dino, and Robert Rubble, The Flintstone Kids (also known as Captain Caveman and Sons; animated), ABC, 1986.
• Credits; PILOTS
• Voice of leprechaun, Mr. O'Malley, CBS, 1959.
• voice of Chickie Baby, Murder Can Hurt You!, ABC, 1980.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Arthur Godfrey Loves Animals, CBS, 1963.
• Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special, NBC, 1970.
• voice of Tucker the Mouse, The Cricket in Times Square (animated), ABC, 1973.
• voice of Harry the Cat, Yankee Doodle Cricket (animated), ABC, 1975.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (animated), CBS,1977.
• voice of Barney Rubble and Dino, A Flintstone Christmas (animated), NBC,1977.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, and PepeLepew, The Bugs Bunny Easter Special (animated), CBS, 1977.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny in Space (animated), CBS, 1977.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, How Bugs Bunny Won the West (animated), CBS, 1978.
• voice characterizations, A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court (animated), CBS, 1978.
• voice characterizations, The Bugs Bunny Thanksgiving Diet (animated), CBS, 1979.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny's Valentine (animated), CBS, 1979.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (animated),CBS, 1979.
• Voice characterizations, The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special (animated), CBS,1980.
• voice characterizations, Daffy Duck's Easter Show (animated), NBC, 1980.
• voice characterizations, Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special (animated), NBC, 1980.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny's Bustin Out All Over (animated), CBS, 1980.
• voice characterizations, Bugs Bunny: All American Hero (animated), CBS, 1981.
• voice of Barney Rubble, second security guard, and Bulldog, Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy (animated), CBS, 1982.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Comedy (animated), CBS, 1985.
• Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary (animated), CBS, 1986.
• voice of Barney Rubble, The Flintstones 25th Anniversary Celebration (animated), CBS, 1986.
• voice of Mr. Spacely, Rockin' with Judy Jetson (animated), syndicated, 1988.
• Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toontown, CBS, 1988.
• voice characterizations, Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars(animated), CBS, 1988.
• voice of Bugs Bunny, the Crusher, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Tweetie Bird, and Sylvester, Bugs Bunny's Wild World of Sports (animated), CBS, 1989.
• Hanna Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration (live-action and animated), TNT, 1989.
• Credits; TELEVISION WORK
• Producer (with others), The Bugs Bunny Show, ABC, 1960-62.
• Credits; RADIO APPEARANCES; SERIES
• The Hoot Owls, KGW (Portland, OR), 1927.
• various roles, Cobwebs and Nuts, KEX (Portland), 1933-35.
• The Johnny Murray Show, KFWB (Los Angeles), 1935-36.
• The Joe Penner Show, CBS, 1936.
• Professor LeBlanc, Carmichael the Bear, Sy the gardener, and train dispatcher, The Jack Benny Program, NBC, 1937-48.
• Uncle Petie and Rover, Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou, NBC, 1938-40.
• Pedro, The Judy Canova Show, CBS, 1940-48.
• Mr. Twiggs, Major Hoople, NBC, 1942.
• August Moon, Point Sublime, ABC, 1942-44.
• various roles, Nitwit Court, NBC, 1944.
• as himself and Zookie, The Mel Blanc Show (also known as The Fix-It Shopand Mel Blanc's Fix-It Shop), CBS, 1946-47.
• Also appeared on The Al Pierce Show, 1938-50; as host, Are You a Genius?,Armed Forces Radio Service; Hubert Peabody, The Jack Carson Show, CBS; Botsford Twink, The Abbott and Costello Program,NBC; Private Sad Sack, G.I. Journal; the Happy Postman, Burns and Allen, NBC; Pancho, The Cisco Kid; Floyd thebarber, The Great Guildersleeve; and Dagwood and Blondie.
• Credits; RADIO WORK; SERIES
• Producer, Cobwebs and Nitwits, KEX (Portland), 1933-35.
• Credits; SINGLES
• (With the Sportsmen) "The Woody Woodpecker Song," Capitol, 1948.
• "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat," 1950.
• (with Spike Jones and His City Slickers) "Clink! Clink! Another Drink!" "Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goodbye)."
• Blanc recorded comedy and children's records for Capitol Records for fifteen years.
• Writings;RADIO; SERIES
• Cobwebs and Nitwits, KEX (Portland), 1933-35.
• Writings;OTHER
• (With Philip Bashe) That's Not All, Folks: My Life in the Golden Age of Cartoons and Radio (autobiography), Warner Books, 1988.

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

• The American Animated Cartoon, edited by Danny and Gerald Peary, E.P.
• Dutton, 1980.
• Hollywood Reporter, July 11, 1989.
• New York Times, July 11, 1989.
• Variety, July 12-18, 1989.