MEL BLANC, THE MAN OF A 1000 VOICES

Available for freelance writing commissions on a variety of subjects including family history, nostalgic Belfast and its famous people, shops, shoppers & shopping, the golden age of Hollywood (esp westerns) and humorous pieces on life's weird and wonderful. Op-eds, columns, non-fiction book reviews too. 

joecushnan@aol.com & @JoeCushnan

The sublime voice actor, Melvin Jerome Blanc, died at 81 thirty years ago today. He was, is and will forever be the cartoon king, at least to my generation. He was the voice of (deep breath):

Bugs Bunny

Daffy Duck

Tweety Bird

Sylvester the Cat

Pepe Le Pew

Porky Pig

Yosemite Sam

Wile E. Coyote

Road Runner

Foghorn Leghorn

Barney Rubble

Mr Spacely

Woody Woodpecker

and many, many others in the golden age of TV cartoon shows.

He was born in San Francisco in 1908. He started out on a radio career in 1927, using his talent for voices in variety shows, including those of Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello and Burns and Allen. He built a reputation as a versatile voice actor and was snapped up by Warner Brothers (Looney Tunes) and later, Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones and The Jetsons). His place in television and cinema history is secure. There was no one like him and today, I salute him for his talent and for the hours and hours of entertainment he provided with all those quirky, unforgettable voices.

He died on 10 July, 1989 and is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This is his gravestone.