Dallas McKennon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dallas McKennon
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McKennon c. 1965
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| Born |
Dallas Raymond McKennon
July 19, 1919 La Grande, Oregon, U.S.
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| Died | July 14, 2009 (aged 89) Raymond, Washington, U.S.
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| Other names | Dal McKennon Charles Farrington |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1942–1995 |
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) |
| Spouse(s) |
Betty Warner
(m. 1942) |
| Children | 8 |
Dallas Raymond McKennon (born July 19, 1919 – died July 14, 2009) was an American actor. He was known for his voice work in many cartoons and movies. You might know him as the voice of Gumby or Archie Andrews! He had a long career that lasted over 50 years. During World War II, he served in the Army Signal Corps in Alaska.
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Who Was Dallas McKennon?
Dallas McKennon was born near La Grande, Oregon. He became famous for his many different voices. He was the voice of Gumby for Art Clokey. He also voiced Archie Andrews in several Archie cartoon series. Another well-known voice role was Buzz Buzzard in the Woody Woodpecker cartoons.
Early TV Shows and Cartoons
In the early 1950s, Dallas McKennon had his own TV show for kids. It was called Space Funnies or Capt. Jet. This show aired in Los Angeles. It was the first kids' show in Los Angeles to show reruns of The Little Rascals and Laurel & Hardy short films. He was also the main voice actor for the 1960 cartoon series Q.T. Hush. McKennon also voiced Chet Morton, the sidekick in The Hardy Boys animated mystery series from 1969.
Dallas McKennon's Disney Voices
Dallas McKennon sang and provided many voices for Disney. He voiced characters in classic movies like Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. He was also in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Mary Poppins, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. His laugh as a hyena in Lady and the Tramp was even used later for the character Ripper Roo in the Crash Bandicoot video games!
He also voiced characters for many Disney theme park rides. You can hear him on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad safety announcement. He was one of the laughing hyenas in the Africa Room of It's a Small World. He also voiced Benjamin Franklin in Epcot's The American Adventure.
Live-Action Roles and Other Work
McKennon's most famous live-action role was Cincinnatus, the innkeeper, in the TV show Daniel Boone. He also had small parts in movies like The Birds and Clambake. His last movie was Gumby: The Movie, where he voiced Gumby and other characters. For this movie, he used the name Charles Farrington.
Dallas McKennon was very interested in the Oregon Trail history. He visited schools to teach children about Oregon's past. He also worked at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. There, he gave speeches, put on plays, and told stories. He helped prepare for the Oregon Trail's 150th anniversary. He also worked with Oregon Public Broadcasting to create The Pappenheimers. This was a video series that helped children learn German.
Personal Life
In 1942, Dallas McKennon married Betty Warner. She was his childhood sweetheart. They got married in Portland, Oregon. They had eight children together: six daughters and two sons. The family lived in California until 1968. Then, they moved to Cannon Beach, Oregon. From there, McKennon would travel for his voice acting jobs.
Death
Dallas McKennon died on July 14, 2009. He passed away from natural causes. This was just five days before his 90th birthday. He died at a care center in Raymond, Washington.
Images for kids
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McKennon c. 1965
See also
In Spanish: Dal McKennon para niños
