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Dayton Allen
Dayton Allen 1959.JPG
Allen as some of the characters he performed on The Steve Allen Show, and also as himself, 1959.
Born
Dayton Allen Bolke

(1919-09-24)September 24, 1919
New York City, U.S.
Died November 11, 2004(2004-11-11) (aged 85)
Occupation Comedian, voice actor
Years active 1937–1985
Spouse(s)
Elvi Allen
(m. 1958)
Relatives Bradley Bolke (brother)

Dayton Allen (born Dayton Allen Bolke; September 24, 1919 – November 11, 2004) was an American comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on The Steve Allen Show. His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?" (pronounced "whooooyyy not!")

Early life

Allen was born in New York City, the son of Helen and Sol Bolke, a dress manufacturer. His younger brother, Bradley Bolke, had some limited success as a voice actor, often appearing in supporting roles alongside Allen. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, where he graduated from A.B. Davis High School in June 1936. One of his school friends was Art Carney.

Career

Allen, like Carney, began his career in radio. In 1937–1938 WINS (AM) hired him as a disc jockey.

He was the voice of various New York-based children's television show characters, appearing on Winky Dink and You as Mr. Bungle for five years, and playing "Phineas T. Bluster", "Flub-a-Dub", and various other puppet characters on Howdy Doody (as well as several "live" characters, including Ugly Sam and Pierre the Chef) for 4 years. Dayton was also the voice of Deputy Dawg, Heckle and Jeckle, Luno, and many early 1960s Terrytoons cartoon characters. Allen also provided the voice of Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. He continued to be a voiceover performer through the 1990s.

He was best known as the "Why Not?" man when he joined the cast of the NBC Sunday night variety show that Allen began hosting to compete against Ed Sullivan on CBS. The catchphrase began as a stalling ad-lib to an interview question; then it caught on. Allen used it for television commercials and saw novelty toys, a book, and a record spin-off from the "Why not?" phenomenon. In its day, fans were shouting "Why not?" as often as Mad Magazine's famous "What? Me Worry?"

His brother, Bradley Bolke, was also a voice actor best known as the voice of Chumley (Tennessee Tuxedo's walrus sidekick) on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, and the syndicated version of The Underdog Show.

Allen's talents as a mimic were showcased in October 1963 when he appeared alongside Groucho Marx on the CBS-TV game show I've Got A Secret. The show’s panelists had been blindfolded, and all their questions to Groucho were answered instead by Allen doing an accurate Groucho impersonation. Finally, with panelists Bess Myerson, Betsy Palmer, Henry Morgan, and Bill Cullen all stumped, the secret was revealed.

A classic example of Allen's humor comes from an August 1968 appearance on The Steve Allen Show, syndicated nationally in the US by Filmways: "Did you know your mind alone can make you smart?"

After his show business career ended, Allen was a real estate agent, operating out of an office in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

He died of complications from a stroke.

Filmography

Film & TV

Year Title Character
1945 Bad Bill Bunion TV Announcer (voice)
1945 The Exterminator Radio Announcer / Narrator (voice)
1946 The Tortoise Wins Againas Papa Hare Papa Tortoise / Pig (voice)
1946 The Uninvited Pests Heckle, Jeckle, Dimwit (voice) (uncredited)
1947 Howdy Doody Phineas T. Bluster (1 episode)
1948 Felix the Fox Dimwit / Felix the Fox (voice)
1948 Magpie Madness Heckle / Jeckle / Dimwit / Doctor (voice)
1948 Goony Golfers Heckle / Jeckle / Bulldog Golfer (voice) (uncredited)
1948 The Racket Buster Narrator / Edward G. Robincat (voice)
1949 Mrs. Jones' Rest Farm Mrs. Jones (voice)
1951 The Helpful Geni
1951 The Cat's Tale Cat (voice)
1956 The Steve Allen Show Self (4 episodes)
1958 Grateful Gus Grateful Gus (uncredited)
1960 Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse (124 episodes)
1960 Top Cat
1960 Galaxiaas Matchmaker (uncredited) (voice)
1961 Tree Spree Stanley / Cleo the Giraffe
1962 Funderful Suburbia Hardy / Pay Toll Man (voice)
1962 Send Your Elephant to Camp Sidney the Elephant (voice)
1962 The Merv Griffin Show Self (2 episodes)
1963 Sidney's White Elephant Sidney (voice)
1963 Obnoxious Obie Deputy Dawg
1963 Split-Level Treehouse Sidney (voice)
1964 Oscar's Moving Day Astronut (voice)
1964 Short Term Sheriff Duckwood
1964 Oil Thru the Day Duckwood
1964 Search For Misery Roland Stone
1964 The Red Tractor Duckwood
1964 The Astronut Show Luno (16 episodes)
1964 Hokey Home Movies Astronut / Oscar (voice)
1964 The Munsters (1 episode)
1965 No Space Like Home Astronut (voice)
1965 The Invisibeam
1965 Twinkle Twinkle Little Telestar
1966 The Monster Master James Hound (voice)
1966 Gems From Gemini
1966 The Phantom Skyscraper James Hound
1966 Dr. Ha-Haas James Hound
1967 A Voodoo Spellas James Hound
1967 The Heat's Off James Hound (voice)
1967 Mr. Winluckyas James Hound
1967 Give Me Liberty James Hound
1967 Bugged By A Bug James Hound
1967 Which Is Witch? James Hound
1967 Dr. Rhinestone's Theory James Hound
1967 Marvin Digs Marvin/George (voice)
1967 Frozen Sparklers James Hound (voice)
1967 Baron Von Go-Go
1969 Space Petas Astronut (voice)
1984 The Cotton Club Solly
Oscar's Thinking Cap
The Old Man and the Flower Narrator
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