Mel Blanc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mel Blanc
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Blanc in 1959
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| Born |
Melvin Jerome Blank
May 30, 1908 |
| Died | July 10, 1989 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Other names | "The Man of 1000 Voices" |
| Occupation | Voice actor, radio personality |
| Years active | 1927–1989 |
| Spouse(s) |
Estelle Rosenbaum
(m. 1933) |
| Children | Noel Blanc |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1976) |
Melvin Jerome Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an amazing American voice actor and radio star. His career lasted over 60 years! He was known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices" because he could create so many different sounds and characters. Many people think he was one of the best voice actors ever.
Mel Blanc brought to life some of the most famous cartoon characters in history. He was the voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, and the Tasmanian Devil. These characters starred in the classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Later, he also voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera TV shows, like Barney Rubble and Dino from The Flintstones, and Mr. Spacely from The Jetsons.
Contents
Early Life and First Voices
Mel Blanc was born in San Francisco, California, on May 30, 1908. He grew up in San Francisco and later in Portland, Oregon. From a young age, around 10, he loved practicing different voices and accents.
When he was 16, he changed the spelling of his last name from "Blank" to "Blanc." He said a teacher once told him he would amount to "nothing" and be like his name, a "blank." So, he changed it! After finishing high school in 1927, he led an orchestra and performed in vaudeville shows, which were popular stage shows with different acts.
Starting in Radio
Mel Blanc began his radio career when he was 19. He quickly became known for being able to do many voices for different characters. In 1932, he moved to Los Angeles and met Estelle Rosenbaum. They got married a year later.
He became a regular on a popular radio show called The Jack Benny Program. On this show, he voiced many funny characters. One of his most famous roles was the sound of Jack Benny's old, sputtering Maxwell car. This role started by accident when the sound effect for the car didn't play, so Mel just made the sounds himself! The audience loved it, and he kept doing it. He also voiced a character named "Sy, the Little Mexican," who spoke very slowly, one word at a time.
Mel Blanc's success on radio even led to his own show, The Mel Blanc Show, which ran from 1946 to 1947.
Becoming a Cartoon Voice Star
In 1936, Mel Blanc joined Warner Bros. Cartoons, where they made short animated films. He met the cartoon directors, and they loved his voices. His first cartoon voice was a drunken bull in Picador Porky (1937).
Soon after, he got his first main cartoon role: he became the new voice for Porky Pig. In the same cartoon, Porky's Duck Hunt, he also introduced a brand new character: Daffy Duck!
After this, Mel Blanc became the main voice actor for almost all the "Looney Tunes" characters.
- Bugs Bunny: Mel Blanc first voiced Bugs Bunny in A Wild Hare (1940). Bugs was famous for eating carrots and saying, "Eh... what's up, doc?" To make the carrot-eating sound real, Mel would bite into a carrot and then quickly spit it out.
- Woody Woodpecker: He also created the voice and laugh for Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures. However, he only voiced Woody for the first three cartoons because he signed a special contract to work only for Warner Bros. But his famous laugh was still used in Woody Woodpecker cartoons for many years!
During World War II, Mel Blanc voiced Private Snafu, a clumsy soldier in cartoons made to train new recruits.
Mel Blanc was very smart about protecting his unique voice characters. He was one of the first voice actors to get his name shown in the cartoon credits. By 1944, his contract with Warner Bros. said he had to get a credit that read: "Voice characterization(s) by Mel Blanc." This was a big deal because voice actors usually didn't get credit back then.
More Cartoon Voices and a Car Accident
After his special contract with Warner Bros. ended in 1960, Mel Blanc continued to work for them, but he also started voicing characters for Hanna-Barbera TV cartoons. He became the voice of Barney Rubble in The Flintstones and Cosmo Spacely in The Jetsons. He also voiced Dino the Dinosaur, Secret Squirrel, Speed Buggy, and Captain Caveman.
In 1961, Mel Blanc was in a very serious car accident. He broke his legs and pelvis. While he was recovering in the hospital, his doctors tried something amazing. They asked him, "How are you feeling today, Bugs Bunny?" And in a weak voice, Mel Blanc replied, "Eh... just fine, Doc. How are you?" They then asked Tweety if he was there, and Mel answered, "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" This showed how deeply connected he was to his characters.
Because of his injuries, he couldn't go to the studio. So, the producers of The Flintstones set up recording equipment in his hospital room and later at his home. He even recorded some lines while lying flat on his back in a full-body cast! His son, Noel Blanc, also helped by doing some voice tracks for him.
Later Years and Legacy
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mel Blanc continued to voice his "Looney Tunes" characters for new cartoons and special compilation films like The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie. He also voiced Heathcliff from 1980 to 1988.
One of his last performances was in the live-action/animated movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). In this film, he voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, and Sylvester. He passed away just a year after the movie was released. His final recording session was for Jetsons: The Movie (1990), which was released after his death.
Mel Blanc and his wife, Estelle, were married for 56 years until he passed away in 1989. Their son, Noel Blanc, also became a voice actor.
Mel Blanc died on July 10, 1989, at the age of 81. He is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. On his gravestone, it says: "THAT'S ALL FOLKS!"—the famous line Porky Pig used to say at the end of Warner Bros. cartoons.
Mel Blanc is remembered as one of the most important voice actors ever. He showed how much a voice actor could do and how important their work was. Film critic Leonard Maltin once said, "It is astounding to realize that Tweety Bird and Yosemite Sam are the same man!" This shows just how incredible Mel Blanc's talent was.
His voice continues to be heard today. Old recordings of his voice have been used in newer movies and cartoons, like The Flintstones (1994) and the animated short I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat (2011).
Mel Blanc has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to radio. His character, Bugs Bunny, also has a star!
Images for kids
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A scene from The Wabbit Who Came to Supper, a cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny.
See also
In Spanish: Mel Blanc para niños
