Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Mel Blanc Tells Johnny Carson How He Created His Iconic Cartoon Voices

In May 1983 (40 years ago) Mel Blanc, the "Man of a Thousand Voices" appeared on the Tonight Show and explained to Johnny Carson how he got started in voicing cartoon characters.

Blanc has been called the first and best voice actor. He made it an art. His career spanned vaudeville, radio, movies and television starting in the late 1920s and continuing to this day, 34 years after his death. 

Blanc has been the voice behind more than 400 animated characters in over three thousand cartoons. In his 60 year career he has been the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, and numerous other characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons. 

 

He later voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera's television cartoons, including Barney Rubble and Dino on The Flintstones, Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons, Secret Squirrel on The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, the title character of Speed Buggy, and Captain Caveman on Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels and The Flintstone Kids.

 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

 

    #Throwback Thursday   #TBT

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Jack Benny and Mel Blanc on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show

Today we're going back 48 years to 1974, when Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices, appeared with Jack Benny on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

Blanc, the man behind the voices of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird and Sylvester the cat, Yosemite Sam, and countless other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, has been called the first and best voice actor.

Blanc was a regular on the NBC Red Network show The Jack Benny Program in various roles, including voicing Benny's Maxwell automobile (in desperate need of a tune-up), violin teacher Professor LeBlanc, Polly the Parrot, Benny's pet polar bear Carmichael and the train announcer. 

 

In this video clip, Benny and Blanc reminisce about their many skits on the program and re-enact some of them to Carson's delight.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

    

 #Throwback Thursday      #TBT

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Classic: Jack Benny's Security System Outwits Robber Mel Blanc

Who needs a security system when you can install a series of devices to frustrate a robber like the character that Mel Blanc, the man behind the voices of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird and Sylvester the cat, Yosemite Sam, and countless other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, plays in one of the classic skits from the Jack Benny Program? 

The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, was a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and television careers, a caricature of himself as a minimally talented musician and penny pincher who was the butt of all the jokes. 

In this skit from the show, Mel Blanc,  and another actor play two robbers looking for a big heist from Jack Benny's home. Throughout the robbery attempt, Benny sleeps soundly, knowing that his unique security system will give him maximum protection.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

The Great Jewish Entertainers: Mel Blanc, Man of a Thousand Voices

We have been posting video clips of the great Jewish comedians and the great Jewish entertainers. We came across a video clip that tells the story of Mel Blanc, the voice of most of the Warner Brothers cartoon characters. Since there's no category of the great Jewish cartoon voices (Mel was unique) we're putting him in the entertainment category.

After beginning his over-60-year career performing in radio, he became known for his work in animation as the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and most of the other characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons during the golden age of American animation.

He later voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera's television cartoons, including Barney Rubble on The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons. During the golden age of radio, Blanc also frequently performed on the programs of comedians from the era, including Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, and Judy Canova.

Blanc died in 1989 and his Yahrzeit is coming up on July 10. Blanc's will stated his desire to have the inscription on his gravestone read, "That's all folks", the catchphrase that was the hallmark of Blanc's character, Porky Pig. 

This clip will take you back to the days when Blanc voiced so many cartoon characters.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.