1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: No Battle of Goan and Lexington April nineteen, seventeen seventy 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: five Declaration of Independence six. I learned to read when 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: I was six, so I must have known the name 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: Mel Blank before I turned seven. Looks like the genius 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: is trying to show me his name was at the 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: start of so many of the cartoons I watched after school. 7 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: Blank was the voice, most famously of Bugs Bunny, but 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: he was also the voice of Daffy Duck Your co 9 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: and Sylvester the Cat Rocket, both characters I could relate 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: to because they also had trouble with says suffering sucotash Nope, 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: I still can't say it and not sound like a cat. 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: But that's not even close to the whole list. On 13 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: the flint Stones, Mel Blank was both Fred neighbor Barney 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: Come On Fred, and Fred's pet Dino. Fast forward a 15 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: few thousand years and he was George Jetson's hot tempered 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: boss Cosmos Space Lee, What are You Toy? He was 17 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: the original to Can Sam in commercials for fruit Loops Cereal, 18 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: I wasn't allowed to eat and he poured on the 19 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: sugar as peppy lapew You are Pino, I am you 20 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: a Blank. There's a good reason why mel Blanc was 21 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: known as the Man of a thousand voices. I mean 22 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: there wasn't a voice he didn't do right, Oh, hockey smoke. 23 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: I wouldn't agree with that. I stand corrected, bullwinkled J 24 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: Moose's best friend Rocket J Squirrel, I'm here. He wasn't 25 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: voiced by Blank, Rocky's pot Sylvanian nemesis Natasha Fatale Dylink, 26 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: I am here. Mel Blank didn't play her either. Blank 27 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: didn't make the Grinch's heart grow three sizes as Cindy 28 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: Luhu Candy car Why why are you taking our Christmas tree? 29 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: Or keep Sylvester from snacking on Tweetie as Granny. If 30 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 1: there's one little said, just one little feather hand of 31 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: this bird, I'm going to sell you to the violin 32 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: string actory. Those are just a few of the characters 33 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: voiced by a four ft eleven dynamo named June Fay. 34 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: Why should we know the name June Fay. June Foray 35 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: was the go to female voice artist Daddy Candy Daddy 36 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: Caddy An. She was the voice of Chatty Cathy, the 37 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: doll iconic doll. Oh my gosh, that my sister Mary 38 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: Beth had really yeah, this was in the sixties, and 39 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: how did you Chatty Cathy work? By the way, did 40 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: you pull a train string? And then she would say, 41 00:02:55,639 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: good play, how how do you change my Later on 42 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: The Twilight Zone, June showed off her dramatic chops, playing 43 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: a sinister, murderous version of Chatty Cathy, Nickie Tina Can 44 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: I'm beginning to hate you. Sometimes, June worked blue literally 45 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: as the petite prankster Joki on The Smurfs were I'll 46 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: throw in one. You may not even know because she 47 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: was uncredited. She was the voice of Little Ricky's dog 48 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: barking and I Love Lucy? Are you serious? Don't you 49 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: know what time it is? Among her many fans, legendary 50 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: animator Chuck Jones. While many called June the female Mele Blank, 51 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: Jones like to say that mel Blank was the male 52 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: June Farrey. Why would you know June farre because she's 53 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: part of your childhood. But even though most of us 54 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: grew up with her characters, June Farrey isn't widely known today. 55 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: It turns out there's a bit of a story behind 56 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: those Looney Tunes credits from CBS Sunday Morning and I 57 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 1: heart I'm Morocca and this is mobituaries, this moment June Fay, 58 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: July two thousand seventeen, The Woman of a thousand voices. 59 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: You know, eat my shorts as a little rude and 60 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: I threw it out as just an ad lib, eat 61 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: my shorts And next thing, yes, it's on all these 62 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: T shirts and it became a catchphrase. You probably wouldn't 63 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: recognize Nancy Cartwright if you passed her on the street. 64 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: That's because Nancy isn't a famous face. She's a famous voice. Actually, 65 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: like June far Ay, she's a lot of famous voices. 66 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: For the past three decades, Nancy has played several young 67 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: boys on The Simpsons, including Ralph Wigham Nelson Months and 68 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: of course don't have a cow man Bart Simpson and 69 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: I'm like this perennial ten year old boy, which is 70 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: so awesome and best job for me because it's kind 71 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: of what I wanted to do, just like me. Nancy 72 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: watched a lot of TV growing up, The Jetson's and 73 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: the flint Stones, and then in the seventies it was 74 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: Mary Tyler Moore. It was nothing was better. Yeah, I 75 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: was inspired by Ruth Buzzy on laughing. You know, I'm 76 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: saving it until after I'm married. On next Saturday Night, 77 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: each Other comes another one of those under the radar 78 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: famous people, Bob Bergen, b E. R G. And I 79 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: am an actor and a pig, porky pig to be specific, 80 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: but that pretty impressive. Look. We have to do the 81 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: same amount of work times ten that an on camera 82 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: actor does, because it's just with the voice. It's true. 83 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: Voice acting doesn't get the credit it deserves. A lot 84 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,799 Speaker 1: of cartoon characters aren't even human, but somehow voice actors 85 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: are able to make them seem well like people. My 86 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: friend Rucy Taylor was Huey, Dewey and Louis for Disney 87 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: for years. Rats that was still going the stairs. CA's okay, 88 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: that's way I'm quicker at anyway. She used to perform 89 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: it like this and people can't see what I'm doing. 90 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: But I'm sort of like doing Mr spox vulcan thing 91 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: with my fingers. Uh. And I said her, why are 92 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: you doing the ducks like this? She goes webbed feet. 93 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: I said, those aren't feats. She goes, they are when 94 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: I'm performing. You know, it's whatever works for you. A 95 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: lot of it is in my face. Bart is Bart's 96 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: pretty open. I don't think I change with him, but 97 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: like Nelson months, I look at my lips like every 98 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: kind of like talking out of the side of my mouth, 99 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: you know. And when did I do rap for my eyebrows? 100 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: Go really really hi? Hi mom? And to be clear, 101 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: we're not editing this. She just did that back to 102 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: back to back. Nancy's and Bob's voices make me laugh, 103 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,119 Speaker 1: but I wanted to talk to them about a voice 104 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: that originally terrified me. In the Looney Tunes episode Broomstick Bunny, 105 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: Witch Hazel is a green faced tag with a single 106 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: snaggle tooth. Her hair is a mess. She's a witch. 107 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: But it wasn't so much what she looked like that 108 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: scared me, but how she sounded. That cackle way too 109 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: close to Margaret Hamilton's in The Wizard of Oz. You 110 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: know her laugh for Witch Hazel. It's so quintessential, right, 111 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: which it's funny, it's also terrifying when it was little. Yes, 112 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: I loved her. I loved almost as menacing as Witch 113 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: Hazel's cackle was the song she sang while she was 114 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: preparing her witches brewn a spider some glue. That devilish 115 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: ditty ran in a loop through my head as a child. 116 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: Freak you out. It freaked me out, and I had 117 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: for years running through my mind a cup of tea spider, 118 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: some glue. Yeah. In the cartoon, Witch Hazel gloats about 119 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: being the ugliest witch of all until Bugs Bunny shows up. 120 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: This trick of treating is a pretty nice rackon dressed 121 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: as an even uglier witch. I don't remember seeing her 122 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: rigetti of the union meetings, and it's such a witty cartoon. 123 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 1: It's hysterical. I'd forgotten that she feels so threatened cause 124 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: she's no longer going to be the ugliest witch. That's 125 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: I wore new dearie. I'm going to worm all of 126 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: your ugly secrets out of you. Gear me now, Coan 127 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: does your hair, which Hazel ends up chasing Bugs around 128 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: with a butcher knife that shop enough to split a hair. 129 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: In the end, of course, Bugs outwit switch Hazel. He 130 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: gets her to drink a potion that makes her pretty, 131 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: and the pretty woman she turns into at the end 132 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: of that short was modeled after the woman voicing her 133 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: June for Ay. What was she like physically? Uh? Like 134 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: four ft nothing really, yeah, a tiny little thing like 135 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: a gymnast guy. Yeah, eight, like you wouldn't believe, and 136 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: never gained weight. And she's like this turbo charged, a 137 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: little spark plug in a tiny little body. Indeed, June 138 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: Foray had stamina. She lived until almost one hundred and 139 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: worked nearly to the end. Her story. He began in Springfield, Massachusetts, 140 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: where she was born in nineteen seventeen. Not long after 141 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: June learned to talk. She was imitating animals, barking at 142 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: neighborhood dogs, and doing the impressions for her mother's Bridge 143 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: club of the theater actors who came through town. But 144 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: June's mother wanted her to be a dancer, so we 145 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: enrolled her in tap classes until about with pneumonia and 146 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: did June's dancing career before it ever began. So it 147 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: was on to piano lessons, but June hated the piano. 148 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: Lucky for her, one day, when she was playing baseball, 149 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: she was hit by a pitch hey right on her finger. 150 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: I was fortunate enough to break my finger playing baseball 151 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: with my brother, so I didn't play piano anymore. That's 152 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: June for Ay in the year two thousand talking about 153 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: the pitch she called a gift from heaven. So I said, 154 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: whether I really wanted to be in actress? And so 155 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: she and dad got the best drama teaches that there were. 156 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: By the time she was fifteen, June was performing in 157 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: dramas on local radio station w b z A, where 158 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: she developed the granny voice she'd used throughout her career. 159 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: Around this time, June's father lost his autoparts business, so 160 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: the family moved across the country to Los Angeles. That 161 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: was just fine. By June, she'd already written herself a 162 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: character called Lady Make Believe, a go get her. Even 163 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: back then, June called every radio station in town until 164 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: one of them agreed to put Lady Make Believe on 165 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: the air. Here's the story about the Happa Doodle. This 166 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: is from a recording June made decades later. Our little 167 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: Happa Doodle, when you first looked at him, looked just 168 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: like a pixie. He had a tiny face that's showed 169 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: with merriment. I wrote them with a voice in mind, 170 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: and they were gentle stories. There was no violence in 171 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: any of them. Fast forward to World War Two, and June, 172 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: by now a young woman, was writing and performing on 173 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: radio dramas, boosting the morale of an anxious public. Better hurry, 174 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: here you are here. She is playing a nurse in 175 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: episode of the Cavalcade of America. Yes, already, here's your 176 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: alcohol scrubbing. Thanks. June's radio career would end up lasting 177 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: well into the fifties. In one of my favorite bits 178 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: she ever did, she played a sort of robot interplanetary 179 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: beauty queen on the Stan Freeburg Show. Some dope that 180 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: turly an tennis at the girl got cube suction cups. 181 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: I got shapely wheels. Yeah, they're they're pretty shapely at that. 182 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: I see you I in them. One radio show turned 183 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: out to be especially important to June. On Smiling Ed's 184 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: bus dr Brown Gang, she met a writer director named 185 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: Hobart Donovan. Several years later, they married and stayed married 186 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: until his death in nineteen seventy six, It's time for 187 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: My Favorite Husband, starring Lucille Ball. Hello everybody now one 188 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: big radio stars were making the transition into the brand 189 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: new medium of TV. Lucille Balls hit radio show My 190 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: favorite Husband. Now hurry and get me out of this 191 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: type thing. I feel like a ten inch weenie in 192 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: a five inch roll. Led to TV's I Love Lucy 193 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: that very same year I Want a Divorce. Dady White's 194 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: radio appearances on shows like Family Theater, I Make the 195 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: Salad Mrs McGee led to a legendary and legendarily long 196 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: television career that included hosting Saturday Night Live in two 197 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: thousand and ten. Many of you know that I'm I'm 198 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: dy eight and a half years old. Well, it's going 199 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: to be here for no reason. June occasionally went on camera. 200 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: Here she is playing a housewife opposite Johnny Carson on 201 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: The Johnny Carson Show in I'm going to be very 202 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: firm about this matter of an allowance. Well, I'm telling 203 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: you're right now, you're not going to get one. But 204 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: acting on TV didn't make use of June's real talent. 205 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: Off camera and on Mike, she could become anyone. And 206 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: with the Golden Age of animation in full swing, June 207 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: Farrey was about to find her voice, come on and 208 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: join us. We mentioned earlier how as a kid, June 209 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: Farrey was doing voices for anyone who would listen. Well, 210 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: Nancy Cartwright and Bob Bergen, Ak Bart Simpson and Porky 211 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: Pig started early two for them. The classroom was the 212 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: preferred venue. There was one teacher that I kind of 213 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: drove crazy because I would do I would do this thing, listeners, 214 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm plunking my cheek right now, I can 215 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: do it under my chin and doing that, and he 216 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: he would walk in the room and it would kind 217 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: of drive him nuts. Mr Dwarkin, wherever you are, sir um, 218 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: it would kind of and and he never did find 219 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: out that that was me. Or if I wanted to 220 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: get a drink of water, I would pretend like I 221 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: add the hiccups. And the trick to hiccups is you 222 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: don't go You don't make it so obvious you just 223 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: as you're talking, you just sort of pull back. I 224 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: would answer questions in school like either the teacher or 225 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: porky pig. When I when I was a kid and 226 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: I got sent to the principal's office and the principal 227 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: would say, okay, which teacher, I'd say, Mr Snyder, do him? 228 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: And if I did him, well, I got to go 229 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: back to class. If I did allow the impression, I 230 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: got detention. How serendipitous was that that you had a 231 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: principal who was incentivizing you to get even better the voices. 232 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: There you go. And I had also encouraged me not 233 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: to do as well in school because I was like, oh, 234 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: this is working for me. Did you dream of being 235 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: porky peg even though there already was a porky bag 236 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: since I was five? That was my goal in life, 237 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: That's all. Folks don't believe him. This is Bob practicing 238 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: porky at home as a teenager. Gush. I don't know 239 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: why I have to learn the older I plug leadens anyhow. 240 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: Some kids want to be a baseball player, some kids 241 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: want to be an astronaut, and they alternate back and 242 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: forth whether it's Monday or Friday. This is what I 243 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: wanted in life. The porky Bob grew up with was 244 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 1: voiced by mel Blank, didn't they say it will be 245 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: would be a wonderful lester camping way out here in 246 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,160 Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere, who had been doing the pig's 247 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: voice for almost forty years, since seven, not long after 248 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: the start of what's known as the Golden Age of animation. 249 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: That era began with the introduction of cartoons with the 250 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: sound Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse spoke his first words in 251 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: ninety nine Meanwhile, Warner Brothers debuted Porky Pig, Jaffy Duck, 252 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: Elmer Fudd, and of course Bugs Bunny, of cause you 253 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: know this means war By the latter half of the century, 254 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: production studios like Hannah Barbara created characters specifically for TV, 255 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: the flint Stones, the Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and a personal favorite, 256 00:17:52,760 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: snaggle Puss. The kid has class recognizes Tell him now. 257 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: June Farrey got into animation through a sort of side door. 258 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: In the late nineteen forties, she went under contract with 259 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: Capitol Records doing a range of voice of her work 260 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: for kids and grown ups. Here she is once again 261 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 1: with satirist Stan Freeburg, doing a parody of the police 262 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: drama Dragnet. Ma'am, but I talked to me just a minute, ma'am. 263 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 1: What about not much? Man, Just want to ask you 264 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 1: a few questions. What's your name? Blue Riding Hood? Where 265 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: you going to Graham House? What you got in the basket? 266 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,640 Speaker 1: What are you trying to take up in the basket? Here? 267 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:38,199 Speaker 1: Soon enough, Disney, which pioneered feature length animation, came calling 268 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: with a part in nineteen fifties Cinderella. Now. Cinderella is 269 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: nominally about Cinderella, but a lot of the movie focuses 270 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: on a devious cat named Lucifer, which was voiced by 271 00:18:53,240 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 1: June Farrey. He was a mean old thing. He didn't 272 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: have any dialogue. But I was working for Disney. Cinderella 273 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: was a big hit, and just a few years later, 274 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: June was summoned by that other big player in town. 275 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 1: My agent had called me and said, would you work 276 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: for Chuck Jones at Warner Brothers? And I said, well, 277 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: I'd love to work at Warner Brothers. But who is 278 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: Chuck Jones? As June would discover, Chuck Jones was a genius. 279 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: Time Magazine once wrote that he made movie goers laugh 280 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: as often and as well as Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. 281 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: He directed over two hundred fifty shorts for the studio, 282 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: including one of the greatest cartoons of all time, What's 283 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: Opera Doc The Webbit Killed the Webit, Killed the Webit 284 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: Killed the Webbit. Under his direction, characters may have moved 285 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: in exact dreated ways and had extreme facial expressions just 286 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: to picture any of them getting hit with a frying pan. 287 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: But like any good comedy, these characters tapped into the 288 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: audience is very real wants and meads and anxieties. Here's 289 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: Chuck Jones in comedy is concerned with small things. That 290 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: sort of thing that I am familiar with and you 291 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: were familiar with. That is how to get something to eat, 292 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,239 Speaker 1: how to get someplace to sleep here, how to uh, 293 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: how to get your girl, how to get the boy. 294 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: All these things are very important. In June drove her 295 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: Cadillac over to the Warner Brothers studios to meet him, 296 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: and this gorgeous hunk of men shook hands with me 297 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: and he said, I'm Chuck. Well, it was just astounding 298 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: that this effervescent, wonderful human being had wanted me to 299 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: work for him. Their meeting kicked off a long term collaboration. 300 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: June loved working with Chuck Jones. She performed in about 301 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: forty of his shorts at Warner Brothers. He would give 302 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: her just enough direction and she would deliver the characters 303 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: he was after, including Granny and Witch Hazel. Later, after 304 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: he left Warner Brothers, Jones continued to hire her for 305 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: projects like Tom and Jerry and How the Grinch Stole 306 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: Christmas and Ricky Ticky Tavi, about a mongoose protecting a 307 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: family of humans. Here's June as the villainous Cobra nagaina. 308 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: If you move, I strike, and if you do not move, 309 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: I strike, O fleeh Plea. Toward the end of his life, 310 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: Jones fought for June to get a star on the 311 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: Hollywood Walk of Fame. She said, he told her, mel 312 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: Blank has a star, You're gonna get one if I 313 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: have anything to say about it. And in the year 314 00:21:55,359 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: two thousand, June, for a finally got one. By this 315 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: point you might be wondering, with all the characters June voiced, 316 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: why didn't I know her name? Well, one reason is 317 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: that voice actors didn't and still don't, get much recognition. 318 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: The animators, the directors, the writers, everybody got credit, but 319 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: the actors didn't. I guess we weren't that important, except 320 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: we were. But there is one actor who did become 321 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 1: famous for his voice work in the forties, fifties, and sixties, 322 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: Mel Blank. If you read the credits to Warner Brothers 323 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: cartoons from this goldenest part of the Golden Age, he's 324 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: almost always the only voice actor listed them. Bob Bergen 325 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: explains Mel Blank had asked for a raise. I think 326 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: in the forties and the studio said, no, we're not 327 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: going to give you a raise. Instead, the studio gave 328 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 1: Mel blank soul screen credit. No matter how many other 329 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: actors were in a cartoon, only his name appeared on screen. 330 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: June's name nowhere to be seen. What a way to 331 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: run a railroad. I asked her what I did that 332 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 1: bother you? And she said it bothered everybody. Her ego 333 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: I think was bruised. It wasn't the only disappointment June 334 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: faced in the late nineteen fifties. June played Betty Rubble 335 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: in a pilot for Hannah Barbera called The Flagstones Wilma, 336 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: When are We Going shown? But by the time The 337 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 1: flint Stones went into production, Joe Barbara had replaced June 338 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: with b Benadarrett Finney. We've got our very old baby, 339 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: June said, missing out on that show broke her heart. 340 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: That much was clear. A few months later, Joe called 341 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: my agent said, we feel very bad about June. We'd 342 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: like to hire it for something out And I said, 343 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: you tell him to take a long walk off a 344 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: short pier. And I didn't work for Bill and Joe 345 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: for a long time. But June, Foray was about to 346 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: start a whole new chapter thanks to a maverick in 347 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: the animation world named Jay Ward. Jay Ward had not 348 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: planned on a career in animation. After graduating from Harvard 349 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: Business School, he opened a real estate office, but on 350 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: day one, a runaway lumber truck crashed into his office, 351 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: apparently while Ward had been reciting a poem to his 352 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: mailman and pinned Ward against a wall. While recovering from 353 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,400 Speaker 1: his injuries, he decided he wanted to work in cartoons. 354 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: His show Crusader Rabbit, which debuted in ninety, was the 355 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: first animated series produced for television. Down in Texas, they're 356 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: still talking about the little rabbit that had come down 357 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: from the United States to wipe out the warld state 358 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: of Texas. Obviously, the rabbit must have been Crusader Rabbit 359 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: or grew else would have thought of such a wonderful idea. 360 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,679 Speaker 1: The drawings and movements may have been simpler and cheaper 361 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: than the Warner Brothers artwork, but the humor was edgier, 362 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:08,479 Speaker 1: more off kilter. June hadn't heard of Crusader Rabbit or 363 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: Jay Ward when he came calling in the late fifties, 364 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 1: but he was a fan and he had an idea 365 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,440 Speaker 1: for a show that would help define both their careers. 366 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: So June tells me that she gets a call from 367 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: Jay Ward to meet her for lunch. So I thought, 368 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: oh boy, that's an you know, free lunch. And I 369 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: met this jocular man with a walrus mustache and he 370 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: orders martiniz and June although she could hold her own, 371 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: and she said, oh, Jay, I can't. I can't drink 372 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,719 Speaker 1: at lunch, and he goes, oh, come on, you'll love this. 373 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: We started to talk and he gave me an idea 374 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: of a most in the Squirrel, which seemed a little odd, 375 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: but after the second Martini, I thought it was one 376 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: hell of an idea. Here's Bob's impression of June calling 377 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: her agent after that lunch from Member. She was four 378 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: ft eleven and had had two Martini's dies. June, I 379 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:09,199 Speaker 1: love this show. It's about a talking moose and a 380 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: flag squirrel and it's a complete that tire of the 381 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: Cold War, and they want me to play. No, I'm 382 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: not that drunk. It's true. This is this show. The 383 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: show was Rocky and his Friends. You might know it 384 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: as Rocky and Bullwinkle, with June Foray as Rocky Rocket. 385 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: Jay Squirrel was his full name. June also voiced the 386 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:36,199 Speaker 1: pots Albanian spy named Natasha Fatal. It managed to be 387 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: both smart and supremely silly from start to finish. I'm 388 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: not sure if more puns have ever been packed into 389 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: a half hour. But as You went to College, ten state, 390 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: no state pen. It was a great show. It was 391 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: a genius, genius show. The series made good use of 392 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,400 Speaker 1: June's acting range. They were segments like Dudley Dowright, which 393 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: sent up old fashioned melodramas think Damsel in Distress tied 394 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: to railroad tracks, and fractured fairy Tales, which put fresh 395 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: spins on classic stories. Just then a remarkable thing happened. 396 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:23,119 Speaker 1: Sleeping Beauty's eyes opened and she sat up. Don't worry, kids, 397 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't really asleep. Then, Why the big year at 398 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: I just wanted to see if I could make it 399 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: in show beers. But the stars were Bullwinkle, the moose, 400 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: voiced by Bill Scott and June's Rocky Harry Bullwinkles. The 401 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: show's about the start. The show premiered in nine and 402 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: maybe people may not know this. It aired in prime 403 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: time since it was aimed at adults. Steven Spielberg still 404 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: remembers watching his parents watch it, As he told The 405 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: New York Times, it was the first time that I 406 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: can recall my parents watching a cartoon show over my 407 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: shoulder and laughing in places I couldn't comprehend. Oh, Minkle, 408 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 1: this is terrible. What kind of game can you play 409 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 1: with girls? Oh? It is really easy. Children should, isn't it. 410 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: Rocky and Bullwinkle ran for five years until nineteen sixty four, 411 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: living on long afterward in syndication where I discovered it. 412 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: It's satire, influencing generations of show creators. We offended nations, countries, politicians, 413 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: school teachers, whether people, no matter what. And unlike her 414 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 1: early work with Warner Brothers, June Farrey's name appears in 415 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,959 Speaker 1: the credits bequit Me, Booby, and your name will be 416 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: in lights. By the nineteen eighties, June Farrey was kind 417 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: of a living legend. And I want companionship. I need 418 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: to be served if they want to get stuck, I'm 419 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: not that kind of Here she is returning to radio 420 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: on The Howard Stern Show, reprising the role of Rocky 421 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: with Howard as Bullwinkle. In an even more adult version 422 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: of the original show. What could I go, Bruik, I've 423 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: got a Woody that won't quit. Hey, I told you 424 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: she worked Blue sometimes. Now, when another Landmark animated series 425 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: was just getting off the ground in the late eighties, naturally, 426 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 1: June made an appearance those Simpsons, which a bunch of savages, 427 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: especially the Big Eight Father. June was on The Simpsons one. 428 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: She was that's Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson. Again. 429 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: They brought her in because she's June for Ray and 430 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: to have her come in and say, you know, the 431 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: baby bunky bumper babysitting servies Rocky and Bart. It turns 432 00:29:55,280 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: out share something very special Rocky Squirrel in Bartholomy, Jay's Simpson. 433 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: That j in there is for j Ward. Did you 434 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: know that? I did not know that. So the genealogy 435 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: these two great characters are linked. June was revered throughout 436 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: the animation world. One reason was her talent. June was 437 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: simply a master of her craft. I'm trying to think 438 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: of her equivalent on camera. June was the who of 439 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,240 Speaker 1: voice acting. You know what this is. It's a big hoo, 440 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna say Meryl Streep, oh oh gosh, was 441 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: the Meryl Streep of voice actors, and she was a 442 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: genius comedic actress. You know, there's there's certain things you 443 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: can't learn no matter who you study. With pitch and timing, 444 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: you're born with that. How animated physically was she while 445 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: she was doing her voice work, very um and and 446 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 1: as we said earlier, I use a lot of facial expressions, 447 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: so watching her do Rocky, I can't do Rocky, but 448 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: she would do this with her lips because it added 449 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: youth to the character Hoky Smoke. But we go, I 450 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: can't do the falsetto, but she would do that with 451 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: that character Hoky Smoke. Look there and what we're talking 452 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: Tina's She had a little smile on her face, which 453 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: was kind of sinister because the k that the doll 454 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 1: kills you super spooky twilight killing people who not really 455 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: but I could hurt you, you know. I remember when 456 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: we worked on I think it was Space Jam and 457 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: watching her do Which Hazel and Granny for that she 458 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: was standing as her arms were flailing all over the 459 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: place when she was doing Which Hazel double double toil 460 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: and trouble, fire burn and cald and bubble. Not bad. 461 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: So yeah, she totally physically took on every character. To 462 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: hear Bob Bergan tell it, she was also just a 463 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: pretty swell person. When is the first time that you 464 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: work with her? My very first job doing Leoney Tuns, Yeah, 465 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: it was. It was a cartoon called Tiny Toon Adventures, 466 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: and I was doing Porky and Tweetie and terrified, you know, um. 467 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,959 Speaker 1: And it was at a studio where they had these 468 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: partition walls between the actors to block the sound, and 469 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:20,719 Speaker 1: June was right next to me, and I remember her 470 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: grabbing my hand and holding my hand as we walked 471 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,959 Speaker 1: into the studio and she's doing Granny and I'm doing 472 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: Tweetie and you never you know those feelings when he's like, 473 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 1: I think someone's watching me. And I just felt someone 474 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: watching me from above. And I looked up and June 475 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: was standing. She was tiny, She was standing on a 476 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: chair looking below, and she said, oh, Bob, I swear 477 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: it was Mel, which, by the way, it didn't sound 478 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: a thing like Mel. But that was her way of 479 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: just making me feel at home. Nancy Cartwright met June 480 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: even later, but she had long felt a kinship. We 481 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: had a few things in common. Height is one thing 482 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: that we had in common. They were also two women 483 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: who famously voiced boy characters. Producers realized that, you know, 484 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: you can't hire a real ten year old kid to 485 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: do a ten year old voice. His pipes are going 486 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: to be changing, and he's going to go through adolescence. 487 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: And how many parts would we have now if they 488 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: really would have stuck to that just as not economical 489 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: at all. Nancy also gives June a lot of credit 490 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: for fighting for animation to be treated as an art form. 491 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: June led the way to establish the Annie Award so 492 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: that voice over actors could get acknowledged because at that 493 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: time we weren't being acknowledged with the with an Emmy, 494 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: which was wow, that's kind of not okay. And June 495 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 1: was a leader and pushing the Motion Picture Academy to 496 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: award an OSCAR for feature length animated movies, which they 497 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: finally did in two thousand two. I'd like to think 498 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: that Lucifer the Cat, the character she played in Cinderella 499 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: half a century before, was looking up that night. But 500 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: just as animation was being taken more serious a sleep 501 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: in the United States, the opportunities for voice actors began changing. 502 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: It's no secret for a while now. The big roles, 503 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 1: the kind that used to be played by voice actors 504 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: like June, have been scooped up by actors with familiar faces. 505 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,280 Speaker 1: What we will never be those of us who aren't 506 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: well known is uh buzz light Year. We won't be 507 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: Woody in toy story, but we might be a green 508 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,759 Speaker 1: army man. We're called utility players because when you see 509 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 1: in the end of a feature movie I animated feature 510 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: additional voices, that's us. This was a change that dismayed June. 511 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: She hated it. She did not understand why are they 512 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,719 Speaker 1: going to people whose faces are known for a part 513 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: that's recorded. But even June's like, even if they're good, 514 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 1: there are people like you and me who can do this, 515 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 1: and why are they going to celebrities. It doesn't make sense. 516 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: That really bothered her a lot, But even as the 517 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 1: the street changed around her, it's veneration for June continued 518 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: into her nineties. So at the end of her life, 519 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 1: there was a Rocky and bullwinkled Geico commercial and from 520 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: what I understand, they brought June in to record it, 521 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: and they knew that she was up there in age 522 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:23,320 Speaker 1: just to see what happens, and she didn't have the energy. 523 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: She didn't have she was just frail, so they hired 524 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: another actress to do it. The other actress's voice ended 525 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: up in the ad. Come and I remember that the 526 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: commercial was airing, and she called me. She goes. I 527 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: don't know what they were complaining about. I sound great. 528 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 1: I know very well the actress who did it. I 529 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: won't mention names, but they swore her to keep your 530 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: mouth shut out of respect for June, out of compassion. 531 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: The industry respected and loved her enough to let her 532 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:57,279 Speaker 1: think it was her which and they paid her. I 533 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: don't think it was a stretch to say to the 534 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: ad agency, please pay the queen of this industry. I 535 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 1: love everything I do, with all of the parts that 536 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,360 Speaker 1: I do, because there's a little bit of me and 537 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: all of them. So many of us really did grow 538 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 1: up with June's voices, learning to be irreverent from Rocky 539 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 1: and Bowlwinkle at Christmas time, listening to her pure innocence 540 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 1: as Cindy lu Whu, or like me, being freaked out 541 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: by her witch Hazel. Come on, it can't just be me. 542 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: But there's this one detail. Bob Bergin told me about 543 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: June something I hadn't heard before that I find so 544 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: telling about the care and love that she put into 545 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 1: what she did, and it has nothing to do with 546 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 1: her voice. She always dressed to the nines recording cartoons 547 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:52,399 Speaker 1: to show up for work. Yeah, like she was going 548 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: over the evening and I would ask her why, and 549 00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: she said, because I respect what I do and I 550 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: want to make a good impression. I'm going to work. 551 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 1: I always. I always used to think she had something 552 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 1: to do after, but no, it was for the job. 553 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,399 Speaker 1: She had that much respect for what she was doing. 554 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: I remember one time we did have a conversation she 555 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: got a little deeper. She said, you know, I think 556 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: it comes from my radio days, where we have a 557 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,320 Speaker 1: live audience and everybody in the audience is wearing you know, 558 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: coat and tie and hats and gloves. The actors did too, 559 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,719 Speaker 1: So she just carried that over even though there was 560 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 1: no audience there. She dressed the part. She wasn't wearing 561 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: pajama pants just because she wouldn't be seen listen. If 562 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: she were still with us, I would say to her, 563 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: so in your home studio with COVID, what are you wearing? 564 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 1: Knowing Jewish you'd have the ear rings and the makeup 565 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:46,239 Speaker 1: of all the characters you've played. If one were to 566 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 1: deliver a tribute to June for a which would it be? Alive? 567 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: My little, my little edged you're a magnificently, your magnificent, 568 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,840 Speaker 1: You're wonderful, the you're wonderful. They it will be all. 569 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:10,399 Speaker 1: I wish there was lets more. And that's all, folks. Well, 570 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: it looks as if for a time it's just a 571 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: bone run out. You've got the credits, Paul Winkle. I 572 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 1: certainly hope you enjoyed this Mobituary. May I ask you 573 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: to please rate and review the podcast. You can also 574 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: follow Mobituaries on Facebook and Instagram, and you can follow 575 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:35,480 Speaker 1: me on Twitter at Morocco. Listen to Mobituaries on Amazon 576 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: Music or wherever you get your podcasts, and check out 577 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: Mobituaries Great Lives Worth Reliving, the New York Times best 578 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,800 Speaker 1: selling book, now available in paperback and audiobook. It includes 579 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: plenty of stories not in the podcast. This episode of 580 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:57,239 Speaker 1: Mobituaries was produced by Jake Harper and Aaron Shrank. Our 581 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:01,080 Speaker 1: team of producers also includes Wilco, Martin Is Caccero, and 582 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:06,840 Speaker 1: me Morocca. Editing was by Moral Walls, engineering by Sam Bear, 583 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,800 Speaker 1: and fact checking by Naomi Barr. Our production company is 584 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: Neon Homme Media. Our archival producer is Jamie Benson. Our 585 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 1: theme music is written by Daniel Hart. Indispensable support from 586 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: Craig Swaggler, Dustin Gervei, Alan Pang, Reggie Basil and everyone 587 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:29,720 Speaker 1: at CBS News Radio. Special thanks to Roger Rains, Megan Marcus, 588 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 1: and Alberto Robina. Mobituary Senior producer is the Indomitable Aaron Shrank. 589 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: Executive producers include Steve Raises and Morocca. The series is 590 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: created by Yours Truly and as always on dying gratitude 591 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:47,959 Speaker 1: to Rand Morrison and John Carp for helping breathe life 592 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:49,880 Speaker 1: into Mobituaries