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JERRY BECK
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AMID AMIDI
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Bob Arbogast (1927-2009)
by jerry
March 27, 2009 3:30 pm


The L.A. Times is reporting the passing of cartoon voice actor Bob Arbogast. Not exactly a household name, Arbogast nonetheless entertained me greatly as General Brassbottom on Roger Ramjet and as various characters on numerous Saturday morning cartoons. He was also a well known radio personality and one of the writers behind Jay Ward’s ill-fated live action pilot The Nut House (1963) - of which I’ve posted the opening and closing credits below:

03/27/09  4:05pm
steve w. says:

I worked with Bob in the ’70s and ’80s on some corporate videos. I remember one funny bit, where he played a magician called “The Great Arbogast” (his dramatic prounciation: The Great AR-BOW-GAST!). When I learned much later that he had done voices on “Ramjet”, I could have kicked myself. I loved that show!

03/27/09  4:06pm
s porridge says:

Good rest, Bob. “Roger Ramjet” accompanied many a bowl of Sugar Frosted Flakes here.

Re The Nut House: “Ballets devised and choreographed by Herb Ross” — could that be the Herbert Ross who later switched to film directing?

03/27/09  4:17pm
Kiko says:

that’s what I hate about Brew, everyday I check it out there seems to be another departing animator!

Descansa en Paz.

03/27/09  4:23pm

s porridge - “…could that be the Herbert Ross who later switched to film directing?”

Yes. It’s the same Herbert Ross.

03/28/09  6:45am
Katella Gate says:

I’m glad to see Ponsonby Britt continued to make his valuable contributions to Jay Ward’s productions.

03/28/09  9:53am
Bill Field says:

Here is one of the finest conversational v/o artists… ever. Bob and Ray made this a cottage industry, but formality in broadcast presentations was dominant, needing an antithesis of what sounded stuffy or contrived - and changed TV and Radio, making it more inviting to your average listener/viewer.

03/28/09  11:30am
Robert Barker says:

And Jack Sheldon, the ‘Tonight Show’ trumpeter was involved too? 1963? It looks like ‘Laugh-In’, too soon.

03/28/09  1:27pm
Keith Paynter says:

Now, there’s something you don’t see every day, Chauncey…

03/28/09  3:05pm
s porridge says:

Thanks for the trivia confirm, Jerry!

By the way, after freeze-framing a gazillion times, think the pie reads “This Program Was Pre-Recorded.”

Quicker than the 20 years it took for me to realize the lyrics were “Let’s ride with the family down the street/Through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet.”

These are the hazards of being a proofreader. Warn your kids!

03/28/09  6:47pm
bob kurtz says:

i had the pleasure of working with bob arbogast who was a pleasure.
including roger ramjet. bob was funny and good.

bob,my friend, have a nice flight.

03/30/09  7:14am
ajmilner says:

Special musical material is credited to “Marty Charnin” and “Mary Rogers.” In all likelihood that’s Martin Charnin (who’d later write the lyrics to ANNIE) and Mary Rodgers, the daughter of Richard Rodgers and composer for the off-Broadway revue THE MAD SHOW, also a LAUGH-IN precursor.

03/30/09  9:04am
Bob Lindstrom says:

And music by Jerry Fielding. Man, the credits for that show are FULL of luminaries, all relatively early in their careers.

03/30/09  10:52am
top cat james says:

I always thought Zucker/Abrams/Zucker originated the concept of funny end credits, and they were beat by two decades. I learn something new on the Brew every day. Thanks, Jerry.

03/30/09  9:47pm
Chris Sobieniak says:

If anything, Jay Ward Productions was the progenitor for what spurred out of these creative talents later in life. It was more than just a moose and squirrel going on adventures every week.

03/31/09  3:05pm
s.w.a.c. says:

They’re dimming the lights tonight in Lompoc.

03/31/09  8:01pm
Bill Field says:

Pantomime Pictures -Roger’s animators, also animated several segments of Super Chicken for George of the Jungle, and Bob Kurtz who responded earlier in this thread, worked on both shows- so there ARE consistent artistic links between Ward and Blake Snyder-as well as his associates.

08/8/09  11:29am

Mary Rodgers also wrote FREAKY FRIDAY.

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