Cartoon Brew

THE VOICE HAS BEEN SILENCED

Jackson Beck (no relation to ye Brewmaster), the Voice of Bluto, Brutus, the narrator of radio's (and Filmation's) Superman, Buzzy the Crow, King Leonardo,and numerous voice overs in everything from TV commercials to Woody Allen's Take The Money And Run has passed away at age 92.

My favorite Jackson Beck performance is that of the suburbanite who brings home a man-eating cannibal from a jungle expedition in Famous Studio's 1958 cartoon CHEW CHEW BABY. He narrates the entire cartoon as good 'ol boy who shows "Chew Chew" all around Cincinnatti, blissfully unaware that the cannibal is eating all his friends around him. I also enjoyed Beck's many roles on the Superman radio show - from narrator, to gangsters to office boy "Beanie", Beck was the true star of that show.

I met him once, in his apartment, where he threw a party for Sid Raymond (this was in 1995). Because we shared last names we discussed the possibility of being related, but I was happy just to meet the man and tell him how much I enjoyed his work. He was a gentleman and a wonderful guy.

His Newsday obit

Posted by at July 29, 2004 07:41 AM