Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Feb 23, 2007, 1:00 AM
|
|
Cartoon voice, kids' host Walker Edmiston dies
|
|
|
Walker Edmiston, a voice in animated TV shows and children's TV host since the 1950s, died February 15 at a Woodland Hills, California hospital. His age was not immediately available.
Edmiston was "a fine actor and fine gentleman" who had an "extraordinary life," cartoon historian Mark Evanier wrote on his "News From Me" site. He was "one of those guys who was on every damn TV show of the fifties, sixties and seventies at one time or another, and when he wasn't on screen, he was often dubbing the voices of actors who were."
He took over as Disney duck Ludwig Von Drake following Paul Frees' retirement from the voice role. "Being an ethical person, he only agreed to take it on after talking to Paul and getting his blessing," Evanier recalled.
Edmiston voiced such series as Top Cat, Plastic Man and Transformers. Ironically, his last credited voice work was in "Permanent Retirement," a 2006 episode of Ben 10, in which he portrayed an ice cream employee and Marty.
A puppeteer as well, Edmiston voiced the title characters in the early puppet series Thunderbolt the Wondercolt (1952), about a superhero horse, and Willy the Wolf (1954), the very first puppet variety show on TV.
A performer on Bob Clampett's original Time for Beany puppet show in Los Angeles, Edmiston himself played Beany after Daws Butler left. He also hosted The Walker Edmiston Show on L.A. station KTLA; his main puppets were R. Crag Ravenswood, Calley the Cat, Barky the Dog and Kingsley the Lion.
Edmiston's first credited role in TV animation was as con man J. Montague Gypsum in "This Is Your Lifesaver," a 1962 episode of The Flintstones. Gypsum offers to be Fred and Barney's lifetime servant, but instead takes control of the Flintstone household.
Edmiston was the voice of Algernon in Pandamonium (1982), Sir Thornberry in The Gummi Bears (1985), and Inferno in four 1985 episodes of Transformers.
He voiced Squiddly, Hokey Wolf and Yakky Doodle in the 1972 ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Yogi's Ark Lark. And in Nanny and the Professor and the Phantom of the Circus (1973), he was Zambini.
In the Ruby-Spears 1982 special Miss Switch to the Rescue, Edmiston provided the voices of the Witch's Book, Old Salt and the Mayor. The partly animated 1988 ABC Weekend Special Runaway Ralph cast him in the cartoon role of Catso.
He was in the voice casts of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Spider-Man, Smurfs, The Adventures of the Little Prince, Monchhichis and Jem.
In Disney's movie The Great Mouse Detective (1986), he voiced a citizen and a thug guard. He was in the voice cast of the theatrical animated short Gahan Wilson's Diner (1992). And, in an odd twist, the X-rated animated movie Dirty Duck (1977) cast Edmiston in numerous roles.
On live-action TV, Edmiston worked extensively in voice roles for Sid and Marty Krofft. H.R. Pufnstuf had him voice all male characters (including Freddy the Talking Flute) not otherwise voiced by Lennie Weinrib. He was Sigmund and many other creatures on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Enik the Sleestak and many other characters were voiced by him on The Land of the Lost.
According to Evanier, he voiced many aliens and creatures on the original Star Trek series, and had a recurring character as Dave Rawls, an expert in replicating voices, on Mission: Impossible. Edmiston was also a member of Red Skelton's stock company on the comedian's TV show.
On commercials, he took over the voice of Ernie, the Keebler Elf, when Parley Baer was unable to continue.
In a rare career embarrassment, Edmiston portrayed in the 1965 cheapie The Beach Girls and the Monster, even writing the tune "Monster in the Surf." As Kingsley the Lion, he sang it, too.
"He was also," Evanier observed, "a very dear, lovely man."
Walker Edmiston (second from left) at a recording session of the Christian audio drama Adventures in Odyssey, in which he played Tom Riley. Others (left to right): Alan Young, Will Ryan, Katie Leigh, Dave Madden, Dave Arnold. (Photo: www.odysseyscoop.com)
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Feb 23, 2007, 1:17 AM)
|
|
Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 23, 2007, 12:43 PM
|
|
Re: Cartoon voice, kids' host Walker Edmiston dies
[In reply to]
|
|
|
Edmiston played the voice of one of the radio newscasters in the 1990 Warren Beatty film "Dick Tracy". The other radio news anchors were voiced by Ned Claflin, Neil Ross and John Moschitta Jr.
Edmiston reported crime news during the opening credits of the film when a radio is switched on including reading a report of an elderly newspaper vendor being beaten up and having his papers tossed into the gutter.
Very distinctive voice...most recognizable from his work for Sid and Marty Krofft.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Feb 23, 2007, 12:47 PM)
|
|
Apprentice
Posted:
Feb 23, 2007, 8:41 PM
|
|
Re: Cartoon voice, kids' host Walker Edmiston dies
[In reply to]
|
|
|
He was also the voice of Wally Walrus in the early Woody Woodpecker cartoons. I happened to hear this on the audio commentary on a Beany and Cecil DVD.
A very distinct voice indeed. He will be missed...
-------------------------
"Crimefighters...don't cry...(HONK!)"
"If this is 'all right,' I'd hate to see me in trouble!"
|
|
Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Feb 28, 2007, 1:22 PM
|
|
Re: Cartoon voice, kids' host Walker Edmiston dies
[In reply to]
|
|
|
Edmiston was 81.
He was born February 6, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to Los Angeles in 1947.
|
|
Intern
Posted:
Mar 3, 2007, 9:07 AM
|
|
Re: Cartoon voice, kids' host Walker Edmiston dies
[In reply to]
|
|
|
Dear Eminovitz,
Walker was a guest puppeteer on
"The Adventures Of Popeye"with "Skipper
Tom"Hatten on KTLA TV Ch.5 in L.A,Cal.
He also appeared on"Sheriff John's
Lunchtime Birthday Brigade"WIth
"Sheriff John"Rovick on KTTV Ch.11
in L.A.Cal.
His appearances with"Ravenswood"
on these local Hollywood,Cal's kids tv
shows became popular with the kids.
Mr.Edmiston was reunited briefly
with"Sheriff John"Rovick on"Weekday
Heroes"a tv tribute to L.A.,Cal.'s
local kids tv shows on KABC TV Ch.7
in 1987.
The host/narrator of the show was
Mr.Tony Dow(Best remembered as"Wally
Clever"on"The Leave It To Beaver Show")
4CK.
(This post was edited by 4CK on Oct 31, 2007, 7:14 PM)
|
|
|
|
