Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 28, 2006, 9:15 PM
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Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Cartoon actor Lennie Weinrib, the voice of the title character in the 1969 live-action series H.R. Pufnstuf (which he also co-wrote), died Wednesday morning at his home in Chile, cartoon and comic-book historian Mark Evanier said on his "News From Me" Web site.
Weinrib, 71, provided voices in many animated series. He was especially well-known for portraying Scooby's pal Scrappy-Doo in Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979) and The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour (1982). He was also in the voice cast of the first Scooby series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969), and The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972).
Born in the Bronx on April 29, 1935, Weinrib was also a writer, producer and director. He grew to prominence working with Spike Jones and later in the Billy Barnes revues, Evanier said.
Weinrib, who wrote all of the episodes for H.R. Pufnstuf, had been living in Chile for several years. He had moved there after marrying a Chilean woman and retiring from show business.
At home in both live-action and animated comedy, Weinrib entered the world of cartoons as a member of the voice cast of 1962's The Jetsons.
He voiced both title characters in DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' 1968 series Roland and Rattfink; they also appeared in The Pink Panther Laugh and the Half Hour and Half Show (1976). A creator and writer of the 1970 DFE series Doctor Dolittle, he also portrayed Sam Scurvy.
Weinrib had the title voice role in the 1973 series Inch High, Private Eye.
His other roles in animated series included Moonrock in The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (1971) and The Flintstones Comedy Hour (1972); Stanley in The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan (1972); Gomez Addams in The Addams Family (1973); Hi-Riser in Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch (1974); Commissioner Gordon, The Joker, The Penguin and Mr. Freeze in The New Adventures of Batman, Rattle, The King and Yukayuka in The C.B. Bears, and Knock-Knock Woodpecker in The Skatebirds (all 1977); Dipper in Space-Stars (1981); Hunk and Lotor in Voltron: Defender of the Universe (1984); Charles and Lenny in Kissyfur (1985); and Secret Squirrel in Wake, Rattle & Roll (1990) and Yo Yogi! (1991).
Weinrib was in the voice casts of Help! It's the Hair Bear Bunch (1971), Hong Kong Phooey (1974), The New Tom & Jerry Show (1975), Jabberjaw (1976), Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (1978), The Smurfs and The Kwicky Koala Show (both 1981), Rambo (1986) and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs (1987).
Weinrib voiced President John F. Kennedy in the hour-long 1970 NBC special Uncle Sam Magoo, UPA's last attempt to bring Mr. Magoo to primetime. He was in the 1970 Air Programs International special Tales Of Washington Irving and The Count in 1971's The Point (Murakami-Wolf Productions).
In animated 1972 episodes of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, he was Cap'n Noah in Yogi's Ark Lark; Robin Hoodnik, Alan Airedale, Whirlin' Merlin, Lord Scurvy, Friar Pork and Little John in The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik; and Big Louie, Count Krumley and Mr. McGuffin in Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family.
Other roles in animated TV specials were Timer in The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head (1974) and Darzee the Tailorbird in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975).
From 1977 to 1978, he starred in Magic Mongo, a segment of the live-action The Krofft Supershow.
He had guest roles in numerous live-action TV series, both comedic (including three episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show) and dramatic. Other shows where he guested included Peter Gunn, Dennis the Menace, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, My Favorite Martian, The Munsters, Burke's Law, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Love, American Style, Adam-12, Happy Days, The Waltons and CHiPs.
As "Fred Gibson" in the November 30, 1974 segment "The Firehouse Four," he was the only person to be rescued three times in one episode of Emergency.
His voice work in theatrical films included Secretary Bird and King Leonidas in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Prince Abadaba in Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982).
Weinrib also directed the live-action movie musicals Beach Ball (1965) and Wild, Wild Winter and Out of Sight (both 1966).
"At some point in the eighties, Lennie got bored and unhappy with the industry," said Evanier. "A close, trusted associate cheated him out of more money than some of us will ever see. His mother became very ill and then died, and the stress got to him.
"Lennie spent the last few decades in Chile, staying in touch with his old friends by phone and Internet. We either spoke or e-mailed almost every day. I'm going to miss that a lot."
Frequently heard in voiceovers on radio and TV commercials, Weinrib was also a performer on the now-scarce 1967 comedy LP Have A Jewish Christmas...?
Lennie Weinrib is survived by his daughter Linda, who has done voice work in the English versions of such animes as NieA_7 and Amazing Nurse Nanako.
(Many thanks to artytoons for alerting me to Lennie's passing.)
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 28, 2006, 9:21 PM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jun 29, 2006, 9:43 AM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Weinrib's guest role in the 60s "Twilight Zone" was memorable in more ways than one. Weinrib appeared in the hour episode "Miniature" as Robert Duvall's brother. Duvall played a man who falls in love for a miniature female figurine in a doll house display in a museum that comes to life in his eyes. The episode was withheld in the original syndicated rerun package because of a payment dispute with the script writer. The matter was settled in the 1980s and the episode was shown along with two other "lost" episodes in a special.
Weinrib replaced actor David Hayward as the voice of Chet Boyle in Hanna-Barbera's "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" in the second season. Weinrib had played various one-shot characters in the first season of the series.
Interestingly, Weinrib voiced two Hanna-Barbera characters in the 80s for the "season one" series run only and then was replaced in the second season...Scrappy Doo in "Scooby and Scrappy Doo" (replaced by Don Messick in "The Richie Rich-Scooby Doo Hour") and young Freddie Flintstone in "The Flintstones Kids" (replaced by Scott Menville).
Woody Allen's sportswriter character in the film "Mighty Aphrodite" was named "Lenny Weinrib". Don't know if Woody Allen was paying tribute or not.
Weinrib had a great and memorable voice.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jun 29, 2006, 10:15 AM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 29, 2006, 11:53 AM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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I have the "Have a Jewish Christmas?" album. Besides acting in the comedy routines, Weinrib narrated all the tracks. He had a superb "straight man" voice which sounded Middle American and didn't betray his Bronx origins.
He and Joyce Jameson (the "dumb blonde" in Steve Allen, Danny Kaye and Red Skelton variety shows) were in a 1963 Capitol comedy LP about expectant parents, "The First Nine Months Are The Hardest." The live album was written by Bill Persky (director of such sitcoms as Welcome Back, Kotter, The Practice, Alice, The Betty White Show and Who's the Boss?) and Sam Denoff (producer of The Dick Van Dyke Show and That Girl); Carl Reiner directed.
Those with the right age and memory (older than me) remember Weinrib for his 1960s radio and TV commercials. He was heard on ads for such major products and services as Avis, Hunt's Tomato Sauce, General Electric and Pepsodent.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 29, 2006, 12:50 PM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jun 29, 2006, 12:57 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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I've heard snippets of "The First Nine Months..." played on a local radio station. Weinrib's performance was low-key and touching. The dialogue was witty and sophisticated as the couple went through the process of preparing for the blessed event.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jun 29, 2006, 2:24 PM)
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Animator
Posted:
Jun 30, 2006, 3:36 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Another legendary voice silenced indefinitely. 
I put up brief tributes to him on my New T&J and Falcon's Lair sites. To absent friends...   
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Aaron Handy III - ah07_1999@yahoo.com
My TV Web Shrine - http://tvwebshrine.tvheaven.com/
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 30, 2006, 3:45 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Web addresses for those sites, Aaron?
My obituary of Lennie Weinrib (well, I put it together) was republished yesterday on AWN Headline News (news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=17334)... nearly verbatim, and without crediting me or the Big Cartoon Forum.
Hmmm... 
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 30, 2006, 3:45 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 30, 2006, 8:21 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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In his very informative News From Me site (www.newsfromme.com/archives/2006_06_29.html), Mark Evanier has a couple of updates.
Lennie Weinrib's daughter Linda tells Mark that he died, not at his Chilean home, but in a nearby hospital, apparently from a stroke.
His other survivors include a wife and another daughter.
Mark adds that he and Linda are discussing organizing a public memorial to Lennie in Los Angeles, but this probably won't happen for at least a month. When details are available, he'll post them on his site.
P.S.: Mark also informs us that Lennie provided the voice of Timer in DFE's ABC Health and Nutrition Commercials.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 30, 2006, 8:26 PM)
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Animator
Posted:
Jun 30, 2006, 9:31 PM
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Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Friday, June 30th, 2006.
Lennie Weinrib's birthdate & lifetime of Monday, April 29th, 1935, was a Monday - Thurday, June 29th, 2006.
His lifetime in Weeks & Days totals: -
3,713 WEEKS & 3 DAYS. DAYS ALONE, 25,994 DAYS.
HE WAS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE GUEST-STAR, WAS IN 1960's "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" & 4th SEASON Episode "THE IMPRACTICAL JOKE" His role, in this hysterically funny episode was "Phil Franklin". THIS EPISODE ORIGINALLY AIRED ON Wednesday, January 13th, 1965. That episode is my all-time favorite of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"!
63x927is58401.
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"I Will Type To You, Later" & "BCDB's Math_Maestro"
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jul 1, 2006, 11:14 AM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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In his very informative News From Me site ( www.newsfromme.com/archives/2006_06_29.html), Mark Evanier has a couple of updates. Lennie Weinrib's daughter Linda tells Mark that he died, not at his Chilean home, but in a nearby hospital, apparently from a stroke. His other survivors include a wife and another daughter. Mark adds that he and Linda are discussing organizing a public memorial to Lennie in Los Angeles, but this probably won't happen for at least a month. When details are available, he'll post them on his site. P.S.: Mark also informs us that Lennie provided the voice of Timer in DFE's ABC Health and Nutrition Commercials.
Ah yes..."Time For Timer". How to make a delicious "Wagon Wheel" or "sunshine on a stick...using orange juice or pomegranite juice...or whatever turns you on." Timer appeared in two one-hour long "ABC Afterschool Specials"...one of which he shrinks down two live-action kids and they all get swallowed by their grandfather and then they take a fantastic voyage inside his body. Educational stuff.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
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Directing Animator
Posted:
Jul 1, 2006, 7:28 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Timer appeared in two one-hour long "ABC Afterschool Specials"...one of which he shrinks down two live-action kids and they all get swallowed by their grandfather and then they take a fantastic voyage inside his body. Educational stuff.
Actually it was their junk-food gorging, chain-smoking "Uncle Charlie" inside of whom they travel. I had forgotten about that special I was in the 2nd grade when it first aired and I remember now that we were all discussing it the next day at recess. It would be great if someone re-released it to DVD along with the "Time for Timer" segments. All of the "Grammar Rock" animated shorts that aired on ABC on Saturday mornings in the 70's came out on DVD awhile back, so who knows...
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"I'd like to cover you with furs and automobiles!"
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jul 2, 2006, 10:40 AM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Lennie Weinrib's death was reported in today's Los Angeles Times.
His daughter Linda said that he had suffered a stroke.
Weinrib moved to Chile, the homeland of his second wife, Sonia, upon retiring from show business in the early 1990s.
In addition to his wife and daughter Linda, Weinrib is survived by two other daughters, Grace and Heidi, and by two grandchildren. A memorial service is pending.
As well as voicing the title character on H.R. Pufnstuf, Weinrib provided the voice for many other characters on the Krofft Brothers series.
"This guy is one of the all-time great talents, between his voices and writing. Mel Blanc was the Joe DiMaggio of voices, and Lennie was the Ted Williams," Marty Krofft told the Times on Friday.
Even after Weinrib retired to Chile, Krofft said, he did voices for him once in a while through a recording studio in Santiago, the South American country's capital.
Krofft said that a movie version of H.R. Pufnstuf is in the works, adding that Weinrib would have voiced Pufnstuf and probably other characters: "Nobody ever captured H.R. Pufnstuf like this guy."
"He was the best guy we ever used" in Krofft Brothers productions, said Krofft. "His personality was over the top; he was a bigger-than-life character."
"Made a quarter of a million every year for years. Spent it on Rolls-Royces, boats, first editions, guns, knives," Weinrib said in a 1995 Times interview.
"Never thought about money. Did about 100 cartoons, Olympia beer, McDonald's commercials. I was Mr. Pringle of Pringle's potato chips," Weinrib added.
As a child, Weinrib moved to Los Angeles with his family, graduating from Fairfax High School. He then attended UCLA.
His traveling-salesman father wanted him to become a dentist. However, his daughter Linda said, he decided on his career after meeting UCLA classmate Carol Burnett, who invited him to see her perform in a campus show.
"He went to see her, and he told me he had an epiphany that night: 'I don't want to be a doctor. I want to make people laugh; I want to entertain,'" Linda Weinrib recounted.
Weinrib did numerous voices for the all-star movie comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
"Lennie over the years was the guy brought in all the time for films and TV shows to dub other actors," TV writer Mark Evanier, who worked with Weinrib on half a dozen cartoons and shows, told the Times.
While watching TV shows or movies, he recalled, he'd often hear a small part or a dubbed-in voice in a crowd and say, "That's Lennie."
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Animator
Posted:
Jul 8, 2006, 1:08 AM
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Voice Actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, died at 71.
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Correction: On my original post, of this thread, I thought he passed on, on Thursday June 29th, 2006.
Lennie Weinrib's lifetime & birthdate of Monday, April 29th, 1935, was a Monday. - Wednesday, June 28th, 2006.
His lifetime in Days & Weeks totalled - 25,993 DAYS (3,713 WEEKS & 2 DAYS).
LENNIE WEINRIB IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE GUEST-STAR, THROUGH OUT THE EARLY-MID 1960's "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW". HIS MOST HUMOROUS (TO ME), ROLE & LAST APPEARANCE ON DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, WAS WAS HIS BEST!
DURING THE 4th SEASON episode, "THE IMPRACTICAL JOKE!" as "Phil Franklin". This "HYSTERICALLY HUMOROUS" EPISODE ORIGIGALLY AIRED ON CBS, ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13th, 1965! THIS EPISODE IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE, AMONG ALL TV SHOWS & WEEKLY SERIES! Lennie Weinrib's first two appearances, on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" were on Tuesday, December 26th, 1961, as "Jackie Brewster", but because (Rose Marie), "Sally Rogers" elbowed (Dick Van Dyke), "Rob Petrie" as he was introducing "Jackie Brewster" to "Mel Cooley" (Richard Deacon), Jackie Brewster's last name sounds like "Brew-Brew". This episode was "Buddy, Can You Spare A Job?", during season one. Lennie Weinrib's second appearance, was a shortened cameo on Wednesday, March 6th 1963, during season two, in epidode "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals", as "Danny Brewster". In his second appearance, he proved how well he could do his numerous impersonizations! He reminds me of Mel Blanc.
63x927is58401.
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"I Will Type To You, Later" & "BCDB's Math_Maestro"
(This post was edited by 63x927is58401 on Jul 8, 2006, 1:18 AM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 29, 2006, 1:56 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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In his very informative News From Me site ( www.newsfromme.com/archives/2006_06_29.html), Mark Evanier has a couple of updates. Lennie Weinrib's daughter Linda tells Mark that he died, not at his Chilean home, but in a nearby hospital, apparently from a stroke. His other survivors include a wife and another daughter. Mark adds that he and Linda are discussing organizing a public memorial to Lennie in Los Angeles, but this probably won't happen for at least a month. When details are available, he'll post them on his site. |
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Oct 25, 2006, 5:10 PM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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More from Mark Evanier:
The memorial will take place at the Starlight Ballroom of the Sportsmen's Lodge, 12833 Ventura Boulevard (at the corner of Ventura and Coldwater Canyon).
Doors open at 6:30, with a buffet supper at about 7 p.m. Speeches, film clips, etc. will start at about 8 p.m.
Speakers include Sid and Marty Krofft, as well as Lennie's daughter Linda.
Adds Evanier: "This is a public function and everyone is welcome. Rather than burden his daughter with the full tab for this event, we'll be passing the hat to help pay for the room and the food. If you can kick in some bucks, that would be nice. You'll more than get your money's worth."
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Member
Posted:
Apr 6, 2009, 4:25 AM
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Re: Voice actor Lennie "Pufnstuf" Weinrib, 71, dies
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Hi. 
Loved your tributes to Lennie, but can't seem to find anything on Jack Wild (Artful Dodger/ Jimmy) who died the same year. It could just be me. It's late and my eyes are sore from logging on too much computer time.
p.s. the picture attachment is of Billie Hayes (Witchiepoo) and Jack Wild ('Jimmy) taken in 2000
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