![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/melblanc550.jpg\")
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/mel-blanc-500.jpg\")
<\/a>Blanc also frequently performed on the radio programs of famous comedians especially Jack Benny where he was responsible for many memorable moments like the train conductor proclaiming, \u201cAnaheim, Azusa and Cuc-a-monga\u201d as well as Benny\u2019s exasperated violin teacher Prof. LeBlanc, and Cy from Tijuana, who answered most questions with \u201cSi.\u201d<\/p>\nShortly before his death, the executives of Time-Warner (owners of Warner Bros.) asked Blanc if there was anything, literally anything, that they could give him to thank him for his life’s body of work. He asked for, and received, a Ford Edsel. <\/p>\n
Epitaph on headstone at his burial site in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood reads, “That’s All Folks! Mel Blanc. Man Of 1000 Voices. Beloved Husband And Father 1908-1989.\u201d <\/p>\n
Blanc kept busy during his later years with his favorite hobby, collecting antique watches. His voluminous collection, insured for over $200,000 contained items dating to 1510.<\/p>\n
\n
Perhaps the last public interview with voice artist Mel Blanc took place in January 1989 at the Third Los Angeles International Animation Celebration. He was interviewed on stage by the talented Will Ryan and I was lucky enough to be in the audience. <\/p>\n
Here are a few excerpts and gives you a taste of how Blanc told stories:<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, we have all the voices we need.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, I was a stubborn as he was and I went back in two weeks and said, \u201cWon\u2019t you just listen to me? I do dialects and voices.\u201d He said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry we have all the voices we need.\u201d I was still as stubborn as he was. I went back every two weeks for a year and a half. He still wouldn\u2019t see me.<\/p>\n Finally this guy died! I went to Treg Brown, he was next in charge. I told him that I\u2019d been trying for a year and half to get an audition here and he always told me that he had all the voices he needed, didn\u2019t want anyone else. He said, \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have paid attention to him. He didn\u2019t know what in the hell he was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n I said, \u201cNOW you tell me! Who\u2019s in charge of voices?\u201d He said, \u201cI am.\u201d So Treg actually gave me my start in the cartoon business. And perhaps you\u2019ve heard of Frank Tashlin? He\u2019s one of the top directors. He said, \u201cI\u2019ve got a picture coming up with a drunken bull. Do you think you can do a voice of a drunken bull? I looked around and said, \u201cI think I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n I got the Woody Woodpecker voice from a high school I went to in Portland, Oregon. We had a hall that had a terrific echo. I thought I\u2019d see what it would do with a laugh. So I did this laugh. (Blanc does Woody laugh.)<\/p>\n I ran down the hall and ran right into the principal. He said, \u201cWhat are you doing, running and laughing like crazy?\u201d I said, \u201cI just wanted to hear my echo.\u201d<\/p>\n He said, \u201cDon\u2019t do that again or I\u2019m going to take you out of school.\u201d Little did he know that would later be Woody Woodpecker\u2019s laugh. But I\u2019m glad he didn\u2019t kick me out of school. The kids would all laugh at my stories; the teachers would all laugh; and then give me lousy marks.<\/p>\n<\/a>Blanc:<\/strong> I tried to get into Warner Bros. cartoons. Even though I did many different dialects and voices when I tried to get in, I went to this one man who was in charge of hiring voices. I said, \u201cWill you listen to me and what I can do?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>He said, \u201cWhat would he sound like?\u201d (Blanc does voice imitation.) I think he would sound a little (hic) loaded with sour mash (hic). He said, \u201cMeet me at the studio next Tuesday.\u201d So that\u2019s how I got started, with a drunken bull. (Korkis note: It was Picador Porky<\/em> (1937).)<\/p>\n