Michael Rye (born John Michael Riorden Billsbury; March 2, 1918 – September 20, 2012) was an American actor. His decades-long career spanned

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

, television,

animated cartoon Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

s and video games. Aside from his voice over work, Rye also acted in on-screen television roles as well, including parts in '' Dr. Kildare'' and ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

''. He is also credited in TL Osborn's gospel documentaries as the narrator.

Early life

Rye was born John Michael Riorden Billsbury in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

Radio career

He began his career during the

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

when

radio programming Radio programming is the process of organising a schedule of radio content for commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting by radio stations. History The original inventors of radio, from Guglielmo Marconi's time on, expected it to be use ...

was at the height of its popularity. Rye, who broadcast from Chicago, participated in an average of forty network radio shows per week. He was cast in numerous lead roles for radio shows, including Gary Curtis for the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

soap opera, ''

Ma Perkins ''Ma Perkins'' (sometimes called ''Oxydol's Own Ma Perkins'') is an American radio soap opera that was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. It was also broadcast in Canada, and Radio Luxembourg carried it in Europe. The ...

''; Tim Lawrence on ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

''; Jack Armstrong on the radio adventure series, ''

Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy ''Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy'' was a radio adventure series which maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. The program originated at WBBM in Chicago on July 31, 1933, and was later carried on CBS, then NBC and finally ABC. Backgr ...

''; and Pembroke in the soap opera, ''

Backstage Wife ''Backstage Wife'' is an American soap opera radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future. Personnel Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 194 ...

''. He starred in radio productions produced and broadcast from Hollywood, including the ABC crime drama, '' This is Your FBI''; the radio anthology series, ''

Lux Radio Theater ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

''; the radio drama, ''

The Whistler ''The Whistler'' is an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955, on the west-coast regional CBS radio network. The show was also broadcast in Chicago and over Armed Forces Radio. On the west coast, it w ...

''; the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio comedy, ''

Meet Millie ''Meet Millie'', a situation comedy about a wisecracking Manhattan secretary from Brooklyn, made a transition from radio to television in the early 1950s. In the live television version, Mom and Millie were living in Jackson Heights, Queens. The ...

''; and the CBS drama, ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

''. He also provided the narration for the world's first full-length recorded book, the 1969 audio adaptation of ''

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin'' is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his ''Memoirs''. Although it had ...

''.

Animation

With the advent of television, Rye transitioned from radio to animated shows and on-screen acting roles. In addition to lending his sonorous bass-baritone voice as the

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

in the 1966–1969 animated cartoon series based on the character, for which he is perhaps best remembered, Rye worked extensively in

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

productions, including the ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...

'' series during the 1970s, and later provided voices for ''

Pound Puppies Pound Puppies is a toy line that was created by Tonka in the 1980s. It later inspired an animated TV special, two animated TV series, and a feature film. Shipments of the toys over five years generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries. Toy ...

'', which aired on ABC's Saturday morning lineup from 1986 to 1989. During this time, he also played Mr. Slaghoople, Wilma's Dad in '' The Flintstone Kids''. He voiced both

Apache Chief Apache Chief is a Native American superhero from the various Hanna-Barbera ''Super Friends'' cartoons and the DC comic book series of the same name. He was one of the new heroes added (along with Black Vulcan, Rima the Jungle Girl, El Dorado an ...

and

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

in Hanna-Barbera's ''

Challenge of the Super Friends ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 9, 1978, to December 23, 1978, on ABC. The complete series (16 episodes) was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions an ...

'', '' The All-New Super Friends Hour'', and ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

''. He was also cast in ''

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears ''Adventures of the Gummi Bears'' is an American animated television series, created by Disney CEO Michael Eisner, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and distributed by Buena Vista Television. The series, loosely inspired by the gum ...

'', which aired from 1985 to 1991, as the voices of King Gregor and his nemesis Duke Igthorn, who is the nemesis of the Gummi Bears as well.

Television

Rye's on-screen television roles included parts on ''

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse ...

'', '' M Squad'', ''

'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' Dr. Kildare'', and ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

''.

Later career

Rye appeared in television and radio commercials until his retirement from advertising in the late 1990s. His career, which began in radio, also spanned the video game era in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Rye narrated thousands of

training film A training film is a form of educational film – a short subject documentary movie, that provides an introduction to a topic. Both narrative documentary and dramatisation styles may be used, sometimes both in the same production. While most ...

s, videos and software for industrial and workplace functions. Rye served as the National President of the Information Film Producers of America (IFPA) in the 1970s for a single two-year term. He was also inducted as an honorary, lifetime member of Sperdvac, the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy. Michael Rye died from a short illness on September 20, 2012, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

at the age of 94. He was survived by his wife, Patricia Foster Rye.

Filmography

Live action

* ''

Hands of a Stranger ''Hands of a Stranger'' is a 1962 American horror film directed by Newt Arnold and is unofficially the fourth film adaptation of '' The Hands of Orlac''. Plot When the hands of pianist Vernon Paris are destroyed in a taxicab accident, he receiv ...

'' - George Britton * ''

Two Lost Worlds ''Two Lost Worlds'' is a 1951 science fiction/adventure film directed by Norman Dawn and starring James Arness and Laura Elliott. The film was produced independently by Boris Petroff (dba Sterling Productions Inc.) from his original story. The ...

'' - Captain Hackett * ''

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy o ...

'' - Ace Rocklin (ep. "Pritikin's Predicament") * ''

Jane Wyman Presents ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often based ...

'' - Fred Jackson (ep. "The Bravado Touch") * ''

'' - Hanlon (ep. "The Liam Fitzmorgan Story") * '' M Squad'' - Carlson (ep. "The Crush Out") * ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' - Commentator (ep. "The Story of the Laughing Lady") * '' Mr. Terrific'' - The President (ep. "I Can't Fly") * '' Mission: Impossible'' - Agent Belson (ep. "The Traitor")

Animated roles

* ''

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo ''A Pup Named Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated mystery comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is the eighth incarnation of the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise and depicts younger versions of the title character and his human companion ...

'' - Skippy Johnson, Arnie Barney * '' The All-New Super Friends Hour'' -

* ''

Battle of the Planets ''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series ''Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fra ...

'' - President Kane, Additional Voices * ''

'' -

* ''

'' - Duke Igthorn, King Gregor, Sir Gawain * ''

DuckTales ''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four sea ...

'' - Narrator (for the recap sequences in the serialized versions of ''Time is Money'' and ''Super Ducktales'') * ''

Hot Wheels Hot Wheels is an American brand of scale model cars introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1997, when Mattel bought Tyco Toys, then owner of Matchbox. Many automobile manufacturers h ...

'' - Jack "Rabbit" Wheeler * '' Skyhawks'' - Captain Mike Wilson * ''

Mighty Man and Yukk ''Mighty Man & Yukk'' is an animated series created by Ruby-Spears Productions Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was a Burbank, California–based American entertainment production company that specialized in animat ...

'' - Main Title Narrator * '' Pink Panther and Sons'' - Additional Voices * '' Scooby and Scrappy-Doo'' - Additional Voices * '' Shirt Tales'' - Additional Voices * ''

Snorks ''Snorks'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and ran for a total of four seasons (consisting of 65 episodes) on NBC from September 15, 1984, to May 13, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987 ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...

'' -

Mysterio Mysterio (Quentin Beck) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #13 (June 1964). He is primarily depicted a ...

* ''

'' -

Farley Stillwell Farley Stillwell is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a scientist best known for transforming Mac Gargan into the Scorpion. Publication history Stillwell first appeared in '' The Amazing S ...

* ''

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends may refer to the following shows: * ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 cartoon series * ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (2021 TV series), a 2021 Disney Junior cartoon {{Disam ...

'' -

Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...

* ''

'' - Apache Chief, Green Lantern * '' Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show'' - Apache Chief, Green Lantern * ''

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo ''The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and the seventh incarnation of the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. It premiered on , and ran for one season on ABC as a half-hour ...

'' - Demondo, Zimbulu, Reflector Specter * ''

The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show ''The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show'' is the sixth incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon ''Scooby-Doo''. It premiered on September 10, 1983, featuring the return of Daphne, and ran for one season on ABC as a half-hour progra ...

'' - Additional Voices * '' The Dukes'' - Additional Voices * '' The Flintstone Kids'' - Mr. Slaghoople * '' The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible'' - Narrator * ''

The Godzilla Power Hour ''Godzilla'' is an American animated monster television series produced by Hanna-Barbera, in association with Henry G. Saperstein. The series aired on NBC on September 9, 1978 with the title ''The Godzilla Power Hour''. The series continued to ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' - The Supreme Hydra/Steve Perry, Jasper Bryn * ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' - Lone Ranger * '' The Mork & Mindy / Laverne & Shirley / Fonz Hour'' - Additional Voices * ''

The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show ''The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show'' is an animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions from 1979 to 1981; it was shown right after ''Super Friends'' on the ABC Network. The show featured various adventures of the DC Comic ...

'' - Main Title Narrator * '' The Real Ghostbusters'' - Dr. Crowley * ''

The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour ''The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour'' is a 60-minute Saturday morning animated package show co-produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Ruby-Spears Enterprises and broadcast on ABC from September 25, 1982 to December 18, 1982. The show contain ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

The Super Globetrotters ''The Super Globetrotters'' is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It premiered on NBC on September 22, 1979 and ran for 13 episodes. It was a spin-off series from Hanna-Barbera's ''Harlem Globetrott ...

'' - Narrator * '' The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians'' - Green Lantern * ''

Yogi's Treasure Hunt ''Yogi's Treasure Hunt'' (originally titled ''The Funtastic Treasure Hunt'') is an American animated television series and the fifth entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, featuring Yogi Bear and various other ...

'' - Additional Voices * ''

Fluppy Dogs ''Fluppy Dogs'' is a one-hour animated television special that aired on November 27 (Thanksgiving), 1986 on ABC. It was intended to be a pilot for the third Walt Disney Television animated series, but the show was cancelled due to the special's lo ...

'' - J. J. Wagstaff

Films

* '' Hugo the Hippo'' - Grownups * '' Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers'' - Mayor * ''

Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears ''Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears'' is a 1988 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the ''Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10'' series. This Hanna-Barbera production was the last to feature Daws B ...

'' - Ranger Jones

Video games

* ''

Dragon's Lair ''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer and Don Bluth. The series is famous for its Western animation-style graphics and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms and being remade into television a ...

'' - Narrator * ''

Space Ace ''Space Ace'' is a LaserDisc video game produced by Bluth Group, Cinematronics and Advanced Microcomputer Systems (later renamed RDI Video Systems). It was unveiled in October 1983, just four months after the '' Dragon's Lair'' game, followed b ...

'' - Narrator * '' Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp'' - Narrator

Information Film Narrator

* ''Various Productions for Aerojet-General Corporation Sacramento'' * ''Various Productions for Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center

Radio

* Announcer on ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

'' (1943–1945) * Jack Armstrong on ''

'' (1944–1946) * The Narrator on ''

Mystery House ''Mystery House'' is an adventure game released by On-Line Systems in 1980. It was designed, written and illustrated by Roberta Williams, and programmed by Ken Williams for the Apple II. ''Mystery House'' is the first graphical adventure ga ...

'' (1944–1946) * Announcer on ''

Joyce Jordan, M.D. Joyce Jordan, M.D. is a Radio broadcasting, radio soap opera in the United States. It was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, CBS and NBC at various times during the era of old-time radio. Donna Halper, in her book, ''Invisible Stars ...

'' (1944–1947) * Mr. First Nighter on '' The First Nighter Program'' (1945–1954) * Gary Curtis on ''

'' (1945–1959) * Reverend Dr. John Ruthledge on ''

'' (1947–49, replacing Arthur Peterson, Jr.) * Mark Dillon in the first ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' audition show (1949) * Several roles on ''

'' (1940s) * Hank Stafford on ''

Granby's Green Acres ''Granby's Green Acres'' is a radio situation comedy from the United States. It was broadcast on CBS July 3, 1950 – August 21, 1950, as a summer replacement for '' Lux Radio Theatre''. Premise ''Granby's Green Acres'' featured a former banker ...

'' (1950) * Johnny Booth Jr. on ''

'' (1951–1954) * Several roles on ''Dangerous Assignment'' (1953) * Several roles on ''

'' (1950s) * Announcer on ''The Horizons West Show'' (1965–1966)

References

External links

* *
1979 Interview with Michael Rye on Speaking of Radio.com

Obituary - Variety
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rye, Michael 1918 births 2012 deaths American male radio actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors Male actors from Chicago