Alan Reed (born Herbert Theodore Bergman; August 20, 1907 – June 14, 1977) was an American actor, best known as the original voice of
Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintst ...
on ''
The Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...
'' and various spinoff series. He also appeared in many films, including ''
Days of Glory'', ''
The Tarnished Angels'', ''
Breakfast at Tiffany's'', ''
Viva Zapata!'' and ''
Nob Hill'', as well as several television and radio series.
Early life
Herbert Theodore Bergman was born on August 20, 1907, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to Jewish parents.
His father was a Lithuanian-Jewish immigrant and his mother was born in the United States to Ukrainian-Jewish parents from
Galicia.
["Fred Flintstone: A Stone Age Star With A Jewish Voice."](_blank)
''Jewish Humor Central.com'', October 10, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2014. He attended George Washington High School
(now
George Washington Educational Campus) and majored in
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
at
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
.
Between graduating from WHS and entering Columbia, he studied drama at the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a Private college, private drama school with two locations, one in New York City and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related ...
.
He began his acting career in the city, eventually working on
Broadway.
For several years, Reed toured in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
with his cousin, Harry Green.
He also had two other jobs—operating a wholesale candy factory and working at the Copake Country Club as "social director, entertainment producer and actor".
[
]
Career
Radio
As early as 1930, Reed (billed as Teddy Bergman) co-starred with Herbert Polesie in ''Henry and George'', a CBS program that featured "minute dramas, popular laughmakers ... interspersed with dance music selections".
Reed's radio work included having two roles in '' Valiant Lady'',[Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). ''The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950''. The Viking Press. p. 249.] the role of Solomon Levy on ''Abie's Irish Rose
''Abie's Irish Rose'' is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway theatre, Broadway Play (theatre), play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premi ...
'', as the " Allen's Alley" resident poet Falstaff Openshaw on Fred Allen's NBC radio show, and later on his own five-minute show, ''Falstaff's Fables'', on ABC, as Officer Clancey and other occasional roles on the NBC radio show '' Duffy's Tavern'', as Shrevey the driver on several years of ''The Shadow
The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
'', as Chester Riley's boss on the NBC radio show '' The Life of Riley'', as Italian immigrant Pasquale in '' Life with Luigi'' on CBS radio, various supporting roles on '' Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' and '' The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show'', and as Lt. Walter Levinson in several episodes of ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...
''.
Reed was "heard regularly on the '' Crime Doctor'' series," and "was the original Daddy to Fanny Brice
Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedian, Illustrated Songs, illustrated song model, singer, and actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. Sh ...
on ''Baby Snooks
''The Baby Snooks Show'' was an American radio program starring comedian and '' Ziegfeld Follies'' alumna Fanny Brice as a mischievous young girl who was 40 years younger than the actress who played her when she first went on the air. The series ...
''". Billed as Teddy Bergman, he had the title role on '' Joe Palooka''.[
]
Stage
Billed as Teddy Bergman, Reed appeared on Broadway in ''Double Dummy'' (1936), and ''A House in the Country'' (1937), and ''Love's Old Sweet Song'' (1940).
Television
From 1957 to 1958, Reed appeared in a recurring role as J.B. Hafter, a studio boss, on the CBS sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' Mr. Adams and Eve''. He also played the same character in '' The Bob Cummings Show''. In 1963, he appeared as Councilman Jack Gramby in episode 8 of the CBS sitcom '' My Favorite Martian''. In 1964–65, he had a recurring role as Mr. Swidler in the ABC sitcom '' Mickey''.
Voice acting
In animation, Reed provided the voice of Boris the Russian Wolfhound in Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
's ''Lady and the Tramp
''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American Animated film, animated Musical film, musical romantic comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. Based on Ward Greene's 1945 ''Cosmopolitan (magazine) ...
'' in 1955. In 1960, he began the voice role for Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintst ...
, the lead character of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
's prime-time animated series ''The Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...
''. Reed provided Fred's voice for the entire six-season run of the show, as well as in several spin-off series ('' The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show'', '' The Flintstone Comedy Hour'') and specials. His final performance as Fred Flintstone was a cameo guest role on an episode of '' Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics.'' Afterwards, Fred would be voiced by Henry Corden (who had previously done voice work for Hanna-Barbera and bore a resemblance to Reed). Reed's other voice roles for Hanna-Barbera was Touché Turtle's sidekick, Dum Dum.
Radio playwright and director Norman Corwin cast Reed as Santa Claus
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
in the 1969 KCET
KCET (channel 28) is a secondary PBS member television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by the Public Media Group of Southern California alongside the market's primary PBS member, Huntington Beach–licensed KOC ...
television reading of his 1938 play '' The Plot to Overthrow Christmas''.
In television commercials Reed was the voice over for J.J. Keebler, a creation of the Leo Burnett Agency.
Personal life
In May 1932, Reed married Finette Walker (1909–2005), a Broadway actress whom he met at television station W2XAB (later WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...
) in New York City.[ She appeared on stage in the early 1930s and was a chorus member in the original 1934 Broadway production of '' Anything Goes'' with ]Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obitua ...
.["Finette Walker: Performer."](_blank)
''Playbill
''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...
Vault'' Retrieved August 19, 2014. They had three sons, including actor Alan Reed, Jr. (born 1936).
Death
Reed, a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the bladder. These cells can grow to form a tumor, which eventually spreads, damaging the bladder and other organs. Most people with bladder cancer are diagnosed after noticing blood in thei ...
in 1967. The cancer was treated surgically, but he later developed emphysema
Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema.
Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...
. On June 14, 1977, he died at St. Vincent Medical Center (Los Angeles) after having a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
, two months before his 70th birthday.
Filmography
Film
Television
Radio
Stage
Further reading
*
*
References
External links
*https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/16/archives/alan-reed-a-film-and-tv-actor-69.html
* http://www.whenradiowas.com/alan_reed_august12.asp
*https://fredericksburg.com/lifestyles/tinseltown-talks-actors-son-remembers-the-voice-of-yabba-dabba-do-as-toon-turns-55/article_e4b6e4cf-8856-5de3-8b81-616b656802b8.html
*https://www.metv.com/stories/alan-reed-and-mel-blancs-real-friendship-deepened-as-fred-and-barneys-bond-grew
Papers
Reed (Alan) Papers
- Online Archive of California
Metadata
Metadata (or metainformation) is "data that provides information about other data", but not the content of the data itself, such as the text of a message or the image itself. There are many distinct types of metadata, including:
* Descriptive ...
* (billed as Teddy Bergman)
Turner Classic Movies
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Alan
1907 births
1977 deaths
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American male stage actors
American male radio actors
American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
George Washington Educational Campus alumni
Jewish American male actors
Male actors from New York City
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
Columbia University alumni
Hanna-Barbera people
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American Jews