Bob McFadden
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Robert McFadden (January 19, 1923 – January 7, 2000) was an American singer, impressionist, and voice-over actor perhaps best known for his many contributions to
animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
s. His most popular television cartoon characters included Milton the Monster from the ABC series ''The Milton The Monster Show''; Cool McCool from the NBC series ''Cool McCool''; and Snarf from the syndicated series ''
ThunderCats ''ThunderCats'' is a media franchise, featuring a fictional group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin Wolf and featured in an animated television series named ''ThunderCats'', running from 1985 to 1989, whic ...
''. McFadden was also the voice behind numerous radio and television commercial parts including Franken Berry in the animated commercials for the
General Mills General Mills, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded ultra-processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in ...
Franken Berry cereal as well as the pet parrot who cackled "ring around the collar" in the TV commercials for Wisk laundry detergent.Morley, Hugh R
"ROBERT `BOB' MCFADDEN; VOICE OF TV COMMERCIALS"
'' The Record (Bergen County)'', January 10, 2000. Retrieved March 31, 2011. "Robert 'Bob' McFadden, a former Leonia resident and show business stalwart who made his name doing radio and television voice-overs and impressions of famous people, died Friday, his family said. He was 76."
He also performed the voices for the Sad Cat theatrical cartoons.


Musical career

While in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he began performing as a singer and impressionist. After the war, he went on to work at a steel mill in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, Pennsylvania, and continued performing nights as an opening act for artists such as
Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
. In 1959, he appeared as a singer with
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
artist Rod McKuen on the Brunswick Records album entitled ''Songs Our Mummy Taught Us'' which included the two tracks, "The Mummy" and "The Beat Generation", also released as a single. "The Beat Generation" was later used by Richard Hell as the basis for his song " Blank Generation".


Voice acting

When McFadden moved to New York City after his work in Pittsburgh, he obtained extensive voice-over work in both commercials and animation. He was featured on the best-selling 1962 Vaughn Meader comedy LP '' The First Family'' In 1963, McFadden released the Audio Fidelity Records parody album entitled ''Fast, Fast, Fast Relief From TV Commercials'' followed by the 1968
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
spoken-word album '' The Medium Is the Massage''.''The Medium Is the Massage'' credits, 2011. Five Day Weekend FDW7711-CD In 1977, McFadden voiced Chugs the Train in the animated Rankin/Bass Easter special '' The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town''.


Roles


Movies and TV specials

*1966 – ''The Soupy Sales Hour'' – Various Roles *1967 – ''The Wacky World of Mother Goose'' – Additional Voices *1972 – ''The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye'': "The Emperor's New Clothes" – Jasper *1974 – '' The Year Without a Santa Claus'' – Jingle Bells, Additional Voices *1977 – '' The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town'' – Chugs *1979 – ''
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July ''Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July'' (titled on-screen as ''Rudolph and Frosty: Christmas in July'') is a 1979 American–Japanese Christmas/Independence Day film produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, featuring characters from the company' ...
'' – Additional Voices *1980 – '' Pinocchio's Christmas'' – Cricket *1981 – ''The Berenstain Bears Easter Special'' – Boss Bunny *1982 – ''
The Flight of Dragons ''The Flight of Dragons'' is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel '' The Drag ...
'' – Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe/Gorbash The Dragon *1985 – '' The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus'' – Tingler *1985 – ''
ThunderCats ''ThunderCats'' is a media franchise, featuring a fictional group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin Wolf and featured in an animated television series named ''ThunderCats'', running from 1985 to 1989, whic ...
'' – Lynx-O/Snarf/Slithe *1987 – '' The Wind in the Willows'' – Magistrate


TV

*1964 – '' Linus the Lionhearted'' – Loveable Truly, Rory, So-Hi *1965 – '' Astronut'' – Astronut/Oscar *1965–1966 – '' Milton the Monster'' – Various Roles *1966 – '' Cool McCool'' – Cool McCool/Dr. Madcap/Harry McCool *1966 – '' Journey to the Bottom of the Sea'' – Invader *1972–1973 – '' ABC Afternoon Superstar Movies'' – Barron Von Frankenstein/Additional Voices *1980 – '' Drawing Power'' – Additional Voices *1983 – '' The Coneheads'' – Louie Boucher *1980 – '' Gnomes'' – Kostya the Gnome *1980 – '' I Go Pogo'' – Howland Owl/Bothered Bat *1985–1989 – ''
ThunderCats ''ThunderCats'' is a media franchise, featuring a fictional group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin Wolf and featured in an animated television series named ''ThunderCats'', running from 1985 to 1989, whic ...
'' – Snarf/Ma-Mutt/Slithe/Driller/Grune The Destroyer/Tug-Mug/Topspinner/Snarfer/Wolo/Mole Master/Two Time/Polly/Quick Pick/Char/Dr. Dometone/Captain Bragg/Giantors/Bundun/Living Ooze/Burnout/Charr-Nin/Dirge/Enflamer/Micrit Leader/Mad Bubbler/Maftet/Mongor/Mr. Grubber/Mule/Screwloose/Terator/Zaxx/Tuskas/Trollog/Thunderian Guard/Captain Shiner/Guard/Cave Dweller *1986 – '' Silverhawks'' – Commander Stargazer/Steelwill/Yesman/Hardware/Condor/Flashback


Shorts

*1965 - Gadmouse the Apprentice Good Fairy - Sad Cat/Gadmouse/Latimore/Fenimore *1965 - Don't Spill the Beans - Sad Cat/Gadmouse/Latimore/Fenimore *1965 - Dress Reversal - Sad Cat/Gadmouse/Latimore/Fenimore *1965 - The Third Musketeer - Sad Cat/Gadmouse/Latimore/Fenimore *1966 – Haunted Housecleaning – Oscar *1966– The Defiant Giant – George the Giant *1966 – Scuba Duba Do – Sad Cat/Gadmouse/Latimore/Fenimore *1966 – Va-Room Service – Additional Voices *1966 – Mighty Heroes – Oscar/Gadmouse *1967 – The Squawk Peg – Geronimo/Say-Ah the Medicine Man/Foback/Big Yawn *1967 – Clean Sweep – Policeman/Repairman *1967 – Mouse Trek – Cat *1967 – The Fuz – The Cat *1967 - Big Game Fishing - Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1967 – Grand Prix Winner – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego/Announcer *1967 – All Teed Off – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore *1967 - Dribble Drabble - Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1968 – Commander Great Guy – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1968 – Judo Kudos – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1968 – The Abominable Mountaineers – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1968 – Loops and Swoops – Sad Cat/Fenimore/Latimore/Super Ego *1969 – Scientific Sideshow – Oscar *1969 – Balloon Snatcher – Oscar *1970 – The Proton Pulsator – Oscar/Gadmouse *1971 – Oscar's Birthday Present – Oscar *1974 – 'Twas the Night Before Christmas – Substation Operator, Councilmen, Handyman *1976 – The Little Drummer Boy Book II – Additional Voices *1977 – The Four Kings – Beaver *1981 – The Leprechaun Christmas Gold – Additional Voices


Later life

McFadden continued to work until the late 1980s, when he was forced to retire due to failing health. On January 7, 2000, he died in Delray Beach, Florida, at the age of 76.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McFadden, Bob 1923 births 2000 deaths Beat Generation people American male voice actors Actors from Leonia, New Jersey Deaths from motor neuron disease in Florida People from East Liverpool, Ohio 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers United States Navy personnel of World War II Male actors from Ohio Male actors from New Jersey