Robert Cameron Bruce Jr. (October 6, 1914 – August 24, 2003) was an American voice actor and the son of Robert Cameron Bruce (1887–1948) who was a cinematographer and documentary producer. He was the narrator for a number of

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

cartoons in the 1930s and 1940s. The ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

'' and ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

'' series' had occasional entries which were driven not by one of their stable of stars such as

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Me ...

, but by individual short sketches, usually filled with sight gags and word-play. Later he was a writer and producer of industrial motion pictures based in Minnesota.

Career

Bruce spent two and a half years doing nine shows a week on WMCA and he later moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

where he landed a job on

KFWB KFWB (980 AM) is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California. KFWB is owned by Lotus Communications, and airs a classic regional Mexican music radio format. The station has a colorful history, being the radio voice of Warner Bros. ...

, the Warner Bros. radio station, and was one of the four regulars on the show alongside

Arthur Q. Bryan Arthur Quirk Bryan (May 8, 1899 – November 30, 1959) was an American actor and radio personality. He is best remembered for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr. Gamble on the radio comedy ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' and f ...

Jack Lescoulie Jack Lescoulie (November 17, 1912 – July 22, 1987) was an American radio and television announcer and host, notably on NBC's ''Today'' during the 1950s and 1960s; a newspaper source lists his date of birth as May 17, 1912. Lescoulie was also k ...

, and

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake in ...

. Bruce did four or five shows a week at $5 a show and got a job providing voice work for

Leon Schlesinger Leonardo Schlesinger ( ; May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation The gold ...

's cartoon studio as the building was in the same place where Bruce performed his radio work. Bruce was used as a narrator in most of the cartoons that were directed by

Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (; February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of America ...

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, film director, director, film producer, producer and puppeteer best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the te ...

, and

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He ...

. Besides providing narration, Bruce was also heard as several characters in a few cartoons including "

Dangerous Dan McFoo ''Dangerous Dan McFoo'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on July 15, 1939. The title is based on a 1907 poem by Robert W. Service entitled " The Shooting of Dan McGrew". Plot Dan, ...

" where he voiced a dog with a cigarette and a referee. Bruce would record his dialogue on an empty stage with the director, writer and engineer in a booth up near the ceiling explaining the cartoon to him and would record his lines afterwards. In addition for working for

Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

, Bruce also provided voice work for

Walter Lantz Walter Benjamin Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animat ...

's cartoon studio and for

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

's ''

Puppetoons ''Puppetoons'' is a series of animated puppet films made in Europe (1930s) and in the United States (1940s) by George Pal. They were made using replacement animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets (or puppet heads or limbs ...

'' series. From 1950 to 1951, Bruce was an actor on the TV show '' NBC Comics'' where he played characters on two of the shows "Kid Champion" and "Space Barton". Later, he had a company based in Minnesota known as Robert C. Bruce Productions where he produced and wrote industrial films and commercials. He was a former president of Minnesota Heart Association, was president of American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, and was a member of Pioneers of Radio. In the late sixties, he retired to a home in South Carolina.

Animation voiceover work

*''

'' (1939) as Narrator/Referee/Dog with Cigarette *''

Detouring America ''Detouring America'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on August 26, 1939. Plot A tour of the United States, with recurring checks on the progress of the human fly climbing the Empi ...

'' (1939) as Narrator *'' Land of the Midnight Fun'' (1939) as Narrator *'' Fresh Fish'' (1939) as Narrator *'' The Film Fan'' (1939) as Coming Attractions Narrator *'' Pilgrim Porky'' (1940) as Narrator *'' The Bear's Tale'' (1940) as Narrator *''

The Hardship of Miles Standish ''The Hardship of Miles Standish'' is a 1940 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on April 27, 1940, and features Elmer Fudd. The title is derived from the narrative poem ''The Courtship of Miles Standish' ...

'' (1940) as Radio Announcer/Grandpa *'' A Gander at Mother Goose'' (1940) as Narrator *'' The Chewin' Bruin'' (1940) as Old Timer *'' Ceiling Hero'' (1940) as Narrator *'' Wacky Wildlife'' (1940) as Narrator *'' Porky's Snooze Reel'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Fair Today'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Farm Frolics'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Salt Water Daffy'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Meet John Doughboy'' (1941) as Citizen Sugar Cane & Narrator *'' We, the Animals Squeak!'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Aviation Vacation'' (1941) as Narrator *'' The Bug Parade'' (1941) as Narrator *''

Who's Who in the Zoo ''Who's Who in the Zoo'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Norman McCabe. The short was released on February 14, 1942. Plot ''Who's Who in the Zoo'' is one of the cartoons that Warner would occasionally produce, partic ...

'' (1942) as Narrator *''

Crazy Cruise ''Crazy Cruise'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon. The short was released on March 14, 1942. It was directed by Tex Avery and Bob Clampett, whose names do not appear on the surviving print of the cartoon. Because Tex left the s ...

'' (1942) as Narrator *'' Hobby Horse-Laffs'' (1942) as Narrator *''

Fox Pop ''Fox Pop'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' color cartoon short supervised by Chuck Jones. The short was released on September 5, 1942. Plot A man is relaxing inside his cabin, listening to his radio; outside, a red fox is on the prow ...

'' (1942) as Radio Announcer *''

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins ''The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins'' is a children's book, written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published by Vanguard Press in 1938. Unlike the majority of Geisel's books, it is written in prose rather ...

'' (1943) as Narrator *'' Fin'n Catty'' (1943) as Narrator (beginning and ending only) *''

What's Cookin' Doc? ''What's Cookin' Doc?'' is a 1943-produced, 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, directed by Bob Clampett, and stars Bugs Bunny. The short was also written by Michael Sasanoff, and was animated by Robert McKimson, along wi ...

'' (1944) as Opening Narrator *'' Russian Rhapsody'' (1944) as Radio Announcer *'' Brother Brat'' (1944) as Narrator *''

Buckaroo Bugs ''Buckaroo Bugs'' is a 1944 American Western ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon film directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on August 26, 1944, and features Bugs Bunny in his official ''Looney Tunes'' debut. Plot In the quaint town of San ...

'' (1944) as Narrator and Villagers *'' Plane Daffy'' (1944) as Narrator *'' The Weakly Reporter'' (1944) as Narrator *'' Wagon Heels'' (1945) as Narrator *''

Nasty Quacks ''Nasty Quacks'' is a Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin, released on December 1, 1945, and starring Daffy Duck. Plot In a suburban household, a father gifts his daughter, Agnes, a black duckling that soon matures ...

'' (1945) as Narrator * ''Book Revue'' (1946) as

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

*'' Bacall to Arms'' (1946) as Narrator *'' Of Thee I Sting'' (1946) as Narrator *'' Fair and Worm-er'' (1946) as Narrator *'' Hobo Bobo'' (1947) as Narrator and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

ers *'' Crowing Pains'' (1947) as

Barnyard Dawg Barnyard Dawg is a ''Looney Tunes'' character. A feisty anthropomorphic basset hound, he is a friend and the archenemy of Foghorn Leghorn. He was created by Robert McKimson, who also created Foghorn, and was voiced by Mel Blanc. Dawg also feud ...

*''

Bugs Bunny Rides Again ''Bugs Bunny Rides Again'' is a 1948 Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on June 12, 1948, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. The animated short is both a Western and a parody of the genre's conve ...

'' (1948) as Cowboy (uncredited) *'' Swallow the Leader'' (1949) as Narrator *''

Orange Blossoms for Violet Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

'' (1952) as Narrator *'' Punch Trunk'' (1953) as Narrator/Psychiatrist/Radio Announcer *'' Feline Frame-Up'' (1954) as Filbert *'' Gone Batty'' (1955) as Narrator *'' The Hole Idea'' (1955) as Narrator *'' Bugs' Bonnets'' (1956) as Opening Narrator *'' Dog Tales'' (1958) as Narrator *''

Bonanza Bunny ''Bonanza Bunny'' is a 1959 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on September 5, 1959, and stars Bugs Bunny. In the cartoon, Bugs faces off with the French-Canadian claim jumper Blacque Jac ...

'' (1959) as Narrator

List of Private Snafu shorts voiced by Robert C. Bruce

*''

Booby Traps A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a human or an animal. It is triggered by the presence or actions of the victim and sometimes has some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. The trap may b ...

'' (1944) *'' Outpost'' (1944) *'' Target Snafu'' (1944) *'' A Few Quick Facts: Fear'' (1945) *'' It's Murder, She Says...'' (1945) *'' Private Snafu Presents Seaman Tarfu in the Navy'' (1946)

Legacy

Bruce never got a screen credit, but his voice was recognizable, and he is mentioned in the commentary for the ''Looney Tunes Golden Collection''. He introduces the cartoon ''

'' (1944) which begins with a filmed segment about

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

night, and transitions into a Bugs Bunny cartoon. In the last scene of the cartoon '' Punch Trunk'' (1953), Bruce is "Mr. Pratt", a TV station announcer who introduces the audience to a distinguished science lecturer (voiced by Mel Blanc) named "Dr. Robert Bruce Cameron"—a play on Bruce's own name. In addition to the "Crazy Cruise" types of cartoons, he provides the voice of the narrator for the 1956 cartoon '' Bugs' Bonnets'', an animated exposition on the "well-known psychological fact that people's behavior is strongly affected by the way they dress".

References

External links