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. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

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

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

'' and ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

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

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Mer ...

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

, 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) * Hollywoo ...

where he landed a job on

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

, 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 a 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 known for h ...

, 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 Lak ...

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

Leon Schlesinger Leon 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. He was a distant r ...

'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, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' T ...

, and

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

. Besides providing narration, Bruce was also heard as several characters in a few cartoons including " Dangerous Dan McFoo" 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, Bruce also provided voice work for

Walter Lantz Walter 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 animation Lantz ...

'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 afte ...

'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) for ...

'' 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

*'' Rover's Rival'' (1937) as Rover *'' The Daffy Doc'' (1938) as Daffy's Conscience *'' Dangerous Dan McFoo'' (1939) as Narrator/Referee/Dog with Cigarette *'' Detouring America'' (1939) as Narrator *'' Land of the Midnight Fun'' (1939) as Narrator *''

Fresh Fish Fresh Fish is an annual Swedish fashion show and competition for unestablished designers, which takes place in Gothenburg. The company Fresh Fish was founded in 2007 by Ali Davoodi with the idea of creating platforms for unestablished designers ...

'' (1939) as Narrator *'' The Film Fan'' (1939) as Coming Attractions Narrator *'' Africa Squeaks'' (1940) as 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 ''Farm Frolics'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon supervised by Bob Clampett. It was released on May 10, 1941. Plot The cartoon starts with the arm of an animator drawing a farm scene which then colors itself, and the camera ...

'' (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 ''Aviation Vacation'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' theatrical short directed by Tex Avery, with story by Dave Monahan and musical direction by Carl Stalling. The cartoon was released on August 2, 1941. Synopsis This is one of the c ...

'' (1941) as Narrator *'' The Bug Parade'' (1941) as Narrator *'' Who's Who in the Zoo'' (1942) as Narrator *'' Crazy Cruise'' (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 pro ...

'' (1942) as Radio Announcer *'' The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins'' (1943) as Narrator *'' Fin'n Catty'' (1943) as Narrator (beginning and ending only) *'' What's Cookin' Doc?'' (1944) as Opening Narrator *'' Russian Rhapsody'' (1944) as Radio Announcer *''

Brother Brat ''Brother Brat'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' theatrical cartoon short, directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on July 15, 1944, and stars Porky Pig. Plot When a mother goes to work in a factory during World War II, Porky P ...

'' (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 The film is set in a small tow ...

'' (1944) as Narrator and Villagers *''

Plane Daffy ''Plane Daffy'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The cartoon was released on September 16, 1944, and stars Daffy Duck. The cartoon is a World War II propaganda short that depicts Daffy as a messenger batt ...

'' (1944) as Narrator *''

The Weakly Reporter ''The Weakly Reporter'' is a Warner Bros. cartoon released on March 25, 1944. Directed by Chuck Jones, written by Michael Maltese, and with music directed by Carl Stalling, this cartoon is a spoof of sacrifices made by those on the Homefront du ...

'' (1944) as Narrator *''

Wagon Heels ''Wagon Heels'' is a 1945 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' short directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on July 28, 1945, and stars Porky Pig. The cartoon is a color remake of the 1938 ''Looney Tunes'' black-and-white short '' Injun T ...

'' (1945) as Narrator *'' Nasty Quacks'' (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 best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

*'' Bacall to Arms'' (1946) as Narrator *'' Of Thee I Sting'' (1946) as Narrator *''

Fair and Worm-er ''Fair and Worm-er'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on September 28, 1946. The title is a pun on ''Fair and Warmer''. The premise greatly resembles and builds upon that of the 1 ...

'' (1946) as Narrator *'' Hobo Bobo'' (1947) as Narrator and

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

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

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

*'' Swallow the Leader'' (1949) as Narrator *'' Orange Blossoms for Violet'' (1952) as Narrator *'' Punch Trunk'' (1953) as Narrator/Psychiatrist/Radio Announcer *''

Feline Frame-Up ''Feline Frame-Up'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated short film directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on February 13, 1954 and stars Claude Cat, Marc Antony and Pussyfoot. It features Claude Cat and Marc Antony in a b ...

'' (1954) as Filbert *''

Gone Batty ''Gone Batty'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated cartoon short directed by Bob McKimson. Plot The film's main character is Bobo the Elephant, making his first appearance since ''Hobo Bobo'', which was also directed by Robert McKimso ...

'' (1955) as Narrator *'' The Hole Idea'' (1955) as Narrator *''

Bugs' Bonnets ''Bugs' Bonnets'' is a 1956 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on January 14, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The film has both Bugs and Elmer cons ...

'' (1956) as Opening Narrator *'' Dog Tales'' (1958) as Narrator *'' Bonanza Bunny'' (1959) as Narrator

List of
Private Snafu Private Snafu is the title character of a series of black-and-white American instructional adult animated shorts, ironic and humorous in tone, that were produced between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. The films were designed to instruct servi ...
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 another 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 m ...

'' (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 '' What's Cookin' Doc?'' (1944) which begins with a filmed segment about

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

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 ''

'', an animated exposition on the "well-known psychological fact that people's behavior is strongly affected by the way they dress".

References

External links

*
Reference to an interview with Robert C. BruceFind A Grave entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Robert C. 1914 births 2003 deaths American male voice actors American male radio actors People from Klickitat County, Washington Radio and television announcers Warner Bros. Cartoons voice actors

Career

Animation voiceover work

Legacy

See also

References

External links