Tuesday January 17th, 2017
The Toronto Star had an article about AI (Artificial Intelligence). The gist of their article was about the voice(s) that could be used to communicate computer to human. We all know the voice of SIRI. I for one don’t like the soothing competence in Siri’s voice. The voice on the GPS program I use to get around in a car is ‘Homer Simpson’, “we have arrived at your destination, you are a genius…” or “sharp turn ahead, it’s easy, just grab the wheel and turn”. If you are from my generation you think of HAL when you think of computers speaking with us. When my navigation system is trying to tell me about the next episode of impending doom I hear Hal telling me this:
Also on FB this morning a picture showing the characters who did the original voices of Fred 
Flintstone, Wilma, Betty and Barney. I was surprised on two fronts. First that Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet) was the voice of Betty and secondly that Mel Blanc was Barney Rubble. I discovered what an accomplished actor Bea was, she had a big career. Mel of course was just about all the voices on the Bugs Bunny show. You can see that Fred looks like his character.
Mel Blanc
| Mel Blanc | |
|---|---|
Publicity photo (1959)
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| Born | Melvin Jerome Blank (1908-05-30)May 30, 1908 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 10, 1989(1989-07-10) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart disease Emphysema |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | “The Man of 1000 Voices” |
| Alma mater | Lincoln High School |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1927–1989 |
| Known for | Looney Tunes The Jack Benny Program |
| Spouse(s) | Estelle Rosenbaum (m. 1933–1989; his death) |
| Children | Noel Blanc |
Melvin Jerome “Mel” Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor, actor, radio comedian, and recording artist. He began his 60-plus-year career performing in radio, but is best remembered for his work in animation as the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, the Tasmanian Devil, and many of the other characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons during the golden age of American animation. He was, in fact, the voice for all of the major male Warner Bros. cartoon characters except for Elmer Fudd, whose voice was provided by fellow radio actor Arthur Q. Bryan (although Blanc later voiced Fudd, as well, after Bryan’s death).[1]
He later worked for Hanna-Barbera‘s television cartoons, most notably as the voices of Barney Rubble on The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons. Blanc was also the original voice of Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures, and provided vocal effects for the Tom and Jerry cartoons directed by Chuck Jones for MGM. Furthermore, during the golden age of radio, Blanc was a frequent performer on the radio programs of famous comedians from the era, including Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, and Judy Canova.[1]