Jackson Beck

[MikeH0714]

The fellow who organizes the annual Friends of Old-Time Radio convention in Newark NJ, announced today that he received a phone call telling him Jackson Beck has passed away. Beck was a frequent guest of the convention over the years. I haven't seen any news releases confirming this yet; just thought I'd pass it on.

Michael

 

[AarHan3]

The fellow who organizes the annual Friends of Old-Time Radio convention in Newark NJ, announced today that he received a phone call telling him Jackson Beck has passed away. Beck was a frequent guest of the convention over the years. I haven't seen any news releases confirming this yet; just thought I'd pass it on.

Michael

Oh no!! Bluto has lost his voice! And just 5 days after Jackson's 92nd birthday, too.

Yet another legend has passed into spirit. To absent friends...

 

[Geezil]

Recall that Mr. Beck also was the narrator of Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run," and provided the voice of a news reporter in Allen's "Radio Days" ... more proof that when even the oddball fringe of Hollywood needed a rock-solid voice during his time, it knew just whom to send for. He will be remembered always and greatly missed here.

 

[Jon Cooke]

Recall that Mr. Beck also was the narrator of Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run," and provided the voice of a news reporter in Allen's "Radio Days" ... more proof that when even the oddball fringe of Hollywood needed a rock-solid voice during his time, it knew just whom to send for. He will be remembered always and greatly missed here.

Very sad news. In addition to Bluto, let's not forget Jackson Beck's other great Famous Studios voices: Buzzy the Crow and "da Fox" in the Baby Huey cartoons.


-Jon

 

[J Lee]

Beck also provided the narration and some voices for the original Superman cartoon done by Filmation in 1966 in Hollywood, but voice-tracked in New York in order to use Superman's original radio voice, Bud Collyer (Woody Allen also based his movies out of New York most of the time, which is why Beck got the call as the narrator for TTMAR).

 

[Budman]

I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Beck's passing. From old time radio to cartoons to movies and commercials, Mr. Beck did it all. I particularly enjoyed the way the his Bluto (and the other rivals of Popeye in the Famous Studios cartoons) could go from cunning to evil to suave to low class to lustful to friendly to romantic all in the space of one cartoon. This made Bluto more of a convincing threat to Popeye and more of a temptation to Olive Oyl.

 

[Ssrn53]

I believe Jackson Beck also did the voice narration for the opening of the 1950's Superman TV series.

 

[ThePeterNetwork]

In addition to Bluto, did Mr. Beck do the voice of Brutus, the KFS toon counterpart? It's always a tragedy when a talented voice passes on. He will be surely missed.

 

[Thad Komorowski]

To answer the above question, yes, Jackson Beck also voiced 'Brutus' on KFS' Popeye... How truly sad, Beck voiced my favorite Famous Studios character, Buzzy!

"Rest in peace, boss, rest in piece...."


-Thad

 

[FlooterFlatter]

Very sad indeed.

Rest in Peace, Jackson Beck. Brutus may have lost his voice, but no one can replace you.

 

[absolutpaul]

He was also the announcer for Little Ceasar's Pizza ads for many years.

A classic Jackson Beck line:

(Bluto and Olive are on a runaway roller coaster train)

"How's about a kiss?"
"No, no, a thousand times no!"
"OK sister, get out and walk!"

(kicks her out)

 

[AarHan3]

Confound it!! Beck was also King Leonardo of Bongo Congo on Total Television's King Leonardo And His Short Subjects (NBC, 1960-63).

 

[STASHONE]

R.i.p.

 

[MikeH0714]

I believe Jackson Beck also did the voice narration for the opening of the 1950's Superman TV series.

Beck was the narrator for the radio "Superman," but was not involved with the TV series (despite what the imdb says). The primary narrator ("Faster than a speeding bullet...") was Willard "Bill" Kennedy, who can be seen as the newscaster in the 1951 episode "Crime Wave." A second announcer, Charlie Lyon, did the Kellogg's opening and closing lines as well as the bumper: "We'll return to the 'Adventures of Superman' in just a moment!"

Michael

 

[guy incognito]

Another of Beck's OTR roles was as detective Philo Vance in the series of the same name.

He also did a lot of newsreels, documentary films, and movie trailers. What a voice!

 

[J Lee]

Jerry Beck has posted a link to the Associated Press story on Jackson Beck's death from Long Island Newsday. It mentions that along with his voice work, Beck was a founding member of AFTRA, the TV and radio union.

His online bio also said that he was a vice president in the union (which brings up the image of the TV and radio execs going into a negoating session over a new contract and hearing Bluto's voice coming at them from the other side of the table). Also, along with being the narrartor on the 1966 Superman cartoon series, he was apparently the first animated voice for Lex Luthor, though Beck didn't make it to Paramount early enough to also be the first animated voice of Perry White (and some of his best work, as the increasingly frustrated angry male authority figures in the 1940s Little Lulu cartoons like "Bargain Counter Attack" or "Cad and Caddy", are not even included in his bio).

 

[Jave]

RIP Jackson Beck. You will be missed.

**Throws a can of spinach out the window**

 

[rodney]

I had come on here yesterday to post this information, and got distracted and didn't get to.


Jackson Beck was a fantastic voice artist. It pains me so much to see these talented actors and fine people leave us, while no others take their place.

 

[Bobby B]

His online bio also said that he was a vice president in the union (which brings up the image of the TV and radio execs going into a negoating session over a new contract and hearing Bluto's voice coming at them from the other side of the table).

In a newspaper article about Beck that I read probably over ten years ago, he referred to Jack Mercer as "a wimpy little guy who didn't have enough nerve to ask for a raise", so Beck accompanied him and DEMANDED that they give Mercer a raise.

 

[Ssrn53]

Beck was the narrator for the radio "Superman," but was not involved with the TV series (despite what the imdb says). The primary narrator ("Faster than a speeding bullet...") was Willard "Bill" Kennedy, who can be seen as the newscaster in the 1951 episode "Crime Wave." A second announcer, Charlie Lyon, did the Kellogg's opening and closing lines as well as the bumper: "We'll return to the 'Adventures of Superman' in just a moment!"

Michael

Thanks for clearing that up. I think IMDB was exactly where I read that Beck did the Superman TV series.