Allen Swift | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ira Stadlen (1924-01-16)January 16, 1924 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 18, 2010(2010-04-18) (aged 86) New York City |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1946–2010 |
| Spouse | Lenore Loveman |
| Children | Lewis J. Stadlen, Maxime Zahra, and Clare A. Stadlen |
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Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010[1]), known professionally asAllen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon charactersSimon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on theUnderdog cartoon show.[2] He took his professional name from radio comedianFred Allen and 18th century satiristJonathan Swift.
He was born January 16, 1924,[3] inWashington Heights, Manhattan, and raised inBrooklyn. Swift graduated from theHigh School of Music & Art, after which he enlisted in theUnited States Army Air Forces, where he served from November 1942 to November 1945.[2][4] While in the Army, he was an entertainer and became a private first class.[5][6]
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Allen Swift was an early television star who began his career by replacing Buffalo Bob Smith onThe Howdy Doody Show while Smith was recovering from a heart attack. At various times, he played the characters ofClarabell the Clown, Chief Thunderchicken, and the voice of the Howdy Doody puppet, as well as other characters. From September 10, 1956, to September 23, 1960, Swift was the host of another popular children's show,ThePopeye Show, onWPIX in New York City, playing a sea captain named "Captain Allen Swift". In the show, he commented on the cartoons, told stories, sang sea shanties and did magic tricks.[citation needed]
Swift was best known for providing the fiendish voices for the cartoon villainsSimon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on theUnderdog cartoon show, and Popeye in thePopeye cartoons created in the 1960s. He also voiced the cartoon character, Clint Clobber.[citation needed]
Swift voiced the cartoon mascotTwinkie the Kid in animated TV advertisements forHostess's cream-filled snack cakes,Twinkies, in the 1970s.[citation needed] He also voiced many of the characters in the 1960s underwater puppet showDiver Dan, andGene Deitch's 1961–1962 group ofTom and Jerry cartoons, as well asThe Bluffers. According toMopar magazine, he was also the voice of "Tech" for their series of service training films, providing color commentary and dry humor to help keep things digestible and interesting. He also voiced his talents forSesame Street.[citation needed]
Swift provided the majority of the voices inRankin/Bass'sMad Monster Party?, credited as Alan Swift in the movie's credits.[7] He was also in other Rankin/Bass productions, including the TV specials,The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes, as the voice of Musty,[citation needed] and as the voice of Gadzooks the Bear inThe Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town.[citation needed]
Swift supplied most of the character voices for the NBCHowdy Doody show. WhenBuffalo Bob Smith — who did the voice of the lead puppet character Howdy Doody, and had proclaimed many times that "nobody else could do Howdy" — suffered a heart attack, Swift took home some recordings over the weekend, came back Monday, and supplied Howdy's voice for more than a year.[8]
Swift became the second comedy writer forHowdy Doody following the abrupt departure of the series' first comedy writer and songwriter,Edward Kean.[9] He also wrote the playChecking Out, which was the basis of the film of the same name starring Peter Falk, Laura San Giacomo, Judge Reinhold and David Paymer.[10]
Toward the end of his life, Swift penned the memoir,Chutzpah! Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee, An Actors Life For Me.[citation needed]
Swift provided the original voice of theFrito Bandito in the animatedFritos Corn Chips commercials of the 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was the talking drain inDrano television commercials, the voice of the Mirinda Craver inJim Henson'sMirinda commercials, and the voice of TheBurger King. Because of his uncanny ability to create so many different sounds, tones and accents, he was able to voice competing products, including Tip-Top,Braun,Stroehmann or Taystee.[11] He impersonatedCarroll O'Connor asArchie Bunker andAdolf Hitler as "Dolf" onMAD magazine's vinyl insert recording of "Gall in the Family Fare", theAll in the Family satire that ran in the magazine's Super Special No. 11 in 1973.[12] He also playedCaptain Cupcake in the Hostess Brands commercials.[13]
Swift was married to actress Lenore Loveman, and is the father ofcharacter actor, mimic and singerLewis J. Stadlen, holistic health practitioner Maxime Zahra, and eating disorder specialist/entrepreneur Clare A. Stadlen. He resided inManhattan. He was also a figurative painter, creating and exhibiting landscapes and figures reminiscent of those of artistsLeland Bell andFairfield Porter.
Swift died in his home of at the age of 86 on April 18, 2010.[3][14] He had been "suffering with a series of health calamities for several years, since he fell and broke his hip while walking his dog. From that moment, one thing led to another," said personal friend and directorGene Deitch.
| Years | Film/Show | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-60 | Howdy Doody | Most of the characters' voices | |
| 1956-60 | ThePopeye Show | Host | |
| 1960-63 | King Leonardo and His Short Subjects | Odie Cologne, Itchy Brother, Tooter Turtle, narrator in "King and Odie" segments | |
| 1961-62 | Tom and Jerry | Tom/Jerry/The Grumpy Owner/Various Others | Gene Deitch era |
| 1964-67 | Underdog | Simon Bar Sinister/Riff Raff | |
| 1960s | Fritos Commercials | Frito Bandito | |
| 1966-67 | The Beagles | Tubby, Scotty | |
| 1967 | Mad Monster Party? | Count Dracula,Igor,the Monster, Claude theInvisible Man, Ghoul the Invisible Boy, Boobula (Count Dracula's son), Ron Chanley theWerewolf,Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Rosebud thevulture, Harold, Harvey, Post Office Boss | |
| 1971-72, 1976 | Sesame Street | Voices in three animated segments | |
| 1972 | The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye | Mufti, Ivan | Television special |
| 1974 | Where the Wild Things Are | Narration (original soundtrack) | Film animated by Gene Deitch, Book byMaurice Sendak |
| Twas the Night Before Christmas | Santa Claus, City Clerk, Councilman #1 | Television show | |
| 1976 | Checking Out | Wrote and starred on Broadway | |
| 1980 | Pinocchio's Christmas | The Fox,Santa Claus, Mr. Cherry | |
| 1986 | The Bluffers | Many characters | |
| 2000 | Courage the Cowardly Dog | Hunchback | Final role |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |