Jackson Beck | |
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| Born | (1912-07-23)July 23, 1912 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 28, 2004(2004-07-28) (aged 92) New York City, U.S. |
| Years active | 1931–2001 |
| Known for | the voice of Bluto |
Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio'sThe Adventures of Superman[1] and the voice ofBluto in theFamous eraPopeye theatrical shorts.
Beck was born on July 23, 1912, in New York City.[2] Beck's father, Max Beck, was an actor on stage and in silent film. His grandfather Joseph immigrated fromSaxony, Germany and founded thedistillery Joseph Beck & Sons.[3]
Beck's early radio experience included work atWINS andWHN,[2] both in New York City. Beginning in 1931, he worked onMyrt and Marge, among other roles. In 1934, he was the announcer forThe Adventures of Babe Ruth on the radio. In 1943, he took over as narrator of radio'sThe Adventures of Superman; it was Beck who intoned the familiar prologue "strange visitor from another planet..." He also had recurring roles, voicing an occasional tough guy and also portraying Beany Martin, theDaily Planet's teenage copy boy. OnSuperman episodes featuringBatman, he played Bruce Wayne's butler,Alfred Beagle. At the same time, he provided narration for several of the 1940sSuperman animated short films.[4]
He also impersonatedJoseph Stalin and other world leaders forThe March of Time radio series, starred asThe Cisco Kid on radio from 1942 to 1945 and sleuthPhilo Vance in asyndicated series from 1948 to 1950, starred in the dramatic anthologyBrownstone Theater onMutual,[5] and served as narrator for the radio adventures ofTom Corbett, Space Cadet.[6]
Beck also co-starred in several episodes of theCBS Radio Mystery Theater.
Beck portrayedPerry White,Clark Kent's boss inFilmation'sThe New Adventures of Superman animated series and was narrator as well. He was the announcer for the first season ofTom Corbett, Space Cadet on television.
In 1966, Beck dubbed the English voice of the judge listing Tuco's many crimes before sentencing him to death by hanging inThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and used his deep, dramatic, modulated voice as the narrator ofWoody Allen'sTake the Money and Run in 1969. He also narrated the cult comedy filmCry Uncle! in 1971, and was one of the players inNational Lampoon's first comedy albumRadio Dinner in 1972. He was prominent as well in Allen's1987 filmRadio Days, dubbing the voice of the on-the-spot newsman.
Beck had a prolific career in animation, becoming one of the regular voice actors at Famous Studios in the mid-1940s. He voiced Bluto in the Popeye cartoons,Little Lulu's father, the fox in theBaby Huey cartoons, and Buzzy the Crow, who was a foil for Katnip the Cat in a number of cartoons. Beck used a black dialect for the voice of Buzzy. He was also the voice ofKing Leonardo in the 1960s TVcartoon series of the same name. He also had a part in thePeanuts 1977 filmRace for Your Life, Charlie Brown as the snickering cat, Brutus. He narrated the 1980sG.I. Joe animated TV series. His other voice work included network TV promos (he did a series of promos forNBC's NFL coverage for much of the 1980s), narration for sketches onSaturday Night Live, movie trailers, and commercials for everything from toys to shampoo (one of Beck's very last commercials was for Infusium Shampoo).
Beck also served as a pitchman for products from Combat Roach Killer toLittle Caesars Pizza (he was Caesar Jr.) In 1999, he narrated a dramatization ofL. Ron Hubbard'sDr. Methuselah forNPR's radio series2000X. Beck also did few onscreen acting roles. A notable one was as mobster Willie Saffire in the crime-based daytime soap operaThe Edge of Night from 1968 to 1969.
Beck was featured announcer on the 1972 comedy record album "National Lampoon Radio Dinner".
Beck had also done some voice work forMTV, mostly for their contest advertisements.[7][8]
Beck also recorded voices for children's records such asThe Little Engine That Could fromDiplomat Records.[9]
In 1990, he toldNewsday, “My job is to sell a carload of whatever the hell it is. . .to clean out the supermarket shelves, and get them replenished. . .I’m an advertising man, and I treat my voice as a business. People who treat it as art don’t make money.”[10]
In 1994, Beck voiced Darrel the Fifth Fish, Hunter #2, Wickersham Guard #2, the Sneetches and Greedy Ape inStorybook Weaver, and later in 2004, remade asStorybook Weaver Deluxe (his last voice).
Beck died of astroke on July 28, 2004, five days after his 92nd birthday.[11] He is buried in Brooklyn's Mount Hope Cemetery.
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