The passing of a GR-R-R-R-EAT man
May 25, 2005 3:53 AM Subscribe
Thurl Ravenscroft, voice of Tony the Tiger, one of the singing busts in Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion, and the inimitable vocalist behind "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," has passed away at the age of 91.
When the crypt goes creak,
And the tombstones quake.
Spooks come out for a swinging wake.
Happy haunts materialize,
And begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.
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posted by eriko at 4:59 AM on May 25, 2005
And the tombstones quake.
Spooks come out for a swinging wake.
Happy haunts materialize,
And begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.
.
posted by eriko at 4:59 AM on May 25, 2005
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(And honestly, have you ever heard a better name? Ever?)
posted by grabbingsand at 5:24 AM on May 25, 2005
(And honestly, have you ever heard a better name? Ever?)
posted by grabbingsand at 5:24 AM on May 25, 2005
Hes with Marc Davis now, who designed a lot of haunted mansion stuff. If anyone has seen the movie Snoopy Come Home he was the voice that sang "No Dogs Allowed," which is a scary song.
posted by wheelieman at 5:37 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by wheelieman at 5:37 AM on May 25, 2005
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was born February 6, 1914 in Norfolk, Nebraska...
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posted by anastasiav at 5:38 AM on May 25, 2005
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posted by anastasiav at 5:38 AM on May 25, 2005
Thurl Ravenscroft's hometown was the same as Johnny Carson's. I wonder if they knew each other back in the day...?
posted by alumshubby at 5:53 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by alumshubby at 5:53 AM on May 25, 2005
NPR did a great program on the man yesterday, give it a listen.
posted by Sellersburg/Speed at 6:16 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by Sellersburg/Speed at 6:16 AM on May 25, 2005
It's a shame that he went uncredited in the animated How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I imagine a lot of viewers assumed the narrator, Boris Karloff (who got screen credit), did the singing?
In my CD collection I have a CD single of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch!", with all the verses from the TV special edited together into one song. I don't think Ravenscroft's name is on it?
In my experience viewing animated films from the 1940s-1960s, the screen credits for voice talent are often sparse. Disney still doesn't put actors' names in the front of a movie. The first animated feature I ever saw with voice credits at the front of the movie was Shrek, and I remember being pleasantly surprised.
Internet Movie Database filmography
Allmusic.com biography
posted by Lord Kinbote at 6:36 AM on May 25, 2005
In my CD collection I have a CD single of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch!", with all the verses from the TV special edited together into one song. I don't think Ravenscroft's name is on it?
In my experience viewing animated films from the 1940s-1960s, the screen credits for voice talent are often sparse. Disney still doesn't put actors' names in the front of a movie. The first animated feature I ever saw with voice credits at the front of the movie was Shrek, and I remember being pleasantly surprised.
Internet Movie Database filmography
Allmusic.com biography
posted by Lord Kinbote at 6:36 AM on May 25, 2005
Lord Kinbote, I remember that Dr. Seuss was very upset that Ravenscroft did not get the credit and insisted that later releases include his name and credit for a wonderful song. What would the movie be without it?
posted by jazon at 6:52 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by jazon at 6:52 AM on May 25, 2005
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posted by GrammarMoses at 8:01 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by GrammarMoses at 8:01 AM on May 25, 2005
He was Grrrrrrreat!
posted by malaprohibita at 8:34 AM on May 25, 2005
posted by malaprohibita at 8:34 AM on May 25, 2005
every summer for years Thurl narrated the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. I worked there for three years and he was always the consummate gentleman. he would take a full hour to climb the stairs to the announcers booth because he was so frail.
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posted by killy willy at 9:34 AM on May 25, 2005
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posted by killy willy at 9:34 AM on May 25, 2005
What a terrible, terrible, terrible loss. Immeasurable. And with Larry Kenney (the original voice of Count Chocula) pushing 60, I fear that the golden generation of voice actors who pitched sugary cereals is slowly coming to an end.
My condolences to the Kellogg Company and everyone else struggling with their grief over this horrific loss.
posted by Ljubljana at 1:32 PM on May 25, 2005
My condolences to the Kellogg Company and everyone else struggling with their grief over this horrific loss.
posted by Ljubljana at 1:32 PM on May 25, 2005
A sad week for veteran voices: Frank Gorshin, Henry Corden (who did Fred Flintstone for Post Pebbles for years, Ljubljana), Howard Morris and now Thurl... Cartoon/comics insider Mark Evanier is one of my favorite bloggers, and he's been "all obits, all the time" lately. And this is more than the "comes in threes" pattern... Somebody PLEASE keep a close eye on June Foray.
posted by wendell at 5:37 PM on May 25, 2005
posted by wendell at 5:37 PM on May 25, 2005
And Walker Edmiston (another old pro who we need to keep an eye on) once did a kids show in L.A. where he used a puppet buzzard with a deep booming voice who was named R. Crag Ravenswood in homage to Thurl (picture of Walker with half of Ravenswood's face here).
posted by wendell at 5:46 PM on May 25, 2005
posted by wendell at 5:46 PM on May 25, 2005
overheard on Letterman: He's going to be buried in a G-R-R-R-R-R-R-AVE!
posted by pmbuko at 8:23 PM on May 25, 2005
posted by pmbuko at 8:23 PM on May 25, 2005
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posted by Faint of Butt at 3:53 AM on May 25, 2005