Dallas McKennon, American voice actor died he was 89

Dallas McKennon in "Daniel Boone." Photo: 20th Century Fox

Voice actor Dallas McKennon has passed away at 89, just shy of his 90th birthday, which would have been July 19.

Born in La Grande, Oregon, McKennon's best-known roles were that of Gumby for Art Clokey, and Archie Andrews for Filmation's Archie series, and the primary voice of Buzz Buzzard in the Woody Woodpecker cartoons. In the early 1950s, McKennon created and hosted his own daily kids TV wraparound show, Space Funnies/Capt. Jet, which was seen weekday mornings on KNXT (KCBS) TV Ch. 2 in Hollywood, California. Space Funnies was the first Los Angeles-based kids show to air reruns of The Little Rascals and Laurel & Hardy Film Comedies. He was also the primary voice actor for the 1960 cartoon series Q.T. Hush.

He also sang, and provided many character voices for Disney. His distinctive voice can be heard in movies such as Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Mary Poppins, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. He also provided the voices for many Disney Attractions such as the famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad safety spiel, Ben Franklin's voice in Epcot's American Adventure and the voice of Zeke in the Country Bear Jamboree.^[1]

His best-known live action role is that of the innkeeper, Cincinnatus, in the Daniel Boone TV series starring Fess Parker. He also had a bit part as a gas station attendant in the Elvis Presley film Clambake.

While best known for his extensive work as a voice for various animated features (including Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations, The Jungle Book, and Mary Poppins), McKennon also voiced numerous voice tracks used in the Disney theme parks - most notably his warning for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, in which he exclaimed "Hold on to your hats and glasses... this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" In Epcot, McKennon's voice gives life to an Audio-Animatronic Ben Franklin - another notable role.

Haunted Mansion afficienados might note that McKennon also voiced the deaf old man in the Haunted Mansion's graveyard, who, unable to decipher the mummy muttering through his bandages, has been doomed to an eternity of croaking out "What's that? Louder!" Additionally, McKennon claimed that he was also the voice behind the whimpering dog outside the graveyard gates, as well as a few assorted moans, groans and wails from inside the attraction - including the famously horrifying scream inside of the stretching gallery.

"Since he does some of the Haunted Mansion screams, his fans may be interested to know that he can be seen doing that on-screen in the schlocky Vincent Price movie "The Tingler," if they remember that one," recalled Tim Hollis, author of Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records. "Toward the end of the picture, Dal appears as a projectionist in a movie theater, with a giant rubber grubworm locked around his throat. Dal then lets loose with practically the same scream you hear in the Haunted Mansion stretch room."

Having had the pleasure of corresponding with McKennon many years ago, this writer recalls his wit and the pleasure he took in acknowleding his fans. In speaking with his daughter, she expressed delight in the number of fans that admired his work for Disney, as she wasn't sure the company had fully recognized his contributions to the theme parks.

Beyond the parks and films, McKennon was also a prolific contributor to Disneyland Records, appearing on numerous recordings over a period of nearly 15 years, beginning with 1957's "Stories of Uncle Remus." Outside of Disney, McKennon voiced many famous cartoon characters (including Gumby and Archie), and he also was featured in many live-action films and shows. Many people may remember McKennon as Cincinnatus the shopkeeper in the television series "Daniel Boone."