Currently Featured on "Ears" Record Player


I put an MP3 player on our local NFFC Club site that will feature a Disney vinyl record that I have transferred to digital. I hope to change each week. If interested in hearing Disney music and sounds that might not have made it to CD/itunes yet, come on by:

www.mountainears.org/joomla

Now Playing:

Spring WDL-3032 Mono (1958)
Music by Camarata
Featuring Tutti's Trumpets and the Camarata Strings

Previously Played:

1. Walt Disney Presents "A Natures Guide" DQ1300
2. Walt Disney's Story of Alice in Wonderland ST3909
3. Walt Disney's That Darn Cat - Vista 3334 (1965)
 
The voice of the Ranger is Bill Thompson, who was also Mr. Smee in Peter Pan. There is a picture of him on page 99 of Mouse Tracks.
 

FRAN?OIS

Member
Who cares about Mr Smee? It's all about the White Rabbit =D
OR ... King Hubert or Uncle Waldo! :(

"For Walt Disney, he was heard in many shorts and features, often in either dialect parts or a variation of his Wimple/Droopy voice. His animated feature film credits included the parts of the White Rabbit and the Dodo in Alice in Wonderland and Mr. Smee (and the other pirates) in Peter Pan (reprising his roles in radio adaptations for Lux Radio Theater). His best showcase may well have been in Lady and the Tramp (1955), where he was heard in no less than five dialect parts, as Jock the friendly Scottish terrier, Bull the Cockney bulldog, Dachsie the German dachshund, Joe the Italian cook, and the Irish policeman in the park. In shorts, he was heard as Ranger J. Audobon Woodlore in several Donald Duck and Humphrey the Bear entries and as Professor Owl in two music related shorts, including the Academy Award winning Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom (directed by Ward Kimball), amongst many others. He reprised both of these roles in Disney's various television series, and was the first actor to voice the comic book character Scrooge McDuck (the theatrical featurette Scrooge McDuck and Money." ....
 

FRAN?OIS

Member
The talented Bill Thompson:

http://www.radioarchives.org/pictures/Bill%20Thompson.jpg

http://www.radioarchives.org/sets/PC66.htm

As a child of television who was introduced to old-time radio via the nostalgia boom of the 1970s, this author discovered - through the magic of Saturday morning cartoons - that many of the voices he heard in these productions belonged to individuals blessed with lengthy radio careers as well: Alan Reed, Mel Blanc, Jim Backus, June Foray, Bea Benaderet, Paul Frees, etc. Indeed, the question that weighed constantly on my mind wasn't why Bugs Bunny had a drag fetish or what the Coyote saw food-wise in the Road Runner?but why Droopy and Touch? Turtle sounded the same?

The multi-voiced Bill Thompson, pictured here soon after he joined the cast of "Fibber McGee and Molly"I eventually learned the answer to my query: both characters were voiced by an immensely talented individual named Bill Thompson. Touch? Turtle was a character expressly created for television, however, while Droopy was featured in movie theaters at the same time Thompson was enjoying tremendous success on NBC's "Fibber McGee & Molly". At the time Thompson voiced Touch? for the Hanna- Barbera cartoon series, radio was practically a mist in the memory - but it was indeed gratifying to know that there were a few outlets available for these individuals to display their one-of-a-kind creativity.

William H. Thompson was born July 8, 1913 in Terre Haute, Indiana to a family of seasoned vaudevillians. There must have been something in the family's genes to inspire performers, because Bill made his stage debut at the age of two tap-dancing and later eked out a career billed as "Jackie Coogan's Double." Thompson got his big break in show business when a successful appearance doing a comedy sketch in which he played all ten characters with a dazzling array of dialects attracted the notice of NBC, who hired him to work network programs like "Jamboree" and Don McNeil's "Breakfast Club". It was during his stint with McNeil, in which he played a mush-mouthed character that served as a blueprint for Wallace Wimple, that he made the acquaintance of Jim and Marian Jordan, who were making a guest appearance on the show. The Jordan's instinctively knew an actor like Bill would prove invaluable to their newly launched comedy series, and hired him for the Johnson's Wax program.

Bill Thompson at the NBC microphone, enacting one of his many delightful characters with Jim "Fibber McGee" Jordan.Thompson's first appearance on "Fibber McGee & Molly" was on a January 27, 1936 broadcast that had him playing a heavily accented Greek restaurant owner named "Nick Porkenhoppolis." With each successive appearance, the character's name was changed slightly until he was finally christened Nick DePopolous, the first of Thompson's many comic creations. Nick's admittedly one-dimensional shtick consisted of malapropisms, a carryover from vaudeville and burlesque in which foreigners were often "difficult" to understand. Nick would refer to Fibber as "Fizzer" and Molly as "Kewpie," and while the character was funny, his popularity began to wane in the 1940s as audiences became disenchanted with such stereotyped characters. Thompson would eventually drop Nick from his repertoire, though he continued to use the dialect every now and then.

Another Thompson creation that later became a 1940s casualty was the cagey Horatio K. Boomer, also known briefly as Widdicomb Blotto, Wistful Vista's resident con man with a voice bearing a not-too-coincidental resemblance to that of comedian W. C. Fields. Thompson introduced the character in the spring of 1936, and Boomer soon became an audience favorite, frequently found searching in his seemingly bottomless pockets for some obscure item before signaling that the enterprise was useless with his catchphrase "?and a check for a short beer." When Fields began appearing on "Your Hit Parade" in the fall of 1938, Thompson obligingly put Horatio in mothballs, resurrecting him only when Fields' radio stint came to an end. (As to Thompson's expert impersonation, Fields' on-the-record response was "It's damned good!" -- so much so that Thompson was frequently pressed into service on Edgar Bergen's show to impersonate the Great Man after Fields' death in 1946. But in the early 1940s, both Thompson and writer Don Quinn felt they had taken the Boomer character as far as they could go, and Horatio soon enjoyed retirement with fellow Wistful Vista denizen Nick.

By 1949, when they made a guest appearance on a CBS program, Jim and Marian Jordan had been the stars of "Fibber McGee and Molly" for almost fifteen years.Thompson's enduring creations were much more three-dimensional, and as such had a bit more staying power on the program. Perhaps the best-known was a rib-tickling old codger referred to as "The Old Timer," who only heard half of what was ever said ("What say, Johnny?") and who referred to Fibber as "Johnny" and Molly as "Daughter." It's a testament to Bill's talent that while he didn't originate the character - The Old Timer first appeared in 1936, played by Cliff Arquette, and bore a more than passing resemblance to his later TV creation "Charley Weaver" - he made it his own, culminating in one of "Fibber McGee & Molly's" most popular catchphrases. Whenever Fibber would finish spinning a yarn with a corny old pun, the Old Timer would bellow, "Well, that's purty good, Johnny?but that ain't the way I heerd it?the way I heerd it, one fella says t'other fella?'Saaaayyyy?he says?'" He would then retaliate with an equally wheezy one-liner of his own. The Old Timer didn't seem to have a permanent means of support - he floated around from job to job - but he did have a girlfriend named "Bessie" who appeared on a handful of broadcasts?played by Cliff Arquette!

But the best was yet to come. On April 15, 1941, Thompson recycled his former "Breakfast Club" character and rechristened him "Wallace Wimple" for the Fibber & Molly program. "Wimp," as Fibber often called him, was a genuine milquetoast who spent a lot of time visiting at 79 Wistful Vista in an attempt to avoid his Gorgon-like spouse, "Sweety Face." Wimple had a passion for bird watching and would often respond to any situation with a cheerful "That's just peachy," but the highlight of his appearances was listening to him regale the McGees with tales of how he managed to get the upper hand on the daunting Sweety Face?if ever so briefly. (Thompson later recycled the Wimple voice for MGM cartoon canine star Droopy in a series of entertaining cartoons directed by animation great Tex Avery.)

The Jordan's began their network career in the early 1930s, performing on such popular programs as "Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten" and, later, starring in their own series, "Smackouts."Thompson's versatility on "Fibber McGee & Molly" was nothing short of astounding. After Ransom Sherman had a crack at the role, he assumed the part of Molly's constantly inebriated Uncle Dennis before the show's writers decided Dennis was funnier when silent. He also essayed the part of Roebuck, the tweedy butler of Wistful Vista's high-society matron, Millicent Carstairs (played by Bea Benaderet), and had an endless repertoire of policemen (most of whom were Irish) and other public servants at the ready. One of the funniest of Thompson's characters was a nameless streetcar conductor, introduced in 1949, whose pronouncements were completely unintelligible to his passengers; this was explained because his father had been an auctioneer and his mother a long distance operator. Thompson was so integral to the program that his presence was sorely missed when he was inducted into the Navy in 1943, which meant that he took Wimple, The Old Timer, Boomer and Nick DePopolous with him.

Bill's vocal talents weren't just restricted to "Fibber McGee & Molly"; his work on the Droopy cartoons brought him to the attention of Walt Disney, who gave him plum roles in feature films like "Alice in Wonderland" (as the White Rabbit), "Peter Pan" (as Mr. Smee), "Lady and the Tramp", "Sleeping Beauty," and "The Aristocats". He also originated the role of Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore in a short series of Disney cartoon shorts in the 1950s. When NBC purchased the Fibber & Molly program and revamped its format to a five-day-a-week quarter-hour in the fall of 1953, the smartest move they made was to retain Bill's services. Even in the program's truncated form, he can still convulse old-time radio fans as both The Old Timer and Wallace Wimple ? and you have the chance to find this out for yourself in this third volume of a new series of Premier Collections transferred from the long-lost original NBC Reference Recordings of the series. Radio Archives invites you to listen to forty more full-length programs that, for the most part, have not been heard since they originally aired over fifty years ago. An additional bonus is their sparkling audio quality; thanks to the innovations of the digital age, these classic shows can now be heard at a level of clear and crisp high fidelity that far exceeds what was available to the average listener in 1954. The result is shows that sound - and are - just as bright, fresh, and entertaining as they were when first heard -- a real tribute to the time, talent, and devotion to quality that went into their production.
 
Walt Disney's Story of Alice in Wonderland ST3909

A Story and Songs Told by Darlene of Mickey Mouse Club fame

www.mountainears.org​
 
Sorry guys, I was trying to post something new before I left for WDW and now realized I posted something available (Itunes) which I was trying not to do. I will try to be more deligent on my next selection. Any ideas of what you would like to hear (hopefully I have the record)?
 

Joseph

Member
Although on the cover it states that Darlene is telling the story on this record this is actually the second version of ST-3909, which has Ginny Tyler telling the story (although Darlene still sings on the album). I guess they had more covers than records and used some of the old covers with the new records. Although I like the Ginny Tyler version I would love to hear Darlene's original version. I don't suppose you have that version also?
 
Now Playing:

Walt Disney's That Darn Cat - Vista 3334 (1965)
Original music score from the sound tract of the motion picture. In stereo.

www.mountainears.org

(Sorry about the underlying noise on the softer songs. No filter used :eek: )
 

hauntdmansn

New Member
I would like to hear some more Tutti Camerata albums. I have been wanting to hear the story and songs from The Sword in the Stone. There is more I am sure to think of later.
 
Although on the cover it states that Darlene is telling the story on this record this is actually the second version of ST-3909, which has Ginny Tyler telling the story (although Darlene still sings on the album). I guess they had more covers than records and used some of the old covers with the new records. Although I like the Ginny Tyler version I would love to hear Darlene's original version. I don't suppose you have that version also?
I have both versions. The Darlene version is available via itunes so I will not play it. I am trying to play music that is OOP. :eek:
 
I would like to hear some more Tutti Camerata albums. I have been wanting to hear the story and songs from The Sword in the Stone. There is more I am sure to think of later.
A very large selection of Tutti produced albums that are OOP. I am thinking I will start with the Seasons albums.

I will pull out Sword in the Stone and get it recorded for play soon. Thanks for the suggestions!
 

Joseph

Member
makeminemusic,
Are you saying that the Darlene narrated version of ST-3909 is available on iTunes? I know that WDL-4015 is available, which contains the songs and music, but I was not aware that the Storyteller version was on there also.
 
makeminemusic,
Are you saying that the Darlene narrated version of ST-3909 is available on iTunes? I know that WDL-4015 is available, which contains the songs and music, but I was not aware that the Storyteller version was on there also.
Joseph, I think you are right, I guess I need to pull out the Darlene version and record it too :)
 
Now Playing:

Spring WDL-3032 Mono (1958)
Music by Camarata
Featuring Tutti's Trumpets and the Camarata Strings

First of 4 records in the "Music of the Seasons" series. Very nice songs getting the lush Camarata treatment.

www.mountainears.org
 

hauntdmansn

New Member
This makes my day! Thank you! Such a beautiful album! I always wanted to hear it in full. Such a rare lp! :) Thank you, I will listen several times. :D
 
Do you know that those titles are available on cd?

Soft and Sentimental
Thanks for the heads up Francois and keeping me on my toes! :) Looks like they released most of this album (except 2 titles) and some from the other Seasons, but the CD is not all-inclusive of all the tracks on the Season's LPs.

I knew that Tutti's Trumpets and Trombones had been on CD and MP3 download, but did not know they had other selections.
 

Top