Jackson Beck passes away Options

[Cartoon Fan]

I'm sad to report that the Jackson Beck, who voiced Bluto for years, has recently passed away.

Rest in Peace, Jackson. We miss you!

[CaptGeorge]

That's sad to hear, but Mr. Beck lived a long, full life and made a lot of people happy.

I can still enjoy hearing his voice in both the Famous Studio Popeye cartoons and the Superman Radio show CDs that I own.

I would have liked to have met the guy, but I can honestly say I've heard him as well of him.

May he enjoy his just rewards.

[damfino]

Bluto, King Leonardo, Lex Luthor, Perry White, a voice to be recognized, I am very saddened by this news.

[Daff Doc]

Darn it all! They're all passing away! I am very upset to here this news! Rest in Peace Mister Jackson Beck.

[ohmahaaha]

I can hear Jackson's Bluto laugh in my head so clearly! What fun that we were all able to enjoy his talent for so long on so many cartoons!

[PastorSteve]

I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Beck's passing. From old time radio to cartoons to movies and commercials, Mr. Beck did it all. I particularly enjoyed the way the his Bluto (and the other rivals of Popeye in the Famous Studios cartoons) could go from cunning to evil to suave to low class to lustful to friendly to romantic all in the space of one cartoon. This made Bluto more of a convincing threat to Popeye and more of a temptation to Olive Oyl.

[Ken Layton]

I am saddened to hear about this. :(

I have several tapes of the Superman and Philo Vance radio programs and am still amazed at the many voices he did. I really loved his Buzzy the Crow voice and all the characters he did at Famous Studios.

Rest in Peace my friend. You gave us so many memorable performances.

[Dr. Madcap]

Very sad news indeed. :(

Rest in peace, Jackson.

[Igor]

Does anyone have a link to a voice-ography for Mr. Beck ?

[Cartoon Fan]

Does anyone have a link to a voice-ography for Mr. Beck ?

Here's an IMDb entry. It MIGHT be incomplete, but not so sure.

http://imdb.com/name/nm0065159/

[Semaj]

Darn it all! They're all passing away! I am very upset to here this news! Rest in Peace Mister Jackson Beck.

I remember I used to watch those Famous Studios Popeye's all the time.

It's sad that "Bluto" is gone. <:*(

[Goon]

I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Beck several years ago
when I asked if he could supply a brief "Brutus' vocal for a cable
children's show (which he did free of charge). He was a super,
super man indeed! It is the information which he sent me
that has helped clear up the question of why Bluto's name was
changed to Brutus.

May his work long live on!

[Ray Pointer]

Also note that in the early 1950s, Jackson Beck was the star of his own radio show,
Philo Vance, about a private detective.

[Ken Layton]

I see that Radio Spirits has put up a nice tribute to Jackson Beck on their website. They've also put a couple of his Philo Vance collections on sale.

[A. Leal]

As a child, even moreso than Bluto, I always enjoyed Beck's work as King Leonardo ("Confount it!") Though in general the Total TV output (particularly Go Go Gophers or Klondike Kat) seldom holds up well, I still have a soft spot for King Leonardo (and also Tennesse Tuxedo), in both cases due largely to the fine voice work, even when dealing with substandard "jokes." I'm also quite fond of his work in Woody Allen's "Radio Days," dubbing the On the Spot Newsman (briefly seen on camera, hidden behind the mike) during the vignette about Polly Phelps, the girl stuck in the well. Great use of Beck's serious announcer voice, and a fine dramatic, realistic performance. Have also been re-listening to the 1945 "Atom Man" serial from Superman, featuring M. Beck in a wealth of small roles, from a country doctor and a Portuguese customs man to various henchman, a burly asylum attendant, and Beany, in addition to the breathless narration.
IMDb does indeed provide a partial list of Mr. Beck's credits, but as always, it's not infallible, and more importantly, by its very nature, ignores his vast radio career, which extended to several revival efforts long after radio as a dramatic medium was more or less "dead" in the US, and included roles in almost every conceivable genre, from adventure and crime shows to Westerns to sitcoms to soaps to sci-fi. In fact, Jackson Beck was also one of the founders of AFTRA, serving as both president and vice president at various times, and was honored in 2002 by the organization for his work over the years.

What follows is only a partial list of Mr. Beck's radio work, in approximately chronological order (including the aforementioned Philo Vance series)
culled from the works of John Dunning, radio spirits manuals, and my own listening experiences, amongst other sources (the now out of print Smithsonian Superman set booklet had a foreword by Mr. Beck, discussing the series and his relationship with Bud Collyer, probably one of the best and most reflective of the many such intros that I have read):
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"March of Time" (circa 1939 onward, exact tenure uncertain though) (Josef Stalin, other world leaders; Westbrook Van Voorhis substitute on at least a couple of shows)
"Adventures of Superman" (1943-1949) (Narrator/Announcer, Beany the Office Boy, various thugs, guards, and others)
"Inner Sanctum" (between 1941and 1952, many appearances)
"Busy Mr. Bingle" (1943) (Whizzer the salesman)
"The Mysterious Traveler" (1943-1952)
"Brownstone Theater" (1945) (male leads)
"The Casebook of Gregory Hood"- (Gregory Hood, circa 1949)
"Casey Crime Pohtographer" (Inspector Logan circa 1943-1952)
"The Cisco Kid" (1942-1945) (Cisco)
"The Man Behind the Gun" (1942-1944)
"Joe and Ethel Turp" (1943) (Joe)
"A Woman of America" (1943-1946) (Emilio Prieto)
"Words at War" (1943-1945)
"Creeps By Night" (1944)
"Matinee Theater" (1944)
"Columbia Presents Corwin" (1944-1945) (appeared in "The Cliché Expert," May 2, 1944)
"Hop Harrigan" (circa 1942-1948) (Tank Tinker, Hop's sidekick)
"FBI in Peace and War" (1944-1958)
"You Are There" (1947-1950) (Announcer/actor, recreating historical scenes and roles)
"The Milton Berle Show" (1947-1949) (occasional appearances, usually as reporters or announcers)
"Philo Vance" (1948-1950) (Philo Vance, lead)
"The Joe DiMaggio Show" (1949-1950) (various dramatic roles in sports sketches)
"Cloak and Dagger" (1950)
"Dimension X" (1950-1951)
"Mark Trail" (1950-1952) (Announcer/Narrator)
"Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" (1952) (Narrator, role also played on TV)
"X-Minus One" (1955-1958)
"CBS Radio Workshop" (1956-1957)- (Several appearances, most notably as a talking tape recorder discussing sound editing in "I Have Three Heads.")
"Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" (1960-1962)
"National Lampoon Radio Hour" (70s, I'm uncertain of the show's exact run.) (various announcers in sketches and commercial spoofs)
"CBS Radio Mystery Theater" (1974-1981) (Numerous appearances on Himan Brown's series, notably as a labor racketeer in "The Black Widow.")

For more info on the late, great Mr. Beck, see the Newsday obit, and also "Official Popeye Fan Club" columnist Leonard Kohl's thoughts and memories, here.