Posted on 08/19/2020 12:31:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Radio Lab, broadcast over WNYC, recently aired a piece about Blanc ...featuring an interview with his son Noel Blanc, who is also a voice actor. Noel Blanc tells the story of a terrible car accident that badly injured his father in 1961 as he was driving home along Sunset Boulevard from a job in San Francisco. Mel Blanc, driving an Aston Martin, collided with another car on Dead Man's Curve. Blanc was almost killed and slipped into a coma. Blanc's son and wife spent two weeks at his bedside trying to revive him, but got no response.
One day, about 14 days after the accident, one of Blanc's neurologists walked into the room and tried something completely new. He went to Mel's bed and asked, "Bugs Bunny, how are you doing today?"
There was a pause while people in the room just shook their heads. Then, in a weak voice, came the response anyone would recognize.
"Myeeeeh. What's up doc?"
The doctor then asked Tweety if he was there too.
"I tot I taw a puddy tat," was the reply.
It took seven more months in a body cast for Blanc to recover. He even voiced Barney Rubble in the first episodes of The Flintstones while lying in bed with a microphone dangling from above...
Radio Lab features another neurologist's opinion: Blanc was such a hard-working professional that his characters lived, protected from the brain injury, deep in his unconscious mind. The doctor's question must have sounded like a director's cue.
Essentially, "Mr. Blanc, you're on."
(Excerpt) Read more at openculture.com ...
BTTT!
I believe it’s spelled “Albakoykey”.
Bingo.
I posted the movie pic.
Charlie Chaplin
but you’d never know it hardly because Bugs talked and Charlie was a silent film guy, mostly
“Bugs Bunny could lead the fix in Washington politics. He cuts to the chase in one phrase most the time. Nothing upsets him. He carries a grudge on his terms. He redirects the hardship back to the source.”
I remember that scene!
I think Remole got it right.
“Clark Gable, his character in ‘It Happened One Night.’ The hitchhiking scene, with Gable munching on a carrot and Ms. Colbert demonstrating that she can hail a car ‘and not use my thumb.’” That is the generally accepted explanation. Great movie too.
BTW, I just saw “The Gold Rush” with Charlie Chaplin. Another great movie.
i could see clark gable
i guess though imstill see chaplin too
bugs isn’t as imposing as gable, the stature is more chaplin
I saw Mel Blanc give a speech at an event at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (which awards the Oscars) in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 1981. When he introduced Blanc, the MC related the story of his accident and how he asked the doctor “what’s up, doc?” when he came to. Blanc soon had the audience laughing by telling, among other things, several funny Polish jokes. June Foray, who did the voice of Rocky the Squirrel and Natasha Fatale in the Bullwinkle cartoon series also appeared at the event.
The feet pointed out are more like Chaplin but the wise guy character from Brooklyn is Clark Gable even though I’m not sure Clark Gable was from Brooklyn. That was a great Mel Banc touch.
this is where the silent films dont convey the character
i have heard that chaplin’s character was regarded as a intelligent rascal and wise guy
but i just cant watch those silent films for visual dialogue, its too much of a break incontinuity for me
If he was coming home by car, he probably would have taken Rte. 101. Interstate 5 had not been built in 1961, so the only alternatives were Rte. 33 and Rte. 99, which would have taken much longer. He would have followed 101 all the way to Sherman Oaks, where he would have turned south on Sepulveda and then east on Sunset.
Today, I can get to SF (if I ever care to go there) from my North Orange County home in about six hours by road, which is faster than I can get there by plane.
Thanks for the link. Even all these years later, i LOL’ed several times. What a wonderful story. Sounds like, compared to today’s artistes, he was paid relatively little.
Great story... smart doctor.
Simply amazing. He loved the characters he created so much, he refused to let them die.
“Also possible that he was driving back from LAX (or another nearby airport) after flying from SF.”
Good point.
Yes, you’re right.
He could have gone down Beverly Glen too, then east on Sunset.
And it’s true. I can make it up to the East Bay in 5 1/2 hours or so from the SVG.
The 70 MPH speed limit helps. But nowadays, there are traffic slowdowns on the 5. I travel at night now.
Come to think of it.......
I love the good silent movies. There’s something very simple and charming in them - and funny.
Charlie Chaplin in “The Gold Rush” - try it you’ll probably like it.
Harold Lloyd with those goofy glasses. He can just look at the camera and make you laugh.
Buster Keaton’s physical comedy is great.
I used to work near Palo Alto where David Packard bought the Stanford Theater, restored it to its original Art Deco facade, and showed only old classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood including the great silent movies. Loved it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.