Kent Rogers

Kent Byron Rogers (July 31, 1923 – July 9, 1944) was an American actor and impressionist who appeared in several live-action shorts and features, and a voice actor for Warner Bros. Cartoons and Walter Lantz Productions.

Kent Rogers
Kent Rogers in All-American Co-Ed
Born
Kent Byron Rogers

(1923-07-31)July 31, 1923
Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 9, 1944(1944-07-09) (aged 20)
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Cause of deathKilled in a training flight accident during World War II
OccupationActor
Years active1937–1944

Career

For Warner Bros. Cartoons, Rogers portrayed several Hollywood stars in Hollywood Steps Out, and lent his voice to The Heckling Hare, Porky's Pastry Pirates, Horton Hatches the Egg, The Squawkin' Hawk and Super-Rabbit. Rogers also provided the original voice of Beaky Buzzard in Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid and The Bashful Buzzard. He also provided the voice of Junior Bear in Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears, the initial 1944 entry of Chuck Jones' The Three Bears series. He also appeared occasionally on radio sitcoms, generally doing one-off characters.

In 1941, he had a rare on-camera role as Henry, a boy who had a talent for doing impressions, in the film All-American Co-Ed.

For Walter Lantz Productions he voiced Woody Woodpecker in five theatrical cartoon shorts released from 1942 to 1943.[1]

Rogers' career ended upon his enlistment in the Navy in late 1943.

Death

Rogers was killed in the crash of a training flight at Pensacola, Florida, while he was an Ensign in the United States Navy during World War II, on July 9, 1944, 22 days before his 21st birthday. Stan Freberg then replaced Rogers as the voice of Junior Bear, while Mel Blanc took over as the voice of Beaky Buzzard, though that character's appearances were limited after Rogers' death.

Rogers is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1937 Make a Wish Summer Camp Kid Film debut, Uncredited
Boy of the Streets Gang Member 'Red' Uncredited
Headin' East Boy in Gym Uncredited
1938 Reformatory Inmate Uncredited
Boys Town Tailor Uncredited
The Storm Boy in Gym Uncredited
1939 Streets of New York Gang Member Uncredited
1940 Northwest Passage Odiorne Towne Uncredited
Good Old Schooldays Jimmy Skelton Uncredited
Military Academy Billings Uncredited
1941 Goofy Groceries Gorilla Voice, Uncredited
Farm Frolics Henry Ant[2] Voice, Uncredited
Hollywood Steps Out Mickey Rooney / James Cagney / James Stewart / Kay Kyser / J. Edgar Hoover / Henry Fonda / Cary Grant / Edward G. Robinson / Clark Gable / Bing Crosby / Lewis Stone / Ned Sparks / Peter Lorre / Groucho Marx[3][4] Voice, Uncredited
The Heckling Hare Willoughby Voice, Uncredited
Life Begins for Andy Hardy Tough Boy Uncredited
All-American Co-ed Henry
1942 Porky's Pastry Pirates James Cagney Bee Voice, Uncredited
The Hams That Couldn't Be Cured Wolf / Pigs Voice, Uncredited
Horton Hatches the Egg Horton the Elephant / Peter Lorre Fish / Giraffe[5] Voice, Uncredited
Hobby Horse-Laffs Strongfort / Giggleswick / Potts[6] Voice, Uncredited
Ace in the Hole Woody Woodpecker Voice, Uncredited
Wacky Blackout Woodpecker / Baby Bird[7][8] Voice, Uncredited
Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid Beaky Buzzard Voice, Uncredited
Pigeon Patrol Homer Pigeon / Carrier Pigeon Voice, Uncredited
The Squawkin' Hawk Henery Hawk Voice, Uncredited
The Early Bird Dood It! Cat / Worm[9] Voice, Uncredited
The Hep Cat Rosebud[10] Voice, Uncredited
The Loan Stranger Woody Woodpecker / Hudson C. Dann Voice, Uncredited
Road to Morocco Male Camel Voice, Uncredited
1943 The Screwball Woody Woodpecker / Hudson C. Dann Voice, Uncredited
Tortoise Wins by a Hare Dumb Rabbit with Telescope[11] Voice, Uncredited
Super-Rabbit Professor Canafrazz Voice, Uncredited
Swing Your Partner Homer Pigeon / Hank / Square Dance Caller Voice, Uncredited
Red Hot Riding Hood Wolf (some lines)[12] Voice, Uncredited
The Dizzy Acrobat Woody Woodpecker Voice, Uncredited
Who Killed Who? Victim / Red Skeleton / Falling Body / Santa Claus[12] Voice, Uncredited
Ration Bored Woody Woodpecker / Gas Station Attendant / Police Officer Voice, Uncredited
One Ham's Family Narrator / Junior / Wolf Voice, Uncredited
What's Buzzin' Buzzard Joe Buzzard / Jimmy Durante Vulture's Stomach[12] Voice, Uncredited
1944 Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears Junyer Bear Voice, Uncredited
1945 The Bashful Buzzard Beaky Buzzard Voice, Uncredited
1946 The Hick Chick Clem[12] Final film, Voice, Uncredited

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2015-12-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Hartley, Steven (2014-04-20). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 327. Farm Frolics (1941)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  3. "The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: Q, R". www.warnercompanion.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. "Classic Cartoons: Who's That Guy? - "Hollywood Steps Out"". classiccartoons.blogspot.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. Hartley, Steven (9 December 2014). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 363. Horton Hatches the Egg (1942)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. Hartley, Steven (18 February 2015). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 370. Hobby Horse-Laffs (1942)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. Hartley, Steven (4 April 2015). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 374. Wacky Blackout (1942)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  8. "Bob Clampett's "A Tale Of Two Kitties" (1942) |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  9. "Tralfaz: Wile E. Bird". Tralfaz. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  10. Hartley, Steven (15 August 2015). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 384. The Hep Cat (1942)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  11. Hartley, Steven (10 April 2016). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 395. Tortoise Wins By a Hare (1943)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  12. ""Hello All You Happy Tax Payers": Tex Avery's Voice Stock Company |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
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