Paul Frees

Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920 – November 2, 1986), better known as Paul Frees, was an American actor, voice actor, comedian, impressionist and screenwriter, known for his work on MGM, Walter Lantz, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during the Golden Age of Animation[1] and for providing the voice of Boris Badenov in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.[1] A contemporary of voice actor Mel Blanc, Frees was known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices".[2]

Paul Frees
Frees in a rare onscreen appearance in The 27th Day (1957)
Born
Solomon Hersh Frees

(1920-06-22)June 22, 1920
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 1986(1986-11-02) (aged 66)
Tiburon, California, U.S.
Resting placePacific Ocean
NationalityAmerican
Other namesThe Man of a Thousand Voices
Solomon Hersh Frees
Solomon Frees
Paul Hersh Frees
Buddy Green
Occupation
  • Actor
  • voice actor
  • comedian
  • impressionist
  • screenwriter
Years active1942–1986
Spouse(s)
Anelle McCloud
​
​
(m. 1943; died 1945)​

Kleda June Hansen
​
​
(m. 1947; div. 1950)​

Joyce Schultz
​
​
(m. 1951, divorced)​

Jeri J. Cole
​
​
(m. 1967; div. 1969)​

Beverly T. Marlow
​
(m. 1971)​
Children2

Early life

Frees was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1920; he grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood and attended Von Steuben Junior High School.[3] He had an unusually wide four-octave voice range that would enable him to voice everything from the thundering basso profundo of the unseen "Ghost Host" in the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland in California[1] and at Walt Disney World in Florida to the voice of the farmer who helps the Little Green Sprout (voiced by Ike Eisenmann) in the Green Giant vegetable commercials.

Career

In the 1930s, Frees first appeared on vaudeville as an impressionist, under the name Buddy Green. He began his career on radio in 1942 and remained active for more than 40 years. During that time, he was involved in more than 250 films, cartoons and TV appearances; as was the case for many voice actors of the time, his appearances were often uncredited.

Frees' early radio career was cut short when he was drafted into the United States Army during World War II where he fought at Normandy, France on D-Day.[4] He was wounded in action and was returned to the United States for a year of recuperation. He attended the Chouinard Art Institute under the G.I. Bill. When his first wife's health failed, he decided to drop out and return to radio work.[5]

He appeared frequently on Hollywood radio series, including Escape, playing lead roles and alternating with William Conrad as the opening announcer of Suspense in the late 1940s, and parts on Gunsmoke (doing an impersonation of Howard McNear as Doc Adams for at least one episode, "The Cast"), and Crime Classics. One of his few starring roles in this medium was as Jethro Dumont/Green Lama in the 1949 series The Green Lama, as well as a syndicated anthology series The Player, in which Frees narrated and played all the parts.

Frees was often called upon in the 1950s and 1960s to "re-loop" the dialogue of other actors, often to correct for foreign accents, lack of English proficiency, or poor line readings by non-professionals. These dubs extended from a few lines to entire roles. This can be noticed rather clearly in the films Grand Prix (as Izo Yamura) and Midway where Frees reads for Toshiro Mifune's performances as Admiral Yamamoto;[6] or in the film Some Like It Hot, in which Frees provides the voice of funeral director Mozzarella as well as much of the falsetto voice for Tony Curtis' female character Josephine. Frees also dubbed the entire role of Eddie in the Disney film The Ugly Dachshund, replacing actor Dick Wessel, who had died of a sudden heart attack after completion of principal photography. Frees also dubbed Humphrey Bogart in his final film The Harder They Fall. Bogart was suffering at the time from what would be diagnosed as esophageal cancer and thus could barely be heard in some takes, hence the need for Frees to dub in his voice. He also voiced the cars in the comedy The Great Race.

Unlike many voice actors who did most of their work for one studio, Frees worked extensively with at least nine of the major animation production companies of the 20th century: Walt Disney Productions, Warner Bros. Cartoons, Walter Lantz Productions, UPA, Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Jay Ward Productions, Rankin/Bass, and Ruby-Spears.

Disney

Some of Frees' most memorable voices were for various Disney projects. Frees voiced Disney's Professor Ludwig Von Drake in eighteen episodes of the Disney anthology television series,[7] beginning with the first episode of the newly renamed Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on September 24, 1961. The character also appeared on many Disneyland Records. Von Drake's introductory cartoon, An Adventure in Color, featured The Spectrum Song, sung by Frees as Von Drake. A different Frees recording of this song appeared on a children's record, and was later reissued on CD.[8]

Frees narrated a number of Disney cartoons, including the Disney educational short film Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land. This short originally aired in the same television episode as Von Drake's first appearance.

He also provided voices for numerous characters at Disney parks, including the unseen "Ghost Host" in the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and several audio-animatronic pirates, including the Auctioneer, in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and recorded the iconic "Dead Men Tell No Tales" used in the ride.[9] Disney eventually issued limited edition compact discs commemorating the two rides, featuring outtakes and unused audio tracks by Frees and others. Frees also provided narration for the Tomorrowland attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space (1967–1985) and the original Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Audio clips from the attractions in Frees' distinctive voice have even appeared in fireworks shows at Disneyland.

A computer-animated singing bust in Frees' likeness appeared in the 2003 film The Haunted Mansion as a tribute. Similarly, audio recordings of Frees from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction can be heard in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in a homage to the ride.

Frees also had a small live-action role for Disney in the 1959 film The Shaggy Dog, playing Dr. Galvin, a military psychiatrist who attempts to understand why Mr. Daniels believes a shaggy dog can uncover a spy ring. He also did the film's opening narration.

His other Disney credits, most of them narration for segments of the Disney anthology television series, include the following:

For his contributions to the Disney legacy, Frees was honored posthumously as a Disney Legend on October 9, 2006.[10]

Jay Ward Productions

Frees was a regular presence in Jay Ward cartoons, providing the voices of Boris Badenov (from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show), Inspector Fenwick (from Dudley Do-Right, impersonating Eric Blore), Ape (impersonating Ronald Colman), District Commissioner Alistair and Weevil Plumtree in George of the Jungle, Baron Otto Matic in Tom Slick, Fred in Super Chicken, and the Hoppity Hooper narrator, among numerous others.

Rankin/Bass

Frees is well-remembered for providing the voices for many characters in Rankin/Bass cartoons and stop-motion animated TV specials, most notably for a number of holiday-themed specials. In 1968, he appeared as Captain Jones in the Thanksgiving special The Mouse on the Mayflower, and that Christmas he appeared as the father of the Drummer Boy, Ali, and as the three Wise Men in The Little Drummer Boy. He was also Hocus Pocus, the traffic cop, the ticket-taker, and Santa Claus in Frosty the Snowman in 1969 and played the central villain, Burgermeister Meisterburger, and his assistant Grimsley in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town in 1970. He provided several voices, including Eon the Terrible, for Rudolph's Shiny New Year in 1976.

Frees also voiced King Haggard's wizard Mabruk and the Cat in The Last Unicorn and provided several voices for the Jackson Five cartoon series between 1971 and 1973. He provided the voices for several J. R. R. Tolkien characters (most notably the dwarf Bombur) in Rankin/Bass animated versions of The Hobbit and The Return of the King.

Rankin/Bass TV specials or films featuring Paul Frees include:

George Pal

Frees portrayed the Orson Welles sound-alike radio reporter in George Pal's film The War of the Worlds (1953), where he is seen dictating into a tape recorder as the military prepares the atomic bomb for use against the invading Martians. Memorably, his character says that the recording is being made "for future history... if any". Frees also provided the film's dramatic opening narration, prior to Sir Cedric Hardwicke's voice-over tour of the solar system.

Frees subsequently provided the apocalyptic voice for the "talking rings" in Pal's later film The Time Machine (1960), in which he explains the ultimate fate of humanity from which the time traveler realizes the origin of the Morlocks and Eloi.

Producer Pal later put Frees to work again in the fantasy film Atlantis, the Lost Continent (also 1960) and doing the opening voice-over narration for Pal's Doc Savage (1975) film.

Frees did the narration for the George Pal documentary The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985), written, produced, and directed by Arnold Leibovit. Two years later, Frees provided the voice for Arnie the Dinosaur and the Pillsbury Doughboy in The Puppetoon Movie (1987), also produced and directed by Leibovit.

Other voice work

The talented actor voiced several characters, including three of the main characters in the US versions of Belvision's Hergé's Adventures of Tintin cartoons, based on the books by Hergé.

He had also done work for Hanna-Barbera in their Tom and Jerry shorts at MGM. In the 1956 Cinemascope Tom and Jerry cartoon, Blue Cat Blues, he was Jerry's voice who narrated the short; he had also voiced Jerry's cousin Muscles in Jerry's Cousin five years earlier and the cannibals in the Tom and Jerry episode His Mouse Friday where he said the lines "Mmmmm, barbecued cat!" and "Mmmmm, barbecued mouse!"

At the MGM Animation studio, he also did multiple voice roles for the legendary Tex Avery's films, notably playing every role in Cellbound in 1955.

Fries worked with Spike Jones on his 1960 album, "Omnibust," appearing as announcer "Billy Playtex" and several other characters on "The Late Late Late Late Movies, Part I and II."

From October 1961 through September 1962, Paul Frees provided the voice for the shady lawyer named Judge Oliver Wendell Clutch, a weasel on the animated program Calvin and the Colonel starring the voices of Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, the series was an animated television remake of their radio series Amos 'n Andy.

For the 1962 Christmas special Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, produced by UPA, Paul Frees voiced several characters, including Fezziwig, the Charity Man, two of the opportunists who steal from the dead man (Eyepatch Man and Tall Tophat Man)[11] and Mister Magoo's Broadway theatre director. He subsequently provided numerous voices for further cartoons in the series that followed, The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo.

Frees provided the voices of both John Lennon and George Harrison in the 1965 The Beatles cartoon series, the narrator, Big D and Fluid Man in the 1966 cartoon series, Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles and of The Thing in the 1967 series Fantastic Four, as well as President James Norcross in the 1967 cartoon series Super President. He played several roles—narrator, Chief of State, the judges and the bailiff—in the George Lucas / John Korty animated film, Twice Upon a Time.

Frees provided the voice-over for the trailer to the 1971 Clint Eastwood thriller, Play Misty for Me.

In television commercials, he was the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7-Up bird Fresh-Up Freddie, Froot Loops spokesbird Toucan Sam (previously voiced by Mel Blanc, later voiced by Maurice LaMarche), Boo-Berry in the series of monster cereal commercials, and The Farmer who helps The Little Green Sprout, (voiced by Ike Eisenmann) who called out to the Jolly Green Giant, "So what's new besides ho-ho-ho, Green Giant?"

Frees narrated many live action films and television series, including Naked City (1958–1963). Frees also provided the voice of the eccentric billionaire John Beresford Tipton, always seated in his chair with his back to the viewer while talking to his employee Michael Anthony (fellow voice-artist Marvin Miller), on the dramatic series The Millionaire.

He was the narrator at the beginning of the film The Disorderly Orderly starring Jerry Lewis. He also "looped" an actor's voice in the film The Ladies Man, also starring Jerry Lewis.

Frees had a wide range of other roles, usually heard but not seen, and frequently without screen credit. The resonance of his natural voice was similar to that of Orson Welles, and he performed a Welles impression several times. Some highlights of his voice work are as follows:

Other credits

Although Frees was primarily known for his voice work (like Mel Blanc, he was known in the industry as "The Man of a Thousand Voices"), he was also a songwriter and screenwriter. His most notable screenwriting work was the little-seen 1960 film The Beatniks, a screed against the then-rising Beat counterculture in the vein of Reefer Madness. In 1992, the film was mocked on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

On rare occasions, Frees appeared on-camera, usually in minor roles. In 1954, he appeared in the film noir classic Suddenly starring Frank Sinatra and Sterling Hayden. He played a scientist in The Thing from Another World, a death-row priest in A Place in the Sun, and French fur trader McMasters in The Big Sky. In 1955, he appeared as an irate husband suing his wife (played by Ann Doran) for alimony in an episode of CBS's sitcom The Ray Milland Show.

In Jet Pilot, Frees plays a menacing Soviet officer whose job is to watchdog pilot Janet Leigh, but instead manages to eject himself from a parked jet, enabling Leigh to rescue John Wayne and fly back to the West. In the 1970 film Patton, Frees provided the voices of a war correspondent interviewing Patton while Patton rides his horse, and of a member of Patton's staff, as well as voice-overs for several other actors, including the Moroccan official hosting a troop review for Patton. Frees is also heard in Tora! Tora! Tora! as the English-language voice of the Japanese ambassador to the United States. He also does the final narration in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the first sequel to Planet of the Apes.

Legacy

Since Frees' death, voice actor Corey Burton has provided voices for some of Frees' characters.[15] Burton, who met Frees in the late 1970s, has often re-recorded dialogue for some Disneyland attractions that was originally recorded by Frees.[16] In some cases, Frees' original, pre-digital recordings had simply deteriorated over time, and in others the dialogue had been rewritten to reflect plot changes or introduce new characters, such as the "Stuffed Pirate" replacing Frees' "Pooped Pirate" in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 1997.[17] Dialogue that was slightly rewritten to reflect newer safety standards is performed by actors Joe Leahy (English)[18][19] and Fabio Rodriguez (Spanish).[20] In 2001, Burton provided a Paul Frees impression for the new "Ghost Host" of Haunted Mansion Holiday, a seasonal, holiday-themed overlay for the Haunted Mansion attraction.[21] Burton also recorded Frees' Ghost Host lines for Walt Disney Pictures' 2003 film adaptation of the ride.

Personal life

Frees was married five times. His first marriage was to Anelle McCloud, from 1943 until her death in 1945. He then married Kleda June Hansen in 1947, but they divorced three years later in 1950. His third wife was Joyce Schultz. They married in 1951 and had two children – a son, Fred; and a daughter, Sabrina – before eventually divorcing.[22] His fourth marriage was to Jeri J. Cole in 1967, but they divorced after just two years, in 1969. Beverly T. Marlow was Frees' fifth wife. They married in 1971 but were estranged at the time of his death 15 years later.[23]

Death

Frees died at his home in Tiburon, California on November 2, 1986, from a self-administered overdose of pain medication. Though the official cause of death is listed as suicide, his agent issued a press release stating that he died from heart failure.[24]

Frees was survived by his son and daughter, and by Marlow, who had moved to Mesa, Arizona.[22][23] His body was cremated and his ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Filmography

Live-action
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1949 The Adventures of Sir Galahad The Black Knight (voice) Uncredited
1951 A Place in the Sun Rev. Morrison
1951 The Thing From Another World Dr. Vorhees
1951 His Kind of Woman Corley
1952 The Star Richard Stanley
1953 The War of the Worlds Radio Reporter / Narrator (voice)
1954 Suddenly Benny
1956 Earth vs. the Flying Saucers Alien (voice) Uncredited
1956 Francis in the Haunted House Francis (voice) Uncredited
1956 The Harder They Fall Priest
1957 The 27th Day Ward Mason / Newscaster Uncredited
1957 Jet Pilot Lt. Tiompkin Uncredited
1957 The Cyclops Cyclops
1958 Space Master X-7 Dr. Charles T. Pommer
1959 The Shaggy Dog Narrator / J. W. Galvin Uncredited
1960 The Beatniks N/A Director
1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods Radio News Announcer
1965 The Great Race Automobiles
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1955 Meet Mr. McNutley Husband Live-Action
Episode: "Jury Duty"
1955–1956 The Bob Cummings Show Television announcer
1956 Jane Wyman Presents Emcee Live-Action
Episode: "Ten Percent"
1957 The Adventures of Jim Bowie Etienne Live-Action
Episode: "German George"
1966 Get Smart Greenstreet Character / Lorre Character Episode: "Casablanca"
1975 Wonder Woman Prologue Narrator / Franklin D. Roosevelt Episode: "The New Original Wonder Woman"
1982 Woody Woodpecker and His Friends Himself / Various Video Documentary

Voice roles
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1947 Crazy with the Heat Oasis Soda Fountain Proprietor Uncredited
1950 Primitive Pluto Primo Pluto Short
1951 Jerry's Cousin Cousin Muscles, Leader of gang cats thugs
1951 Sleepy-Time Tom
1951 His Mouse Friday Jerry / Cannibals Uncredited
1952 Cruise Cat Ship's Captain
1952 Busybody Bear Barney Bear
1953 Life with Tom Radio Announcer
1953 The Missing Mouse Radio Announcer
1953 Wee Willy Wildcat Barney Bear
1953 Buccaneer Woodpecker Wally Walrus
1953 T.V. of Tomorrow Narrator
1953 Gunsmoke Doc Adams One Time Guest Appearance As Doc
1954 Homesteader Droopy Narrator
1954 Baby Butch Butch
1954 The Farm of Tomorrow Narrator
1955 Cellbound Prisoner / Warden / Little Wife
1956 Down Beat Bear First Radio Announcer
1956 Blue Cat Blues Jerry Mouse
1957 The Snow Queen Ol Dreamy / the Raven English Voice
Uncredited
1957 Witness for the Prosecution Epilogue announcer
1958 GIGI Uncredited, incidental voices
1959 Some Like It Hot Tony Curtis as Josephine Uncredited
1960 Loopy De Loop Watchdog "Tale of a Wolf"
1960 Spartacus Caius Uncredited
1960 Tormented Frank Hubbard Uncredited
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians Dirty Dawson Uncredited
1961 The Absent-Minded Professor Loudspeaker Voice / Air Force Dispatcher Uncredited
1961 Clash and Carry Wally Walrus Wally Walrus Short
1961 Snow White and the Three Stooges Narrator / Magic Mirror Uncredited
1962–1972 The Beary Family Charlie Beary /Junior Beary
1962 A Symposium on Popular Songs Ludwig Von Drake / Al Jolson
1962 The World's Greatest Sinner Narrator (The Snake)
1962 Gay Purr-ee Meowrice
1962 The Magic Sword Sir Ulrich of Germany Uncredited
1963 Stowaway Woody Unknown Woody Woodpecker Short
1964 The Disorderly Orderly Narrator Uncredited
1964 The Carpetbaggers Narrator Uncredited
1964 The Brass Bottle Lawyer Jennings Uncredited
1964 Mary Poppins Barnyard Horse Uncredited
1965 Goofy's Freeway Troubles Narrator Uncredited
Goofy Short
1965 The Outlaws Is Coming Narrator / The Magic Talking Mirror Uncredited
1965 Sink Pink Tex B'wana / Native Bearer Pink Panther Short
1965 Pinkfinger Narrator Pink Panther Short
1965 Pink Panzer Neighbor Harry / The Devil Pink Panther Short
1966 The Man Called Flintstone Green Goose / Agent Triple X / Mario / Rock Slag / Ali / Bobo
1967 King Kong Escapes Dr. Hu Uncredited
English Voice
1967 The St. Valentine's Day Massacre Narrator Uncredited
1969 Hell in the Pacific Narrator Voice Over for Toshiro Mifune as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda
1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura Uncredited
1970 Beneath the Planet of the Apes Ending Voiceover Uncredited
1970 Patton War Correspondent / Member of the Staff of Patton / Sheik Uncredited
1975 Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze Narrator Uncredited
1976 Midway Adm. Yamamoto Uncredited
1982 The Flight of Dragons Antiquity Uncredited
1982 The Last Unicorn Mabruk / The Cat
1983 Twice Upon a Time Narrator / Chief of State / Judges in The Pantry of Pomp / Bailiff
1985 The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal Narrator Documentary about George Pal
1987 The Puppetoon Movie Arnie the Dinosaur / Pillsbury Doughboy Released posthumously; 7 months after his death. This movie was dedicated to Paul Frees.
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1953 The Jack Benny Program Narrator Episode: "The Honolulu Trip"
1955–1960 The Millionaire John Beresford Tipton
1956–58 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Announcer / Swanson / Mary's Father
1957–1968, 1976 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Ludwig Von Drake / Narrator / Donald Duck (1 episode) / Moby Duck 18 Episodes
1957–1961 The Woody Woodpecker Show Wally Walrus / Charlie / Doc / Various
1958–1959 Steve Canyon Narrator 34 Episodes
1959–1964 The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show Boris / Inspector Fenwick / Captain Peter "Wrong Way" Peachfuzz / Additional Voices 163 Episodes / 326 Segments
1960 Mister Magoo Various 13 Episodes
1960–1962 The Flintstones Mr. Granite / Rockenschpeel / TV Announcer / Ed Bedrock Episodes: "The Babysitters", "The Happy Household"
1961 Top Cat Tony / Additional voices Episodes: "The Maharajah of Pookajee", "All That Jazz", "The $1,000,000 Derby", "The Con Men", "Dibble's Double"
1961 The Dick Tracy Show Go-Go Gomez Uncredited
1961–1962 Calvin and the Colonel Judge Oliver Wendell Clutch
1961–1962 The Alvin Show Additional voices
1962 Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol Stage Director / Charity Man / Fezziwig / Old Joe / Undertaker TV Special
1963 Krazy Kat Ignatz Mouse
1962–1964 Fractured Flickers Narrator / Various 26 Episodes
1964–1965 The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo Sherlock Holmes / Various 5 Episodes
1961–1966 Hoppity Hooper Narrator / Additional voices 52 Episodes / 104 Segments
1965 The New Three Stooges Sarge / Von Vonce / Bomb Maker Episode: "That Little Old Bomb Maker"
1965 I Dream of Jeannie Narrator Episodes: "My Hero?", "Guess What Happened on the Way to the Moon?"
1965–1966 The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show Squiddly Diddly / Morocco Mole / Double-Q / Yellow Pinkie / Claude Hopper 26 Episodes
1965–1969 The Beatles John Lennon / George Harrison
1966 The Impossibles Fluid-Man / Professor Stretch / Captain Kid / Puzzler / Infamous Mr. Instant / Artful Archer / Dr. Futuro 26 Episodes
1966 Laurel and Hardy Additional voices
1966–1967 The Super 6 Dispatcher "Super Chief" / Brother Matzoriley #1 and #3 / Captain Whammo
1966–1968 Space Ghost Brago / Zeron 20 Episodes
1967 Cricket on the Hearth Sea Captain / Caw / Others TV Special
1967–1970 George of the Jungle Ape / Weevil / Baron Otto Matic / Various 17 Episodes
1967 Shazzan Various 6 Episodes
1967 The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure Kobarah / Evil Star Episodes: "Hawkman: Peril from Pluto", "Green Lantern: Evil Is as Evil Does"
1967–1968 Super President James Norcross / Narrator
1967–1968 The Fantastic 4 Ben Grimm / The Thing 20 Episodes
1968 The Mouse on the Mayflower Captain Christopher Jones TV Special
1968 Arabian Knights Vangore 18 Episodes
1968 The Little Drummer Boy Ali / Aaron's Father / The Three Wise Men / Meshaw / Jamilie / Various other Male roles TV Special
1969 The Pink Panther Show Man Talking to the Pink Panther / Texan Hunter / The Pink Panther (1 Episode)
1969 The Banana Splits Adventure Hour Evil Vangore / Sazoom 8 Episodes
1969 Frosty the Snowman Santa Claus / Traffic Cop TV Special
1969–1970 The Dudley Do-Right Show Inspector Fenwick / Narrator / Additional Voices 26 Episodes
1970 The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians W. C. Fields / Zeppo Marx / Harpo Marx / Traffic Cop TV Special
1970 Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Burgermeister Meisterburger / Newsreel Announcer / Grimsby / Topper / Additional Voices / Ebenezer Scrooge / Ringle, Dingle, Zingle, Tingle, & Wingle / Kringle TV Special
1971 Hawaii Five-O Goro Shibata Episode: "Odd Man In"
1971 Here Comes Peter Cottontail Santa Claus / Man at Thanksgiving Table / Colonel Bunny's assistant / Fireman / Ben the Rooster TV Special
1971 The Point! Oblio's Father / Pointed Man's Right Head / King / Leaf Man / Villagers TV Animated feature; based on the Harry Nilsson album
1971–1972 The Jackson 5ive The J5's Producer / Additional voices
1972 Alias Smith and Jones Hannibal Heyes Episode: "The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg"
1972 Hawaii Five-O Steve McGarrett Imposter "The Ninety-Second War: Part I"
1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Iguana "Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid"
1972–1973 The Osmonds Additional voices
1974–1976 Run, Joe, Run Narrator 26 Episodes
1976 The First Easter Rabbit Santa Claus / Zero / Spats TV Special
1976 Frosty's Winter Wonderland Jack Frost / Traffic Cop TV Special
1976 Rudolph's Shiny New Year Aeon the Terrible / Santa Claus / General Ticker / Humpty Dumpty TV Special
1976 The Pink Panther Laugh-and-a-Half Hour-and-a-Half Show Additional voices
1977 The Hobbit Bombur / Troll #1 TV Movie
1977 Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey Olaf / Donkey Dealer TV Special
1977 Fantastic Animation Festival Opening Narrator TV Special
Uncredited
1978 The Stingiest Man in Town Ghost of Christmas Past / Ghost of Christmas Present TV Special
1979 Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July Jack Frost / Officer Kelly / Winterbolt / Genie of the Ice Scepter / Keeper of the Cave of Lost Rejections TV Movie
1979 Jack Frost Father Winter / Kubla Kraus TV Special
1980 The Return of the King Elrond / Orc / Uruk-hai / Goblin TV movie
1984 Knight Rider KARR Second Voice (uncredited). "K.I.T.T. vs K.A.R.R."
1986 DTV Valentine Ludwig Von Drake / Announcer TV movie
1987 The Wind in the Willows Wayfarer Released 8 months after Frees' death
Theme parks
Year Title Role Notes
1967 Adventure Thru Inner Space Narrator
Pirates of the Caribbean Bride Auctioner
1969 The Haunted Mansion Ghost Host

Radio
Radio
Original Air Date Program Role Episode
1945 The Lux Radio Theatre Multiple Characters
1945–1947 A Man Named Jordan Digger Slade
1946 Rogue's Gallery
1946 The Whistler
1946 The Alan Young Show
1946–1952 Suspense Announcer / Passerby / Earl White / Frankenstein's Monster / Hubbard
1947 Ellery Queen
1947–1948 Escape Doctor Dubosk / Finnie Morner / John Woolfolk / Sanger Rainsford Episodes: "The Fourth Man", "Snake Doctor", "Wild Oranges", "The Most Dangerous Game"
1948 Your Movietown Radio Theatre Multiple Characters
1948 The First Nighter Program Additional voices
1949 The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
1949 The Green Lama Jethro Dumont / Green Lama
1949 Rocky Jordan
1949 Four Star Playhouse
1951 The Silent Men
1951 Mr. Aladdin Robert Aladdin
1951 Broadway Is My Beat
1951 The Thing from Another World Dr. Voorhees
1952–1953 Gunsmoke Sut Grider / Gallagher / Doc Charles Adams (1 episode) Episodes: "Heat Spell", "The Soldier", "The Cast"
1953 Crime Classics Charles McManus / Charley Ford / Charles Drew, Sr. / Pub Man Episodes: "The Axe and the Droot Family- How They Fared"
"The Death of a Picture Hanger"
"The Shrapnelled Body of Charles Drew, Sr."
1953 Mr. President Additional voices
1953 On Stage Chauffeur Episode: "Skin Deep"
1954 Fibber McGee and Molly
1956 Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar Bert Parker Episode: "The Jolly Roger Fraud" (Part 1)
1957 The CBS Radio Workshop Captain Vesey / Ogden the Messenger Episode: "Sweet Cherries in Charleston"
1984 Bradbury 13 Narrator

References
  1. "Paul Frees". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 5, 1986.
  2. Reinehr, Robert C.; Swartz, John D. (2008). The A to Z of Old Time Radio. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3.
  3. Scott, Keith (2002). The Moose That Roared. Macmillan. pp. 84–85. ISBN 9781466867437.
  4. I’ve Heard that Voice Before — Paul Frees. All Ears. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  5. Perimutter, David (2014), America Toons In: A History of Television Animation, McFarland & Company, p. 78, ISBN 978-0-7864-7650-3
  6. Rowan, Terry (2012). World War II Goes to the Movies & Television Guide. Lulu.com. p. 316. ISBN 9781105586026. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  7. Smith, Dave (1998). The Updated Official Encyclopedia: Disney A to Z. New York: Hyperion Books. p. 337. ISBN 0-7868-6391-9.
  8. Fisher, David J. (1992). The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song Collector's Book. Walt Disney Records. pp. 28, 48. ISBN 0-7868-6359-5.
  9. "Listen to the Amazing Voice of Paul Frees". 365 Days of Magic. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 20 November 2020.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. "Sir Elton John, Joe Ranft Headline Disney Legends Award". AWN Headline News. 2006-10-09. Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  11. Howe, Tom (Fall 2002). "Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Scrooge". Featured CED VideoDisc No. 26. CED Magic. Retrieved 2006-12-25.
  12. Erickson, Glenn (1999). "Some Like It Hot and the Legendary Paul Frees". DVD Savant. Kleinman.com Inc. Retrieved 2006-12-25.
  13. Lampley, Jonathan. Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price. McFarland, 2010. p. 160. eBook.
  15. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123553/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm
  16. "Disney voice-over actors bring theme park rides to life". 2015-07-28.
  17. "Pirates of the Caribbean (1965, Attraction) Voice Cast".
  18. "DoomBuggies > Explore the history and marvel at the mystery of Disney's Haunted Mansion attractions!".
  19. "Haunted Mansion, the (1969, Attraction) Voice Cast".
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3zeE-j5OuI
  21. "DoomBuggies > Explore the history and marvel at the mystery of Disney's Haunted Mansion attractions!".
  22. Folkart, Burt A. (November 6, 1986). "From 'The Millionaire' to 'Bullwinkle' : Paul Frees, Man of Many Voices, Dies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  23. Staff (November 4, 1986). "Man of a thousand voices dies". United Press International. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  24. Ohmart, Ben (2017). Welcome, Foolish Mortals – The Life & Voices of Paul Frees. Revised 2nd edition (Albany: BearManor Media) ISBN 159393842X

Further reading
  • Frees, Paul, The Writings of Paul Frees. (2004) (Albany: BearManor Media) ISBN 1-59393-011-9
  • Frees, Paul, You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To: The Letters of Paul “Buddy” Frees and Annelle Frees. (2011) (Albany: BearManor Media) ISBN 1-59393-646-X
  • Ohmart, Ben. Welcome ... Foolish Mortals – The Life & Voices of Paul Frees. (2004) (Albany: BearManor Media) ISBN 1-59393-004-6. Filled with rare photos & interviews.
  • Young, Jordan R. (2005). Spike Jones Off the Record: The Man Who Murdered Music. (3rd edition) Albany: BearManor Media ISBN 1-59393-012-7.
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