Robert C. Bruce
Robert Cameron Bruce Jr. (October 6, 1914 – August 24, 2003) was an American voice actor, and the son of Robert Cameron Bruce (1887–1948) who was a cinematographer and documentary producer. He was the narrator for a number of Warner Bros. cartoons in the 1930s and 1940s. The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series' had occasional entries which were driven not by one of their stable of stars such as Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck, but by individual short sketches, usually filled with sight gags and word-play. Later he was a writer and producer of industrial motion pictures based in Minnesota.
Robert C. Bruce | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Cameron Bruce Jr. October 6, 1914 |
| Died | August 24, 2003 (aged 88) |
| Resting place | Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930s–1960s |
Animation voiceover work
- The Daffy Doc (1938) as Daffy's Conscience[1]
- Dangerous Dan McFoo (1939) as Narrator
- Detouring America (1939) as Narrator
- Land of the Midnight Fun (1939) as Narrator
- Fresh Fish (1939) as Narrator
- The Film Fan (1939) as Coming Attractions Narrator
- Africa Squeaks (1940) as Narrator
- Pilgrim Porky (1940) as Narrator
- The Bear's Tale (1940) as Narrator
- The Hardship of Miles Standish (1940) as Radio Announcer/Grandpa
- A Gander at Mother Goose (1940) as Narrator
- The Chewin' Bruin (1940) as Old Timer
- Ceiling Hero (1940) as Narrator
- Wacky Wildlife (1940) as Narrator
- Porky's Snooze Reel (1941) as Narrator
- Fair Today (1941) as Narrator
- Farm Frolics (1941) as Narrator
- Meet John Doughboy (1941) as Citizen Sugar Cane & Narrator
- We, the Animals Squeak! (1941) as Narrator
- Aviation Vacation (1941) as Narrator
- The Bug Parade (1941) as Narrator
- Who's Who in the Zoo (1942) as Narrator
- Crazy Cruise (1942) as Narrator
- Hobby Horse-Laffs (1942) as Narrator
- Fox Pop (1942) as Radio Announcer
- The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1943) as Narrator
- Fin'n Catty (1943) as Narrator (beginning and ending only)
- What's Cookin' Doc? (1944) as Opening Narrator
- Russian Rhapsody (1944) as Radio Announcer
- Brother Brat (1944) as Narrator
- Buckaroo Bugs (1944) as Narrator and Villagers
- Plane Daffy (1944) as Narrator
- Wagon Heels (1945) as Narrator
- Nasty Quacks (1945) as Narrator
- A Knight for a Day (1946) as Narrator (uncredited)
- Bacall to Arms (1946) as Narrator
- Of Thee I Sting (1946) as Narrator
- Fair and Worm-er (1946) as Narrator
- Hobo Bobo (1947) as Narrator and New Yorkers
- Swallow the Leader (1949) as Narrator
- Orange Blossoms for Violet (1952) as Narrator
- Punch Trunk (1953) as Narrator/Psychiatrist/Radio Announcer
- Feline Frame-Up (1954) as Marc Antony's Master
- Gone Batty (1955) as Narrator
- The Hole Idea (1955) as Narrator
- Bugs' Bonnets (1956) as Opening Narrator
- Dog Tales (1958) as Narrator
- Bonanza Bunny (1959) as Narrator
List of Private Snafu shorts voiced by Robert C. Bruce
- Booby Traps (1944)
- Outpost (1944)
- Target Snafu (1944)
- A Few Quick Facts: Fear (1945)
- It's Murder, She Says... (1945)
- Private Snafu Presents Seaman Tarfu in the Navy (1946)
Legacy
Bruce never got a screen credit, but his voice was recognizable, and he is mentioned in the commentary for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.
He introduces the cartoon What's Cookin' Doc? (1944) which begins with a filmed segment about Oscar night, and transitions into a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
In the last scene of the cartoon Punch Trunk (1953), Bruce is "Mr. Pratt", a TV station announcer who introduces the audience to a distinguished science lecturer (voiced by Mel Blanc) named "Dr. Robert Bruce Cameron"—a play on Bruce's own name.
In addition to the "Crazy Cruise" types of cartoons, he provides the voice of the narrator for the 1956 cartoon Bugs' Bonnets, an animated exposition on the "well-known psychological fact that people's behavior is strongly affected by the way they dress".
References
- Hartley, Steven (12 December 2012). "Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie: 223. The Daffy Doc (1938)". Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie. Retrieved 10 December 2020.