On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, just after 9:30 a.m., we heard a story on KCBS news radio that started with a Berkeley Farms commercial that featured the legendary voice of San Francisco born Mel Blanc. They then transitioned into a story about how Clover of Petaluma is conducting an online search for a voice for their cow. (Google hint: Cloverpetaluma dot com and then click on the "Be Herd" link.)
In Los Angeles, our friend who called himself Chef Teddy B. Owen used to brag that the voices in his head had their own variation of the call waiting feature.
Berkeley area political activist Mike Zint reports that when he was working in the Santa Monica area as a retail clerk, he received several offers to do work as a voice over.
Our fact finding for this column indicated that June Foray, the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel is still alive. Her work is featured on a site called "behind the voice actors" dot com.
Whatever happened to the San Francisco radio station KFOG and their signature use of a sound clip of a foghorn?
According to Hollywood legend, Allen Ladd was working as union projectionist and when he asked a director if he wanted to see the dailies again, he suddenly was offered a chance to change careers and become an actor. The rest of the story (as they say) is history.
Maybe after we post this column, we should do some fact checking about how to submit pitches or material to NPR. If they like the idea, maybe it could be just like Rickey Blain says at the end of the movie "Casablanca:" "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"
Tune in again next week to see what happens to the columnist who seeks to become a distinctive voice in an overcrowded market.
The end quote for this particular column, just has to be the most famous movie line of all time. In "Gone with the Wind," Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) said: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"
The disk jockey will now play Rosemany Clooney's "Manniana" (which is banned on radio and not available on Youtube), the Guess Who's "Clap for the Wolfman" and "You're nothing but a nothing" (which allegedly included the lowest note ever produced by a human voice). We have to go listen to KCBS to hear Kiffany report the evening traffic conditions for the SF Bay Area. Have a "Boop Oop A Doo" type week.
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