Spooky Little non-Encounter

                                                    Spooky Little non-Encounter
                                                                              
                                                                         by
                                                                                    
                                                                            Jay Agan

    To many cartoon fans, the voice, if not the name, of Paul Frees is familiar. A veteran of quite a few shows, he's best known  as Boris Badenov (Jay Wards' Rocky & Bullwinkle) and the Burgermeister Meister Burger (Rankin/Bass' Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town).

    Not only a voice over in toons, he also did many bit parts in a number of films, (War of the Worlds, The Thing From Another World, Jet Pilot, Suddenly, etc.) and dubbed foriegn films, sometimes as more than one character. In some English language movies, he was called on when an actors voice was unintelligable or didn't come over well. (Flight From Aishiya, Taras Bulba.) Commercials (Raid!) were also a staple of his.

    I was living in New Jersey at the time of his death (66) in 1986. It was with some sadness as I read the news of his passing in the Bergen Record.Two Weeks later, I was pulling out the factory gate after a long night as computer operator, and more than ready to turn in. Radio was tuned to WABC when a new Diamond Walnuts ad came on. Concluding with a familiar voice emoting that companys' slogan:

    "NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE!"

    The guy was dead two weeks and still working! Hats off to ya sir. You're still missed.

                                                    Article copyright © Jay Agan

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