Sterling Holloway
Sterling Holloway | |
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Andy Griffith and Holloway in 1962 | |
Born |
Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. January 4, 1905 Cedartown, Georgia, U.S. |
Died |
November 22, 1992 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
Resting place | Cremains buried in Pacific Ocean |
Alma mater | Georgia Military Academy[1] |
Occupation | Actor, voice actor |
Years active | 1926–1986 |
Notable work | Original voice of Winnie the Pooh, Kaa, Roquefort, Cheshire Cat, Adult Flower and Mr. Stork. |
Children | Richard Holloway (adopted)[2] |
Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He was also a voice actor for The Walt Disney Company, well known for his distinctive tenor voice and is perhaps best remembered as the original voice of Mr. Stork in Dumbo, Adult Flower in Bambi, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, the eponymous character in Winnie the Pooh, Kaa in The Jungle Book, and Roquefort in The Aristocats.
Early life
Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Holloway was named after his father, Sterling Price Holloway, who himself was named after a prominent Confederate general, Sterling "Pap" Price. His mother was Rebecca DeHaven (some sources say her last name was Boothby). He had a younger brother named Boothby. The family owned a grocery store in Cedartown, where his father served as mayor in 1912. After graduating from Georgia Military Academy in 1920 at the age of fifteen, he left Georgia for New York City, where he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[3] While there, he befriended actor Spencer Tracy, whom he considered one of his favorite working colleagues.
Career
Motion pictures and shorts
In his late teens, Holloway toured with stock company of The Shepherd of the Hills, performing in one-nighters across much of the American West before returning to New York where he accepted small walk-on parts from the Theatre Guild, and appeared in the Rodgers and Hart review The Garrick Gaieties in the mid-1920s. A talented singer, he introduced "Manhattan" in 1925, and the following year sang "Mountain Greenery".[3]
He moved to Hollywood in 1926 to begin a film career that lasted almost 50 years. His bushy red hair and high pitched voice meant that he almost always appeared in comedies. His first film was The Battling Kangaroo (1926), a silent picture. Over the following decades, Holloway would appear with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Lon Chaney Jr, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, and John Carradine. In 1942, during World War II, Holloway enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 37 and was assigned to the Special Services. He helped develop a show called "Hey Rookie", which ran for nine months and raised $350,000 for the Army Relief Fund.[4] In 1945, Holloway played the role of a medic assigned to an infantry platoon in the critically acclaimed film A Walk in the Sun. During 1946 and 1947, he played the comic sidekick in five Gene Autry Westerns.[5]
With Walt Disney
Walt Disney originally considered Holloway for the voice of Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), but chose Pinto Colvig instead. Holloway's voice work in animated films began in 1941 when he was first heard in Dumbo (1941), as the voice of Mr. Stork. Holloway was the voice of the adult Flower in Bambi (1942), the narrator of the Antarctic penguin sequence in The Three Caballeros (1944) and the narrator in the Peter and the Wolf sequence of Make Mine Music (1946).
He was the voice of the The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (1951), the narrator in The Little House (1952) Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952), Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952), The Jungle Book (1967), and Roquefort in The Aristocats (1970). He is perhaps best remembered as the voice of Winnie the Pooh in Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh featurettes through 1977. He was honored as a 'Disney Legend' in 1991, the first one to ever receive the award in the Voice category. His final role was the Hobe Carpenter, a friendly moonshiner who helps Harley Thomas (David Carradine) in Thunder and Lightning (1977),
Radio and recordings
Holloway acted on many radio programs, including The Railroad Hour, The United States Steel Hour, Suspense and Lux Radio Theater. In the late 1940s, he could be heard in various roles on NBC's "Fibber McGee and Molly". His distinctive tenor voice retained a touch of its Southern drawl and was very recognizable. Holloway was chosen to narrate many children's records, including Uncle Remus Stories (Decca), Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes (Disneyland Records), Walt Disney Presents Rudyard Kipling's Just so Stories (Disneyland Records) and Peter and the Wolf (RCA Victor).
Television
Holloway easily made the transition from radio to television. He appeared on the Adventures of Superman as "Uncle Oscar", an eccentric inventor, and played a recurring role on The Life of Riley. He was a guest star on Fred Waring's CBS television program in the 1950s and appeared on Circus Boy as a hot air balloonist, Five Fingers ("The Temple of the Swinging Doll"), The Untouchables, The Real McCoys (in the 1960 episode "The Jinx"), Hazel, Pete and Gladys, The Twilight Zone (episode "What's in the Box"), The Brothers Brannagan, Gilligan's Island, The Andy Griffith Show, The Donald O'Connor Show, Peter Gunn as 'Felony', F Troop, and Moonlighting. During the 1970s, Holloway did commercial voice-overs for Purina Puppy Chow dog food and sang their familiar jingle, "Puppy Chow/For a full year/Till he's full-grown!". He also provided the voice for Woodsy Owl in several 1970s and 1980s United States Forest Service commercials. In 1982 he auditioned for the well known comic book character Garfield but lost to Lorenzo Music. In 1984, he provided voiceover work for a commercial for Libby's baked beans.[6]
Final years, death and legacy
Never married, Holloway once claimed this was because he felt lacking in nothing and did not wish to disturb his pattern of life,[5] but he did adopt a son, Richard.
Holloway died on November 22, 1992 of a cardiac arrest in a Los Angeles hospital. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.[7]
Voice actor Hal Smith took over the role of Winnie the Pooh for the 1981 short Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons. He would maintain the role until Jim Cummings replaced him in 1988 for The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and also took over most of Holloway's other voice roles, including Kaa in Jungle Cubs and The Jungle Book 2. The show Animaniacs paid tribute to him by having Cummings (in his Pooh voice) narrate episodes like "Nighty Night Toon", "A Gift of Gold", and "The Warners and the Beanstalk".
Quotes
- "I've always loved the theater very much. I've always been in it. I hate being away from it. I'm very stubborn — I like to do what I want to do. And what I want to do most is theater."[4]
- "I started in show business when I was fifteen years old by enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. That was in 1920. Some of my classmates included Spencer Tracy, Allen Jenkins, and Pat O'Brien. You know what happened to them."
Filmography
Feature films
- Casey at the Bat (1927)
- American Madness (1932)
- Blonde Venus (1932)
- Faithless (1932)
- Rockabye (1932)
- Lawyer Man (1932)
- Hard to Handle (1933)
- Blondie Johnson (1933)
- Fast Workers (1933)
- Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
- Hell Below (1933)
- Elmer, the Great (1933)
- Picture Snatcher (1933)
- Adorable (1933)
- International House (1933)
- Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
- Professional Sweetheart (1933)
- When Ladies Meet (1933)
- Wild Boys of The Road (1933)
- Dancing Lady (1933)
- Advice To The Lovelorn (1933)
- Going Hollywood (1933)
- Alice in Wonderland (1933)
- Tomorrow's Children (1934)
- The Cat & The Fiddle (1934)
- Strictly Dynamite (1934)
- Operator 13 (1934)
- Murder In The Private Car (1934)
- The Back Page (1934)
- Down to Their Last Yacht (1934)
- Gift of Gab (1934)
- The Merry Widow (1934)
- Girl o' My Dreams (1934)
- A Wicked Woman (1934)
- Tomorrow's Youth (1935)
- Lottery Lover (1935)
- Life Begins At Forty (1935)
- Doubting Thomas (1935)
- I Live My Life (1935)
- 1,000 Dollars A Minute (1935)
- Rendezvous (1935)
- Palm Springs (1936)
- Career Woman (1936)
- Join the Marines (1937)
- Maid of Salem (1937)
- When Love Is Young (1937)
- The Woman I Love (1937)
- Varsity Show (1937)
- Behind The Mike (1937)
- Of Human Hearts (1938)
- Dr. Rhythm (1938)
- Held Hor Ransom (1938)
- Professor Beware (1938)
- Spring Madness (1938)
- St. Louis Blues (1939)
- Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939)
- Remember the Night (1940)
- The Blue Bird (1940)
- Hit Parade of 1941 (1940)
- Street of Memories (1940)
- Little Men (1940)
- Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941)
- Meet John Doe (1941)
- The Great Awakening (1941)
- Top Sergeant Mulligan (1941)
- Dumbo (1941) Mr. Stork (voice)
- Look Who's Laughing (1941)
- Don't Get Personal (1942)
- The Lady Is Willing (1942)
- Bambi (1942) Adult Flower (voice)
- Iceland (1942)
- Here We Go Again (1942)
- Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
- The Three Caballeros (1944) (voice)
- Wildfire (1945)
- A Walk in the Sun (1945)
- Make Mine Music (1946; voice role)
- Death Valley (1946)
- Sioux City Sue (1946)
- Her Wonderful Lie (1947)
- Trail to San Antone (1947)
- Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947)
- Saddle Pals (1947)
- Robin Hood of Texas (1947)
- The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)
- Alice in Wonderland (1951; voice role as "The Cheshire Cat")
- Kentucky Rifle (1956)
- Alakazam the Great (1960) (voice)
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)
- My Six Loves (1963)
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963; cameo)
- Batman (1966; scenes deleted)
- The Jungle Book (1967; voice role as "Kaa")
- Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)
- The Aristocats (1970; voice role as "Roquefort the Mouse")
- Cries (1975) (documentary; narrator)
- Super Seal (1976)
- Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977; voice role as Winnie the Pooh)
- Thunder & Lightning (1977)
Short subjects
- The Battling Kangaroo (1926)
- The Girl from Everywhere (1927)
- The Girl from Nowhere (1928)
- One Track Minds (1933)
- Not the Marrying Kind (1933)
- Meeting Mazie (1933)
- Born April First (1934)
- Pleasing Grandpa (1934)
- Picnic Perils (1934)
- Sterling's Rival Romeo (1934)
- Father Knows Best (1935)
- My Girl Sally (1935)
- Bring 'Em Back A Lie (1935)
- Boy Meets Dog (1938) (voice)
- The Pelican & The Snipe (1944) (voice)
- The Cold-Blooded Penguin (1944) (voice)
- Unusual Occupations L-5-2 (1945)
- Peter & The Wolf (1946) (voice)
- Moron Than Off (1946)
- Scooper Dooper (1947)
- Hectic Honeymoon (1947)
- Speaking of Animals No. Y7-1: Dog Crazy (1947)
- Mickey and the Beanstalk (1947)
- Man or Mouse (1948)
- Flat Feat (1948)
- Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952) (voice)
- Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952) (voice)
- The Little House (1952) (voice)
- Ben and Me (1953) (voice)
- Goliath II (1960) (voice)
- Man, Monsters & Mysteries (1973) (voice)
- Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) (voice)
- Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1969) (voice)
- Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! (1974) (voice)
Television
- The Adventures of Superman - The Machine That Could Plot Crimes (1952-54; 3 episodes)
- The Life of Riley (1953–58) - as Waldo Binny
- The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet - episode "Pancake Mix" as the grocery man
- Willy (1955)
- Our Mr. Sun (1956; voice role only)
- Hemo the Magnificent (1957)
- The Real McCoys - episode "The Jinx" (1960), as Orval McCoy
- Zane Grey Theatre - episode "Blood Red" (1961), as Luther
- The Andy Griffith Show - episode "The Merchant of Mayberry", as Bert, a traveling salesman (1962)
- Hazel (TV series) - "The Retiring Milkman" Season 3, Episode 13, as Claude the Milkman (1963)
- The Twilight Zone - episode "What's in the Box", as the dæmonic television repairman (1964)
- The Restless Sea (1964)
- Burke's Law (episode 28, "Who Killed Annie Foran?"; 1964)
- The Baileys of Balboa (1964–65)
- That Girl (episode 14, "Phantom of the Horse Opera"; 1966)
- F-Troop - as the Sheriff in the episode "Wilton the Kid" (1966)
- Gilligan's Island (1967) - as Burt, a prisoner with a homing pigeon
- Tony the Pony - as GG the Wizard (1976)
- Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas (1979; voice)
- Moonlighting - episode "Atomic Shakespeare" (1986; narrator)
Footnotes
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/24/arts/sterling-holloway-actor-87-is-dead-voice-of-pooh-bear.html
- ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1992-11-24/local/me-961_1_sterling-holloway
- 1 2 Collura, Joe. "Sterling Holloway: A Way with Words". Classic Images. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- 1 2 Sterline Holloway biography from Internet Movie Database
- 1 2 Rothel.
- ↑ Libbys Baked Beans 1984. 11 January 2014 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Sterling Holloway, Actor, 87, Is Dead; Voice of Pooh Bear". New York Times. November 24, 1992. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
Sources
- Rothel, David. 1984. Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks. Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New Jersey; ISBN 0-8108-1707-1
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sterling Holloway. |
- Sterling Holloway at the Internet Movie Database
- Sterling Holloway at the Internet Broadway Database
- Disney Legends
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: Sterling Holloway
- "A Perfect Day" by Carrie Jacobs-Bond sung by Sterling Holloway: Video on YouTube
- Sterling Holloway at Find a Grave
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