Born in San Francisco, California, he grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending Lincoln High School. At 16 he changed the spelling of his last name, from "Blank". Blanc was working as a voice actor in radio when his ability to create voices for multiple characters first attracted attention. He was a regular on the Jack Benny Program in various roles, including Benny's automobile (a Maxwell in desperate need of a tune up), violin teacher Professor LeBlanc, Polly the Parrot, and Benny's pet polar bear Carmichael.
Artists Make Money By Forgoing Traditional Galleries Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:47:00 -0400 It isn't easy to make money as an artist these days, but three crafty New Yorkers are managing to sell their work — and make a living — outside the traditional gallery system. Different Year, Same 'Marienbad' Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:55:00 -0400 When it came out in 1961, Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad perplexed and excited audiences with its surrealistic storytelling. John Powers has a review of the film's Criterion Collection re-release. For Sale: Your Michael Jackson Memorabilia Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:33:00 -0400 Since Michael Jackson died last week, his trading cards, old albums and autographs are selling for huge amounts of money. A letter Michael Jackson wrote to an unknown "Greg" sold for $20,000, and an album signed by all of the Jackson 5 sold for $27,000.
NYT > Arts
Exhibition Review | 'Mannahatta/Manhattan: A Natural History of New York City': Manhattan: An Island Always Diverse By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:51:45 -0000 A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York uses maps and computer modeling to reveal a natural world that preceded island records.
Rare Peek at Riches of Past in Rome By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:49:10 -0000 Rome’s archaeological authority has reallocated money so that it can provide staffs for five monuments in the ancient heart of the city that are usually closed.
An 84-Year-Old Wisecracker Keeps Trucking By PATRICK HEALY Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:47:26 -0000 The Broadway legend Elaine Stritch says her small role in “The Full Monty” at the Paper Mill Playhouse in suburban Millburn, N.J., has been an inspiration and a blast.
Arts & Culture
Vince Aletti: Holland Tunnel Vince Aletti Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0000 The Museum of the City of New York celebrates the four-hundredth anniversary of the settlement of the original Dutch colonies in New York with an exhibition of works by twelve Dutch photographers, most residents of the city, who explore our shared history. The result, “Dutch Seen: New York Rediscovered . . . Sasha Frere-Jones; The Grates, at Pianos. Sasha Frere-Jones Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0000 The Grates are an Australian trio who specialize in exuberance. Their sound is bouncy, unadorned rock that has family ties to the riot-grrrl tradition but has passed through several generations of pop-friendly breeding. (It is not unfair to say that they sound like a sunnier version of the . . . Nancy Franklin: The secret life of an American schoolteacher. Nancy Franklin Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0000 The title of the new HBO Sunday-night series “Hung” isn’t meant to be a double entendre of the kind that induces snickers--it’s straightforward descriptive slang, a reference to the physical endowments of the show’s main character, Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane). But the word, despite what it implies about . . .
Christian Science Monitor | Arts & Entertainment
Films to make you think Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500 These documentaries may change your dinner menu and your travel itinerary.
Review: 'Public Enemies' Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500 This retelling of Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp, falls hard for the antihero mythology.
Review: 'Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love' Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500 The power of one man's voice to inspire change is captured in this documentary about Africa's biggest pop star.
Internet Movie Database - Filmography of over 700 credits, trivia, TV schedule and other details.
Meta Description: [ Mel Blanc on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... ]
JEL Recording Studios - Works with Warner-Blanc to create audio for a variety of talking products, including toys, watches, play stations, and web sites with classic Mel Blanc recordings.
LikeTelevision.com: The Jack Benny Program - Screen capture and video clip of a guest appearance by Mel Blanc. [Requires RealPlayer plug-in.]
Meta Description: [ Jack Benny Broadband streaming classic TV, videos , Mel Blanc channel internet web show independent film music realvideo realaudio realmedia real networks live ]
500Novelty Recordings - Scroll down for a list of Mel's recordings with Capitol Records.
Point of View: Mel Blanc - By Mark Evanier. [POV Online] The great skill of Mel Blanc was as an actor: It is one thing to affect a funny voice - quite another to mold a coherent, believable characterization with it and to wring every drop of humor out of every line.
404Pun of the Day Funny People: Mel Blanc - Biographical article, photo, and related links.
Meta Description: [ Funny puns - the largest collection of humorous puns on the internet. New pun added daily. ]
Rest In Peace, Mel Blanc - Photos of his final resting place, with an area map you can download to visit the gravesite.