Robert McFadden (January 19, 1923 – January 7, 2000) was an American singer, impressionist, and voice-over actor perhaps best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons.
His most popular television cartoon characters included Milton the Monster from the ABC series The Milton The Monster Show; Cool McCool from the NBC series Cool McCool; and Snarf from the syndicated series ThunderCats.
McFadden was also the voice behind numerous radio and television commercial parts including Franken Berry in the animated commercials for the General Mills Franken Berry cereal as well as the pet parrot who cackled "ring around the collar" in the TV commercials for Wisk laundry detergent. He also performed the voices for the Sad Cat theatrical cartoons.
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Musical career
While in the United States Navy during World War II, he began performing as a singer and impressionist. After the war, he went on to work at a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and continued performing nights as an opening act for artists such as Harry Belafonte. In 1959, he appeared as a singer with folk music artist Rod McKuen on the Brunswick Records album entitled Songs Our Mummy Taught Us which included the two tracks, "The Mummy" and "The Beat Generation", also released as a single. "The Beat Generation" was later used by Richard Hell as the basis for his song "Blank Generation".
Voice acting
When McFadden moved to New York City after his work in Pittsburgh, he obtained extensive voice-over work in both commercials and animation. He was featured on the best-selling 1962 Vaughn Meader comedy LP The First Family.
In 1963, McFadden released the Audio Fidelity Records parody album entitled Fast, Fast, Fast Relief From TV Commercials followed by the 1968 Columbia Records spoken-word album The Medium Is the Massage. In 1977, McFadden voiced Chugs the Train in the animated Rankin/Bass Easter special The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town.
Roles
1966 – The Soupy Sales Hour – Various Roles
1967 – The Wacky World of Mother Goose – Count Warptwist
1972 – The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: "The Emperor's New Clothes" – Jasper
1974 – The Year Without a Santa Claus – Jingle Bells, Additional Voices
1977 – The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town – Chugs
1979 – Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July – Additional Voices
1980 – Pinocchio's Christmas – Cricket
1981 – The Berenstain Bears Easter Special – Boss Bunny
1982 – The Flight of Dragons – Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe/Gorbash The Dragon
1985 – The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus – Tingler
1985 – ThunderCats – Lynx-O/Snarf/Slithe
1987 – The Wind in the Willows – Magistrate
1964 – Linus the Lionhearted – Loveable Truly, Rory, So-Hi
1965 – Astronut – Astronut/Oscar
1965–1966 – Milton the Monster – Milton
1966 – Cool McCool – Cool McCool/Dr. Madcap/Harry McCool
1966 – Journey to the Bottom of the Sea – Invader
Later life
McFadden continued to work until the late 1980s, when he was forced to retire due to failing health. On January 7, 2000, he died in Delray Beach, Florida, at the age of 76.