# Ed Wynn: Most impersonated voice of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** disney-hulu, cartoons-animation\ **Created:** [October 28, 2020, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102 "2020-10-28T10:05:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/1 "2020-10-28T10:05:37Z")
Some actors have such a distinctive voice that it gets “borrowed” time and time again by other actors, particularly those doing voice-over work. I suspect Ed Wynn may hold the record here for the number of roles emulating his voice. (And in case you don’t know who Ed Wynn is, here’s [footage of him recording the voice of the Mad Hatter in Disney’s _Alice in Wonderland_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROqlhMEWA70).) Off the top of my head, there’s - [Captain Peter Peachfuzz](https://youtu.be/G9fmlfi48nw?t=40) from _The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show_, voiced by Paul Frees - [Wally Gator](https://youtu.be/ue6kiIQojGw?t=46) from _Wally Gator_, voiced by Daws Butler - [Fred](https://youtu.be/dAHlGeVGp-4?t=116) from _George of the Jungle_, voiced by Paul Frees - [Dr. Blinky](https://youtu.be/ugQwYNZljeQ?t=131) from _H. R. Pufnstuf_ and its feature film _Pufnstuf_, voiced by Walker Edmiston - [Bravo Fox](https://youtu.be/ksQONxIOGRA?t=486) from _Zoobilee Zoo_, played by Gary Schwartz - [Jollo](https://youtu.be/Rgann4y4g7w?t=438) from _King’s Quest VI_, voiced by Chuck McCann - [King Candy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQYNcSqF-YQ) from _Wreck-It Ralph_, voiced by Alan Tudyk Are there any more Ed Wynn impersonations we can add to the list? Have any other actors been impersonated a similar (or even greater) number of times? Peter Lorre, Orson Welles, or Vincent Price, maybe? (Note that I’m speaking here of bona fide acting roles, not brief impressions as part of a stand-up comedy act.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/2 "2020-10-28T13:31:24Z")
There have, indeed, been many Peter Lorre imitators (Mel Blanc in the Bugs Buny cartoons, Robin Williams in _Aladdin_, off the top of my head), but I’m not sure Orson Welles or Vincent Price had so many. I think Jack Nicholson has gotten quite a few imitators in recent years (Robin Williams, again, in _Aladdin_. and every stage production of _Little Shop of Horrors_ included an actor doing a Jack Nicholson voice, since he was in the original film (ironically, they didn’t do this for the filmed version of the musical. Many Nicholson complained). But there’s a ton of “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” imitations spoofing _The Shining_ alone, in addition to other of his roles. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/3 "2020-10-28T13:50:03Z")
Heck, Tom Cruise does an impersonation of Jack Nicholson in a movie _WITH_ Jack Nicholson. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/4 "2020-10-28T14:02:01Z")
If I may digress a little, I am fascinated at how close the animation was to the footage of the actors. Was this common for Disney films and was it done for the whole films? I have never seen it before. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/5 "2020-10-28T14:11:37Z")
Disney had a practice of shooting footage of the actors going through the actions while saying their lines, which the animators used as a guide when they did the scene. Disney claimed that they didn’t use the practice of Rotoscoping (which was invented by their competitor, Fleischer Studios), but animators who worked there said that they did sometimes use it. Here’s some such footage: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ROqlhMEWA70/hqdefault.jpg "Alice In Wonderland test footage - Unbirthday Mad Tea Party - Disney") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROqlhMEWA70) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uCgxAag2Y6M/hqdefault.jpg "Disney live action references - rare footage") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCgxAag2Y6M) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/6 "2020-10-28T14:21:10Z")
Jimmy Durante was the inspiration for Hanna Barbera’s “Diggie Daddy” from _Augie Doggie_. He was also imitated in a number of cartoons: > [@](#): > > ### Allusions and references in animation[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jimmy_Durante&action=edit§ion=12)] > > While his own career in animation was limited, Durante’s distinctive voice, looks and catchphrases earned him numerous depictions and allusions in animation: A character in [M-G-M](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) cartoons, [a bulldog named Spike, whose puppy son](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_and_Tyke_(characters)) was always getting caught by accident in the middle of _[Tom and Jerry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry)’s_ activities, referenced Durante with a raspy voice and an affectionate “Dat’s my boy!” In another Tom and Jerry short, a starfish lands on Tom’s head, giving him a big nose. He then proceeds with Durante’s famous “Ha-cha-cha-cha” call. The 1943 [Tex Avery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Avery) cartoon “[What’s Buzzin’ Buzzard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Buzzin%27_Buzzard)” featured a vulture with a voice that sounded like Jimmy Durante. A Durante-like voice (originally by [Doug Young](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Young_(voice_actor))) was also given to the father beagle, Doggie Daddy, in [Hanna-Barbera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera)’s _[Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augie_Doggie_and_Doggie_Daddy)_ cartoons, Doggie Daddy invariably addressing the junior beagle with a Durante-like “Augie, my son, my son”, and with frequent citations of, “That’s my boy who said that!” The 1945 MGM cartoon [Jerky Turkey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerky_Turkey) featured a turkey which was a caricature of Durante. > > Many Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons had characters based on Durante. One [Harman-Ising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman-Ising) short from 1933, _[Bosko’s Picture Show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosko%27s_Picture_Show)_ , featured a caricature of [Adolf Hitler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler) chasing Durante with a meat cleaver. Two examples from the 1940s include _[A Gruesome Twosome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Gruesome_Twosome)_ , which features a cat based on Durante, and _[Baby Bottleneck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Bottleneck)_ , which in unedited versions opens with a Durante-like stork. _[Book Revue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Revue)_ shows the well-known (at that time) 1924 [Edna Ferber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Ferber) novel _[So Big](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_Big_(novel))_ featuring a Durante caricature on the cover. The “so big” refers to his nose, and as a runaway criminal turns the corner by the book, Durante turns sideways using his nose to trip the criminal, allowing his capture. In _[Hollywood Daffy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Daffy)_ , Durante is directly depicted as himself, pronouncing his catchphrase “Those are the conditions that prevail!” In _[The Mouse-Merized Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mouse-Merized_Cat)_ , Catstello (a [Lou Costello](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Costello) mouse) briefly is hypnotized to imitate Jimmy Durante singing _[Lullaby of Broadway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lullaby_of_Broadway_(song))_ . One of Durante’s common catchphrases “I got a million of 'em!” was used as Bugs’ final line in _[Stage Door Cartoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Door_Cartoon)_ . > > A Durante-like voice was also used for [Marvel Comics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Comics) superhero [The Thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thing_(comics)) in the [Hanna-Barbera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera) cartoon _[Fred and Barney Meet the Thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_and_Barney_Meet_the_Thing)_ . The voice and appearance of Crispy, the mascot for [Crispy Critters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispy_Critters) cereal, was also based on Durante.[[17]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Durante#cite_note-17) In [Mickey Mouse Works](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mouse_Works), a character named Mortimer Mouse (voiced by [Maurice LaMarche](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_LaMarche)) was based on Durante, complete with the “ha-cha-cha!”. One of the main characters in Terrytoons’ Heckle and Jeckle cartoon series also takes to imitating Jimmy in 1948’s “Taming The Cat” (“Get a couple of song birds today…”). > **[Jimmy Durante](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Durante)** > > James Francis Durante (/dəˈrænti/ də-RAN-tee, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Italian: \[duˈrante\]; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and prominent nose helped make him on... ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/7 "2020-10-28T14:21:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There have, indeed, been many Peter Lorre imitators (Mel Blanc in the Bugs Buny cartoons, Robin Williams in _Aladdin_ , off the top of my head), but I’m not sure Orson Welles or Vincent Price had so many. I think Jack Nicholson has gotten quite a few imitators in recent years (Robin Williams, again, in _Aladdin_. Mel Blanc’s impersonations definitely count for the purposes of my question, since when he did this he used Lorre’s voice for an entire character. But Robin Williams in _Aladdin_ is just doing throwaway impressions for a single line at a time; the Genie doesn’t speak in Lorre’s or Nicholson’s voice consistently. > [@](#): > > and every stage production of _Little Shop of Horrors_ included an actor doing a Jack Nicholson voice, since he was in the original film (ironically, they didn’t do this for the filmed version of the musical. Many Nicholson complained). This is interesting but I’m not sure it really fits the spirit of the question. If an actor is using Jack Nicholson’s voice for the exact same character previous played by Jack Nicholson, then you can’t really say that the voice has been repurposed. By contrast, all the examples in my OP are characters that have nothing to do with Ed Wynn; the actor just happened to use his voice. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/8 "2020-10-28T14:23:28Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > This is interesting but I’m not sure it really fits the spirit of the question. If an actor is using Jack Nicholson’s voice for the exact same character previous played by Jack Nicholson, then you can’t really say that the voice has been repurposed. By contrast, all the examples in my OP are characters that have nothing to do with Ed Wynn; the actor just happened to use his voice. Actually, they don’t use the Nicholson voice for the character who played the masochistic patient at the dentist’s (the role Nicholson played in the Corman film), but for a completely different part. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/9 "2020-10-28T14:23:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Jimmy Durante was the inspiration for Hanna Barbera’s “Diggie Daddy” from _Augie Doggie_ . He was also imitated in a number of cartoons Oh, that’s a good one. I know I’ve heard that voice cropping up all over the place. I wonder if it’s been done more often than Wynn’s. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/10 "2020-10-28T14:27:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Actually, they don’t use the Nicholson voice for the character who played the masochistic patient at the dentist’s (the role Nicholson played in the Corman film), but for a completely different part. Well, then, I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/11 "2020-10-28T14:27:19Z")
Another Hanna-Barbera character voice stolen from elsewhere was _Hokey Wolf_, who got his from Phil Silvers > **[Hokey Wolf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokey_Wolf)** > > Hokey Wolf is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show. It details the adventures of Hokey Wolf, a con-artist wolf who is always trying to cheat his way into the simple life. He is often accompanied alongside by his young, diminutive sidekick Ding-A-Ling Wolf, both of whom are featured as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show in their own segment. > The initial creation of Hokey Wolf occurred when another follow-up segment was needed,... One significant case that’s a downright ripoff is **Foghorn Leghorn** , who took the name and the act from Kenny Delmar’s radio character **Senator Claghorn** > **[Senator Claghorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator_Claghorn)** > > Senator Beauregard Claghorn was a popular fictional radio character on the "Allen's Alley" segment of The Fred Allen Show, beginning in 1945. Succeeding the vaguely similar but much less popular Senator Bloat from the earliest "Allen's Alley" routines, Senator Claghorn, portrayed by Allen's announcer Kenny Delmar, was a blustery Southern politician whose home was usually the first at which Allen would knock. Claghorn would typically answer the door with, "Somebody, ah say, somebody knocked! Cl Cl... > [@](#): > > Foghorn Leghorn was directly inspired by the character of [Senator Claghorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator_Claghorn), a blustery Southern politician played by [Kenny Delmar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Delmar) on [Fred Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Allen)’s popular 1940s [radio show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fred_Allen_Show). Foghorn adopted many of Claghorn’s catchphrases, such as “I say…” and “That’s a joke, son!” Delmar’s inspiration for Claghorn was a Texas rancher who was fond of saying this > **[Foghorn Leghorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foghorn_Leghorn)** > > Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of American animation. All 29 of these cartoons were directed by McKimson. > Foghorn Leghorn's first appearance was in the 1946 Henery Hawk short Walky Talky Hawky. Foghorn's voice was created and originally performed by Mel Blanc and was later performed by Jeff Bergm... ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/12 "2020-10-28T14:32:09Z")
This might be straying further from the OP, but another case that went so far as to be taken to court was when Helen Kane took the Fleischer studio to court because she claimed that Betty Boop stole her act. Kane was the same babyish voice, forehead curls, and – most significantly – punctuated her songs with “boop-oop-a-doop”, as Betty Boop did. Boop, voiced by several women , but most famously by Mae Questel, was pretty clearly modeled on Kane, but they argued it wasn’t exclusively her in court. Kane lost her case > **[Betty Boop On Trial](https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2012/07/betty-boop-on-trial.html)** > > The irony was inescapable. Betty Boop sang, “Don’t take my boop-oop-a-doop away!” And Helen Kane claimed Betty did just that to her. That pr... ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/13 "2020-10-28T14:37:18Z")
Yeah, it’s not really hard to find isolated instances of one actor using another actor’s iconic voice for a completely new role, as was the case with Foghorn Leghorn and Betty Boop. What I’m really after in this thread is seeing if we can identify those actors who were imitated the most often. I don’t think Kenny Delmar and Helen Kane were impersonated for many more roles than the two just mentioned. (At any rate, not _nearly_ as many as Ed Wynn and Jimmy Durante.) Speaking of commonly borrowed female voices, though, Mae West’s must be up there, eh? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/14 "2020-10-28T14:44:11Z")
Art Carney as Ed Norton from **The Honeymooners** was said to be the inspiration for **Yogi Bear** > **[Yogi Bear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Bear)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. > Yogi Bear was the first breakout character in animated television; he was created by Hanna-Barbera and was eventually more popular than ostensible star Huckleberry Hound. In January 1961, he was given his own show, The Yogi Bear Show, sp... (Hanna Barbera did a lot of stealing from famous actors or role for their early cartoons) For the Warner Brothers cartoon **The Honeymousers** , naturally, they had an Ed Norton character, voiced by Daws Butler. (Warners did two other “Honeymousers” cartoons, later) Interestingly, when Hanna Barbera made **The Flintstones** , pretty obviously riffing on The Honeymooners, they got Mel Blanc instead of their usual Daws Butler to do the voice of Barney Rubble, the Ed Norton character. Blanc has stated many times that they wanted him to do an Art Carney imitation for the part, but he refused. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/15 "2020-10-28T14:50:07Z")
The answer to the OP is not an actor at all: it’s **Chuck Yeager,** WW2 ace, test pilot and the first man to break the speed of sound. His relaxed, West Virginia-tinged drawl has become the default “pilot voice”, imitated by countless movie and real-life pilots. Just imagine what a stereotypical male American pilot sounds like on the plane’s intercom - that’s Chuck ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/16 "2020-10-28T14:51:24Z")
One more voice imitation in the Hanna-Barbera stable was **Snagglepuss** , who was inspired by Bert Lahr (who had played The Cowardly Lion in the 1939 **Wizard of Oz** ) Lahr also sued over use of his imitated voice, but not until they used Snagglepuss for a commercial for Kellogg’s cereal. Lahr said he didn’t want to give the impression that he was endorsing the product (and not even getting paid for it). So Daws Butler got a credit line in the commercial. Butler re-used the voice " for two other Hanna-Barbera characters: Jonathan Wellington “Mudsy” Muddlemore from _[The Funky Phantom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funky_Phantom)_ and Brutus the lion from _[The Roman Holidays](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roman_Holidays)_ ." > **[Snagglepuss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snagglepuss)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Snagglepuss is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon character who debuted in prototype form in 1959 and established as a studio regular by 1961. A light pink anthropomorphic cougar sporting an upturned collar, shirt cuffs, and bow tie, Snagglepuss enjoys the fine things in life and shows particular affinity for the theatre. His stories routinely break the fourth wall as the character addresses the audience in self-narration, soliloquy, and asides. As originall... I don’t know of any other cartoons that used a Lahr-inspired voice, though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/17 "2020-10-28T14:57:54Z")
Warner Brothers cartoons **Beaky Buzzard** was pretty clearly based on Edgar Bergen’s character Mortimer Snerd – both the look and the voice. He has the distinction of being voiced by several different voice actors – Kent Rogers, Stan Freberg, Mel Blanc, and more recently by Joe Alaskey, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Bennett, Jim Cummings and Michael Ruocco. I’ve certainly heard the “Mortimer Snerd” voice done by others, but the only other one I can recall is Bill Cosby, who did it in his routine “Special Class” on the album _Wonderfulness_. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/18 "2020-10-28T15:03:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I don’t know of any other cartoons that used a Lahr-inspired voice, though. Mike Myers in _The Cat in the Hat_ definitely uses elements of Lahr’s Cowardly Lion, though it falls well short of being a straight-up impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/19 "2020-10-28T15:03:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Heck, Tom Cruise does an impersonation of Jack Nicholson in a movie _WITH_ Jack Nicholson. Christian Slater has made an entire career out of it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102/20 "2020-10-28T15:21:00Z")
He claims it is his natural speaking voice. I’ve never seen anything to indicate he is lying. Just a very odd coincidence? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ed-wynn-most-impersonated-voice-of-all-time/924102.md?page=2)