# The poor mans version of .... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055 "2019-11-27T08:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/1 "2019-11-27T08:13:03Z")
So I caught - The Losers\* On TV today while tread-milling, a movie I did not know existed until I was watching it. Which at first made me think about how many movies now exist entirely of Comic book movie actors, playing “their character” in a non IP infringing role in a non IP infringing movie. And within those line made me realize how effectively Jeffrey Dean Morgan has become a poor mans Robert Downey. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/2 "2019-11-27T11:23:11Z")
Born Losers…how Tom Loughlin (Billy Jack) becomes a poormans version of Bruce Lee. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/3 "2019-11-27T11:35:22Z")
In the 1970s, after _Star Trek_ was cancelled, but before it became a hit in re-runs, Gene Roddenberry put out: _Star Trek: The Animated Series Genesis II Planet Earth The Questor Tapes Spectre_ He was a poor man’s George Pal. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/4 "2019-11-27T13:26:43Z")
I’ve always thought of cartoon voice actor **Daws Butler** as “The Poor Man’s **Mel Blanc** ”. That’s probably unfair to the guy. He was the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Astro (from _The Jetsons_) and Scooby-Doo, among a great many other voices. The go-to guy for MGM cartoons and, later, Hanna-Barbera. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/5 "2019-11-27T14:34:43Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > That’s probably unfair to the guy. He was the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Astro (from _The Jetsons_) and Scooby-Doo, among a great many other voices. The go-to guy for MGM cartoons and, later, Hanna-Barbera. You may be confusing Daws Butler with Don Messick (the poor man’s Daws Butler?). Messick did Astro and Scooby-Doo (but Butler did do Huckleberry Hound). Butler’s most famous character might be Yogi Bear. Both did many voices for Hanna-Barbera. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/6 "2019-11-27T15:06:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > You may be confusing Daws Butler with Don Messick (the poor man’s Daws Butler?). Messick did Astro and Scooby-Doo (but Butler did do Huckleberry Hound). Butler’s most famous character might be Yogi Bear. Both did many voices for Hanna-Barbera. Yes – sorry about that. Probably the “D” name that connects them. Daws did the voice of Elroy and Cogswell in _The Jetsons_ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/7 "2019-11-27T15:13:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ve always thought of cartoon voice actor **Daws Butler** as “The Poor Man’s **Mel Blanc** ”. > That’s probably unfair to the guy. He was the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Astro (from _The Jetsons_) and Scooby-Doo, among a great many other voices. The go-to guy for MGM cartoons and, later, Hanna-Barbera. Also in Warner Bros. cartoons, though he was uncredited. At the time, only Mel Blanc had it written into his contract that he be given credit for his voice characterizations. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/8 "2019-11-27T15:54:00Z")
Dean Koontz is sorta the poor man’s Stephen King. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/9 "2019-11-27T16:09:55Z")
Paul Reiser is the poor mans Richard Lewis Huey Lewis is the poor mans John Lennon Neil Lennon is the poor mans Martin O’Neill and for SoCalians of a certain age…Poorman ([Jim Trenton - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Trenton)) is the poor mans… ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/10 "2019-11-27T16:12:29Z")
Breaking Bad had the poor man’s Bruce Willis in Dean Norris and the poor man’s Matt Damon Jesse Plemmons. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/11 "2019-11-27T16:15:24Z")
“The Munsters” is the poor man’s “The Addams Family.” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/12 "2019-11-27T16:17:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Yes – sorry about that. Probably the “D” name that connects them. Daws did the voice of Elroy and Cogswell in _The Jetsons_ Daws Butler and Don Messick often worked together on the Hanna-Barbera short cartoons. Butler was Dixie and Mr. Jinks, Messick was Pixie. Butler was Yogi Bear, Messick was Boo Boo and Ranger Smith. Butler was Snagglepuss, Messick was Major Minor. They weren’t exactly a permanent team, but they did a lot of cartoons together, and were lifelong friends. Butler also ran a voice acting workshop, and mentored a number of voice actors who are still working today, including Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson), Corey Burton (the current voice of Ludwig Von Drake), and Bill Farmer (the current voice of Goofy). Blanc may be better known, but I honestly believe that Butler was at least as versatile, maybe more so. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/13 "2019-11-27T16:22:02Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Breaking Bad had the poor man’s Bruce Willis in Dean Norris and the poor man’s Matt Damon Jesse Plemmons. Breaking Bad is the poor mans Sopranos. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/14 "2019-11-27T16:27:47Z")
For some reason, my late brother intensely disliked Al Pacino and constantly referred to him as “a poor man’s Dustin Hoffman.” If we can extend this conversation to TV shows, **this one** was a poor man’s _ **Sea Hunt** _: > **[Assignment: Underwater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assignment:_Underwater)** > > Assignment: Underwater is an American adventure television series which aired in NTA Film Network syndication from 1960 to 1961. > The series stars prolific B-movie actor Bill Williams and Diane Mountford. Williams played Bill Greer, the skipper aboard a charter boat named The Lively Lady. Mountford played his daughter, Patty. > The series was written and produced by Frank De Felitta for Liberty Enterprises and National Telefilm Associates. The pilot is on YouTube, along some some other samples. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/15 "2019-11-27T16:39:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > For some reason, my late brother intensely disliked Al Pacino and constantly referred to him as “a poor man’s Dustin Hoffman.” Dustin Hoffman was great at taking roles and losing himself in them. Pacino, for the last 40 years, turns every role into some obvious form of Al Pacino. Thank God he didnt use this style of acting in the Godfathers. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/16 "2019-11-27T17:07:44Z")
A previous thread on the poorman’s this or that: [\_\_\_\_\_, the poor man's \_\_\_\_\_ - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457224) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/17 "2019-11-27T17:25:14Z")
Barclay James Harvest are the [poor man’s Moody Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GxFbd8fW3U). ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/18 "2019-11-27T21:49:22Z")
Skeet Ulrich is the poor man’s Johnny Depp. Shia LaBoeuf is the poor man’s John Cusack. Jim Belushi is the poor man’s John Belushi. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/19 "2019-11-27T22:02:00Z")
Donald Trump is the poor mans version of Richard Cory. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055/20 "2019-11-27T23:15:15Z")
Barney is the poor man’s H.R. Pufnstuf [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-poor-mans-version-of/844055.md?page=2)