June Foray: Everybody Grew Up with Her

The title of her autobiography "Did You Grow Up With Me, Too?" (BearManor Media, 2009) says it all. Most Americans have grown up with June Foray, they just don't know it.

She was born June Lucille Forer in Springfield, Massachusetts.

She discovered a talent for doing voices at an early age and was working in radio by the age of 12. By the time she was fifteen, she was working regularly.

Foray preferred working in front of a microphone instead of in front of a camera; her tv acting appearances are few and far between.

Disney Studios recognized the talent in this young voiceover actress after hearing her on albums recorded for children through Capitol Records. This young lady could do voices from little girls to witches and old hags.

Disney snatched up the young talent and used her voice for Lucifer the cat in "Cinderella" in 1950. From that point on, Foray has never been out of work.

Foray did the voice of Granny in the Tweety and Sylvester cartoon series and Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha and Nell in the Bullwinkle and Rocky cartoons for Warner Brothers. However, many of her voice credits for Warner Brothers were not listed thanks to Mel Blanc, another voice talent used in numerous cartoons and animated films. Blanc's contract stipulated that he receive exclusive voice credit.

The statement was made that June Foray was the female Mel Blanc. Chuck Jones, a personal friend and frequent employer of Foray, stated in Foray's defense, "June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc was the male June Foray." [1]

Non-credit didn't hamper any job offers for Foray. Her voice was used in cartoons such as "George of the Jungle," "Dudley Do-Right," "Woody Woodpecker," "The Pink Panther," "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," and "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" as well as timeless Christmas favorites such as "Frosty the Snowman," "The Little Drummer Boy," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (she was the voice of little Cindy Lou Who.)

One of the most interesting facets of Foray's career was that her voice was used for the "Chatty Cathy" doll in the 1960s. Chatty Cathy was one of the first "talking dolls" created. In a real twist of irony, she also supplied the voice for the "Talking Tina" doll for a Twilight Zone episode entitled "Talking Tina." The plot was simple: Talking Tina spoke normally to family members except the father (Telly Savalas), whom she constantly threatened. No one believes dad when he tries to tell them of Tina's threats and he thinks he's losing his mind. He repeatedly tries to destroy the doll but she ends up killing him by tripping him up on the stairs.

In addition to all her other credits, Foray's voice was also Grandmother Fa in Disney's "Mulan" and she can also be heard at Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme park

Foray was married to Hobart Donovan from 1954 until his death in 1976.

The International Animated Film Association (ASIFA-Association Internationale du Film d'Animation) established the June Foray award in 1995 for "individuals who have made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation." Foray herself received the first award.

Her seldom on-screen appearances include a high priestess in "Sabaka" (1954) and a Mexican phone operator in a Green Acres episode. To date, this was her last onscreen appearance as a fictional character.

Another book to her credit is "Perverse, Adverse and Rottenverse" a collection of humorous anecdotes. (BearManor Media, 2006).

June Foray's Hollywood Star is located at 7074 Hollywood Blvd between Marshfield and Sycamore. It was placed there on Sept. 18, 2007, her birthdate.

The next time you're watching "The Flintstones," "Bullwinkle" or "Scooby-Doo" you're hearing June Foray in there somewhere.

Sources:
[1] Animation World Magazine