Legendary New York voice artist and local television personality Allen Swift passed away this past Sunday at age 86.
He did various cartoon voices as King Leonardo's trusted aide Odie Cologne, the villainous Simon Bar Sinister (on the old Underdog television show in the 1960s), and such characters as DeWitt Clinton (Clint) Clobber, superintendent and sanitation engineer (janitor) of the Flamboyant Arms, rubbery-limbed French artist Gaston Le Crayon, eternally-henpecked John Doormat, and happy nebish Flebus in various series of theatrically-produced cartoons for Terrytoons during the Gene Deitch era, made between 1956 and 1958.
Mr. Swift also took over as the voice of Howdy Doody during the year (1954-55) that Buffalo Bob Smith was absent from the Peanut Gallery after he suffered his massive and nearly fatal heart attack.
Allen also did voice work for the MGM Tom and Jerry cartoons that ex-Terrytoons supervising director Gene Deitch directed at his studio in what was then Czechoslovakia during 1961 and 1962.
For years, he also hosted a local cartoon show that was seen on local television in New York City.
Here's Allen at work, doing the voices in "Flebus" a Terrytoons cartoon made in New Rochelle, New York that was originally released theatrically in CinemaScope by 20th Century Fox. This is a 1960s TV print. The cartoon was first directed by Ernest Pintoff (who wrote and designed it) , then completed by Gene Deitch, with animation by New York legend Jim Tyer and music by Phil Scheib (actually, Ernest composed the music, but dut to contractual commitment, Phil was credited on screen).
Rest in peace, Allen.
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