Cecil Roy
Cecil H. Roy (October 2, 1900 – January 26, 1995) was an American radio actress who was well known in radio broadcasting of the 1930s and 1940s as The Girl of a Thousand Voices.[1]
Cecil Roy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cecil H. Roy October 2, 1900 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 1995 (aged 94) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Radio performer animation voice performer |
Early life
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was an opera singer.[2]
Career
Soon entered radio during the 1930s, appearing on The Rise of the Goldbergs, The Henry Aldrich Show, Pepper Young's Family. Marthy and Elmer, and many other programs.[3]
The "Girl of a Thousand Voices" label came about due to her ability to immediately shift through a wide range of characters and ages, from an elderly woman to a crying baby.[3]
Roy's roles on radio programs included those shown in the following table.
| Program | Role |
|---|---|
| The Adventures of Dari-Dan | Stanley Hall[4] |
| Amanda of Honeymoon Hill | Aunt Mazie[5] |
| Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories | infant[2] |
| Big Sister | Jerry Jr.[6] |
| Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten | Daisy Dean[5]: 187 |
| Ma Perkins | Junior Fitz[5]: 335 |
| The Timid Soul | Madge Milquetoast[5]: 187 |
| Quiet Please | Carol Sue [5]: 187 |
She also was featured "enacting dilemmas" on Daily Dilemmas.[5]: 89
Animation
Between 1943 and 1964, she provided voices for numerous animated cartoons, specializing in children's voices, originating the voice of Little Lulu.[2]
She also did the voice of Casper in the Casper the Friendly Ghost theatrical animated series of the 1940s and 1950s.
Recordings
Her recordings for children included the role of Winnie the Pooh on a recording with Jimmy Stewart,[3] and Cindy Bear on a Yogi Bear record.[7] Through Replica Records, Roy released at least one 33 rpm recording ("Helen's Holiday"), as well as three 45 rpm recordings with Helen Searles Westbrook and Betty Barrie: 1) Buddy's Butterfly 2) The Thistle/Buddy's Garden 3) Christmas Eve/Plasco Toys.
Personal life
Roy spoke German and French and sang in Italian and French. She was reported to have a "polished repertoire of 20 dialects."[2] Her long-time partner, Beni (missing last name), was a hairdresser in New York City. His clientele included many Broadway and vaudeville stars. Cecil Roy also lived in Cozy Lake, Oak Ridge, New Jersey. Her "summer" or weekend home was a place where she entertained many of the neighborhood children with her accordion, singing, and voice talents.
Death
In her last years, she lived in the Actors' Fund Home Extended Care Facility in Englewood, New Jersey, where she died in 1995 at age 94. She was survived by her son, Richard, of Montclair, New Jersey; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
References
- DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 233.
- "CBS Radio". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas, Lubbock. July 15, 1956. p. 59. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Cecil H. Roy; Voice for Animated Films, 94", The New York Times, February 11, 1995.
- "Milkman's Adventures To Be on New Schedule". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. April 14, 1937. p. 33. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- Terrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 21.
- "High Frequency Questions". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. February 28, 1943. p. 32. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- Don M. Yowp (July 21, 2010). "But He Was a Great Psychotic Motorboat". Stuff about early Hanna-Barbera Cartoons.
And although the album cover is silent, Billboard magazine of the day revealed the identity of the woman lending a drawl to Cindy Bear on this LP. She had a bit of experience in the world of cartoon characters herself, having played Casper the Friendly Ghost and on Little Audrey and Little Lulu shorts for Famous Studios. She's none other than Cecil Roy.