Oregon Movies, A to Z

Zemeckis had Walt Disney Pictures’ enthusiastic backing, producer Steven Spielberg’s pull, Warner Bros.’s blessing, British animator Richard Williams’ ink and paint, Mel Blanc’s voice, Jeffrey Price’s and Peter S. Seaman’s witty, frenetic screenplay, George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, and Bob Hoskins’ comical performance as the burliest, shaggiest private eye. Desson Thompson of  The Washington Post

Mel Blanc was 70 years old when Roger Zemeckis asked him to voice Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Tweetie Bird, Sylvester and Porky Pig in this live action/animation mashup which took the box office by storm.

All the voices Blanc contributed were ones he had originated decades ago when he worked for Leon Schlesinger  at Warner Brothers, making Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes. Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn also make appearances, but Blanc’s original voice characterizations for those two were too demanding for him, at age 70, to replicate. So they were done by someone else.

Two Oregon connections in the cast in addition to Mel Blanc: the character Goofy, who was originally voiced by Oregonian Pinto Colvig,  and Lena the Hyena who was first drawn by Oregonian Basil Wolverton. To my knowledge this is Lena’s first and only movie role. She was the cover girl of the October 12, 1946 issue of Life magazine.

I hereby claim Who Framed Roger Rabbit? as an Oregon film, based on the presence of Mel Blanc in the cast.