In the above photo, I don't know who the guy on the right is but I can sure identify the guy on the left. It's the (sadly) late Lennie Weinrib, who passed away last June. Lennie was a writer and a director and a wonderful comic actor…but in the picture you see him doing what he did most often, which was voiceover work. He spoke for many, many cartoon characters and I'm not sure what you'd say H.R. Pufnstuf was — puppet? costumed character? — but Lennie supplied his voice and wrote the original series, as well. He was in so many movies and TV shows and commercials that it's tough to describe who and what he was. I tried to do it here but some topics simply defy my limited vocabulary. Most topics, actually but never mind that now.
Lennie was living in Chile when he passed away. His loving family down there — wife Sonia and daughters Grace and Heidi — had what I'm sure was a proper and perfect funeral service for him in Chile…but of course, so many folks in Los Angeles who loved him were unable to be there for it. We need closure and we need an opportunity to say bye-bye so we're having a memorial service for him here next week.
It's Thursday evening, October 26, and we welcome anyone who knew him and even those who didn't but just loved his work. It's in Studio City starting around 6:30 and it will not be a maudlin affair at all. We've got actors coming and cartoon voices and brothers named Krofft and people who were in the legendary Billy Barnes revues with him and we've even got Billy Barnes and all sorts of people who knew and worked with Lennie. We'll all be telling stories and showing film clips and partaking of a dinner buffet that we think he would have loved, in part because Sid Krofft will look at it and go, "You're not going to eat that, are you?"
His other daughter, Linda — who lives in Los Angeles — arranged most of this and will also be among the speakers. Linda is a talented voice actress herself, and I'm thinking there must have been some sort of talent acids in Lennie's chromosomes. Grace is a successful painter and Heidi has become a popular singer down in Chile, having recently reached the finals of a Chilean TV show not unlike our American Idol.
I'd really love to pack his memorial service with fans and friends, just in case Lennie's watching. If you're interested in attending, drop me a note and I'll send you the rest of the details. And please…if you know someone who knew Lennie, direct them to this website. The guy knew so many people in so many walks of life that we're having genuine trouble tracking them all down so we can invite them.