Search Results for: foray

One of the high points of the Comic-Con International for many folks (and I'm among them) was the Saturday afternoon tribute to the First Lady of Cartoon Voice Work, June Foray. She was genuinely thrilled that so many of you packed the room, and I gather that most of you were thrilled to be able to hear and applaud her. I'm also wondering if any of you taped her, because I'd like to give her a copy of the panel and I don't seem to have one. If you recorded it, please drop me a note. For that matter, if you recorded any of the panels I hosted and recorded even a portion of them, drop me a note. You will have my eternal gratitude. These days, that and $2.69 will get you a gallon of Super Unleaded at the Union 76 station up on Beverly.

I was upstairs hosting panels during the peak afternoon hours so, they tell me, I missed the heavy traffic. It was pretty bad, some said, and I heard a few friends wonder out loud: What is the breaking point for this convention? Every building has its limits and if the San Diego Convention Center, large as it is, hits its maximum capacity, what do they do? I suggested they equip some of the video gaming booths with live ammunition. That might thin the herd out a bit.

We had packed houses for all four panels I did up in Room 6AB, which seats a couple thousand people. First up was Quick Draw! with Scott Shaw!, Jeff Smith and Sergio Aragonés. The idea of this game, if you've never seen it, is that we get three swift cartoonists up there, drawing on projection devices so that everyone can see what they're drawing. Then I throw challenges at them, sometimes taking suggestions from the audience. Not much more I can say about this here except that the audience sure seemed to enjoy most of it.

Then we had the annual Cartoon Voice Panel, this year with Neil Ross, Gregg Berger, Tom Kenny, Billy West and Joe Alaskey…five of the best in the biz. I stuck them with reading (without prep time) a script from the old Adventures of Superman radio show…and they all sure rose to the challenge. Someone made the comment after that if all radio dramas sounded as silly as this one, they'd still be around. Someone else remarked that the best thing about the panel was the obvious respect the five actors had for one another. Again, not much more I can report other than that Billy West — with all concurring — decried the notion that some producers have about installing "names" in animated projects, hiring folks who are known for their on-camera work. It does sometimes work — the leads in Shrek, for instance — but what happens a staggering percentage of the time is that top-notch voice actors are bypassed for folks who, in that capacity, are highly inept. A star name may help with a marketing campaign…but 8.5 out of ten times, the producer has to then accept for an inferior performance by someone who, though perhaps very gifted in some capacity, is simply operating outside their area of expertise. Anyone who saw our little panel today can testify what a seasoned, experienced voice actor can bring to a role.

Next up was my annual interview with Ray Bradbury. We discussed Michael Moore, the space program, Ray's passion for writing, the late Julius Schwartz, Ray's life before he sold his first story, his screenplay for Moby Dick, the time he found a "dinosaur skeleton" (actually part of an old roller coaster) on the beach, and many more topics. I even got him to tell the "Mr. Electrico" story that he told last week on the Dennis Miller Show by pointing out that we had a larger audience. The crowd was mesmerized, to say nothing of the interviewer.

Lastly, we filled darn near every seat in the house for our "spotlight" on the first lady of cartoon voice acting, June Foray. Aided by three fine voice talents (Chuck McCann, Gregg Berger and Joe Alaskey), we re-created a couple of golden moments from the Rocky & Bullwinkle program and quizzed June on an incredible career. At one point, I ran her through a list compiled by animation historian (and current voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose) Keith Scott. It was a partial accounting of radio shows on which she was heard and it included…let me just change margins here…

The Cavalcade of America, A Date With Judy, Sherlock Holmes (with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce), Mayor of the Town (with Lionel Barrymore), The Whistler, The Billie Burke Show, The Rudy Vallee Show, Stars Over Hollywood, The Al Pearce Show, This is My Best (with Orson Welles), Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge, Baby Snooks (with Fanny Brice), Dr. Christian (with Jean Hersholt), I Deal in Crime (with Bill Gargan), Jack Haley's Sealtest Village Store, Glamour Manor (with Kenny Baker), Phone Again Finnegan (with Stu Erwin), The Charlie McCarthy Show (with Edgar Bergen), The Dick Haymes Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Bob Hope Show, The Penny Singleton Show, Presenting Charles Boyer, Tex Williams's All-Star Western Theater, Red Ryder, The Screen Directors' Playhouse, The Screen Guild Theatre, The Lux Radio Theater, The Great Gildersleeve, My Favorite Husband (with Lucille Ball), Richard Diamond: Private Detective (with Dick Powell), and Martin Kane, Private Eye.

And we had a nice montage of June's career, assembled by my friend and co-host Earl Kress. It included her work with Stan Freberg on "St. George and the Dragonet," plus clips from a Donald Duck cartoon ("Trick or Treat," with June playing a witch named Witch Hazel), a Bugs Bunny cartoon ("Broomstick Bunny," with June playing a witch named Witch Hazel), plus episodes of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Garfield and Friends, Baby Looney Tunes, The Smurfs and a few others. We even tossed in a clip from an episode of the original Twilight Zone ("The Living Doll") in which June voiced a doll named Talky Tina who does the world a service by murdering Telly Savalas.

There were a lot of memorable moments today but if I could only save one, I'd save the sound of that huge audience, standing and cheering June Foray at the close of that event. It was almost an explosion of pure love and respect, and I can't think of anyone more deserving.

Good night, everyone.

It's less than two weeks until a lot of us will be truckin' on down to San Diego and the Comic-Con International. Here's what I'll be doing there and where I'll be doing it…

THURSDAY, JULY 22

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE ROYER
He started assisting the great Russ Manning and moved on to become Jack Kirby's favorite inker on many important works, including The New Gods. Along the way, his work also appeared in Creepy, Vampirella, Tarzan and dozens of other comics. We interview a true professional, MIKE ROYER.

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 8 • THE ANNUAL GOLDEN/SILVER AGE PANEL
Every year, we gather together several of the industry's greats. This time out, come meet TOM GILL (The Lone Ranger), FRANK SPRINGER (Nick Fury), GENE COLAN (Daredevil), FRANK BOLLE (Doctor Solar), SID JACOBSON (Harvey Comics), JACK ADLER (DC Production Crew) and HARRY HARRISON (EC Comics), who between them have logged over 300 years in comics!

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM / Room 8 • THE SERGIO AND MARK SHOW
What would a Comic-Con International be without SERGIO ARAGONES, MARK EVANIER, STAN SAKAI and TOM LUTH giving you the lowdown on the world's stupidest barbarian, Groo the Wanderer, and other weird projects they have in the works? (It would be the same but with one less panel.)

FRIDAY, JULY 23

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON JACK ADLER
You may not know his name but if you read DC Comics in the fifties and sixties, you know his work. JACK ADLER was the main colorist and the inventor of many of comics' most innovative techniques. We'll talk with him and view photos he took over the years in the DC offices.

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 5AB • SPOTLIGHT ON CHUCK McCANN
If you grew up in New York, you probably remember his brilliant, ground-breaking kid show. Otherwise, you know him as one of the funniest comic actors in the business. CHUCK McCANN will share funny clips and even funnier stories with the audience. A not-to-be-missed event!

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 8 • THE ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE PANEL
It's been ten years since we lost the man they still call "The King of the Comics" and hail as its most influential artist. Let's celebrate his life with DAVE STEVENS, DAVE GIBBONS, MIKE ROYER, PAUL RYAN, WALT SIMONSON, STEVE RUDE and members of the Kirby family.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM / Room 8 • REMEMBERING BOB CLAMPETT
He was one of the great directors of Warner Brothers cartoons and he went on to innovate kids' TV with Beany and Cecil. Come hear animation historian JERRY BECK, historian-animator MILT GRAY, animator LEO SULLIVAN and daughter RUTH CLAMPETT as they gather to view rare film footage and to recall the creative force known as Bob Clampett.

SATURDAY, JULY 24

12 NOON – 1:30 PM / Room 6AB • QUICK DRAW!
We take three swift cartoonists and throw challenges at them. They draw as fast as they can and the results are always hilarious. This year, the combatants are MAD Magazine's SERGIO ARAGONES, Simpsons comic artist SCOTT SHAW! and the creator of Bone, JEFF SMITH.

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM / Room 6AB • THE ANNUAL CARTOON VOICE PANEL
Witness a demonstration of the art form with JOE ALASKEY (Duck Dodgers), DEE BRADLEY BAKER (The Fairly Odd Parents), GREGG BERGER (Men in Black), TOM KENNY (SpongeBob SquarePants), NEIL ROSS (Transformers), BILLY WEST (Futurama) and many more!

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 6AB • RAY BRADBURY
Catch up with the world's most acclaimed author of science-fiction and fantasy (The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, et al) as he honors us with an hour of his time and discusses his past, your present and everyone's future.

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM / Room 6AB • SPOTLIGHT ON JUNE FORAY
She's not only Rocky (pal of Bullwinkle) and Granny (owner of Tweety), she's the undisputed queen of cartoon voicing. We'll interview JUNE FORAY and then have a reading of vintage cartoon scripts with her, CHUCK McCANN, JOE ALASKEY and others as we re-create a Rocky & Bullwinkle episode!

SUNDAY, JULY 25

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM / Room 8 • TRIBUTE TO JULIUS SCHWARTZ
We remember one of the industry's great editors and the man who launched the Silver Age of Comics and helped start fandom. Come hear FORREST J ACKERMAN, LEN WEIN, ELLIOTT S! MAGGIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARV WOLFMAN, MIKE CARLIN and others.

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON TOM GILL & FRANK SPRINGER
Two great comic artists, together. TOM GILL is one of the great western comic illustrators (for years, the artist for The Lone Ranger) and an acclaimed teacher of comic art. FRANK SPRINGER has drawn everything from Batman to Spider-Man and everything in-between. Come hear them interviewed about two incredible careers.

Please remember that everything in the above is subject to change. Keep your eye on this weblog and when you get to the con, consult your program guide and various announcements posted around the exhibit hall.

Here's some news to gladden your Sunday: At the end of August, you'll be able to purchase a DVD with all 26 episodes of Fractured Flickers. In case you don't know, this was a riotously funny 1963 TV series produced by Jay Ward and the other folks who brought you Rocky & Bullwinkle. The show was hosted by Hans Conried (aka the voice of Snidely Whiplash) and most of it consisted of vintage silent movies cleverly redubbed into new and funny forms. Bill Scott was the head writer, and the voices were by Scott, June Foray and Paul Frees. There were also silly segments in which Mr. Conried interviewed celebrities of the day, including Rod Serling, Allan Sherman and Bob Newhart. (Scott was a huge Bob Newhart fan and can be heard in many episodes doing his impression of Mr. Newhart.)

If you never saw this show, you have a wonderful treat in store. If you have seen this show, you'll want to click on this link and pre-order it from Amazon.

On this site, we have articles devoted to some of the great animation voice thespians, including Daws Butler, Mel Blanc and June Foray. Once a week or so, someone writes to ask, "When you are going to put up something about Paul Frees?" He was certainly in that category. In his day, he did as many cartoons as any man alive, and was darn near ubiquitous in commercials, narration and even the redubbing of other actors in movies. So he certainly deserves attention but, as I write the folks who ask why I haven't done an article on him, I never really met Paul Frees (only once on the phone) and have never felt I knew enough about him to write anything worth reading.

Fortunately, someone else does and has. I'm just enjoying Welcome, Foolish Mortals… which is subtitled, "The Life and Times of Paul Frees," a much-needed book by Ben Ohmart. It has an intro by June Foray, who played Natasha when Paul played Boris Badenov. It has an outro by Keith Scott, an amazing Australian voice talent who has since assumed some of Paul's roles. And in between, Ben tells us who Paul was, how he worked, how he lived…everything. Much of this book is a recitation of parts that Frees played, and you'll find yourself saying, "I didn't know that was Paul Frees."

(Here's one Ben missed: Near the beginning of the movie Gigi, there's a scene where Louis Jordan has a scene with several men who have been skillfully redubbed by Guess Who.) If this kind of thing interests you, you need this book. The title, by the way, refers to the job many people identify with Paul: The host at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

You can purchase this new book from Amazon at this link or directly from the author's company at this link. Ordering from the second of these may cost you a buck or two more (and will not pay me my Amazon kickback) but personally, I always like to see as much of the money as possible going to the author. And while you're at it, also order Scenes For Actors and Voices, a collection of scripts written by the great Daws Butler and compiled into a book by Joe Bevilacqua and Ben. Here's the link for Amazon and here's the link for the publisher. Lots of good stuff at the latter site.

Ray Harryhausen is the acknowledged master of stop-motion animation. His work on movies like The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts inspired almost everyone else who ever tried to animate three-dimensional figures, whether it was on major 35mm features done in Hollywood or little 8mm attempts done in some teenager's garage. Mr. Harryhausen himself started in his garage in Hollywood, working in 16mm, learning his craft by experimentation, which is really the only way you can learn that kind of thing. Last night at the Motion Picture Academy, a good sampling of the animation business gathered to hear him interviewed by Leonard Maltin, and to see some of that earliest trial-and-error work.

It was amazing how few errors were visible in it, even with the films enlarged to 35mm for the Academy's screen. (Well, visible to us. Ray kept talking about how many flaws he now saw in films he made over a half-century ago.)

Those who associate him only with animating dinosaurs and skeleton creatures would have been fascinated to see what made up the bulk of the program last night. Beginning in the forties, Harryhausen animated — still in his garage — a series of short fairy tales for what was then called the non-theatrical market, meaning schools and rental agencies. The Academy arranged for major restoration work to be done on the films, and the prints were stunning. This material has been available in home video in the past, but a forthcoming DVD of the restored versions will soon be out, perhaps as early as late this year. It is quite fascinating, especially when viewed in chronological order, allowing you to see Harryhausen become more ambitious and more facile in bringing life to the beautiful little figures he designed and built.

The audience was like a Who's Who of the animation field. (I sat next to June Foray, who had just come from recording voice tracks for a new Rocky and Bullwinkle slot machine.) Mr. Harryhausen seemed genuinely humbled by the turnout and passion for his work, and I think a lot of those in attendance sensed a direct correlation between the film and the filmmaker. Stop-motion animation requires an incredible devotion to detail, and nothing occurs by accident. After hearing Ray Harryhausen talk about his craft, I think everyone understood why it all turned out as well as it did, and why he was always striving to outdo himself. A lovely time.

Several times a year, a group to which I belong called the Pacific Pioneers Broadcasters honors a famous show business figure with a luncheon that is part roast, part tribute. (I had the sirloin of beef, which was part roast, part Reebok.) Today, the famous show business figure was impressionist and actor Frank Gorshin, and he was saluted by a dais that included Hal Kanter, Adam West, Edie Adams, Julie Newmar, Paul Picerni, Jimmy Van Patten and Chuck McCann. There were some wonderful anecdotes about Gorshin and an awful lot of affection. Several speakers goaded Gorshin to give up smoking, and he seemed genuinely touched when the audience applauded the idea.

West praised the man who played the Riddler for challenging him to do better work on Batman. Ms. Adams spoke about working with Frank on The Kopycats. McCann described being in the room when Gorshin got his first TV audition. And I'm still not sure what Ms. Newmar said but who cares? She's Julie Newmar.

As usual for a P.P.B. luncheon, the place was filled with fascinating show biz veterans. Saw the lovely June Foray, who is still doing so much voice work that she hasn't finished her autobiography. Chatted with Eddie Carroll, whose Jack Benny Tribute Show is an uncanny and very entertaining impression. Eddie is also the current voice of Jiminy Cricket for the Disney people.

Sat next to Jim MacGeorge, a very funny comic actor who has usually been the guy playing Laurel when Chuck McCann plays Hardy. Jim was the voice of Beany, Cap'n Huffenpuff and many other characters on the old Beany and Cecil cartoons, and has been heard on many, many other shows since. It's so odd to see a guy telling stories about Stan Laurel and, without quite realizing he's doing it, lapse into the impression, delivering Stan quotes as Stan. If I'd been wearing a tie, I'd have started twiddling it and doing slow burns to an unseen camera.

And there were a lot of other neat folks present: Walker Edmiston, Tom Kennedy, Jack Narz, a great comedy writer pal of mine named Paul Pumpian, dialect specialist Robert Easton, Ed Rothhaar (who hosts I Remember Television for PBS), Fred "Mr. Game Show" Wostbrock, and a whole bunch of others whose names escape me at the moment. My friend Earl Kress tagged along and we had a great time. Actually, Earl had a better time than I did. He didn't order the sirloin of beef.

Cartoon Network is running Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol on December 10, which I guess means that NBC, which last year announced they'd be running it in prime-time but never did, won't be running it this year, either. The TiVo listing, like NBC's press release, erroneously lists June Foray in the voice cast.

Not all that many years ago, comic book conventions were mostly Boys' Clubs. There were San Diego Cons where the only women on the premises seemed to be Mrs. Jack Kirby and maybe June Foray. June, by the way, will be a featured guest at the 2004 Comic Con International in S.D. and I'm going to put together something spectacular (I'm not sure what yet) for the occasion.

Anyway, one of the things that has changed about conventions in the last decade or two is the large percentage of ladies who are present, many of them quite spectacular in appearance. There's a photographer named John Chennavasin who goes to glamour-type events and takes pictures of the models, and he's lately taken to visiting Comic Con International with his camera. Here's a link to some photos that he took at the 2002 convention and here are pics from the 2003 con. [CAUTION: Selecting some of the other links on his site could plunge you into sectors of the Internet where ladies cavort without clothing. You will be one click from porn instead of the usual two clicks.]

I haven't seen the new Looney Tunes DVD yet but a reader named "Booksteve" informs me that the documentary narrated by Stan Freberg and included on the DVD has an error in it. There's a photo of voice actress Bea Benaderet, he says, that is identified as June Foray.

Booksteve writes, "Stan should be incensed!" He's right. A few years ago, the Rhino Records people put out a boxed set of comedy CDs that included one of the records that Stan did with his sometimes-sidekick, Daws Butler. In the accompanying booklet, there was a photo of Daws identified as Stan. Mr. Freberg says he called Rhino and told them about it and the response was, "Are you sure?"

A.S.I.F.A. stands for "Association Internationale du Film D'Animation." Just call it, like most folks do, "the animation society." The group does much to preserve and promote animation and its history so we're glad to have it around. They also stage wonderful events. It isn't listed yet on their website but the Hollywood Chapter has an evening coming up to honor the late, great voice actor — and one of the nicest men I ever knew — Daws Butler. It's on July 31 and it will celebrate the release of a new book, Scenes for Actors and Voices, which reprints many of the exercises that Daws wrote for the wonderful acting classes he used to teach in a little workshop in the back of his house. Some of the best voice actors working today studied with him in that garage and read these scenes under his supervision, and now they've been compiled into a book by Ben Ohmart and Joe Bevilacqua. Joe was among Daws's students, as were Corey Burton and Nancy Cartwright, who will be there that evening to perform scenes and autograph the book. One of Daws's best friends, the fabulous June Foray, will also participate.

I'll point you to a link with more details as soon as one is posted but for now, I thought those of you who are in Southern California would like to mark the date. That's the evening of Thursday, July 31, commencing at 7:30 at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium.

Just back from a lovely lunchtime birthday bash for Joe Barbera (of "Hanna and…) who turned at least 92 a week or two ago.  The "at least" is because a couple of animation historians in the back were quietly making the case that J.B. is actually older than his official bio ever claimed.  I don't know that it matters.  There couldn't have been any more reverence and respect in the hall than there was.  The place was packed with associates, long-time and recent, who came to celebrate the life and longevity of the man who helped invent TV cartoons.

(By the way: In the photo above, that's Barbera on the left, Hanna on the right.  I'm guessing 1965 or so.)

Present were folks who've known and worked with Barbera for years (Jerry Eisenberg and Iwao Takamoto both spoke) and a bevy of cartoon voice people: June Foray, Gary Owens, Lucille Bliss, John Stephenson, Casey Kasem, Janet Waldo, Frank Welker, Alan Oppenheimer and others.  Most interesting to me was the vast quantity of writers and artists whose debt to Mr. Barbera was less direct.  Yeah, he hired a lot of them or ran the company that did — but before that, his shows inspired them to want to be in the business and to develop their creative impulses into actual talents.  The place was full of us.

In any case, it was an even grander turnout than they had for Mr. Barbera's alleged 91st birthday party last year.  Tune in next year for a report on the 93rd, and the year after for the 94th.  And the year after and the year after…

As mentioned earlier on this site, Stan Freberg and his lovely spouse Hunter will be presenting "An Evening With Stan Freberg" from January 28 through February 1 at Feinstein's at the Regency, a rather swank Manhattan nitery.  Last night and the night before, Stan and Hunter "road-tested" the show with invitational performances up at the Magic Castle.  Animation expert Jerry Beck went to Tuesday night's show and his report is posted here.  As you can see, he says it ran two and a half hours and left the audience wanting more.  I went Wednesday evening and took in the "cut down" version which was closer to 90 minutes.  So we really left wanting more.

Stan sings — in surprisingly good voice — and tells wonderful anecdotes about his days as a cartoon voice actor and on Time for Beany.  He recreates several of his hit comedy records, in some cases playing all the roles, including those originally done by Peter Leeds, Daws Butler and even June Foray.  He shows TV commercials he produced and tells wonderful stories about their invention.  If you're anywhere near New York and can make it, you'll have a wonderful time, spending an hour or two with a brilliant man.  The number to call for reservations at Feinstein's is (212) 339-4095, and I guess I should warn you that the place is small and the prices are not.  But, hey.  It's Stan Freberg.

Various channels (including Cartoon Network and StarZ) are running Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas this week and next.  It, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are my four favorite bits of holiday animation and the only four that really developed into perennials.  For many of us, the holidays are not complete without a viewing of one or more of these, and I have to note: Magoo was produced in '62, Rudolph in '64, Charlie Brown in '65 and Grinch in '66…and that was it.  The Golden Age of Animated Television Christmas Specials was over.  Many have been done since but not one has had anywhere near the staying power or affection of those four.

I have no idea why this is, so I'll just mention this link to an article about the Grinch, complete with quotes from the lovely June Foray, who did the voice of Cindy Lou Who.  Her role was uncredited and less than a dozen words in duration…but even if I hadn't seen the special repeatedly since '63, I'd still remember her letter-perfect performance.

Here in its entirety is a current NBC press release…

"Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" returns to NBC in the fall of 2002 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the program's first airing on the network in 1962.  "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" was the first ever made-for-primetime animated television special and is credited for starting the genre. Making its network debut on December 18, 1962, the 60-minute special aired for six consecutive years on NBC. The holiday classic is a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and features original songs by Broadway greats Jule Stein and Bob Merrill (Funny Girl), as well as the voice talents of Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island), Morey Amsterdam (The Dick Van Dyke Show), Jack Cassidy and June Foray (The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle).

This is all nice to hear…but the composer's name was Jule Styne, not Stein.  And June Foray was not in the show at all.  She's not in the credits and her voice isn't present in the soundtrack, and I phoned her last night and double-checked, just to make certain.  It ain't her.  For some reason though, her name keeps turning up in articles and database entries about the special.

While I've got you here:  There's an audio outtake that is sometimes circulated on the Internet, plus it turns up on some of those "Celebrities At Their Worst" CDs.  It purports to be Don Messick and June Foray ad-libbing dirty dialogue at a recording session…and it isn't.  I mean, it is two cartoon voice actors screwing around in a studio, but it's not Don and June.  The man in the recording is the late Bob Ridgely.  Ridgely was an on-camera actor (he was the executioner in Blazing Saddles, the flasher in High Anxiety, the game show host in Melvin and Howard, the bigoted businessman in Philadelphia, and the TV announcer in That Thing You Do, to name five of his many credits.)  He was also a TV promo announcer, a cartoon voice actor (Thundarr the Barbarian, Tarzan, Flash Gordon) and one of the filthiest, funniest people I ever knew.

That's definitely him in that audio clip, not Messick.  I think I know who the woman is but I'm not 100% certain so I won't mention a name.  It is, however, absolutely not June.  If anyone tells you it is, tell them they're wrong.  Let's see if we can unattach her name from this.