Known For
Acting
Born
Jun 22, 1920
Died
Nov 02, 1986
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Credits
278 titles
Paul Frees
Biography
Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920 – November 2, 1986), known professionally as Paul Frees, was an American actor, voice actor, impressionist and screenwriter. He is best known for his voice work in cartoons during the Golden Age of Animation. Like Mel Blanc, he was sometimes referred to as "The Man of a Thousand Voices". Born in Chicago, Illinois, Frees started his entertainment career as a vaudeville impressionist and in 1942 began working on Hollywood radio series. After being drafted into the U.S. Army in World War II, he was wounded in action and eventually resumed his work in radio upon his return to the states. Frees appeared in over 250 films, cartoons and TV episodes, although he had few on-screen appearances and often went uncredited. He was also frequently enlisted to re-dub actors' performances, such as Tony Curtis' dialogue as Josephine in the 1959 film Some Like it Hot. That same year, Frees co-wrote and directed the film The Beatniks, his only feature film. Frees had a long career with Walt Disney Studios, providing the voice for Ludwig Von Drake and other characters, narrating short films, and supplying many voices for Disney theme park attractions, most notably the Ghost Host in The Haunted Mansion, various voices in Pirates of the Caribbean, and the narrator for both Adventure Thru Innerspace and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. On TV, Frees worked with Jay Ward Productions, providing the voice of Boris Badenov and other characters in various series, and also supplied many voices for Rankin/Bass cartoon specials. He also appeared in TV commercials and was the original voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy and the second voice of Froot Loops mascot Toucan Sam (after Mel Blanc). Frees was married five times and had two children via his third wife, voice actress Joyce Schultz. In his later years, Frees suffered from multiple health issues. He died in Tiburon, California, on November 2, 1986, at age 66, from an overdose of pain medication. He was cremated and his remains were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Known For
Filmography
Pirates of the Caribbean | Disneyland Resort
Auctioneer (voice) / Pirate Skull (voice)
3-D Rarities
(archive footage)
Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
Joe Wolf (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Ludwig Von Drake / Herman (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.3
True Spirit of Adventure / Narrator / Creature (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
Larry Harmon's Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown
Narrator
Disney’s Coyote Tales
Mouse (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
The Puppetoon Movie
Arnie the Dinosaur / Pillsbury Doughboy (voice)
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Self / Narrator (voice)
Disney's DTV Valentine
Ludwig Von Drake / Announcer (voice)
The Wind in the Willows
Wayfarer (voice)
Twice Upon a Time
Narrator / Chef of State / Judges / Bailiff (voice)
What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon
Trailer Announcer
The Last Unicorn
Mabruk (voice)
The Case of Dashiell Hammett
Narrator (voice)
Knight Rider
K.A.R.R.
The Flight of Dragons
Solarius / Antiquity (voice)
Woody Woodpecker and Friends
Various Voices
Routes of Exile: A Moroccan Jewish Odyssey
Narrator (voice)
The Day After Trinity
Self - Narrator (voice)
The Return of the King
Orc / Uruk-Hai / Capt. Shagrat / Lt. Snaga / Lord Elrond (voice)
Jack Frost
Kubla Kraus / Father Winter (voices)
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
Winterbolt / Jack Frost / Policeman (voice)
The Stingiest Man in Town
Ghost of Christmas Past / Ghost of Christmas Present (voice)
The Ghost of Flight 401
Narrator / Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Hardware Wars
Narrator
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Santa Claus / Olaf / Donkey Dealer (voice)
The Hobbit
Bombur/Troll #1 (voice)
Fantastic Animation Festival
Opening Narration
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Santa Claus / Aeon / General Ticker / Seventeen Seventy Six
Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Jack Frost
The Milpitas Monster
Narrator (voice)
The First Easter Rabbit
Zero / Santa (voice)
Casey at the Bat
Narrator
Breakheart Pass
Levi Calhoun (voice) (uncredited)
Run, Joe, Run
Narrator
Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid
Iguana (voice)
The Osmonds
Rain Rain, Go Away
Charlie Beary / Junior (voice)
Unlucky Potluck
Charlie Beary / Junior Beary / Boss (voice)
Let Charlie Do It
Charlie Beary/Junior Beary (voice)
A Fish Story
Charlie Beary/Junior Beary (voice)
Pillsbury's Magic Circus
The Pillsbury Doughboy
The Jackson 5ive
(voice)
Moochin' Pooch
Charlie Beary (voice)
The Bungling Builder
Charlie Beary/Junior Beary (voice)
Charlie the Rainmaker
Charlie Beary/Junior Beary (voice)
Here Comes Peter Cottontail
Colonel Wellington's Assistant / Santa Claus / Rooster (voice)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Singer of 'The Darktown Strutters' Ball' (voice)
The Point
Oblio's Father / Pointed Man's Right Head / King / Leaf Man / Villagers (voice)