Freemason with 1,000 Voices

Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices
The Early Years:
Born in San Francisco on May 30, 1908, Melvin Jerome Blanc was destined for a life full of vibrant characters and legendary voices.
He was the second child born to his parents, Frederick Harvey Blank and Eva Katz Blank. The early years of Mel’s childhood were in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood before his family moved to Portland, Oregon.
His affinity for music and performing was innate, and he began practicing different voices and dialects when he was just ten years old. He was quite a musician too. He used his extraordinary talent to entertain his friends at school and even earn a buck.
Show Business:
In June of 1923, when Mel was just 15, he landed his first job as a radio performer, singing on KGW’s Stories by Aunt Nell, a weekday program for children.
While his abilities delighted his friends at school and were enough to secure work, his teachers were less impressed by his talent. It is reported that a formative moment came when he was 16 and a student at Portland’s Lincoln High School.
Blanc claimed a teacher told him that his future was “blank,” just like his name, prompting the youngster to change the spelling of his name as soon as possible. But before he became the iconic voice behind beloved animated characters, he had quite the unexpected start.
In his youth, Mel was more fascinated with mechanical objects than showbiz. He even dismantled his family's phonograph to understand its mechanics, much to his parents' dismay!
It wasn't long before his gift for vocal acrobatics found its way into some of the most memorable animated characters in history.
Mel Blanc's repertoire of voices is a symphony of hilarity and nostalgia.
The Cartoon Iconic Was Born:
By 1936, Blanc began working in cartoons. The first cartoon he voiced came out in 1937 when he voiced a drunken bull.
In 1940 he voiced for the first time his most recognizable character Bugs Bunny. To keep his timing correct while voicing Bugs he bit a carrot, which he immediately spit into a spittoon.
It has been claimed Blanc was allergic to carrots, Blanc himself denied it. Blanc briefly voiced Woody Woodpecker, developing Woody's signature laugh.
After signing an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers, he stopped working for Universal who owned Woody Woodpecker.
From there, Blanc began doing voices for other cartoons. He worked for Hanna-Barbera voicing such well known characters as Barney Rubble from The Flintstones and Cosmo Spacely from The Jetson's.
In addition to Bugs Bunny, he brought life to incredible characters like: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, and countless other beloved cartoon characters.
Mel Blanc amassed over 1,000 acting and voice credits throughout his career, and, even more impressively, he created and performed nearly 400 distinct character voices.
His ability to imbue each character with unique quirks and personalities made him a household name. However, behind the scenes, Blanc had another affiliation: Freemasonry.
His Masonic Affilications:
He was indeed a member of the Freemasons, adding an extra layer of mystery to this man of many talents. Perhaps he found the secret to channeling such diverse characters in the magic teachings of the Masonic order—well, it's a fun thought!
At age 17, Mel joined the DeMolay in 1925. In 1966, he received the Legion of Honor, an award given to members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and can be implicitly relied upon to help young men carrying the ideals of DeMolay into every walk of life.
On April 27, 1987, 62 years after joining DeMolay International, Blanc was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
He then commented, “I have been a member of DeMolay for 63 years. I thank God and DeMolay for helping me become kind and thoughtful to my parents and all my friends. I had many opportunities to do the wrong things, and I might have done them if it were not for DeMolay. God bless them.”
His positive experience in DeMolay likely set him up for his long and fruitful journey as a Freemason later in life. In 1931, he joined Mid-Day Lodge Number 188 in Portland and enthusiastically embarked on his Masonic journey.
Twenty years later, at age 43, Blanc joined the Scottish Rite Valley of Los Angeles, taking his degrees from June 14 through June 16, 1951. Two weeks later, he joined Al Malaikah Shrine Temple in Los Angeles.
In his autobiography, he wrote, “When I was a teenager, I used to pass by the Portland Shrine Hospital located not far from my parent’s home. Hearing about the work they did with crippled children was what initially piqued my interest in the fellowship and prompted me to seek admission.”
On May 19, 1989, he checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center when his family noticed he had a bad cough while shooting a commercial.
Initially, he was expected to recover, but his condition deteriorated due to advanced coronary artery disease.
He spent nearly two months in the hospital, and after 66 years of bringing to life hundreds of beloved cartoon characters, passed to the Celestial Lodge on July 10, 1989, at the age of 81.
He left behind a legacy that continues to echo through the halls of animation.
His gravestone fittingly reads, "That's All Folks!"—a poignant tribute to the man who brought joy and laughter to generations through his unparalleled vocal genius.
Mel Blanc's life was a whirlwind of mechanical tinkering, vocal gymnastics, and Masonic secrets, cementing his place as the cornerstone of animated entertainment and forever ensconcing him in the annals of comedic history.