Paul Frees - Turner Classic Movies

Biography

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With credits on more than 300 film and TV programs, Paul Frees was the embodiment of the highly successful voiceover artist. Not surprisingly, Frees began his career in the world of radio, where he delighted listeners and show producers with his talented vocal impersonations. He began to work in film in the early 1940s. Often he served as a narrator, but was sometimes called to replace t...

Filmography

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The Beatniks (1960)

Jack Frost (1988)

The Puppetoon Movie (1987)

The Wind in the Willows (1987)

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985)

Twice Upon a Time (1983)

Chief Of Stage; Judges And Bailiff

Photos & Videos

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When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The World Prays

War Of The Worlds, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Halfway To Pomona!

Biography

With credits on more than 300 film and TV programs, Paul Frees was the embodiment of the highly successful voiceover artist. Not surprisingly, Frees began his career in the world of radio, where he delighted listeners and show producers with his talented vocal impersonations. He began to work in film in the early 1940s. Often he served as a narrator, but was sometimes called to replace the voices of actors. In "The Ugly Dachshund" (1966), he replaced a performer who died. He later dubbed the voice of Japanese star Toshirô Mifune in "Grand Prix" (1966). But Frees was most famous for voicing many of the beloved cartoon characters of the 1960s and '70s. He played Boris Badenov in the animated "Rocky and His Friends," Inspector Fenwick in "The Dudley Do-Right Show," and a panoply of voices in the stop-motion animated Christmas specials of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. ("Rudolph's Shiny New Year," "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"). More obscurely, Frees was K.I.T.T.'s four-wheeled nemesis, K.A.R.R., in the 1980s David Hasselhoff series "Knight Rider."

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The Beatniks (1960)

Cast (Feature Film)

Jack Frost (1988)

The Puppetoon Movie (1987)

The Wind in the Willows (1987)

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985)

Twice Upon a Time (1983)

Chief Of Stage; Judges And Bailiff

Twice Upon a Time (1983)

The Routes of Exile: A Moroccan Jewish Odyssey (1981)

Jack Frost (1980)

Voice Of Kubla Kraus; Voice Of Father Winter

The Day After Trinity (1980)

The Milpitas Monster (1976)

Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976)

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)

The Point (1971)

Mr. Magoo's Holiday Festival (1970)

Old Fezziwig/undertaker

Wild in the Streets (1968)

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)

The Man Called Flintstone (1966)

The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)

Voice of Crusty

A Public Affair (1962)

Gay Purr-ee (1962)

The World's Greatest Sinner (1962)

Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961)

The Beatniks (1960)

The Snow Queen (1960)

[Voices of] Ol' Dreamy/The Raven [Mr. Corax]

Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Narrator of "Susansweraphone" ad

Where the Boys Are (1960)

The Time Machine (1960)

Attack of the Jungle Women (1959)

M. [Paul] Lemon/Narrator

The Shaggy Dog (1959)

Li'l Abner (1959)

Radio announcer

Space Master X-7 (1958)

Dr. Charles Pommer

The Cyclops (1957)

The 27th Day (1957)

Jet Pilot (1957)

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

The Harder They Fall (1956)

Francis in the Haunted House (1956)

Voice of Francis

The Scarlet Coat (1955)

Prince of Players (1955)

Son of Sinbad (1955)

Mahmud, fortune-teller

Cellbound (1955)

George the Warden

Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)

Suddenly (1954)

The Impossible Possum (1954)

Bird-Brain Bird Dog (1954)

The War of the Worlds (1953)

Radio announcer

Heir Bear (1953)

Barney's Hungry Cousin (1953)

Cobs and Robbers (1953)

Half-Pint Palomino (1953)

Wee-Willie Wildcat (1953)

William Wildcat

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)

The Big Sky (1952)

The Star (1952)

Richard Stanley

The Las Vegas Story (1952)

District Attorney

The Little Wise Quacker (1952)

Busybody Bear (1952)

Smitten Kitten (1952)

Jerry Mouse's Devil Conscience

When Worlds Collide (1951)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Hunt the Man Down (1951)

The Thing from Another World (1951)

His Kind of Woman (1951)

Jerry's Cousin (1951)

The Toast of New Orleans (1950)

Force of Evil (1949)

Elevator operator

Red Light (1949)

Goggle Fishing Bear (1949)

The Bear and the Hare (1948)

Wild and Woolfy (1945)

The Unwelcome Guest (1945)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Beatniks (1960)

Music (Feature Film)

The Beatniks (1960)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

King Kong Escapes (1968)

Dub Director for English version

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Puppetoon Movie (1987)

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985)

Cast (Special)

60 Years of Seduction (1981)

The Sword (1957)

Bailiff (Guest)

Cast (Short)

24 Hour Alert (1955)

Sleepy-Time Squirrel (1954)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)

First Easter Rabbit (1978)

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

The Hobbit (1977)

Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976)

The Man Called Flintstone (Do Not Use) (1966)

Misc. Crew (TV Mini-Series)

Disney's DTV Valentine (1986)

Life Events

Videos

When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The World Prays More momentous narration from Paul Frees, as world opinion has coalesced around predictions that planet Zyra, then a star, will overwhelm earth, Randall and Joyce (Richard Derr, Barbara Rush) in the control center with her scientist father (Larry Keating) and John Hoyt as the disabled unstable financier Stanton, the escape rocket ready, as producer George Pal lets loose the SFX, in When World’s Collide, 1951.

War Of The Worlds, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Halfway To Pomona! Narration by Cedric Hardwicke surveys the solar system, and a fireball lands in California where Sylvia (Ann Robinson) and Pastor Collins (Lewis Martin) are attending a picture by C.B. DeMille, who owned and licensed the film rights to the original H.G. Wells story, in producer George Pal's The War Of The Worlds, 1953.

War Of The Worlds, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Super Science The 1953 George Pal production of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds, getting modern right off the bat with ominous narration by Paul Frees and war footage covering 20th century events, script by Barrè Lyndon.

War Of The Worlds, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Rout Of Civilization Almost midway through the film, newsy update by narrator Sir Cedric Hardwicke, special praise for the Brits, in a quick survey of Earth vs. Martian invaders, from the 1953 George Pal production of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds.

His Kind Of Woman (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Where Do Old Gangsters Go To Die? Opening is narrated by Charles McGraw who will soon appear as gang henchman Thompson, introducing Raymond Burr as exiled gangster Ferraro (modeled on Lucky Luciano), who calls Corle (Paul Frees), John Mylong their third party, John Farrow directing, in His Kind Of Woman, starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.

His Kind Of Woman (1951) -- (Movie Clip) I Don't Know You Guys Very casual, in his second scene, broke gambler Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) is unimpressed to find thugs (led by Tol Avery) playing cards in his apartment, early in John Farrow's His Kind Of Woman, 1951.

Thing From Another World, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Welcome To Our Igloo Banter by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer, as Capt. Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) has first encounters with Nikki (Margaret Sheridan) and Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite), at the research station in The Thing From Another World, 1951.

Carpetbaggers, The (1964) -- (Movie Clip) The Fictional And Fabulous Crisp Paul Frees narration soon justifies the aerial opening credit sequence, not quite indicating the salacious tone of the Harold Robbins novel, but George Peppard is introduced as the Howard Hughes-ey Jonas, and Alan Ladd as the grounded Nevada, in The Carpetbaggers, 1964, from producer Joseph E. Levine.

Suddenly (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Nothing Wrong Yet At this point, as far as we know Baron (Frank Sinatra) and posse (Paul Frees, Christopher Dark) might be legitimate, as they visit Ellen (Nancy Gates), son Pidge (Kim Carney) and Pops (James Gleason) before a still-secret presidential visit to a California town called Suddenly, 1954.

Gay Purr-ee (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Roses Red, Violets Blue Mewsette (voice by Judy Garland) has decided to leave her country home to discover Paris, and her celebrations to a tune by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg are overheard by the maybe dangerous Meowrice (Paul Frees), in the Warner Bros. animated feature Gay Purr-ee, 1962

That Funny Feeling (1965) -- (Movie Clip) My Eyes Were On That Girl Opening with Paul Frees narration, veteran Richard Thorpe directing for MGM, starting with the universe then narrowing down to what will be a triple meet-cute for married stars Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee, Larry Blake the cop, in That Funny Feeling, 1965.

Manchurian Candidate, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Our American Visitors First scene for Marco (Frank Sinatra) since his capture in the Korean War, and first look at his dream, with the garden club lady (Maye Henderson), Chinese brain-washer Yen Lo (Khigh Dheigh), and fellow prisoner Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), among others, in The Manchurian Candidate, 1962.

Bibliography

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