This is an entry to Mark Evanier's list of the twenty top voice actors in American animated cartoons between 1928 and 1968. For more on this list, read this. To see all the listings posted to date, click here.
Most Famous Role: Bluto.
Other Notable Roles: King Leonardo, Buzzy the Crow, The (unnamed) Fox in the Baby Huey cartoons, the Narrator of the Superman cartoons and many others.
What He Did Besides Cartoon Voices: Thousands and thousands of radio shows, movies and TV shows, usually as the Narrator or an off-camera newsman. Woody Allen used him to narrate Take the Money and Run and to redub the actor playing the newsman in Radio Days who reported on the little girl trapped in a well. He may have done more commercials than any actor who ever lived but was probably most recognized for the Little Caesar's "Pizza, Pizza" commercials. On radio, his countless roles included Philo Vance and the Cisco Kid.
Why He's On This List: Beck was the consummate narrator and announcer, much imitated by others. And unlike most announcer-types — Gary Owens being another exception — he could infuse great drama and suspense into copy and then turn around and when appropriate, be really, really funny.
Fun Fact: Beck was one of several actors who voiced Popeye's arch-nemesis Bluto over the years but once he took on the role but he did more of them than anyone else.
Additional Fun Fact: He was a a founding member of the American Federation of Radio Artists, which later morphed into the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He proudly held union card #2 and continued working almost every workday until shortly before he died at the age of 92.