Harold John Smith (1916 - 1994)

Born 24 Aug 1916 in Petoskey, Emmet, Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Died 28 Jan 1994 at age 77 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Hal Smith is Notable.

Smith was born in Petoskey, Emmet County, in the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, but he spent a significant part of his early years living in Massena, New York. He graduated from the Massena High School in 1936. His mother was a seamstress, and his father worked at the local Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) factory.

After graduation, Smith worked from 1936 to 1943 as a disc jockey and voice talent for WIBX Radio in Utica, New York. After serving in the United States Army Special Services (entertainment) during World War II, he traveled to Hollywood and appeared on many television series such as I Married Joan, Fury, The People's Choice, The Texan, Rescue 8, Dennis the Menace, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Donna Reed Show, National Velvet and The Red Skelton Show.[1]

Career[edit] The Andy Griffith Show[edit] Smith's best-remembered on-screen character was Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, during most of the series' run from 1960 to 1968. When intoxicated, he would often comically let himself into his regular jail cell, using the key which was stored within reach of the two comfortable jail rooms, and "sleep off" the effects of alcohol. Deputy Barney Fife would often become irritated with Otis, and attempted to either sober him up or rehabilitate him in several episodes. Hal Smith was the opposite of his character. According to longtime friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, he did not drink in real life. The Otis character stopped appearing in the sitcom towards the end of the series because of concerns by the sponsors of the program in regard to the portrayal of excessive drinking. Smith appeared as Calver Weems in the Don Knotts comedy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), playing essentially the same town drunk character, Otis.

Smith would play Otis one more time in the television movie Return to Mayberry (1986). In the television movie, Otis is the town's ice cream truck driver and is reported to have been "sober for years". Smith later used his Otis Campbell character in commercial spots for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization and appeared as Otis in Alan Jackson's music video "Don't Rock the Juke Box".

Other performances[edit] In 1957, Smith played Rollin Daggett in the role of a newspaper man in the early days of Mark Twain in the "Fifteen Paces to Fame" episode of Death Valley Days. He made at least one appearance in the TV series Perry Mason, the episode entitled "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee", (season 4, episode #1), in 1960. Smith had a cameo role as the Mayor of Boracho in The Great Race in 1965. He played the industrialist Hans Spear on CBS' sitcom Hogan's Heroes.

He portrayed King Theseus of Rhodes in "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" (1965) (and later provided various voices for the cartoon series "The New 3 Stooges").

He played the character John Wilson in the 1967 episode "The Man Who Didn't Want Gold" of the syndicated Western series, Death Valley Days

He played Mr Weber in The Lucy Show, Main Street USA 1967.

Smith had a cameo role as a drunk driver in Adam-12 season 1 episode 19 (1969). Also in 1969, he appeared on Petticoat Junction in the episode "The Great Race", as Jug Gunderson. (He was a moonshiner that helped the Cannonball train win the afore mentioned race. Though his character was never seen drinking or drunk, by the end of the episode, he makes an oath to himself to stop drinking and reform.)

In the early 1960s, Smith also had a morning children's show at television station KTLA called The Pancake Man, sponsored by The International House of Pancakes (IHOP). He reprised the Pancake Man role as "Kartoon King" in the 1971 episode of The Brady Bunch titled "The Winner". He also played Mother Goose in the X-rated animated feature film Once Upon a Girl in 1976.

Voice roles[edit] Beginning in the late 1950s with such shows as The Huckleberry Hound Show and Quick Draw McGraw, Smith became one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood, eventually working with most of the major studios and production companies, such as Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney, Warner Bros., The Mirisch Corporation, and Sid and Marty Krofft, with voice roles on such series as The Flintstones in which he mostly did the voices of Texas millionaires such as Fred's rich uncle Tex, Pink Panther, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Yogi Bear and Looney Tunes.

In 1962, he voiced Taurus, the Scots-accented mechanic of the spaceship Starduster for the series Space Angel. According to the book: Space Patrol, missions of daring in the name of early television, "It's rumored that Gene Roddenberry was a huge fan of the show and patterned Star Trek's engineer, Mr. Scott, after McCloud's Scottish sidekick, Taurus". He also did voices for the Hong Kong Phooey series. In 1977, he was the voice of Grandpa Josiah in the cartoon special, Halloween Is Grinch Night. He was also very active with doing voices in 1980s; he was Sludge in The Smurfs, Goofy in Mickey's Christmas Carol, in Disney's DuckTales he did the voices of Scrooge McDuck's rival Flintheart Glomgold and the absent-minded scientist Gyro Gearloose and in Frog And Toad are Friends and Frog And Toad Together he also did the voice of Toad.

Smith also voiced the Disney cartoon character Goofy after Pinto Colvig died in 1967. Additionally, he provided the voice of Owl in the three original Winnie the Pooh featurettes (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1977. In the 1960s, he was one of the most sought after voice actors in Hollywood. From 1959 till 1975, he provided the voices for Goliath, Davey's dad and many other characters in Davey and Goliath. From 1960 to 1961, he was the voice of Elmer Fudd after Arthur Q. Bryan died. In 1963, he voiced Dr. Todd Goodheart, Belly Laguna, and Dr. Von Upp in The Funny Company cartoon series. From 1964 to 1966, he was the voice of Yappee in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon shorts Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey. He was also the voice of Cosgoode Creeps, Asa Shanks, the Farmer, Mr. Greenway and Mr. Bluestone the Great/Phantom, on Scooby-Doo, Where are You!.

In 1981, he reprised his role as Owl and voiced Winnie-the-Pooh in the short Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons, replacing Sterling Holloway, who had provided the voice of the character for many years. He then voiced the two characters in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore in 1983, as well as Disney Channel's television series Welcome to Pooh Corner. On the television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1988, Jim Cummings took over as Pooh while Smith continued playing Owl. The two voice actors sometimes rotated the voice of Winnie the Pooh. In 1991, Smith provided the voice of Philippe the Horse in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast, and in voiced Jafar's horse in Aladdin (1992).

Starting in 1987, he was the voice of the main character John Avery Whittaker on the Focus on the Family radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. He was responsible for much of the cast joining the show after he signed on, and he continued recording episodes until a few weeks before his death, even while his health deteriorated. Additionally, he voiced dozens of other characters during the over 260 episodes in which he participated. He voiced Joe McGee in "The Old Man and the Sea Duck" episode of TaleSpin.

Smith was also very active working in television commercials as various characters. He provided on-screen promotion for 3 Musketeers, United Van Lines, Hickory Farms, Toyota, Green Giant, General Mills, Mattel, Kellogg's, Pizza Hut, Chicken of the Sea, Ivory soap, Doctor Ross Dog Food, Pioneer Chicken, Bell Telephone Company and hundreds of other companies.

Personal life[edit] Smith was married to Louise C. Smith from 1936 until her death in 1992.[2] They had a son named Terry who lived 1950-1998.[3]

Death[edit] After his wife died in 1992, Smith's own health began to deteriorate rapidly. Producers of Adventures in Odyssey even began preparing for how to handle Smith's character after he died.[4] On January 28, 1994, at the age of 77, Hal Smith died from an apparent heart attack. Don Pitts, his longtime agent, said that Smith died at his home in Santa Monica while he was listening to a nightly drama hour on radio.[5][6] Smith is interred in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California.

Filmography[edit] Film[edit] Year Title Role Notes 1946 Stars Over Texas Peddler Tucker 1950 The Milkman Oswald Uncredited 1951 Week-End with Father TV Master of Ceremonies Uncredited 1951 Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair Uncredited 1952 You for Me Malcolm Uncredited 1952 O. Henry's Full House Dandy (segment "The Last Leaf"), Uncredited 1953 Confidentially Connie Townsman Uncredited 1953 Francis Covers the Big Town Vance Uncredited 1953 Walking My Baby Back Home Mr. Ross Uncredited 1954 Ricochet Romance Cook Uncredited 1955 Santa Fe Passage Bartender Uncredited 1955 There's Always Tomorrow Bartender 1957 The Unholy Wife Doctor at Rodeo Uncredited 1957 Pawnee Bartender Uncredited 1957 Eighteen and Anxious Abortionist 1958 The High Cost of Loving Woods, Middle Manager Uncredited 1958 Hot Car Girl Lou - soda bar owner 1960 The Apartment Man in Santa Claus Suit Uncredited 1960 The Miracle of the White Reindeer Santa Claus 1961 Happy Go Loopy Loopy De Loop Theatrical Short 1961 Count Down Clown Loopy De Loop Theatrical Short 1962 The Three Stooges Meet Hercules King Theseus Of Rhodes 1962 The Couch Pitchman Uncredited 1963 Son of Flubber Bartender Uncredited 1963 Critic's Choice Drunk Uncredited 1964 Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! Corn Pone / Moose Voice 1964 Dear Heart Stubby Uncredited 1965 Horse Shoo Loopy De Loop Theatrical Short 1965 The Great Race Mayor of Borracho 1965 1966 The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Calver Weems Uncredited 1967 The Jungle Book Slob Elephant / Monkey Voice, Uncredited 1970 Shinbone Alley Freddie the Rat / Prissy Cat Voice 1970 Santa and the Three Bears Uncle Hal / Santa / Mr. Ranger Voice 1971 The Million Dollar Duck Courthouse Guard 1972 The Getaway Various Radio Announcers Uncredited 1973 Fantastic Planet Master Sinh / Old Om / Sorcerer 1973 Oklahoma Crude C.R. Miller 1976 Once Upon a Girl Mother Goose Uncredited 1977 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Owl Voice 1977 The Hazing Ice Man 1983 Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore Winnie the Pooh Owl Voice 1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol Goofy played as Jacob Marley's ghost Collecting for the poor #1 Voice 1984 Warriors of the Wind Lord Yupa / Narrator 1985 English dub 1984 Katy Caterpillar Additional Voices English dub 1986 The Adventures of the American Rabbit Mentor / Marvin / Too Loose Voice 1986 An American Tail Moe Voice 1988 18 Again! Irv 1991 Beauty and the Beast Philippe Voice 1992 Aladdin Jafar's Horse Voice, Uncredited Television[edit] Year Title Role Notes 1955 Death Valley Days George Boyd Episode: The Homeliest Man in Nevada 1956 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Bartender Episode: The Assassins 1957-1961 Have Gun - Will Travel Various roles 1959 Bonanza Durwood Watkyns Episode: The Magnificent Adah 1959-1960 The Huckleberry Hound Show Lion / Newscaster / Piccadilly Dilly, Narrator, Eddie / additional voices Voice 1959-1960 Quick Draw McGraw Narrator / Narrator, Naughty Pine, Ronald Rugged / Mr. Bringling / additional voices 1960 The Bugs Bunny Show Additional voices Voice 1960 Gunsmoke Mr. Dobie (Hotel Manager) Episode: Old Flame 1960-1965 The Flintstones Uncle Tex / Santa Claus / additional voices Voice; 33 episodes 1960–66 The Andy Griffith Show Otis Campbell 32 episodes (credited as "Dub Taylor" during the network run of the show) 1961 Hazel Announcer Episode: Hazel and the Playground 1961 The Yogi Bear Show Additional voices Voice 1962 The Jetsons Additional voices Voice 1962 Wagon Train Carl Grant Episode: The Daniel Clay Story 1964 The Magilla Gorilla Show Helicopter Rescuer/additional voices Voice 1964 The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo Additional voices Voice 1964-1966 Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey Yappee / The King Voice 1965 The Addams Family Judge Harvey Saunders 1965 The New 3 Stooges Cowboy / Lumberjack Boss / Old Man Voice 1966 The Road Runner Show Various characters Voice 1966 A Laurel and Hardy Cartoon Various characters Voice 1966 Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles Coil Man 1967 Get Smart Restaurant Patron Episode: The Mysterious Dr. T 1967 Off to See the Wizard Hotel Desk Clerk 1967 Abbott & Costello Additional Voices Voice 1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Kenneth Quartz Episode: The Matterhorn Affair 1968 The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1968 The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour Elmer Fudd / additional voices Voice 1969 Green Acres Horace Colby 1969 The Pink Panther Show Additional voices Voice 1969 Mod Squad Jeweler 1969 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Harry Hostelman 1969-1970 Scooby Doo, Where Are You! Big Ben / Headless Specter / Asa Shanks / Cosgood Creeps / Green Ghosts Farmer / Mr. Greenway

Voice 1969-1971 The Brady Bunch Kartoon King / Santa Claus Episodes: The Voice of Christmas & The Winner 1970-1989 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Carnival Barker / Ed Haskins / Gyro Gearloose / additional voices Voice 1971 Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch! Additional voices Voice 1972 A Christmas Story Additional voices Voice; TV special 1972 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home Additional voices Voice; Episode: The New Car 1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Muscles / Boris / Third Cyclone / Donkey Voice; Episodes: The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik & Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family 1972 The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't Additional voices Voice; TV special 1972 The Roman Holidays Mr. Tycoonis Voice 1973 Yogi's Gang Additional voices Voice 1973 The Streets of San Francisco Johnny Dolan 1974 Hong Kong Phooey Additional voices Voice 1974 Barnaby Jones Leon Episode: Foul Play 1975 The Hoober-Bloob Highway Additional voices Voice; TV special 1975 Ellery Queen Coroner Will Bailey Episode: The Adventure of the Chinese Dog 1976 The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show Various Characters Voice 1977 A Flintstone Christmas Santa Claus Voice 1977 Halloween Is Grinch Night Josiah Voice; TV special 1977 What's New, Mr. Magoo? Additional voices Voice 1977-1980 Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels Snow Wolf / Mr. Holiday / additional voices Voice 1978 The All New Pink Panther Show Additional voices Voice 1978 The Fantastic Four Additional voices Voice 1978 The Small One Auctioneer Voice; TV special 1978 Yogi's Space Race Additional voices Voice 1979 The Hollywood Squares Guest Appearance Episode: 8-20-1979 1979 The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show Doctor Honctoff Voice 1979 Casper's First Christmas Santa Claus Voice; TV special 1979 Gulliver's Travels Additional voices Voice 1980 Yogi's First Christmas Otto the Chef Santa Claus Voice 1980 Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? McGillicuddy / Good Fairy-in-Chief Voice; TV special 1980-1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Henry Flatt / Pop Durham Episodes: R.I.P. Henry Flatt and Undercover Dukes Part Two 1981 Trollkins Additional Voices Voice 1981 The Kwicky Koala Show additional voices Voice 1981 No Man's Valley George Voice; TV special 1981 Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons Winnie the Pooh Voice 1981-1982 The All-New Popeye Hour Col. Crumb Voice 1982 Jokebook Additional voices Voice 1982 Richie Rich Additional voices Voice 1982 Fantasy Island Otis McAllister / Mr. Quarry Voice; Episodes: Daddy's Little Girl/The Whistle & The Kleptomaniac/Thank God, I'm a Country Girl 1982 Here Comes Garfield Reba/Skinny Voice; TV special 1982 Shirt Tales Additional voices Voice 1982 Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper J. Wellington Jones / Sergeant / Zookeeper Voice 1982 Little House on the Prairie Trumble Voice; Episode: He Was Only Twelve: Part 1 1982-1987 The Smurfs Additional Voices Voice 1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol Jacob Marley's Ghost - Goofy / Collector for the Poor #1 Voice; TV special 1983 Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore Winnie the Pooh / Owl Voice; TV special 1983 Christmas at Pooh Corner Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1983 Pooh Corner Thanksgiving Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1983 The Dukes Additional voices Voice 1983-1986 Welcome to Pooh Corner Winnie the Pooh/Owl Voice 1984 Christmas Is For Sharing Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1984 Because It's Halloween Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1984 Pooh's Funny Valentine's Day Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1984 Garfield in the Rough Dicky Beaver Voice; TV special 1984 The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries Additional voices Voice 1984 Pole Position Additional voices Voice 1985 The Disney Family Album Himself Episode: Voice Actors 1985 Dumbo's Circus Additional voices Voice; Episode: Uncle Lattimer Says "Merci" 1985 Too Smart for Strangers Winnie the Pooh / Owl Voice 1986 Garfield in Paradise Off Camera Voice Voice; TV special 1986 Pooh's Great School Bus Adventure Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1986 Return to Mayberry Otis Campbell Voice; TV movie 1986-1989 Sesame Street Elephant / Bear / Ant Voice; Episodes: Episode #18.9 & Episode #21.5 1987 DuckTales: The Treasure of the Golden Suns Gyro Gearloose / Flintheart Glomgold Voice; TV movie 1987 The Mother Goose Video Treasury Old King Cole Voice 1987 Highway to Heaven Martin Voice; Episode: All That Glitters 1987-1990 DuckTales Gyro Gearloose / Flintheart Glomgold / Dr. Glockenspiel / Adult Huey / Adult Dewey / Adult Louie Voice 1988 Garfield: His 9 Lives George Frideric Handel Voice; TV special 1988-1989 This Is America, Charlie Brown Delegate/John Muir Voice; Episodes: The Birth of the Constitution & The Smithsonian and the Presidency 1988-1990 Adventures of the Gummi Bears Nogum & Abbot Costello Voice; Episodes: A Knight to Remember/Gummies Just Want to Have Fun & Friar Tum 1988–91 The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Owl Voice 1988 The New Yogi Bear Show Additional voices Voice 1989 Responsible Persons Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1989 One and Only You Pooh/Owl Voice; TV special 1990 Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone Additional voices Voice 1990 TaleSpin Joe Magee Voice; Episode: The Old Man and the Sea Duck 1991 Yo Yogi! Blabber Mouse Voice 1991 Darkwing Duck Additional voices Voice; Episode: Dead Duck 1992 The Little Mermaid Villain #1 Voice; Episode: Stormy 1993 The Town Santa Forgot Santa Claus Voice; TV special 1993 Bonkers Santa Claus Voice; Episode: Miracle at the 34th Precinct 1994 Garfield and Friends Additional voices Voice Video games[edit] Year Title Voice role Notes 1991 Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp Mordroc, Cheshire Cat, Card Soldiers, Time Machine (Mordroc's brother), Dirk's Mother-In-Law References[edit] Jump up ^ Michaud, John D. III, ed. (2004) [2004]. More than Otis: No Bull! A Salute to Hollywood Actor Hal J. Smith (1st ed.). Massena, New York: Stubbs Printing. Jump up ^ "Louise C. Smith at Find A Grave". Jump up ^ "Terry Jay Smith at Find A Grave". Jump up ^ "Hal Smith - Adventures in Odyssey Wiki". Retrieved 16 January 2017. Jump up ^ "Hal Smith; Played Otis on Griffith Show". Los Angeles Times.

Hal Smith is Notable.

Hal Smith was an American actor best remembered for his role as Otis Campbell, the town drunk, on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show and for voicing Owl in the first four original Winnie the Pooh shorts (the first three of which were combined into the feature film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Hal was born 24 Aug 1916, at Petosky, Michigan. He was the son of Jay and Emma (Plouf) Smith. In 1920, he was a three-year-old boy residing at Greenville, North Carolina with his parents and three siblings: Cathleen (age 7), Bernadine (age 5), and Glenfred (age 1). His father wax then working as a superintendent at a textile mill.

By 1930, the family had moved to Massena, New York, where his father worked as a millwright at an aluminum plant.

Hal married Vivian Marie Angstadt, 13 Aug 1938, at Utica, New York. In 1940, the couple was residing in Utica with Vivian's mother and stepfather. Hal was then working as a radio announcer. In 1942, when he registered for the World War II draft, he listed his employer as Scott Howe Bowen, but does not provide his occupation.

From 1936 to 1943, Hal worked as a DJ and voice talent at station WIBX in Utica, New York. He then enlisted in the United States Army Special Forces during World War II.

Hal's marriage to Vivian was apparently short lived, as in 1948 he married Harriet Curtice. They had one child, Terry Jay Smith (1950-1998).

Hal soon moved his family to California, where he became a radio announcer for station KFI in Los Angeles, before launching an acting career. He appeared on numerous television shows, including I Married Joan, Dennis the Menace, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Donna Reed Show. He is perhaps best remembered, however, for playing the role of Otis Campbell, the lovable town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show.

Hal also appeared in a handful of motion pictures, including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. With his voice talent he contributed to such animated shows as Davy and Goliath, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, and many more. For Disney, he was the voice if Owl in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Slob Elephant in The Jungle Book, Gyro Gerrloose and Flintheart Glomgold on the DuckTales television show, as well as many other character voices for read-alongs and television shows.

Hal passed away 28 Jan 1994, at his home in Santa Monica, California. He was 77 years old.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Smith_(actor)

Obituary: Actor Hal Smith of "Andy Griffith" Daily Record (Morristown, NJ) 13 Feb 1994, page 20.

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