Cecil H. Roy (October 2, 1900 – January 26, 1995) was an American radio actress who was well known in radio broadcasting of the 1930s and 1940s as The Girl of a Thousand Voices.
[DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 233.]
Early life
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was an opera singer.
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Career
Soon entered radio during the 1930s, appearing on '' The Rise of the Goldbergs'', '' The Henry Aldrich Show'', ''Pepper Young's Family
''Pepper Young's Family'' is a daytime drama series, with various format and title changes during its long run from 1932 to 1959. It was created and written by short story author and playwright Elaine Sterne Carrington.
History
With Burgess Mered ...
''. ''Marthy and Elmer'', and many other programs.[
The "Girl of a Thousand Voices" label came about due to her ability to immediately shift through a wide range of characters and ages, from an elderly woman to a crying baby.]["Cecil H. Roy; Voice for Animated Films, 94", ''The New York Times'', February 11, 1995.]
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Roy's roles on radio programs included those shown in the following table.
She also was featured "enacting dilemmas" on ''Daily Dilemmas''.
Animation
Between 1943 and 1964, she provided voices for numerous animated cartoons, specializing in children's voices, originating the voice of ''Little Lulu
''Little Lulu'' is a comic strip created in 1935 by American author Marge (cartoonist), Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character, Lulu Moppet, debuted in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' on February 23, 1935, in a single panel, appearing as a flower ...
''.[
She also did the voice of Casper in the '']Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. He is a pleasant, personable and translucent ghost, but often criticized by his three wicked uncles, the Ghostly Trio.
T ...
'' theatrical animated series of the 1940s and 1950s.
Recordings
Her recordings for children included the role of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard.
The first collection of stories about the character w ...
on a recording with Jimmy Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
,[ and Cindy Bear on a Yogi Bear record.]Helen Searles Westbrook
Helen Searles Westbrook (October 15, 1889 – 1967) was an American composer and organist who appeared with Chicago Symphony.
Life
Westbrook began organ lessons at age eleven with her mother, who was also an organist. Westbrook then studied wit ...
and Betty Barrie: 1) Buddy's Butterfly 2) The Thistle/Buddy's Garden 3) Christmas Eve/Plasco Toys.
Personal life
Roy spoke German and French and sang in Italian and French. She was reported to have a "polished repertoire of 20 dialects."[ Her long-time partner, Beni (missing last name), was a hairdresser in New York City. His clientele included many Broadway and vaudeville stars. Cecil Roy also lived in Cozy Lake, Oak Ridge, New Jersey. Her "summer" or weekend home was a place where she entertained many of the neighborhood children with her accordion, singing, and voice talents.
]
Death
In her last years, she lived in the Actors' Fund Home Extended Care Facility in Englewood, New Jersey, where she died in 1995 at age 94. She was survived by her son, Richard, of Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...
; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Cecil
1900 births
1995 deaths
American radio actresses
20th-century American actresses
Actresses from Saint Paul, Minnesota
Paramount Pictures contract players
Famous Studios people