Robie Lester (March 23, 1925 – June 14, 2005) was an American actress, singer,

voice artist Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

, and author, best known as the voice of "Miss Jessica" in the

Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...

animated special ''Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'', the singing voice of

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

in Disney's ''

The Aristocats ''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Ro ...

'' and ''

The Rescuers ''The Rescuers'' is a 1977 American animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The 23rd Disney animated feature film, its story follows Bernard and Bianca, two members ...

'', and the original "Disneyland Story Reader" for

Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its r ...

read-alongs.

Early life

Lester was born in

Megargel, Texas Megargel ( ) is a town in Archer County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 203 at the 2010 census. The town is named for Roy C. Megargel, the president of the railroad th ...

and raised in

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...

, Canada. After a few years in Detroit, she joined the

US Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

before attending

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

with a major in music. In Hollywood, she worked with

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

and

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

, recorded for

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

and A&M, and sang demos for songwriters. At A&M Records Lester recorded one of her most frequently heard, though uncredited, contributions—singing in Spanish behind the narrated portion of

the Sandpipers The Sandpipers were an American easy listening trio who carved a niche in 1960s folk rock with their vocals and innovative arrangements of international ballads and pop standards. They are best remembered for their cover version of "Guantanamera ...

' 1966 hit "

Guantanamera "Guantanamera" (; Spanish: (the woman) from Guantánamo) is perhaps the best-known Cuban song and that country's most-noted patriotic song, especially when using a poem by the Cuban poet José Martí for the lyrics. The official writing credits ...

Career

Work in commercials

Lester was one of the busiest voice-over artists in early 1960s commercials, working in many commercials for

Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...

breakfast cereal. She was first heard as both of

Toucan Sam Toucan Sam is the cartoon toucan mascot for Froot Loops breakfast cereal. The character has been featured in advertising since 1963. He exhibits the ability to smell Froot Loops from great distances and invariably locates a concealed bowl of the c ...

's infant nephews, with Sam played by

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...

. She also voiced one of the two battling Smackin' Brothers for

Sugar Smacks Honey Smacks (formerly known as Sugar Smacks, simply known as Smacks outside the U.S. in international markets) is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal made by Kellogg Company, Kellogg's, noted for its high sugar content. It was introduced i ...

, and sang the commercial's jingle.

Story reader for Disney

In the early 1960s, Disney songwriters

Richard and Robert Sherman The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928). Together they received various accolades in ...

brought Lester to the attention of Disney's in-house record label. Lester's voice was heard as narrator and singer on dozens of Disney's children's records. One such record was ''The Story and Song of the Haunted Mansion'' which also featured the voices of

Thurl Ravenscroft Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914May 22, 2005) was an American actor and bass singer. He was known as one of the booming voices behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger for more than five decades. He was al ...

and

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...

. Her singing voice was heard on the song "Hippity Hop" from the Disney album ''Peter Cottontail and Other Funny Bunnies''. Beginning in 1965, Lester was the "Disneyland Story Reader" on records where she read the stories, acted out all the parts and reminded children to "turn the page" in their accompanying booklet. Her famous phrase "...when

Tinker Bell Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 an ...

rings her little bells like this (wind chimes)...turn the page" was heard by countless children of a generation. She also provided the voice of Piglet on some of the early

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 ...

records. In ''Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records'', authors Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar state, "It is impossible to calculate how many lives Robie Lester touched by singing, acting, and narrating on more individual Disneyland records than any other performer."

Television and films

One of her most famous roles was as "Miss Jessica", the schoolteacher who becomes Mrs. Kris Kringle (

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

) in the 1970

TV special ''

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song featuring Santa Claus written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The earliest known recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. It was the ...

.'' In the Christmas special, Lester sang a powerful ballad entitled "My World Is Beginning Today" in which her character literally lets her hair down and comes to the aid of her future husband, Kris Kringle. Robie Lester provided the singing voice for

Vera Ralston Vera Ralston (born Věra Helena Hrubá; July 12, 1919 or 1920 or 1921 or 1923 February 9, 2003) was a Czech figure skater and actress. She later became a naturalized American citizen. She worked as an actress during the 1940s and 1950s. Earl ...

in ''

Accused of Murder ''Accused of Murder'' is a 1956 American Trucolor film noir crime film directed by Joseph Kane and starring David Brian, Vera Ralston and Sidney Blackmer. Plot Nightclub singer Ilona Vance is accused of murder because she was the last perso ...

'' and for

's animated characters in Disney's ''

'' (Duchess) and ''

'' (Miss Bianca). Other credits included vocal performances in ''

House of Bamboo ''House of Bamboo'' is a 1955 American film noir shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color, directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller, and starring Robert Ryan. The other co-screenwriter was Harry Kleiner. The cinematographer was Joseph MacDonald. Plot ...

'' and ''

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

'' (both as Roby Charmandy), ''

The Three Lives of Thomasina ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'' is a 1963 fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey, starring Patrick McGoohan, Susan Hampshire, child actor Matthew Garber and child actress Karen Dotrice in a story about a cat and her influence on a family. The s ...

'', ''

The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo ''The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo'' is an American animated television series produced by United Productions of America that aired for one season on NBC from September 19, 1964 to April 24, 1965. The television series was based on the Mr. Magoo, ...

'', ''The City That Forgot About Christmas'', ''

Devlin Devlin may refer to: * Devlin (surname) * Devlin (given name) * Devlin (rapper), a British rapper * ''Devlin'' (TV series), a 1974 animated TV series by Hanna-Barbera * ''Devlin'', a 1988 novel by Roderick Thorp * ''The Devil and Max Devlin '' ...

'', and ''

The Funny Company ''The Funny Company'' is an American animated cartoon produced in 1963 and seen in syndication. Ken Snyder and Charles Koren produced 260 six-minute-long episodes (they later would create the cult favorite Roger Ramjet). The Mattel Corporation pr ...

'' (as Polly Plum). She also contributed uncredited vocals to other films and television shows, and had small roles in ''

The Sword of Ali Baba ''The Sword of Ali Baba'' is a 1965 American adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Virgil W. Vogel and written by Edmund Hartmann and Oscar Brodney. The film stars Peter Mann, Jocelyn Lane, Frank McGrath, Gavin MacLeod, Frank Pu ...

'', ''

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' is a 1947 American romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. I ...

'', ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'', and ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...

''. The Disney Storyteller Series album, ''The Story of the Aristocats'', was nominated for a 1971

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Record producer

In the early 1960s, she formed Mary Music, Funco Publishing, and Golden Key for record production and distribution. She personally produced multiple releases on the Bonanza and Musikon labels.

Later years

Lester spent her final years in

Fillmore, California Fillmore is a small city in Ventura County, California, United States, in the Santa Clara River Valley. In an agricultural area with rich, fertile soil, Fillmore has a historic downtown that was established when the Southern Pacific built the r ...

fund raising and crusading for animal rights. She published two novels: ''The Twenty Dollar Christmas'' (1996) and ''Heaven's Gift'' (1999). She also gratefully discovered a fan base that had grown up with her work. Her last voice performance was in 2002 for the ''

Adventures in Odyssey ''Adventures in Odyssey'' (AIO), or simply ''Odyssey'', is an Evangelical Christian radio drama and comedy series created and produced by Focus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first aired in 1987 as ...

'' radio series. Robie Lester died on June 14, 2005 of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at St. Joseph's Hospital in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

at age 80. She was married to producer Geoff Eccleston, had one daughter Mindy, and three grandchildren. Her autobiography, ''Lingerie For Hookers In The Snow: An Audiography Of A Voice Artist'', was published in 2006.

Non-Disney discography

Singles

*"Give"/"Too Late" (Century 714, 1955) (as Roby Charmandy) *"With You Where You Are"/"Listen To The Wind (My Love)" (

55033, 1956) *"My Love And I"/"Whispering Guitar" (Liberty 55083, 1957) *"I'm Sorry, I Want A Ferrari" / "It Takes Love To Make A Home" (Mira 112, 1959) *"The Chimney Sweep"/"The Tree And The Sea" (Cascade CA-5901, 1959) *"The Ballad of Cheatin' John"/"The Miracle Of Life" (Lute L-5904, 1960) *"Green Flamingo"/"Another Show Another Town" (Chattahoochee CH-680, 1965) *"One Step Away From Heaven"/"Little Star" ( Dot 45-16798, 1965) *"

The Party's Over The Party's Over may refer to: Film and TV * ''The Party's Over'' (1934 film), starring Stuart Erwin and Ann Sothern, based on the 1933 Broadway play * ''The Party's Over'' (1965 film), directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Oliver Reed, with a ...

"/"Wait For Him" (Interlude 201, 1966)

Compilation appearances

*''Terribly Sophisticated Songs: A Collection of Unpopular Songs for Popular People'' (Warner Brothers Records B1210, 1958) -- "I'm Filled With That Empty Feeling", "Just My Sol" *''The Whimsical World of Irving Taylor'' (Warner Brothers Records WS 1352, 1959) -- "Domestic Wine" *''The Charles H. Stern Agency, Inc., Presents the "In" Sound'' (Private Press, 1967) -- jingle samples *''About, Volume 3: Fairy Tales ꞏ Poems ꞏ Songs'' (Columbia CR 21535, 1968) -- "Sleepy Time", "The Owl and the Pussycat", "Wynken, Blynken and Nod", "Calico Pie" *''The Aristocats and Other Cat Songs'' (Disneyland Records 1333, 1970) -- "Scales And Arpeggios", "She Never Felt Alone", "Siamese Cat Song" *''House Of Bamboo'' Soundtrack (Intrada Records ISC 30, 2006) -- "House of Bamboo", "Be Still, Little Voice" *''

The Sherman Brothers Songbook ''The Sherman Brothers Songbook'' is a compilation of songs written by composer-lyricist Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman Robert Bernard Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) was an American songwriter, best known for hi ...

'' (Walt Disney Records 5819506), 2009 -- "She Never Felt Alone" *''Cult Hits of the 1960s, Volume 5'' (Fervor Records, 2013, Internet release) -- "Ever Blue", "A Life to Live Over" (both previously unreleased) *''Bubbling Under: The American Charts 1959-1963'' (Fantastic Voyage FVTD212, 2016) -- "The Miracle of Life" ;Discography Notes

Citations

References

"My World Is Beginning Today" audio at Rankin/Bass SiteRobie Lester Obituary

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Robie 1925 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American biographers 21st-century American women writers American autobiographers Actresses from Texas American voice actresses Audiobook narrators Traditional pop music singers Liberty Records artists Deaths from cancer in California UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture alumni People from Archer County, Texas People from Fillmore, California United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Women in the United States Army