RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)

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RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016 fiogf49gjkf0d Birth name Angus Young. Associated Press Alan Young, star of 1960s sitcom 'Mr. Ed,' dies at 96 By Lynn Elber May 20, 2016 7:08 PM EDT Actor-comedian Alan Young, who played the amiable straight man to a talking horse in the 1960s sitcom "Mister Ed," has died, a spokeswoman for the Motion Picture and Television Home said Friday. He was 96. The English-born, Canadian-educated Young died Thursday, according to Jaime Larkin, spokeswoman for the retirement community where Young had lived for four years. His children were with him when he died peacefully of natural causes, she said. Young was already a well-known radio and TV comedian, having starred in his own Emmy-winning variety show, when "Mister Ed" was being readied at comedian George Burns' production company. Burns is said to have told his staff: "Get Alan Young. He looks like the kind of guy a horse would talk to." Mr. Ed was a golden Palomino who spoke only to his owner, Wilbur Post, played by Young. Fans enjoyed the horse's deep, droll voice ("WIL-bur-r-r-r-r") and the goofy theme song lyrics ("A horse is a horse, of course, of course ... "). Cowboy star Allan "Rocky" Lane supplied Mr. Ed's voice. An eclectic group of celebrities including Clint Eastwood, Mae West and baseball great Sandy Koufax made guest appearances on the show. "Mister Ed" was one of a number of situation comedies during the early to mid-'60s that added elements of fantasy. Others were "My Mother the Car," in which a man's dead mother spoke to him through an old car; "My Favorite Martian" in which a Martian took up residence on Earth disguised as the uncle of an earthling; and "Bewitched" in which a witch married a mortal. A loose variation on the "Francis the Talking Mule" movies of the 1950s, "Mister Ed" was one of the few network series to begin in syndication. After six months, it moved to ABC in October 1961 and lasted four seasons. When the cameras weren't rolling, the human and four-legged co-stars were friends, according to Young. If Ed was reprimanded by his trainer, Young said, "He would come over to me, like, 'Look what he said to me.'" Like many series of its vintage, "Mister Ed" won new fans in later decades through near-constant cable TV syndication and video releases. Young also appeared in a number of films, including "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes," ''Tom Thumb," ''The Cat from Outer Space" and "The Time Machine," the latter the 1960 classic in which, speaking in a Scottish brogue, he played time traveler Rod Taylor's friend. Young had a small role in the 2002 "Time Machine" remake. In later years, Young found a new career writing for and voicing cartoons. He portrayed Scrooge McDuck in 65 episodes for Disney's TV series "Duck Tales" and did voice-overs for "The Great Mouse Detective." Young's sly, low-key style first attracted a wide U.S. audience in 1944 with "The Alan Young Show" on ABC radio. He also drew attention from Hollywood, but early films such as "Margie" and "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College" did poorly and in 1950 he turned to the growing new medium of TV and moved "The Alan Young Show" to the small screen, where it offered a contrast to the slapstick and old vaudeville of other variety shows. His gentle comedy caused TV Guide to hail him as "the Charlie Chaplin of television," and the fledgling Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Emmys to Young as best actor and to the show as best variety series. Howard Hughes, who had seen Young on TV, hired him for the lead in a film version of "Androcles and the Lion," a comedy based on the George Bernard Shaw play. When it opened in theaters, however, nobody laughed, so Hughes withdrew the movie and shot two weeks of new sequences. "He put in girls with gauze and a real lion, and it became a blood-and-guts film," Young recalled in 1987. Angus Young was born Nov. 19, 1919, of Scottish parents in the north England town of North Shields. (In his later years he claimed he was born in 1924.) The family moved to Canada when he was a child, and he began entertaining in Vancouver when he was 13. He had his own radio program, "Stag Party," on the CBC network by the time he graduated from high school. After two years in the Canadian navy, he moved to New York City. Young was a Christian Scientist from his teen years. In the early 1970s, he left his career to work for the Mother Church in Boston. He spent three years establishing a film and broadcasting center, then toured the country for two years as a Christian Science lecturer. Disillusioned by the church bureaucracy, he returned to Hollywood in 1976. In 1940, Young married Mary Anne Grimes and they had a daughter, Alana, and a son, Alan Jr. The marriage ended in 1947. In 1948 he married singer Virginia McCurdy, and they had a son, Cameron Angus, and a daughter, Wendy. There was no information on survivors.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by ChicagoMotorman* on Fri May 20 19:59:48 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Oh no! RIP
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri May 20 20:05:14 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by ChicagoMotorman on Fri May 20 19:59:48 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d He also did the voice of the Hanna Barbera-added robot character "7-Zark-7" on "Battle Of The Planets", the Bowdlerized version of Tatsunoko's "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com* on Fri May 20 20:23:30 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by ChicagoMotorman on Fri May 20 19:59:48 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d lol
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Chicagomotorman* on Fri May 20 21:10:01 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Fri May 20 20:23:30 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Lol. A man passes away and you laugh at it?
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim* on Fri May 20 21:18:50 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d RIP Wilbur! BTW ts a shame that the voice of Mr.Ed, an actor named Alan Lane never got any screen credit. I hope for his work, that he got mucho oats ($$$)in his feedbag & any residuals that were due him
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by 3-9* on Fri May 20 21:50:32 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 20:05:14 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d He has a pretty interesting voice resume, doing Keyop from the same show and Scrooge McDuck for decades. RIP.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com* on Fri May 20 21:59:52 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Chicagomotorman on Fri May 20 21:10:01 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d no i was laughing at the horse
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri May 20 22:23:02 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by 3-9 on Fri May 20 21:50:32 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Yes; his reinterpretation of Gatchaman's Jinpei was interesting to say the least. I guess in 1978, Hanna-Barbera was still averse to the notion of kid ninja superheroes.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by northshore* on Fri May 20 22:27:29 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d He was still working for Disney Studios doing cartoon voice over as Scrooge McDuck
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by 3-9* on Fri May 20 22:33:50 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 22:23:02 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Especially a kid ninja that killed people. :-)
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by northshore* on Fri May 20 22:34:42 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Mr.Ed was sponsored by Studebaker.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Chicagomotorman* on Fri May 20 23:00:39 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Fri May 20 21:59:52 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Of course.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com* on Sat May 21 01:11:39 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Chicagomotorman on Fri May 20 23:00:39 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d right
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Express Rider* on Sat May 21 02:51:03 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Always liked the horse. Ed Exp. Rider
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sat May 21 03:00:12 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Express Rider on Sat May 21 02:51:03 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d The horse was known as "Bamboo Harvester" (1949–1970) of course of course, born and raised in El Monte, CA. :) Poor bastard died from a variety of age related ailments, including kidney problems and arthritis. He was euthanized in 1970.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Express Rider* on Sat May 21 03:22:41 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 21 03:00:12 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d a shame. about the only horse who could be the life of a party!
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sat May 21 03:29:29 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Express Rider on Sat May 21 03:22:41 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Well ... shouldn't reveal any secrets, but if you remember that Seinfeld episode with Kramer and the horse and the "Beefarino", "Mr Ed" had some well-known "flatus" issues back in those days, and it wasn't the beefarino. That's where that story line came from. :)
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Express Rider* on Sat May 21 06:25:00 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 21 03:29:29 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d no, didn't know that one. beefarino sounds like something out of a can from Chef boyardee
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sat May 21 09:33:02 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by 3-9 on Fri May 20 22:33:50 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Yes, with bolos and bouncing balls. By Gatchaman Fighter, the yo-yo had moved from Jun to Jinpei, and Jun was using something that looked like the "psi-webs" Marvel Comics' Julia Carpenter (second Spider-Woman aka Arachne, later the second Madame Web) would use.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SLRT* on Sat May 21 10:59:39 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Fri May 20 21:18:50 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Too true, but back in the day movies and TV were sparing in name credits. Nowadays they credit the Best Boys, Worst boys and their Best Boys and Girls. Not to mention the guy who brought the donuts.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SLRT* on Sat May 21 11:00:26 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d RIP. In his many years he made us happy.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sat May 21 12:44:50 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Express Rider on Sat May 21 06:25:00 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d This should help give you an idea. :)
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Spider-Pig* on Mon May 23 13:21:30 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d I didn't know he also did Duck Tales.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by 3-9* on Mon May 23 13:51:35 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Spider-Pig on Mon May 23 13:21:30 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d He's the main voice of Scrooge McDuck in a lot of Disney stuff, not just Duck Tales.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon May 23 15:19:25 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by ChicagoMotorman on Fri May 20 19:59:48 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d It's incredible that millions of people used to watch such dreck back then.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Dave* on Mon May 23 16:05:05 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by SMAZ on Mon May 23 15:19:25 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d As opposed to watching the Kardashian's today?
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Spider-Pig* on Mon May 23 16:18:39 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Dave on Mon May 23 16:05:05 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d How many people actually watch that? We live in a golden age of TV.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Dave* on Mon May 23 17:52:05 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Spider-Pig on Mon May 23 16:18:39 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d More than you want to know, I'm afraid!
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon May 23 18:01:08 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Spider-Pig on Mon May 23 16:18:39 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d A golden wasteland is still a wasteland. More like a golden shower?
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Jeff Rosen* on Mon May 23 18:36:58 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d He played two roles in The Time Machine, the neighbor Filby at he beginning and Filby's son in two world wars.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon May 23 18:39:10 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Jeff Rosen on Mon May 23 18:36:58 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Three world wars. The movie was predicting nuclear warfare by 1960.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Spider-Pig* on Mon May 23 18:41:54 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Mon May 23 18:01:08 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Ewww. Newton Minow doesn't think TV is a vast wasteland anymore.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Spider-Pig* on Mon May 23 18:43:43 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Dave on Mon May 23 17:52:05 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d I don't think so. I wouldn't be surprised by its ratings. It's not like the Kardashians are on CBS in the 1950s where they were almost the only game in town. I don't even know what channel they're on (I think it's E!). There are many more options today and a lot of great TV. Also a lot of crap and a lot of filler.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon May 23 18:55:47 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Spider-Pig on Mon May 23 18:41:54 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d And he's still kicking! :)
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Jeff Rosen* on Mon May 23 19:05:39 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Alan Young as Filby in the Time Machine:
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Jeff Rosen* on Mon May 23 19:05:52 2016, in response to RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 20 19:57:55 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Alan Young as Filby in the Time Machine:
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Dave* on Mon May 23 21:42:19 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Jeff Rosen on Mon May 23 19:05:52 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d One of my favorite movies. A few years ago the full-size prop of the Time Machine was found in a back room in one of the studios, busted up some and gathering dust. Someone bought it for a couple of hundred bucks. I'd have paid more than had I known about it!
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon May 23 21:52:43 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Dave on Mon May 23 21:42:19 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d You might find this site interesting, especially as a jumping off point to other sites which chronicle the sale and restoration of that prop: http://erkelzaar.tsudao.com/models/quadrangles.htm
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by Dave* on Tue May 24 08:21:27 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon May 23 21:52:43 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d WONDERFUL!!! Thanks for posting that.
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Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Tue May 24 17:46:46 2016, in response to Re: RIP Alan Young (Mr. Ed's Wilbur), posted by Dave on Tue May 24 08:21:27 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Thought you might like. :)
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