Summary
Barbara Luddy (May 25, 1908[citation needed] – April 1, 1979) [1] was an American actress best known for her voiceover work for Walt Disney Studios in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Barbara Luddy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 25, 1908 Great Falls, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 1979 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1920s–1977 |
| Known for | Original voice of Kanga from the first three Winnie The Pooh featurettes and in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Original voice of Lady in Lady and the Tramp Original voice of Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty |
| Spouse | R. Ned LeFevre (m. 1942) |
Biography edit
Born in Great Falls, Montana in 1907 or 1908, Luddy was the daughter of Will[2] and Molly Luddy[3] of Helena, Montana.[2] She sang in vaudeville as a child.[4] She attended Ursuline Convent in Great Falls, Montana.[5]
Career edit
Stage edit
In 1929, Luddy toured with Leo Carrillo in Australia as part of a touring company that presented the play Lombardi, Ltd. A review in the Sydney Morning Herald cited Luddy's work portraying a mannequin as "a role in which Miss Barbara Luddy made a great hit by her pert audacity and vivaciousness."[6]
Radio edit
Luddy was a member of the dramatic cast of the Chicago Theater of the Air.[7] One of Luddy's better known roles on radio was being a regular performer on The First Nighter Program from 1936 until the series ended in 1953.[7]: 118 In 1937, she and fellow First Nighter actor Les Tremayne set what a contemporary newspaper article called "a precedent ... when these signed long term contracts calling for their exclusive services" on the program."[8]
She also played Veronica Gunn in the comedy Great Gunns.[7]: 138 In soap operas, she played Judith Clark in Lonely Women[7]: 205-206 Carol Evans Martin in The Road of Life,[7]: 285 and Janet Munson in Woman in White.[5]
Film edit
Luddy's film career began with silent pictures in the late 1920s. She is perhaps best remembered for her voice work in Disney animated films such as Lady and the Tramp (in which she played the titular Lady), Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Robin Hood and the Winnie-the-Pooh featurettes including Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too,[9] all of which were edited into the composite feature The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Her other film credits include Terrified (1962) and the TV film Lost Flight (1969).
Television edit
Luddy guest starred in episodes of such television programs as Hazel, Dragnet, Adam-12, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
Personal life edit
Luddy married R. Ned LeFevre, an actor and announcer, on September 18, 1942.[10] The couple had one daughter, Barbara, and a son, Chris LeFevre, who preceded Barbara in death.[citation needed]
Luddy died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California, in 1979.[citation needed]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | An Enemy of Men | Janet | |
| 1925 | Sealed Lips | Alice Howard | |
| 1925 | Rose of the World | Cecilia Kirby | |
| 1927 | Born to Battle | Barbara Barstow | |
| 1927 | Wilful Youth | ||
| 1928 | See You Later | ||
| 1930 | Headin' North | Mary Jackson | |
| 1933 | Her Secret | Mae | |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Lady | Voice |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Merryweather | Voice |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Rover | Voice |
| 1963 | Terrified | Mrs. Hawley | |
| 1964 | Dear Heart | Miss Carmichael | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree | Kanga | Voice |
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West | Screaming Woman | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day | Kanga | Voice |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | Mother Sexton (church mouse), Mother Rabbit | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1974 | Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! | Kanga | Voice |
| 1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Voice, Archive footage |
References edit
- ^ Reinehr, Robert C.; Swartz, Jon D. (March 26, 2024). The a to Z of Old Time Radio. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3.
- ^ a b "Helena Girl Gains Success on Stage". The Independent Record. Montana, Helena. January 6, 1930. p. 2. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Barbara Luddy Vacations in Filmdom". Long Beach Independent. California, Long Beach. October 7, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 170.
- ^ a b "Joins "Woman in White"". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. May 31, 1941. p. 24. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lombardi, Ltd". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia, Sydney. September 2, 1929. p. 8. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 74.
- ^ "Signed for Fifty-Two Weeks". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The Evening News. June 1, 1937. p. 16. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mazurki, Jeannette (January 5, 1972). "Barbara Luddy voice of Disney cartoon characters". The Lowell Sun. Massachusetts, Lowell. Copley News Service. p. 50. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Co-Star with Tremayne in "First Nighter"". The Ironwood Times. Michigan, Ironwood. October 14, 1942. p. 11. Retrieved July 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
External links edit
- Barbara Luddy at IMDb