RIP: 1919-2016 Age: 96
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Shadow2700 — 9 years ago(May 20, 2016 07:28 PM)
Another Hollywood veteran gone. Alan Young, who starred as Wilbur Post on the 1960s sitcom Mister Ed, died on Thursday, May 19. He was 96.
The actor died of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Home in Woodland Hills, California, a spokesperson for the retirement community told the Associated Press.
Young was best known for his role alongside the iconic talking horse on the hit CBS series, which aired from 1961 to 1966. He also played the voice of Scrooge McDuck in several Disney films and TV series, including DuckTales and Mickeys Christmas Carol.
In 1951, he earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role on The Alan Young Show. The self-titled series started as a radio show, but eventually moved to television as a variety show in 1950. It aired until 1953 and also took home the Emmy Award for Best Variety Series in 1951.
Young was a regular guest on many other TV shows over the years. He appeared on The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and ER. He also provided the voices for multiple characters on The Smurfs and played Hiram Flaversham in The Great Mouse Detective.
The legendary actor passed away at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Villa on Vitas Hospice with his children by his side.
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/alan-young-dead-star-of-mister-ed-dies-at-96-w207366 -
WhWm — 9 years ago(May 20, 2016 09:18 PM)
I am very sad and cannot stop crying that Alan Young has passed away. I loved him very much. I've talked with him several times during the past few years and he was charming, delightful, funny and sweet.
I recorded these calls with Alan and shared them with just "family and friends" so they could also hear what a wo2000nderful man Alan was. I shall cherish these recordings as a momento of Alan.
It does comfort me to know Alan is in heaven but I'll definitely miss him very much. Alan had stated that he started every day with God and now he is with Him.
God bless you, Alan. -
OldDood — 9 years ago(May 21, 2016 02:55 AM)
Yes, I remember Mr Ed all to well
I also remember the Studebaker Commercials when it aired in the early 1960's.
You can watch them with the cast of the show on YouTube.
Also Alan Young was well known for his Radio Show: The Alan Young Show.
Which became a TV show in the early 1950's. -
flickersfan — 9 years ago(May 21, 2016 04:53 AM)
RIP, Mr. Young, one of the last of my childhood TV icons and probably the oldest. 96 1/2 to the day you had a great run. In the 60's my sisters and I knew we could make each other laugh by just doing our best, "Wilburrrrrrrrrrrrr".
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Shadow2700 — 9 years ago(May 21, 2016 05:53 AM)
Actor and comedian Alan Young - who starred alongside a talking horse in the popular sitcom Mr Ed in the 1960s - has died in Los Angeles, aged 96.
He died of natural causes on Thursday at a film and TV retirement facility in the city, his manager said.
Young played the amiable architect Wilbur Post, with Mr Ed - a talkative palomino - stabled in his barn.
Young, who was born in the UK, educated in Canada and later became a US citizen, was buried at sea.
Mr Ed ran for six seasons from 1960-1966.
Young reputedly got the part when the comedian George Burns, whose TV production company was launching the series, said: "Get Alan Young. He looks like the kind of guy a horse would talk to."
His four-legged co-star was Bamboo Harvester, who communicated with Wilbur in a deep, rolling voice provided by the cowboy star Allan "Rocky'' Lane.
Young was frequently asked how they made the horse's lips move.
The production team didn't want to give their secret away, so Young said they put peanut butter in the horse's mouth.
"I made up the peanut butter story, and everyone bought it," he recalled in a 2009 interview.
In fact, a piece of nylon thread was used to manipulate Mr Ed's lips in the early episodes.
"But Ed actually learned to move his lips on cue when the trainer touched his hoof," said Young.
"In fact, he soon learned to do it when I stopped talking during a scene. Ed was very smart."
During his career, Young also appeared in several films, including The Time Machine.
In 1951, he won a Primetime Emmy award as best actor in The Alan Young Show.
In later years, Young wrote for cartoons and voiced some of the characters.
He was the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney's TV series Duck Tales.
"He was an honest, decent man, a pleasure to work with and never a problem," his manager of more 30 years, Gene Yusem, told the Reuters news agency.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36348905 -
goldenpet — 9 years ago(May 23, 2016 12:57 AM)
I liked the way his vestigial Scots accent would slip in when he was playing Wilbur. Like he would say "rahther" for "rather" and "bean" for "been," and "reheersal" for "rehearsal." Also "aboot" for "about." Nice touch. And I remember one episode of Mr. Ed where he played his own father with a very pronounced Scots accent. What a performer. Hopefully he and Mr. Ed are now riding happily again.
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monkeyskull — 9 years ago(May 24, 2016 10:40 PM)
I been on this page so many times looking up Alan Young. Each time i was so happy he was still alive. I can't believe he's gone now. he was such a great actor and voice actor. 96 isn't bad at all, but losing this legend is very sad.
I grew up watching Ducktales and Scrooge McDuck. So many great memories watching that tv show.
Rest in peace Alan, you made millions of people happy and will continue to do so for many years to come.