Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010^[1]), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show.^[2] He took his professional name from radio comedian Fred Allen and 18th century satirist Jonathan Swift.

Early life and education

He was born January 16, 1924,^[3] in Washington Heights, Manhattan, and raised in Brooklyn. Swift graduated from the High School of Music & Art, after which he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces, where he served from November 1942 to November 1945.^[2][4] While in the Army, he was an entertainer and became a private first class.^[5][6]

Career

Children's television

Allen Swift was an early television star who began his career by replacing Buffalo Bob Smith on The Howdy Doody Show while Smith was recovering from a heart attack. At various times, he played the characters of Clarabell the Clown, Chief Thunderchicken, and the voice of the Howdy Doody puppet, as well as other characters. From September 10, 1956, to September 23, 1960, Swift was the host of another popular children's show, The Popeye Show, on WPIX in New York City, playing a sea captain named "Captain Allen Swift". In the show, he commented on the cartoons, told stories, sang sea shanties and did magic tricks.^{[citation needed]}

Cartoon voices

Swift is best known for providing the fiendish voices for the cartoon villains Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show, and Popeye in the Popeye cartoons created in the 1960s. He also voiced the cartoon character, Clint Clobber.^{[citation needed]}

Swift voiced the cartoon mascot Twinkie the Kid in animated TV advertisements for Hostess's cream-filled snack cakes, Twinkies, in the 1970s.^{[citation needed]} He also voiced many of the characters in the 1960s underwater puppet show Diver Dan, and Gene Deitch's 1961–1962 group of Tom and Jerry cartoons, as well as The Bluffers. According to Mopar magazine, he was also the voice of "Tech" for their series of service training films, providing color commentary and dry humor to help keep things digestible and interesting. He also voiced his talents for Sesame Street.^{[citation needed]}

Rankin/Bass

Swift provided the majority of the voices in Rankin/Bass's Mad Monster Party?, credited as Alan Swift in the movie's credits.^[7] He was also in other Rankin/Bass productions, including the TV specials, The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes, as the voice of Musty,^{[citation needed]} and as the voice of Gadzooks the Bear in The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town.^{[citation needed]}

Howdy Doody

Swift supplied most of the character voices for the NBC Howdy Doody show. When Buffalo Bob Smith — who did the voice of the lead puppet character Howdy Doody, and had proclaimed many times that "nobody else could do Howdy" — suffered a heart attack, Swift took home some recordings over the weekend, came back Monday, and supplied Howdy's voice for more than a year.^[8]

Writing

Swift became the second comedy writer for Howdy Doody following the abrupt departure of the series' first comedy writer and songwriter, Edward Kean.^[9] He also wrote the play Checking Out, which was the basis of the film of the same name starring Peter Falk, Laura San Giacomo, Judge Reinhold and David Paymer.^[10]

Toward the end of his life, Swift penned the memoir, Chutzpah! Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee, An Actors Life For Me.^{[citation needed]}

Commercials and MAD Magazine

Swift provided the original voice of the Frito Bandito in the animated Fritos Corn Chips commercials of the 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was the talking drain in Drano television commercials, and the voice of The Burger King. Because of his uncanny ability to create so many different sounds, tones and accents, he was able to voice competing products, including Tip-Top, Braun, Stroehmann or Taystee.^[11] He impersonated Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker and Adolf Hitler as "Dolf" on MAD magazine's vinyl insert recording of "Gall in the Family Fare", the All in the Family satire that ran in the magazine's Super Special No. 11 in 1973.^[12] He also played Captain Cupcake in the Hostess Brands commercials.^[13]

Personal life

Swift was married to actress Lenore Loveman, and is the father of character actor, mimic and singer Lewis J. Stadlen, holistic health practitioner Maxime Zahra, and eating disorder specialist/entrepreneur Clare A. Stadlen. He resided in Manhattan. He was also a figurative painter, creating and exhibiting landscapes and figures reminiscent of those of artists Leland Bell and Fairfield Porter.

Death

Swift died in his home of 46 years on April 18, 2010.^[3][14] He had been "suffering with a series of health calamities for several years, since he fell and broke his hip while walking his dog. From that moment, one thing led to another," said personal friend and director Gene Deitch.

Filmography