Actor, stage performer, editor, musical entertainer and animated voice of many cartoon characters. Born Earl Fred Bennett and raised in Kansas City on a farm, he studied painting as a young man with regional painter Thomas Hart Benton at the Kansas City Art Institute from 1938 to 1941. In Los Angeles, his career launched in show business in 1947 performing on stage in the Ken Murray Revue "Blackouts". That same year, he landed a series of small film roles in "The Egg and I", "Sarge Goes To College", and "Champagne For Two". Soon after, bandleader Spike Jones hired him as a comedic performer, which launched his most-famous role as "Sir Frederick Gas" in the band's recordings, film, television and live performances. As part of the Spike Jones Revue, he gained notoriety for his versatility and vocal dialects featured in songs like "Ghost Riders In the Sky", "Popcorn Sack" and "I Went To Your Wedding". In 1954, he left the band, changed careers and joined the United Productions of America (UPA) as an editor, voice-over actor and sound-effects specialist for Mr. Magoo and other UPA production efforts. This led to work with Hanna Barbera in the early 1960's as a production editor for several productions, including "Scooby Doo" and "Fantastic Four". In retirement, he returned to painting and enjoyed painting landscapes and other themes until his eyesight began to fail. His final residence was at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California where he died Oct 4 2007 at the age of 87.
Actor, stage performer, editor, musical entertainer and animated voice of many cartoon characters. Born Earl Fred Bennett and raised in Kansas City on a farm, he studied painting as a young man with regional painter Thomas Hart Benton at the Kansas City Art Institute from 1938 to 1941. In Los Angeles, his career launched in show business in 1947 performing on stage in the Ken Murray Revue "Blackouts". That same year, he landed a series of small film roles in "The Egg and I", "Sarge Goes To College", and "Champagne For Two". Soon after, bandleader Spike Jones hired him as a comedic performer, which launched his most-famous role as "Sir Frederick Gas" in the band's recordings, film, television and live performances. As part of the Spike Jones Revue, he gained notoriety for his versatility and vocal dialects featured in songs like "Ghost Riders In the Sky", "Popcorn Sack" and "I Went To Your Wedding". In 1954, he left the band, changed careers and joined the United Productions of America (UPA) as an editor, voice-over actor and sound-effects specialist for Mr. Magoo and other UPA production efforts. This led to work with Hanna Barbera in the early 1960's as a production editor for several productions, including "Scooby Doo" and "Fantastic Four". In retirement, he returned to painting and enjoyed painting landscapes and other themes until his eyesight began to fail. His final residence was at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California where he died Oct 4 2007 at the age of 87.
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