Lennie Weinrib


Leonard Weinrib was an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for playing the title role in the children's television show H.R. Pufnstuf, Grimace in McDonaldland commercials, the title role in Inch High, Private Eye, the original voice of Scrappy-Doo on Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Hunk and Prince Lotor on Voltron, and Bigmouth on The Smurfs. He also was the voice for Timer in the "Time for Timer" ABC public service announcements in the early 1970s.

Life and career

A native of the Bronx, Weinrib got his start in show business working with Spike Jones, then later in The Billy Barnes Revue. He made guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Burke's Law, The Munsters, Happy Days and Adam-12.
He charted nationally with the comedy single "Prez Conference" in 1962. He also guest starred in an Emergency! episode called "Firehouse Four" as Fred Gibson, an overweight, accident-prone man. Woody Allen's character in his 1995 film Mighty Aphrodite was named "Lenny Weinrib".

Voice actor

He was most notable for his voice acting work. Starting with The Flintstones where he provided the dialogue for Jimmy Darrock, Weinrib provided numerous voices for such animated series as Inch High, Private Eye, The New Adventures of Batman, Tarzan and the Super 7, and Hong Kong Phooey. He was the voice for both Roland and Ratfink in that series of cartoon shorts. He also provided the voice of Timer in the 1970s "Time for Timer" series of educational spots shown on the ABC network. In Voltron: Defender of the Universe, he voiced both Hunk and the villain Prince Lotor in the "Lion Voltron series", as well as Captain Newley and Cliff in the "Vehicle Voltron" series. He also voiced a secretary bird and king Leonidas the lion in the animated sequence of the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Another Disney role Weinrib voiced was an evil sorcerer named Zorlok for an episode of Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears. He also voices the school bully Lenny Warthog on the NBC series Kissyfur.
He also lent his voice to Superman in 1970 for a Sesame Street sketch of a lecture about words beginning with "S" which happened to be the character's favorite letter of the alphabet. Weinrib again voiced the Man of Steel, and his alter-ego Clark Kent, for a 1972 episode of The Brady Kids, "Cindy's Super Friend".
Weinrib voiced Davey Jones' Uncle Sedgwick, Hotel Desk Clerk and Shaggy's Great-Uncle Nathaniel on The New Scooby-Doo Movies. He voiced Cap'n Noah Smitty in Yogi's Ark Lark. He also was the original voice of Scrappy-Doo on the Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo TV series before Don Messick took over the role.
He voiced the title role in H.R. Pufnstuf throughout the show's entire run from 1969 through 1971, and also wrote every episode of the series. He also appeared as H.R. Pufnstuf as a guest on The Dating Game in Christmas 1972 and on one episode of the TV show CHiPs in 1977. On The Krofft Supershow, he played the title character in Magic Mongo.
He did the voices for Moonrock and Sergeant Boulder on The Flintstone Comedy Show. in 1977, he voiced the title character on the CB Bears segment "Heyyy. it's the King". In 1986, he was the original voice of Freddy Flintstone on The Flintstone Kids, before Scott Menville replaced him the following season. In 1991, he voiced Max the Mole on the all-star Hanna-Barbera animated series Yo Yogi!.

Live action

Weinrib appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show three times, each time playing a similar character, a loud, over-the-top, insult-type comedian. This character was named "Jackie Brewster", "Danny Brewster", and "Phil Franklin". He also appeared in Miniature, a Twilight Zone episode in 1963.
He also appeared on single episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ''Happy Days, and on two episodes of Adam-12 in 1973 and 1974 as Tony the police garage mechanic. He also guest starred in the 1974 Emergency!'' episode called "Firehouse Four" as Fred Gibson.

Directing

Weinrib's directing career consists of three feature films, all in the beach party genre: Beach Ball for Paramount in 1965, and Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight, both for Universal in 1966. Weinrib also co-wrote the 1963 joke book The Elephant Book.

Retirement and death

Weinrib retired from acting in the 1990s and moved to Santiago, Chile.
For the Family Guy episode "Petarded", Seth MacFarlane explained on the Season 4 DVD commentary he wanted to use Weinrib to voice Timer for a cutaway gag, but Weinrib was suffering from failing health when "Petarded" was being produced, and as MacFarlane explained, he "didn't remember doing it" after the recorded audio was played back for him later. In the end, Timer was voiced by Seth himself.
Weinrib died in a hospital near his home on June 28, 2006, after suffering a stroke.

Filmography

Voices

H.R. Pufnstuf - Voices of H.R. Pufnstuf, Orson Vulture, Stupid Bat, Hippie Tree, Bela Lugosi Tree, Dr. Blinky's Talking Book, Alarm Clock, Polka Dotted Horse, Pop Lolly, West WindLidsville - Voices of Mr. Big, Colonel Poom, Captain Hooknose, Rah Rah, Mr. Chow, Tex, Tonsilini, Pierre LeSewerThe Krofft Superstar Hour - Voices of H.R. Pufnstuf, Orson Vulture, Stupid BatThe Skatebirds - Voice of Knock-Knock the Woodpecker Adventures of the Gummi Bears - Additional VoicesBarnyard Commandos - Additional VoicesCaptain Caveman and the Teen Angels - Additional VoicesCB Bears - King, Rattle, YukayukaDoctor Dolittle - Sam Scurvy, variousDynomutt, Dog Wonder - Roto ChopperFoofur - Additional Voices Fred Flintstone and Friends - Additional VoicesFraidy Cat - Voices of Elephunt, Ant, Kitty Wizard, Captain Kitt, Sir Walter Cat, Billy the Kit, Jasper Catdaver, Captain Eddie Kittenbakker and Hep CatGalaxy Goof-Ups - Additional VoicesGarfield and Friends - Additional VoicesHelp!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch! - Additional Voices Hong Kong Phooey - Additional VoicesInch High, Private Eye - Inch HighJabberjaw - Additional VoicesJokebook - Additional VoicesKissyfur - Charles, LennieMork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour - Additional VoicesPac-Man - Additional VoicesPartridge Family 2200 A.D. - Jolly JoeRambo: The Force of Freedom - GripperScooby and Scrappy-Doo - Scrappy-Doo, Bill Walker, Neon PhantomSpace Cats - Additional VoicesSpace Stars - DipperThe Addams Family - Gomez AddamsThe Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda - Additional VoicesThe All-New Popeye Hour - Additional VoicesThe Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan - Stanley ChanThe Brady Kids - Superman/Clark KentThe Flintstone Comedy Hour - Announcer, MoonrockThe Flintstone Comedy Show - Moonrock, Sergeant BoulderThe Flintstone Kids - Freddy Flintstone, CommissionerThe Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone - Mr. SilikaThe Further Adventures of SuperTed - Additional Voices The Great Grape Ape Show - Additional VoicesThe Jetsons - Additional Voices The Kwicky Koala Show - Additional VoicesThe Little Rascals - Additional VoicesThe Most Important Person - Various VoicesThe Mumbly Cartoon Show - Additional VoicesThe New Adventures of Batman - Joker, Mr. Freeze, Chameleon, Moonman, Professor Bubbles, Sweet Tooth, Zarbor, Penguin, Electro, Commissioner Gordon. The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show - Griff, Mickey Hack, Gremlin, Additional VoicesThe New Scooby-Doo Movies - Sedgwick Jones, Hotel Desk Clerk, Great-Uncle Nathaniel, Additional VoicesThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show - Bronto, MoonrockThe Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show - Additional VoicesThe Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show - Additional VoicesThe Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show - Additional VoicesThe Scooby-Doo Show - Squire Marley, Grey Fox, Additional VoicesThe Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour - Additional VoicesThe Smurfs - BigmouthThe Super Globetrotters - Additional VoicesThe Tom & Jerry Show - Additional VoicesThese Are the Days - Additional VoicesTrollkins - Additional Voices Uncle Croc's Block - Elephunt, Ant, Kitty Wizard, Captain Kitt, Sir Walter Cat, Billy the Kit, Jasper Catdaver, Captain Eddie Kittenbakker, Hep Cat Voltron - Hunk Garrett, Prince Lotor ; Cliff, Captain Newley Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - Chet BoyleWalt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - Additional VoicesWheelie and the Chopper Bunch - Hi-RiserYo Yogi! - Max the MoleYogi's Gang - Smokestack SmogYogi's Space Race - Additional VoicesYogi's Treasure Hunt - Additional Voices

Live-action television

The Red Skelton Show as RonnieAlfred Hitchcock Presents

Films

Tales of Terror - Policeman The Thrill of It All - Truck DriverIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - F-14 / Ladder Fireman Not with My Wife, You Don't! - Green Eyed Monster of Jealousy Out of Sight Good Times - Leslie GarthGas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. - The Point! - Count Bedknobs and Broomsticks - Secretary Bird / King Leonidas Yogi's Ark Lark - Cap'n Noah SmittyThe Adventures of Robin Hoodnik - Robin Hoodnik / Alan Airedale / Whirlin' Merlin / Lord Scurvy / Friar Pork / Little John Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family - Big Louie / Count Krumley / Mr. McGuffin The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head - Timer / All Other Voices Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Darzee the TailorbirdThe Strongest Man in the World - State CoachShogun Assassin - Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales - Prince Abadaba The Adventures of Ronald McDonald: McTreasure Island - Grimace / The Captain / Pirates

Commercials