Biography: Don Messick

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Birth/Death

Birth: Sept. 7, 1926, Buffalo, New York;
Death: October 24, 1997, Salinas, California

Occupation/Title

Voice Actor

Bio Summary

Don Messick was born in Buffalo, New York, but moved with his family to Baltimore shortly after. The family would then relocate to the town of Nanticoke. By age 13, Messick was already performing as a ventriloquist. Don was drafted at the age of 18 and spent 20 months as a member of the Army Special Services, where he performed for the troops stationed in the U.S. Later, Messick would on with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and become a highly used voice actor for the company. One of his best roles would be as the voice of Scooby Doo.

Early Life/Family

Don Messick was born in Buffalo, New York, but moved with his family to Baltimore shortly after. The family would then relocate to the town of Nanticoke. His childhood life was not the easiest growing up. While in Nanticoke, his family’s house had no electricity, forcing him to do his homework by lamplight. Another house he lived in had electricity, but had no indoor plumbing. Messick spent much of his free time listening to the radio while he went to elementary school and adjusted to the new location. By the time he reached 13, Messick was performing a ventriloquist act around his home town. At age 15, he performed for the program manager and chief announcer at WBOC and landed a job with his puppet on the air. As Messick’s radio career began to grow, it was temporarily halted by the death of his father. Soon after becoming 18 years old, Messick was drafted by the Army and soon after, place in Special Services, where he entertained the troops stationed in the U.S. for 20 months.

Education/Training

When Don Messick began his ventriloquist act at age 13, he was self taught from book and radio shows. When he was 16, he moved to Baltimore to be trained as an actor once he graduated high school. Messick performed in plays and performances in a small theatre owned by Ramsay Streett whose was his instructor at the time.

Career Outline

Don Messick began his illustrious career at he age of 15 when he was hired to WBOC to do a radio show with his puppet characters. He would later be hired to WCAO to do his show on their station. Shortly after World War II, Messick did a radio show with Monty Masters, a friend from the Army. When he was readjusted to performing on the radio, he headed west to hollywood. Here he performed in various ventriloquist acts until he was asked to appear on the Horace Height Show. He did good enough to get signed on to one of the tour groups they had and began touring the Midwest. After touring, Messick went back to freelance work when he met William Hanna and Joe Barbera at MGM. When Hanna and Barbera left MGM to start their own studio, Don was one of the first people they brought with them. His first job was as the voice of Ruff and Professor Gizmo on the show Ruff and Reddy. Messick would later land the role of Droopy on the recommendation from Daws Butler to Tex Avery. In 1958, Messick took the role of Pixie in the short Pixie and Dixie episodes that were part of the Huckleberry Hound Show. in 1969, Don Messick would take on his favorite role, Scooby Doo. He would continue this role for 22 years. When the show gained Scrappy Doo, Messick accepted the challenge of voicing both Scooby and Scrappy. Messick continued doing voice work through the 1980s doing voices such as Papa Smurf and appearing on live TV in “The Duck Factory” with Jim Carrey. Towards the end of his career, Messick voiced over characters from “Tiny Toons” as Hampton Pig and on “Freakazoid!” as Dr. Vernon Danger.?

Comments On Style

Influences

Personality

Don Messick was a soft-spoken and humble person. He was quick to credit his colleagues for his success.

Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Voice Actor:

-The House of Tomorrow (1949) (uncredited – Narrator / Pressure Cooker)
-The Ruff & Reddy Show (1957) (voice – Ruff / Professor Gizmo / Ubble Ubble)
-The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole (2 episodes, 1958-1961) (voice – Tadpole)
-Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks (1958) (voice – Pixie)
-The Huckleberry Hound Show (unknown episodes, 1959) (voice – Boo Boo / Pixie / Ranger Smith / Additional Voices)
-Quick Draw McGraw (1959) (Additional Voices)
-Matty’s Funday Funnies (1959) (Additional Voices)?-Creepy Time Pal (1960) (voice)
The Do-Good Wolf (1960) (voice)
The Yogi Bear Show (1 episode, 1961) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith)
Child Sock-Cology (1961) (voice – Zookeeper / Gorilla / Storekeeper)
Top Cat (2 episodes, 1961-1962) (voice – Patrolman Prowler / Vanderfeller)
The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series (1962) voice – Mr. Twiddle)?Wally Gator (unknown episodes, 1962) (voice – Mr. Twiddle)
The Jetsons (6 episodes, 1962-1963) (voice – Astro / Various Characters)
Whatcha Watchin’ (1963) (voice)
Crook Who Cried Wolf (1963) (voice)
Raggedy Rug (1964) (voice)
The Magilla Gorilla Show (unknown episodes, 1964) (voice – Ricochet Rabbit)
Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear (1964) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith)
The Peter Potamus Show (1964) (voice – So So)
Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (unknown episodes, 1964) (unknown voice)?The Hillbilly Bears (1965) (voice – Shag Rugg)
Jonny Quest (26 episodes, 1964-1965) (Bandit / Dr. Quest / Additional Voices)
Pork Chop Phooey (1965) (voice)
Tom & Jerry (1965) (uncredited voice)
The Secret Squirrel Show (1965) (Additional Voices)
The Flinstones (24 episodes, 1960-1966) (voice – Arnold / Bamm Bamm / Additional Voices)
A Laurel and Hardy Cartoon (unknown episodes, 1966) (Various Characters)
Space Ghost (6 episodes, 1966) (voice – Blip / Bronto / Zorak)
Abbott & Costello (1966) (voice)
Alice in Wonderland or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966) (voice – The Dormouse / Fluff)
The Man Called Flinstone (1966) (Additional Voices)
The Space Kidettes (1966) (voice – Countdown / Pup Star)
Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles (1966) (voice – Multi Man)
Shazzan (6 episodes, 1967) (voice – Kaboobie)
The Atom Ant Show (1967) (voice – Atom Ant / Shag Rugg / Precious Pupp)
Off to See the Wizard (unknown episodes, 1967) (voice – unknown)
Super President (1967) (voice)
Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor (1967) (voice – Scooby the Seal)
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio (unknown episodes, 1967) (voice – Falcon 7 / Vapor Man)
The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (1967-1968) (voice – Atom Ant / Shag Rugg / Precious Pupp)
The Herculoids (1 episode, 1967-1969) (voice – Gloop / Gleep)
La Feet’s Defeat (1968) (voice – Sgt. Deux-Deux)
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968) (voice – Snork / Prof. Carter / Aramis / Shag Rugg)
The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2 episodes, 1968) (voice – Tug)
The Adventures of Gulliver (1 episode, 1968) (voice – Eager / Tag)
Wacky Races (6 episodes, 1968) (voices – Gravel Slag / Muttley / Professor Pat Pending / Sawtooth / Ring-A-Ding / Little Gruesome)
Cattanooga Cats (1969) (voice – Hoppy / Smirky)
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (unknown episodes, 1969) (voice – Dum Dum / Zippy / Pockets / Snoozy)
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (1969) (voice – Muttley / Klunk / Zilly)
The Action Comedy Hour (1969) (voice – Harvey Kinkle / Cousin Ambrose)
Christmas Is (1970) (voice)
Scooby-Doo Where are You? (25 episodes, 1969-1970) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
Pufnstuf (1970) (voice – Googy Gopher / Orson Vulture)
Where’s Huddles? (1970) (voice – Fumbles)
Josie and the Pussycats (unknown episodes, 1970) (voice – Sebastian)
Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies (1970) (voice – Cousin Ambrose / Harvey Kinkle)
Harlem globe Trotters (unknown episodes, 1970) (voice – unknown)
Tales of Washington Irving (1970) (voice)
Doctor Dolittle (3 episodes, 1970) (voice – Various Animals)
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (unknown episodes, 1971) (voice – Schleprock)
Curiosity Shop (unknown episodes, 1971) (voice – unknown)
Help!..It’s the Hair Bear Bunch (unknown episodes, 1971) (voice – unknown)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1971) (voice – Cousin Ambrose)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (uncredited – Announcer at Circus Circus)
The Barkleys (1972) (voice)
The Flinstones Comedy Hour (1972) (voice – Schleprock)
Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space (16 episodes, 1972) (voice – Bleep / Sebastian)
The New Scooby-Doo Movies (6 episodes, 1972) (Scooby-Doo)
The Thanksgiving The Almost Wasn’t (1972) (voice)
A Christmas Story (1972) (voice)
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan (14 episodes, 1972) (voice – Chu Chu)
Charlotte’s Web (1973) (voice – Jeffrey)?The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (6 episodes, 1972-1973) (voice – Hero / Pastry / Cook / House Agent / Workman / Midget / Various Characters)
Inch High, Private Eye (unknown episodes, 1973) (voice – Braveheart)
The Adams Family (unknown episodes, 1973) (voice – unknown)
Jeannie (1973) (voice)
Bailey’s Comets (4 episodes, 1973) (voice – Gabby)
B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973) (voice – Peter / Thor / Turkey)
Yogi’s Gang (3 episodes, 1973) (voice – Boo Boo / Squiddly Diddly / Atom Ant / Temper)
The City That Forgot About Christmas (1974) (voice)
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch (1974) (voice – Scrambles / Deputy Fishtail)
These Are the Days (1974) (voice)
Hong Kong Phooey (unknown episodes, 1974) (voice – Narrator / Spot)
The Oddball Couple (1975) (Additional Voices)
The New Tom & Jerry Show (1975) (voice – Mumbly)
The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975) (voice)
The Mumbly Cartoon Show (1976) (voice – Lt. Mumbly)
The First Easter Rabbit (1976) (voice – Whiskers / Jonathan)
The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour (1 episode, 1976) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976) (voice – Papa Bear)
Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics (1977) (voice – Announcer / Scooby-Doo / Mumbly / Boo Boo / Pixie / Dirty Dalton)
Fred Flintstone and Friends (1977) (voice)
The Skatebirds (1977) (voice – Scooter Penguin)
C B Bears (1977) (voice – Clyde the Ape)
The Hobbit (1977) (voice – Balin / Troll #3 / Goblin / Lord of the Eagles)
Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977) (voice)
Yogi’s Space Race (1978) (voice – Boo Boo)
Doo / Mumbly / The Gimmick / Lowbrow)
Dynomutt Dog Wonder (1978) (voice – Scooby)
The Godzilla Power Hour (unknown episodes, 1978) (voice – Godzooky)
The Fantastic Four (unknown episodes, 1978) (voice – unknown)
The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour (1978) (voice)
Challenge of the SuperFriends (8 episodes, 1978) (voice – Scarecrow)
The Flinstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979) (voice – Igor)
The New Fred and Barney Show (1979) (voice – Bamm Bamm)
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979) (voice)
Fred and Barney Meet the Thing (1979) (voice – Bamm Bamm)
Gulliver’s Travels (1979) (voice)
Fred and Barney Meet the Schmoo (1979) (voice – Bamm Bamm)
Jack Frost (1979) (voice – Snip)
Casper’s First Christmas (1979) (voice – Boo Boo)
Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood (1979) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979; unknown episodes 1980-1983) (voice – Scooby-Doo 1979- )
Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980) (voice)
The Return of the King (1980) (voice)
Drak Pack (1980) (voice – Toad / Fly)
The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show (1980) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
The Flinstones New Neighbors (1980) (voice – Bamm Bamm / Vulture)
The Flinstones: Fred’s Final Fling (1980) (voice – Doctor / Fish #1 / Fish #2 / Parrot / Pigasaurus)
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (1 episode, 1980) (Additional Voices)
The Flinstone Comedy Show (1 episode, 1980) (voice – Schleprock)
Yogi’s First Christmas (1980) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith / Herman the Hermit)
Spiderman (1 episode, 1981) (voice – The Vulture)
Space Stars (unknown episodes, 1981) (voice – Astro / Gloop / Gleep)
The Kwicky Koala Show (1981) (voice)
Smurfs (unknown episodes, 1981) (voice – Azrael)
Heathcliff (1981-1982) (voice – Mr. Post)
The Scooby and Sraccpy-Doo Puppy Hour (1982) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
The Flight of Dragons (1982) (voice – Giles of the Treetops / Lo Tae Shao, the Golden Wizard)
The Smurfs Springtime Special (1982) (voice – Papa Smurf / Azrael)
The Last Unicorn (1982) (voice – The Cat)
The Smurfs Christmas Special (1982) (voice – Papa Smurf / Azrael)
Yogi Bear’s All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper (1982) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith / Pixie)
My Smurfy Valentine (1983) (voice – Papa Smurf / Azrael)
CBS Library (1 episode, 1983) (voice – unknown)
The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (13 episodes, 1983) (Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
The Get-Along Gang (unknown episodes, 1984) (voice – Officer Growler)
The Duck Factory (unknown episodes, 1984) (Wally Wooster)
The Mighty Orbots (unknown episodes, 1984) (voice – Crunch / Rondu)
The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries (2 episodes, 1984) (voice – Mommy Doo / Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
Galtar and the Golden Lance (unknown episodes, 1985) (voice – Pandat)
-Scooby’s Mystery Funhouse (1985) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
G.I. Joe (1 episode, 1985) (voice – Professor)
The Pound Puppies (1985) (voice – Louie / Itchy)
Star Fairies (1985) (voice – Blunderpuff / Elf)
Transformers (18 episodes, 1984-1985) (voice – Ratchet / Gears / Scavenger)
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (13 episodes, 1985-1986) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
The Jetsons Christmas Carol (1985) (voice – Astro)
Jonny Quest (unknown episodes, 1986) (voice – Bandit / Dr. Quest)
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) (voice – Gears / Scavenger)
Foofur (4 episodes, 1986) (voice – Pepe)
Popeye and Son (1987) (voice – Eugene the Jeep)
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose (1987) (voice – Boo Boo / Mumbley)
Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo / Hound)
The Real Ghost Busters (1 episode, 1987) (voice – Walt Fleischer)
The Jetsons Meet the Flinstones (1987) (voice – Astro / R.U.D.I. / Mac / Announcer / Store Manager / Robot)
Yogi’s Great Escape (1987) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith)
Tis the Season to Be Smurfy (1987) (voice – Papa Smurf)
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound (1988) (voice – Boo Boo)
Animal Follies (1988) (voice – Ruff)
Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Scrappy-Doo)
Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears (1988) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith)
Paw Paws (unknown episodes, 1988) (voice – Pu Pooch)
Rockin’ with Judy Jetson (1988) (voice – Astro)?Fantastic Max (1988) (voice – Additional Voices)
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) (uncredited – Pimp of the Year pageant announcer)
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990) ( voice – Papa Smurf)
Jetsons: The Movie (1990) (voice – Astro)?Wake, Rattle & Roll (1990) (voice – Muttley / Pixie / Boo Boo / So So / Squiddly Diddly / Ricochet Rabbit / Ruff)
The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1990) (voice – Sancho Panda)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (18 episodes, 1988-1991) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
The Last Halloween (1991) (voice – Romtu)
The Plucky Duck Show (1992) (voice – Hampton Pig / Others)?Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992) (voice – Hampton Pig / Radio Announcer / Others)
Yo Yogi! (19 episodes 1991-1992) (voice – Boo Boo / Muttley / Atom Ant)
King’s Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992) (voice – Ali / Gnomes)
Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) (voice – Droopy)
It’s a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special (1992) (voice – Hampton Pig)
Jonny’s Golden Quest (1993) (voice – Dr. Quest)
Droopy: Master Detective (1993) (voice)
I Yabba-Dabba Do (1993) (voice – Additional Voices)
Tiny Toon Adventures (92 episodes, 1990-1993) (voice – Hampton Pig)
Garfield and Friends (3 episodes, 1993) (voice – Ludlow)
Bonkers (1 episode, 1993) (voice – Mayor)
Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby (1993) (voice)
The Flinstones: Wacky Inventions (1994) (voice – Bamm-Bamm)
Tiny Toons Spring Break (1994) (voice – Hampton Pig)
Yogi the Easter Bear (1994) (voice – Boo Boo / Ranger Smith)
Scooby-Doo in Arabian Nights (1994) (voice – Scooby-Doo / Boo Boo)
A Flinstone’s Christmas Carol (1994) (voice – Bamm-Bamm / Joe Rockhead)
Scooby-Doo Mystery (1995) (voice – Scooby-Doo)
Tiny Toons Adventures: Night Ghoulery (1995) (voice – Hampton Pig)
Freakazoid! (1 episode, 1995) (voice – Dr. Vernon Danger)
Jonny Quest vs. the Cyber Insects (1995) (voice – Dr. Benton Quest)
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (6 episodes, 1996-1997) (voice – Dr. Benton Quest)
Scooby-Doo’s Greatest Mysteries (1999) (voice – Scooby-Doo)?Scooby-Doo’s Creepiest Capers (2000) (voice – Scooby-Doo)?