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 Born in Brooklyn,NYC on September 2,1934..
Chuck McCann was the scion of a member of show
biz entertainers.
His father was the arranger/trombonist and asistant
conductor with The Paul Ash Orchastra and his grandfather
was a juggeler and trick unicyclist with Col.Buffalo Bill Cody's
"Wild West Show".
Chuck made his debut as a kid actor on a radio show
..from there..he appeared on several radio programs.
And he also wrote,produced,performed and recorded
adapatations of popular radio shows for NYC high schools
with radio/tv historian,actor and scriptwriter Ronn Lackman.
After graduating from Andrew Jackson High School..he
performed at NYC/NJ and Long Island,N.Y. nightclubs and
on numerious tv variety shows as a comic actor,mimic and
pantomimist.
For a time..he also studied drama,scriptwritting and
stagecraft at The Passadena Playhouse(McCann also appeared
in The Passadena Playhouse's production of"12th Night"in the
role of"Sir Toby Blech")..before he returned to NYC.
It was during the 1950's..that McCann was introduced to
a new art form that would have a postive effect on his life
and his career.
He met and studied puppetry with Ms.Skip Boyland and
together..they created,produced and performed on a kids tv
puppet show pilot"Hop,Skip & Jump".
"Hop,Skip & Jump"never got on the air..but..it did
pave the way for McCann to meet and work with another
tv puppeteer..Paul Ashley.
The pair worked on "Rootie Kazootie"on NBC and later
on ABC TV from 1950 to May 7,1954.
From there they worked on many other tv shows
including"Chuckles Cartoon Theater","Hi Mom!","The Peter
Lind Hayes Show","The Gumby Show!"with Pinky Lee,"Sunday
Scheduale"with Johnny Andrews,"Wonderama!"with Sandy Becker,
"Uncle Paul's Lunchtime!","The Johnny Andrews Show" and"The
Sandy Becker Morning Show".
It was during their stint on Becker's weekday morning show
that McCann was given the oppertunity to appear on camera.
Becker was preparing to go on vacation in Brazil..but?
He needed someone to mc the show.
Chuck was hired by Sandy to serve as the program's
subsitute host..while Becker went onto vacation.
Having no time to prepare a proper format for the
two week's that Becker would be away..McCann tried
to put together a hastily conceived concept.
Which turned into a bizzare but funny comedy of
errors.
Seeing his potential as a successful kids tv host/
performer?
The heads of WNTA TV Ch.13 in Newark,NJ hired
him to host a Saturday morning series.
McCann and Ashely mc'd"The Puppet Hotel"saturday
mornings on WNTA TV from November,1959 to January,
1960.
In the fall of 1960..McCann joined WPIX TV Ch.11
in NYC.
Where he hosted"Laurel & Hardy & Chuck"weekday
afternoons and Sunday afternoons from Wednesday September 7,
1960 and Sunday October 14,1962 to Friday December 29,1962
and Sunday December 31,1962.
He also hosted"Let's Have Fun!"Sunday mornings from Sunday
September 18,1960 to Sunday August 15,1965 and"The Chuck
McCann Show"Weekday afternoons from Monday September 9,
1963 to September,1965.
Paul Ashley would serve as Chuck's head puppeteer/puppet-
maker and comedy asistant on these shows.
In 1965..Chuck got together with Film historian Prof.John
McCabe and cartoonist,film historian and comedy filmaker
Al Kilgore and L&H Buff John Munacino to create"The Sons Of
The Desert"(The popular world renowned L&H Film Apprciation
club).
McCann has appeared at many meetings of The NYC Founding
Chapter of the club and he has also performed at "The Sons'"
conventions in Hollywood,Cal., in NYC and on a cruise.
The pair was forced to leave Ch.11..following creative
disputes with Station management.
They joined WNEW TV Ch.5 in NYC in September of
1965.
Where they hosted another"Chuck McCann Show"weekday
afternoons and Saturday mornings on Ch.5 from Tuesday September 7,
1965 to September,1966.."The Great Bombo's Magic Cartoon Circus
Lunchtime Show"weekday afternoons in 1966 and"Chuck McCann's
Laurel & Hardy Show"weekday afternoons from Monday September 12,
1966 to Friday June 7,1967.
Following the cancellation of "Chuck McCann's L&H Show".
Chuck and Paul went their seperate ways(Ashley went to create,
produce and stage puppet shows for major corperations and he
briefly served as the head puppeteer for "The New Howdy Doody
Show" and for the pilot of"Cos"..Mr.Bill Cosby's Sunday night kids
comedy/variety tv show for ABC TV in 1976)
McCann would perform in many movies..including memorable
turns in"The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter"With Alan Arkin and Cicley
Tyson in 1968 and "The Projectionist"with Rodney Dangerfield in
1970.
He would also do voice overs for many radio & TV Commercials
and for movie and tv cartoons.
In 1973..McCann moved to Los Angeles,Cal.
Where he appeared on many tv shows..playing villians on
crime dramas and bumblers on sit coms.
He also continued to do vo's for cartoons and commercials.
He tried to make a comeback on a regular tv series..on such
shows as"Turn On!"(Mr.George Schaltter's unsuccessful ABC TV
Network version of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In!"),"Happy Days!"
(A Nostalgic musical/comedy/variety series seen on CBS TV
during the summer of 1970),"All That Glitters!","A New Kind
Of Family".
He also tried to return to Kids' TV on"Far Out Space Nuts!"
with Bob Denver and Paddy Maloney(McCann and his writting
partner..The late Earle Doud originally created "Far Out Space Nuts"
as a Hope & Crosby "Road To Outer Space"spoof for two other actors
..but The series producers:Sid & Marty Kroft and CBS TV's Daytime
programming exec Fred Silverman wanted the series to be revamped
as a vehicle for McCann and Denver).
"Far Out Space Nuts"wass seen Saturday mornings on CBS TV
during the 1975 tv season.
The show was not a hit and it was moved to Sunday
morning reruns the following year.
In the fall of 1983..McCann was planning to reteam
with Paul Ashley for two new tv puppet shows"Tiny TV"
and"LBS Children's Theater".
"Tiny TV"was not picked up as a series..but"LBS Children's
Theater"was bought for National syndication.
The series was set for September,1983..but?
Paul Ashley was forced to leave the show..when he
became fatally ill.
Chuck was forced to host the show himself.
"LBS Childen's Theater"was on the air from September,
1983 to September,1984.
McCann would mc one more kids tv show"Chuck
McCann's Fun Stuff"weekday mornings on KHJ TV Ch.9
in Los Angeles,Cal.
"Chuck McCann's Fun Stuff'was seen briefly during the
fall of 1989..with Barry Thompson(The brother of actress
Lea Thompson)serving as Chuck's new head puppteer and
comedy asistant.
Former "Wonderama"host Sonny Fox was McCann's
co-Executive producer and Chet Dowling(McCann's former
producer and scriptwriter on "Let's Have Fun!" and the first
"Chuck McCann Show")would again produce and write the
series.
Chuck McCann still performs on many tv shows and
he has also appeared at The Friends Of Old Time Radio
Convention In Newark,NJ.
He has also created and maintains his own website
www.chuckmccann.com.
Chuck has also appeared semi-regularly on"Boston Legal"..
playing the role of"Judge Byron Fudd".
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Pac-Man - Voice of Pinky and Blinky DuckTales - Voice of Duckworth,Voice of Burger Beagle
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