In many ways, Dick Tufeld was the voice of family television in the Sixties. He was the announcer for Walt Disney's "Wonderful World of Color", as well as being the voice of ABC. His distinctive tones were instantly recognisable to the listener, and his "reads" were sometimes novel, and they worked. (He introed the sponsors for Gene Barry's cop series with " 'Burke's Law'...is brought to YOU by...") That emphasis aimed the sponsor right at your subconscious, and I wonder how many cases of Breck shampoo flew off the shelves.
Of course, Tufeld was most known for his announcing work on Irwin Allen's galaxy of sci-fi shows. "Last week, as you recall, Will, Penny and Dr. Smith...." Like that. He was the voice of Allen's cheese for years, but his most beloved voice was that of Robot B-9, the bubble-headed hero of "Lost in Space". He was the protector of the Robinsons, the foil of Dr. Smith, and the scourge of any silver-skinned android, giant carrot, or salad-bar monster the intrepid crew encountered, always, always perfectly voiced by Dick Tufeld. "WARNING, WARNING...Dr. Smith is irate!." He stole every scene, and we loved him for it,
His career began in the Fifties, from announcing for "Space Patrol" and doing radio acting, to doing play-by-play on sports broadcasts.
Dick Tufeld died at age 85 on January 22nd. I shall miss him, as shall his many fans and fellow stars.
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| Dick Tufeld, the Robot, and Bob May (the man inside the Robot) |
