“Voice characterization by Mel Blanc” – this is the credit that always fascinated me as a kid growing up on  Looney Tunes cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester & Tweety, Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn.

Where were the other names, I thought?

When it was revealed that all these voices were actually by one man, I was dumbstruck. The range and versatility is so amazing it doesn’t seen possible.

Someone described Mel Blanc as a method actor for cartoon characters which is a good way to put it. He gave a unique personality to all the parts he gave voice to.

‘Man of a Thousand Voices’ is a documentary telling his extraordinary story. It  is a little fawning in places  but it seems  that he was such an all-round decent guy that no one has a bad word to say about him. I’m always suspicious of such universal praise – nobody is that perfect –  but, at the same time, I can well understand the awe and devotion he inspired.

It’s well worth seeing mostly for the interviews with the great man himself.