Cecil Roy

Cecil H. Roy (October 2, 1900 – January 26, 1995) was a radio actress who was well known in radio broadcasting of the 1930s and 1940s as The Girl of a Thousand Voices.[1]

Cecil Roy
Born
Cecil H. Roy

(1900-10-02)October 2, 1900
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 1995(1995-01-26) (aged 94)
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationRadio Performer
Animation Voice Performer

Early life

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was an opera singer.[2]

She started her acting career with a Chicago stock company.

Career

Soon entered radio during the 1930s, appearing on The Rise of the Goldbergs, The Henry Aldrich Show, Pepper Young's Family. Marthy and Elmer, and many other programs.[3]

The "Girl of a Thousand Voices" label came about due to her ability to immediately shift through a wide range of characters and ages, from an elderly woman to a crying baby.[3]

Roy's roles on radio programs included those shown in the following table.

ProgramRole
The Adventures of Dari-DanStanley Hall[4]
Amanda of Honeymoon HillAunt Mazie[5]
Aunt Jenny's Real Life Storiesinfant[2]
Big SisterJerry Jr.[6]
Kaltenmeyer's KindergartenDaisy Dean[5]:187
Ma PerkinsJunior Fitz[5]:335
The Timid SoulMadge Milquetoast[5]:187
Quiet PleaseCarol Sue [5]:187

She also was featured "enacting dilemmas" on Daily Dilemmas.[5]:89

Animation

Between 1944 and 1962, she provided voices for numerous animated cartoons, specializing in children's voices, originating the voice of Little Lulu.[2]

She also did the voice of Casper in the Casper the Friendly Ghost theatrical animated series of the 1940s and 1950s.

Recordings

Her recordings for children included the role of Winnie the Pooh on a recording with Jimmy Stewart.[3]

Personal life

Roy spoke German and French and sang in Italian and French. She was reported to have a "polished repertoire of 20 dialects."[2] Her long-time partner, Beni (missing last name), was a hairdresser in New York City. His clientele included many Broadway and vaudeville stars. Cecil Roy also lived in Cozy Lake, Oak Ridge, New Jersey. Her "summer" or weekend home was a place where she entertained many of the neighborhood children with her accordion, singing, and voice talents.

Death

In her last years, she lived in the Actors' Fund Home Extended Care Facility in Englewood, New Jersey, where she died in 1995 at age 94. She was survived by her son, Richard, of Montclair, New Jersey; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

References
  1. DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 233.
  2. "CBS Radio". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas, Lubbock. July 15, 1956. p. 59. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Cecil H. Roy; Voice for Animated Films, 94", The New York Times, February 11, 1995.
  4. "Milkman's Adventures To Be on New Schedule". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. April 14, 1937. p. 33. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Terrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 21.
  6. "High Frequency Questions". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. February 28, 1943. p. 32. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

8.) Cecil Palmer of Nightvale (http://www.nightvalepresents.com) is said to be named after her.

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