Arthur Q. Bryan, voice of Elmer Fudd
Arthur Q. Bryan was born May 8, 1899 in Brooklyn (the Q doesn't stand for anything.) He yearned to be in show business from an early age, but could only manage a few small roles and radio jobs throughout the 30s. Finally, he discovered Warner Bros.' animation studios, and found himself a job there by playing up his creaky Brooklyn accent. An inspiration to try something different led him to pronouncing his Rs and Ws, and suddenly there sprang to life a new character to complement then-star Porky Pig: Elmer Fudd.
For the next 10 years, Bryan's Elmer Fudd would become the catalyst to introduce a number of major players in the Looney Toons catalog, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, and Foghorn Leghorn. Bryan also kept busy working in radio, providing voices for the popular "Fibber McGee and Molly" show while Gale Gordon and Bill Thompson served in the war. Bryan was so good that he was kept on the show even after the war to play Doctor Gamble, who always seemed to get the best of Fibber.
Bryan continued to get small acting bits here and there, playing opposite Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the campy Road to Singapore and playing essentially Elmer Fudd in a 1962 episode of "I Love Lucy" (his bumbling of "Ricky Ricardo" is priceless.)
Unfortunately, Arthur suffered from poor health throughout his life, and had a fatal heart attack on November 18, 1959. He was 60 years old. Out of respect for Bryan, Elmer Fudd - the character he had made so famous - was laid to rest. It wasn't until 1979 that Elmer returned to the big screen (voiced of course by Bryan's long time friend Blanc.) Elmer occasionally appears as part of the new Looney Toons revival, but he's simply a shadow of his former widdle self.