Paul Frees

Paul Frees Headshot

Actor • Comedian • Impressionist • Vaudevillian

Birth Date: June 22, 1920

Death Date: November 2, 1986 — 66 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

With credits on more than 300 film and TV programs, Paul Frees was the embodiment of the highly successful voiceover artist. Not surprisingly, Frees began his career in the world of radio, where he delighted listeners and show producers with his talented vocal impersonations.

He began to work in film in the early 1940s. Often he served as a narrator, but was sometimes called to replace the voices of actors. In "The Ugly Dachshund" (1966), he replaced a performer who died. He later dubbed the voice of Japanese star Toshirô Mifune in "Grand Prix" (1966).

Frees was most famous for voicing many of the beloved cartoon characters of the 1960s and '70s. He played Boris Badenov in the animated "Rocky and His Friends," Inspector Fenwick in "The Dudley Do-Right Show," and a panoply of voices in the stop-motion animated Christmas specials of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. ("Rudolph's Shiny New Year," "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town").

More obscurely, Frees was K.I.T.T.'s four-wheeled nemesis, K.A.R.R., in the 1980s David Hasselhoff series "Knight Rider."

Credits

MGM Favorites

Narrator
Show
2010

MGM Favorites

Voice
The Prisoner/George the Warden/The Little Wife
Show
2010

The Magical World of Disney

Voice
Show
1988

Wind in the Willows

Voice
Wayfarer
Movie
1987

The Puppetoon Movie

Voice
Arnie the Dinosaur, Pillsbury Doughboy
Movie
1987

Twice Upon a Time

Voice
Narrator/Chef of State/Judges/Bailiff
Movie
1983

The Last Unicorn

Voice
Mabruk
Movie
1982

The Day After Trinity

Actor
Narrator
Show
1981

The Return of the KingStream

Voice
Orc/Goblin/Uruk-Hai/Captain Shagrat/Lieutenant Snaga/Orc Sergeant/Lord Elrond
Movie
1980
67%

Jack FrostStream

Voice
Father Winter
Special
1979

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyStream

Voice
Winterbolt/Jack Frost/Policeman
Movie
1979
14%

The Stingiest Man in TownStream

Voice
Special
1978

The Stingiest Man in Town

Voice
Ghost of Christmas Past / Ghost of Christmas Present / Old Joe
Movie
1978

Hardware Wars

Narrator
Movie
1978

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyStream

Voice
Olaf
Special
1977
56%

Fantastic Animation Festival

Narrator
Movie
1977

The HobbitStream

Voice
Bombur
Movie
1977
71%

Rudolph's Shiny New YearStream

Voice
Santa Claus/Eon/General Ticker/Seventeen Seventy Six 'Sev'
Special
1976
50%

Frosty's Winter WonderlandStream

Voice
Jack Frost
Special
1976

The Jackson 5ive

Voice
Producer
Show
1971

The Point

Voice
Oblio's Father/Pointed Man's Right Head/King/Leaf Man/Villagers
Movie
1971

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

Voice
Burgermeister Meisterburger
Show
1970

The Pink Panther ShowStream

Voice
Man talking to Pink Panther
Series
1969

The Dudley Do-Right Show

Voice
Show
1969

Frosty the Snowman

Voice
Santa Claus, Traffic Cop, Additional Voices
Movie
1969

The Little Drummer BoyStream

Voice
Aaron's Father/The Magi
Special
1968

Wild in the Streets

Narrator
Movie
1968

The Bear That Wasn't

Narrator
Show
1967

Super President

Voice
of James Norcross
Show
1967

George of the Jungle

Voice
Show
1967

Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles

Voice
Show
1966

The Man Called Flintstone

Voice
Rock Slag / Green Goose / Triple X
Movie
1966

The Inspector

Voice
Show
1965

Tom and JerryStream

Voice
Cousin Muscles
Series
1965

The Beatles

Voice
John/George
Series
1965

Hoppity Hooper

Narrator
Show
1964

The Incredible Mr. LimpetStream

Voice
Crusty
Movie
1964
40%

Tintin and the Calculus Affair

Voice
Capt. Haddock/Thomson/Thompson
Movie
1964

Snuffy Smith y Barney Google

Actor
Show
1963

Snuffy Smith y Barney Google

Voice
Show
1963

Fractured Flickers

Actor
Show
1963

Fractured Flickers

Voice
Show
1963

Gay Purr-ee

Voice
Meowrice
Movie
1962

Mr. Magoo in Sherwood Forest

Voice
Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Movie
1962

Mister Magoo's Christmas CarolStream

Voice
Stage Director/Charity Man/Fezziwig/Eyepatch Man/Tall Tophat Man
Movie
1962

Rocky & Bullwinkle

Voice
Series
1961

Señor Magoo

Voice
Show
1960

The Time MachineStream

Voice
Talking Rings
Movie
1960
76%

The Beatniks

Director
Movie
1960

The Beatniks

Screenwriter
Movie
1960

Matty's Funday Funnies

Actor
Interviewer
Show
1959

Donald in Mathmagic Land

Voice
The True Spirit of Adventure
Movie
1959

The Snow Queen

Voice
Ol Dreamy/the Raven
Movie
1959

The Shaggy DogStream

Actor
J.W. Galvin
Movie
1959
68%

Attack of the Jungle Women

Narrator
Movie
1959

Space Master X-7

Actor
Dr. Charles T. Pommer
Movie
1958

The Millionaire

Actor
Series
1955

The Millionaire

Voice
John Beresford Tipton
Series
1955

Cellbound

Voice
Movie
1955

The Farm of Tomorrow

Voice
Narrator
Show
1954

Homesteader Droopy

Voice
Show
1954

Sleepy-Time Squirrel

Voice
Show
1954

The Impossible Possum

Voice
Show
1954

SuddenlyStream

Actor
Benny Conklin
Movie
1954
100%

Half-Pint Palomino

Voice
Show
1953

Wee-Willie Wildcat

Voice
Show
1953

T.V. of Tomorrow

Voice
Show
1953

Heir Bear

Voice
Show
1953

Dangerous Assignment

Guest Star
Show
1952

The Big SkyStream

Actor
Louis MacMasters
Movie
1952
89%

Busybody Bear

Voice
Barney Bear / Buck Beaver
Movie
1952

A Case for Hypnosis

Voice
Doc Twiddle
Movie
1952

The Star

Actor
Richard Stanley
Movie
1952

Jerry and the Lion

Voice
Radio Announcer
Movie
1950

Grape Nutty

Voice
Crow
Movie
1949

Force of EvilStream

Actor
Elevator operator (uncredited)
Movie
1948
100%

The Cat That Hated People

Voice
Cat
Movie
1948

Big Heel-Watha

Voice
Indian Chief
Movie
1944

Happy Harmonies

Narrator
Show
1934

Happy Harmonies

Voice
Bull
Show
1934