Allen Swift
Encyclopedia
Ira Stadlen known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American voice actor, known for playing characters including Simon Bar Sinister
and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show. He provided the voices of many of the characters in The Bluffers
, most of the voices for the 1960s underwater puppet show Diver Dan
, and the voices in Gene Deitch
's 1960–1962 group of Tom and Jerry
cartoons. Swift was a children's television show host on WPIX
in New York City
as "Captain Allen". He took his professional name from radio
comedian Fred Allen
and 18th century satirist Jonathan Swift
.
Swift was an early television star who hosted The Popeye
Show from September 10, 1956 to September 23, 1960, until he was forced to leave the program. The reason for his dismissal from "The Popeye Show" was creative differences with station management.(Info can be found in "The Popeye Show" article in The NYC Kids Shows Round Up" section of"TV Party.Com")
Swift did the majority of the voices in Rankin/Bass
's Mad Monster Party?
, credited as Alan (sic
) Swift in the movie's credits.
He supplied most of the character voices for the NBC Howdy Doody
Show, and when Buffalo Bob Smith
, who himself did the voice of the lead puppet character Howdy Doody and had many times proclaimed that "nobody else could do Howdy" suffered a heart attack, Swift took home some recordings over the weekend, came back on Monday and did Howdy's voice for more than a year.(Info can be found in
Tv Bloq section of TV Party.Com)
Swift also served as the second comedy writer for "Howdy Doody." He took on the job, following the abrupt departure of the series' first comedy writer and songwriter, Edward Kean.(info at "TV Bloq"/Past entry #168 at "TV Party.Com") He also wrote the play Checking Out
.
Swift was married to actress Lenore Loveman, and is the father of character actor
, mimic
and singer Lewis J. Stadlen
, holistic health practitioner, Maxime Stadlen and psychotherapist, Clare A. Stadlen. He lived in Manhattan
.
Allen had been "suffering with a series of health calamities for several years, since he fell and broke his hip while walking his dog. From that moment, one thing led to another," said personal friend and director Gene Deitch
. "Even though [I've been] here for 50 years, hardly a year went by without a visit to his 57th Street apartment, nor a day go by without e-mail and most recently Skype visits," added Deitch, an American expatriate living in the Czech Republic.
Allen Swift was also a gifted figurative painter, doing landscapes and figures reminiscent of Leland Bell and Fairfield Porter, which he showed professionally.
After a full and well-lived life, Allen Swift died in his home on April 18th, 2010, surrounded by his family.
Simon Bar Sinister
Dr. Simon Bar Sinister was the main antagonist in the Underdog cartoon show. Simon is the wickedest man in the world, and it was his ambition to rule the world, but each time, Underdog defeated him.-Character:...
and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show. He provided the voices of many of the characters in The Bluffers
The Bluffers
The Bluffers is a Dutch children's cartoon series created by Frank Fehmers. It was first screened in 1984. The stories revolved around the inhabitants of the fictitious land of 'Bluffoonia' and their ongoing struggle against the evil tyrant 'Clandestino' and his plans to destroy the forest in...
, most of the voices for the 1960s underwater puppet show Diver Dan
Diver Dan
Diver Dan was a series of 104 seven-minute live-action shorts made for children's television. Made by Brian Cartoons, it was syndicated and distributed by ITC Entertainment...
, and the voices in Gene Deitch
Gene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
's 1960–1962 group of Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
cartoons. Swift was a children's television show host on WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as "Captain Allen". He took his professional name from radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
comedian Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
and 18th century satirist Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
.
Swift was an early television star who hosted The Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
Show from September 10, 1956 to September 23, 1960, until he was forced to leave the program. The reason for his dismissal from "The Popeye Show" was creative differences with station management.(Info can be found in "The Popeye Show" article in The NYC Kids Shows Round Up" section of"TV Party.Com")
Swift did the majority of the voices in Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
's Mad Monster Party?
Mad Monster Party?
Mad Monster Party is a 1967 American animated comedy film released by Embassy Pictures for Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.-Plot:...
, credited as Alan (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) Swift in the movie's credits.
He supplied most of the character voices for the NBC Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
Show, and when Buffalo Bob Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith was the host of the children's show Howdy Doody.-Biography:...
, who himself did the voice of the lead puppet character Howdy Doody and had many times proclaimed that "nobody else could do Howdy" suffered a heart attack, Swift took home some recordings over the weekend, came back on Monday and did Howdy's voice for more than a year.(Info can be found in
Tv Bloq section of TV Party.Com)
Swift also served as the second comedy writer for "Howdy Doody." He took on the job, following the abrupt departure of the series' first comedy writer and songwriter, Edward Kean.(info at "TV Bloq"/Past entry #168 at "TV Party.Com") He also wrote the play Checking Out
Checking Out (play)
Checking Out is a 1976 Broadway play written by Allen Swift. It opened on September 14, 1976 at the Longacre Theatre and closed on September 25, 1976 after 16 performances.-Original Production:...
.
Swift was married to actress Lenore Loveman, and is the father of character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, mimic
Mimic
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is the similarity of one species to another which protects one or both. This similarity can be in appearance, behaviour, sound, scent and even location, with the mimics found in similar places to their models....
and singer Lewis J. Stadlen
Lewis J. Stadlen
Lewis J. Stadlen is an American stage and screen character actor.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York to voice actor Allen Swift, Stadlen studied acting with Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler...
, holistic health practitioner, Maxime Stadlen and psychotherapist, Clare A. Stadlen. He lived in Manhattan
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Allen had been "suffering with a series of health calamities for several years, since he fell and broke his hip while walking his dog. From that moment, one thing led to another," said personal friend and director Gene Deitch
Gene Deitch
Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston...
. "Even though [I've been] here for 50 years, hardly a year went by without a visit to his 57th Street apartment, nor a day go by without e-mail and most recently Skype visits," added Deitch, an American expatriate living in the Czech Republic.
Allen Swift was also a gifted figurative painter, doing landscapes and figures reminiscent of Leland Bell and Fairfield Porter, which he showed professionally.
After a full and well-lived life, Allen Swift died in his home on April 18th, 2010, surrounded by his family.