Robert Ridgely

Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931—February 8, 1997) was an American actor and vocal artist, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.

Career

Ridgely started his television career with guest roles in such 1960s series as Maverick, Sea Hunt and Surfside 6. He landed a regular role as Lt. Kimbro in the short-lived World War II series The Gallant Men. After the series was cancelled he continued with guest appearances in shows like Bonanza, WKRP in Cincinnati, Night Court and Designing Women. He also appeared in many movies, especially Mel Brooks productions such as Blazing Saddles (1974), High Anxiety (1977), Life Stinks (1991), and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), and also had roles in films such as Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Boogie Nights (1997), and played Wally "Mr. Love" Williams, host of the fictional game show Easy Street in the 1980 movie Melvin and Howard. He was also the announcer of The Hollywood Television Showcase in the 1996 movie That Thing You Do.

In the late 1960s Ridgely acted as co-host to talk show host Woody Woodbury. He also appeared in many commercials, including a classic McDonalds commercial, staged as a Broadway production number, where he sings "There is nothin' so clean - as my burger machine". The commercial is available on YouTube.

Ridgely put his strong voice to use in voice-over roles in movies like Down and Dirty Duck (1974) and Oz (1980) and the video game Blazing Dragons (1996). He did a great deal of voice work on television as well. Among Ridgely's most easily-recognizable voice roles were:

• Tarzan in Filmation's Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle;
• Flash Gordon in The New Adventures of Flash Gordon;
• Captain Ferguson and Time Slime in Hanna Barbera's The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
• Platypus Director in Disney's TaleSpin
• The title character in Ruby-Spears' Thundarr the Barbarian;
• The Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak from several Strawberry Shortcake animated specials.
• The title character of Pitfall Harry, as part of Saturday Supercade from 1983-84.

Ridgely played his final movie roles in Boogie Nights and Fire Down Below (both 1997). He died of cancer at age 65.

External links

Biography portal

• Robert Ridgely at the Internet Movie Database
• TV.com page for Robert Ridgely
• New York Times movie page for Robert Ridgely
• Movie stills of Robert Ridgely
• Robert Ridgely at Find a Grave