Behind the Tunes: Blanc Expressions (2003 Video) User Reviews

A Short History Of The Voice Behind The Looney Tunes

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 2 March 2007]

Mel Blanc's kid, Noel, starts off this feature with a funny line. "He used to wake me up every morning with that famous Bugs Bunny voice of his and say, 'Uh, What's up, Noel?"

Noel explains why his dad got into the "voice business" and how his career started for Warner Brothers in 1941. He and others tell us more about this great voice man of the Looney Tunes characters, from Tweety to Yosemite Sam to Daffy Duck, on and on. It was interesting to hear that some of Mel's impersonations were sped up from 18 to 20 percent to give them a little bit higher temper or faster rate of speech (i.e. Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig).

Blanc 101

[movieman_kev · 8/10 · 2 November 2005]

This short 4 and a half minute featurette, which can be found as an extra on Disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1, is different than most of the 'Behind The Tunes' in as much that it doesn't focus on one character or a team-up, but rather on Mel Blanc's voice-over work which was excellent throughout his career. This Behind the Tunes was a lot better because it didn't feel so dry, and actually was a bit interesting. Still not as good as the feturettes on Volume 2, but it was good in it's own right and I enjoyed it, even if it didn't really go into much detail.

My Grade: B

Mel Blanc's son Noel admits here . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 24 January 2016]

. . . that his dad's voice was sped up artificially "18% to 20%" for such Warner Bros. Looney Tunes characters as Speedy Gonzalez, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck. That's the main takeaway you'll get from BLANC EXPRESSIONS. This revelation makes one wonder why Warner Bros. squandered so much dough on OTHER voice actors, such as June Foray and Stan Freberg (both of whom chime in here). Maybe if Mel's voice had been sped up 32%, he could have done ALL of June's Tweets, or if Mel were SLOWED DOWN via Warner Bros.' variable speed sound machine, he would have eliminated any need for Stan's "Pete Puma" voice. Since there would not have been any Union Rules requiring that the Sound Machine be paid any overtime, it is virtually incomprehensible that the notoriously tight-fisted Warner Brass would shell out cash for Arthur Q. Bryan's "Elmer Fudd" character when Mel and the Magic Sound Machine could have voiced Mr. Fudd, freeing up money for more actual Classic Looney Tunes (and more Classic Characters, with more of Mel's artificially-produced voices).

99 years

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 30 May 2007]

Maybe it's just because I've always thought that Mel Blanc's voices really made the cartoons - not to mention that he was from my home town of Portland - that I liked "Behind the Tunes: Blanc Expressions" more than most of the short documentaries in this series. I think that I had heard about how Mel Blanc couldn't eat carrots.

One thing that I think that they should have said was that other people who have tried to provide the characters' voices just can't do it like Mel Blanc did (no offense to them). I deliberately avoid any of these modern cartoons involving the classic characters. But the classic ones are always great, and this short did an acceptable job explaining Blanc's style.

PS: today would have been Mel Blanc's 99th birthday.