The First Lady of Voice Acting
For nearly a century, if you heard a memorable female voice in a cartoon, there was a good chance it belonged to June Foray. From the plucky Rocket J. Squirrel to the sinister Natasha Fatale in "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show," Granny in the "Looney Tunes"
shorts, and Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," her range was astonishing. She was a founding member of the animation society ASIFA-Hollywood and a fierce advocate for the art form, even helping to establish the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Chuck Jones, the legendary animator, once famously said, "June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc was the male June Foray." Her work spanned every major studio, from Disney to Warner Bros. to Hanna-Barbera, making her one of the most prolific and beloved performers in animation history.
Solving the Headline's Riddle
The intriguing quote in the headline, however, isn't about Foray herself. It points to the other half of the creative nucleus at Jay Ward Productions: Bill Scott. Scott was the head writer, co-producer, and the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose, Dudley Do-Right, and Mr. Peabody. While Foray was the versatile star performer, Scott was the engine room, a multi-talented force who shaped the tone, humor, and satirical bite of their iconic shows. The quote highlights a crucial truth about classic animation: even with a superstar like Foray, the magic often came from a unique, sometimes chaotic, partnership. The "he" was Bullwinkle himself, the man whose madcap writing and performing style created the world where Rocky the Flying Squirrel could shine.
The Man Who Was Bullwinkle
Bill Scott didn't just provide Bullwinkle's famously dopey voice; he essentially was Bullwinkle, and the spirit of the whole show. Joining Jay Ward Productions at its inception, he was tasked with writing scripts for a bizarre-sounding show about a moose and a squirrel. He infused the scripts with a sophisticated, pun-heavy wit that appealed to adults as much as children. The show’s signature elements—breaking the fourth wall, characters arguing with the narrator (William Conrad), and satirizing Cold War politics—were all hallmarks of Scott's writing. He oversaw a writing staff that included future legends like Allan Burns, who would go on to co-create "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Scott's dual role as head writer and lead voice actor was unusual, and it created a uniquely cohesive and anarchic creative environment.
A 'Controlled Anarchy' on Set
The recording sessions at Jay Ward Productions were legendary for their freewheeling energy. Foray herself described them as enormous fun, where the cast would arrive, tell jokes, and kid each other, with the recording feeling almost incidental to the good time they were having. This is the "something" Bill Scott brought to the set. Unlike the more regimented process at other studios, the Ward sessions fostered improvisation and a lively rapport between the actors, including Foray, Scott, Paul Frees (Boris Badenov), and Daws Butler. Because Scott had written the material, he had the freedom to guide the performances and encourage the off-the-cuff humor that became a trademark. It was a controlled anarchy that produced comedic gold, a dynamic where Foray’s professionalism met Scott's freewheeling genius, creating a partnership that defined an entire era of television animation.
