John Fraser McLeish was a Canadian-American voice actor and writer, who worked at the Disney Studios during the 1940s.
Born in 1916, McLeish began at Disney initially as a writer from 1939 to 1941. While he narrated and voiced parts in films, like Dumbo, the staff realized his educated voiced would be perfect for their "How to" cartoons starring Goofy. According to the story, McLeish was a very serious and dignified person, and the staff did not bother to explain that the erudite narration was really tongue in cheek, and that Goofy would be doing almost exactly the opposite of what was being described.
He initially began this with Goofy's Glider in 1940 which led to shorts, like the "How to Ride a Horse" segment of The Reluctant Dragon, The Art of Skiing, The Olympic Champ, How to Swim, How to Be a Sailor, and Motor Mania. He also provided the voice for the prosecuting attorney in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
McLeish would do voice work and writing for other studios during the 1940s, such as Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures, and Screen Gems Animation. In 1948, he and painter William Copley opened the Copley Galleries in Beverly Hills to display surrealist art. While it closed after just one year, some of the artists included Man Ray, Rene Magritte, and Ernst Buthe.
McLeish died in his native Montreal on October 30, 1968.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Tugboat Mickey | Radio Announcer - uncredited |
| 1940 | Fantasia | Story development and research - segment "The Rite of Spring" |
| 1940 | Goofy's Glider | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon | Narrator (segments "How to Ride a Horse" and "The Reluctant Dragon") Man handing Bambi background - uncredited |
| 1941 | Lend a Paw | Pluto's Angel - uncredited |
| 1941 | Dumbo | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1941 | The Art of Skiing | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1941 | The Art of Self Defense | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1942 | Symphony Hour | Radio Announcer - uncredited |
| 1942 | Donald Gets Drafted | Recruiting Officer - uncredited |
| 1942 | The Olympic Champ | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1942 | How to Swim | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1942 | How to Fish | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1942 | Bellboy Donald | Pegleg Pete - uncredited |
| 1943 | Victory Through Air Power | English voice - uncredited |
| 1944 | How to Be a Sailor | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1944 | Trombone Trouble | Jupiter - uncredited |
| 1949 | Goofy Gymnastics | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | The Prosecutor, News Announcer ("The Wind in the Willows") |
| 1950 | Motor Mania | Narrator Goofy (some lines) - uncredited |
| 1951 | Home Made Home | Narrator - uncredited |
| 1955 | A World is Born | Story development and research from Fantasia |
Roles[]
(Trombone Trouble)
Gallery[]
