Henry Corden

1977 was the year Henry Corden's voice took on a responsibility few wanted to accept. Alan Reed had died, and The Flintstones still needed to keep bringing in money. Corden was no novice at all. He had spent years voicing supporting characters and stepping in when the original voice failed due to health problems.

And he made it look easy.

But imitating a war cry like Yabba-Dabba-Doo requires a breathing technique that can wreck your vocal cords if you don't control your diaphragm. Corden already had that training from New York theater and radio. He knew how to project from his chest without straining his larynx.

From the Montreal stages to Hollywood studios

He was born in 1920 in Canada, but his identity was forged in the seedy underworld of New York show business. He got started in radio because he had a cavernous voice that could either scare people or command respect, depending on the script. Before becoming a cartoon voice, he was a flesh-and-blood villain in genre films.

In 1952 he appeared in The Black Castle alongside Boris Karloff. He was a first-rate supporting actor who always delivered what the director asked for without causing trouble on set. His imposing physical presence guaranteed him steady work during the golden age of the studios.

He was a character actor.

In 1956 he had a small role in The Ten Commandments by Cecil B. DeMille. He wasn't chasing full-fledged stardom but rather the weekly paycheck and stability. So when big studio films began to falter, he turned to television in the 1960s.

The profitable anonymity of animation

The voice-over industry in the United States during the 1970s was a closed market. Corden joined Hanna-Barbera to bring Paw Rugg to life in The Hillbilly Bears. His ability to growl in a melodic way opened the door to projects that still air on television today.

He never complained about being typecast.

For Corden, the job meant showing up at the studio and nailing the take on the first try. In 1980 he voiced Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones: Fred's Final Fling and repeated the role in dozens of Christmas specials and cereal commercials. He was paid a flat fee for each session, which let him live comfortably without the pressure of the press.

In 1994 he appeared in the live-action film The Flintstones, but only to voice Fred when the character sang. His last professional recording took place in 2005 for an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. He died that same year in Los Angeles from pulmonary emphysema at age 85.