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Alan Reed (August 20, 1907 – June 14, 1977) was an American actor and voice artist, best known as the original voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones and various spin-off series. He also appeared in The Tarnished Angels, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Viva Zapata!, Nob Hill and various other films.
Born Teddy Bergman in New York City, he majored in journalism at Columbia University, and then began his acting career in the city, eventually working on Broadway. For a time, he continued to list himself either as Bergman or Alan Reed, depending on the role he was playing (Reed for more comedic roles, Bergman for more serious ones). He was able to act in 22 foreign dialects, and made a career as a successful radio announcer and stage actor before entering television and movies. His radio work included the role of Solomon Levy on Abie's Irish Rose; as the "Allen's Alley" resident poet Falstaff Openshaw on Fred Allen's NBC Radio show; as Officer Clancey and other occasional roles on the NBC Radio show Duffy's Tavern; and as Italian immigrant Pasquale in Life with Luigi on CBS Radio. He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California at the age of 69; his final performance of Fred Flintstone was for the latter's cameo guest shot in an episode of Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics.
His body was donated for medical research to the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
Character player Alan Reed was a strong, burly presence on film and TV but he would be better remembered in the long run for his equally strong, distinctive voice. He gave vocal life to the prehistoric cartoon character Fred Flintstone on the prime-time TV series "Flintstones, The" (1960) in the 1960s, and it is this direct association that has kept his name alive long after his passing. Reed even thought up and introduced the Flintstonian catchphrase "Yabba dabba doo!" for his beloved animated character. After majoring in journalism at Columbia University, the New York born-and-bred actor went on to an acting career at the Provincetown Playhouse. His vocal talents were immediately discovered and he turned to radio, becoming a prime announcer for that medium. A master of over 22 foreign dialects, he also worked steadily on Broadway with the Theatre Guild. On radio, he billed himself under his real name of Teddy Bergman for comedy parts and under the name Alan Reed for dramatic work. Reed was featured on the best radio shows of the time including "The Shadow," "The Fred Allen Show," "Life with Luigi" (which he later took to TV), and "My Friend Irma." In films, he had a comic Runyonesque appeal and played in such fare as Redhead and the Cowboy, The (1951), Emergency Wedding (1950), and Here Comes the Groom (1951). His more dramatic roles came with Postman Always Rings Twice, The (1946) and Desperate Hours, The (1955). One of his most unusual parts was his portrayal of Pancho Villa (I) in Viva Zapata! (1952) starring Marlon Brando. He also supplied the voice of "Boris" in Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1955). The popular animated series and various offshoots made up most of his later work after "Flintstones, The" (1960) premiered in the early 1960s. Reed died following an extended illness in 1977.





