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Showing posts from January, 2014

The Mighty Allen Art Players

The Milwaukee Journal – Feb 21, 1943   Browse this newspaper>> The Mighty Allen Art Players Two Russian one Englishman, a Yank and a star who impersonates Chinese detectives. That’s Fred Allen and his famed “Mighty Art Players.” TAKE Charlie Cantor, for instance. Charlie was born in Russia on Sept. 4, 1898. He was such a tiny tot when his parents brought him to America that he never knew the name of his birthplace. His parents never mentioned it, so he honestly wouldn’t know his home town if you showed it to him. Fred Allen  fans currently know Cantor’s voice as either Socrates Mulligan or Rensselaer Nussbaum, two residents of that mythical slum section called Allen’s Alley . Charlie doesn’t even have to clear his throat to change to a high voiced dope, a rasp throated taxi driver or a mincing vice-president. His voice agility makes him quite a favorite with radio directors . . . which should provide listeners with a lot of fun trying to identify him on as