Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. His best remembered vocal creations include Muttley the dog in Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest. He also did the voice of "Snip" in the Rankin/Bass 1979 movie "Jack Frost". Messick was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Lena Birch and Binford Earl Messick, a house painter. He first wanted to be a ventriloquist, and even supported himself as one for a time. His big break came in the mid-1940s. At MGM, Tex Avery was... producing the Droopy cartoons. The regular voice actor, radio actor Bill Thompson, was not available. Daws Butler, who voiced characters for MGM, suggested that Avery seek out Messick, and so, he was hired to voice Droopy. Later, in the mid-1950s, when Bill Thompson parted company with MGM, Messick took over the role of Droopy. Messick and Butler became a voice acting team for the Hanna-Barbera unit in 1957 with the arrival of Ruff and Reddy. Don was Ruff the cat and the Droopy-sounding Professor Gizmo. Butler was the southern-speaking dog, Reddy.
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| Birthdate: | September 7, 1926 |
| Birthplace: | Buffalo, New York |
| Date of death: | October 24, 1997 |
| Also known as: | Donald Earl Messick, Don, Donald Messick |