feature
Oregon to LA.
McKennan follows road to creativity
By J. Dana Haynes
Of the Print
Dallas McKennan has been speaking to the Fundamentals of
Acting class this week, and while you probably have never met him,
cfiançes are you’ve heard him often.
Dallas McKennan’s voice has been heard in the Walt Disney
productions of “Lady and the Tramp,” “101 Dalmations,” “Mary
Poppins,” and “Bednobs and Broomsticks,” to name a few. And if
you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Disney World, you’ve heard his
voice echo through Thunder Mountain, chill you in the Haunted
Mansion, laugh along with the Pirates of the Carribean, and sing with
the Country Bear Jamboree.
Dallas McKennan is a voice man, and he’s one of the best in the
business.
“I’ve been in Hollywood for 26 years, and I’ve done everything
possible to keep in tune with my industry,” McKennan said. “Those
who are sincerely interested in theater have to lock themselves on
course and not let anything get in their way.” This is his basic
. message to young people, McKennan remarked.
“The problem is, people go to LA and say Tm going to be an
actor and if they want me they can call me.’ That’s nuts,” McKennan
explained. “There are so many facets of the industry. A person can
get into audio, lighting, video, etc. I did sound for some studios, and
even entertained at kiddy parties.”
Born in La Grande, Oregon, McKennan majored in theater at
the University of Washington and returned to live in Portland. He got
his start in the entertainment industry at KGW radio, doing a
children’s show called “Mr. Buttons.”
From there, he got a role in a Jimmy Stewart western, “Bend of
the River.” Producer Aaron Rosenburg liked what he did and invited
him to go to Los Angeles. There, he got another Children’s radio
show for CBS, “Captain Jet.”
McKennan then went orrto do voices for most of the animation
“houses” in Hollywood, including Disney Studios, Warner Bros, and
Walter Lantz, creator of Woody Woodpecker.
“Gràcy Lantz, Walter’s wife, did the voice of Woody and, at one
time or another, I did everyone else,” McKennan said. He ended up
working with the Lantz studios for 19 years.
Another aspect of his career centered on the Disney Studios.
McKennan got an on-camera role in Disney’s “Son of Flubber.” It
was a small role, and McKennan was not sure how he was chosen for
it;
“I was standing off-stage one day,” he explained, “and this
voice from behind me said, i just wanted to see if you could do
anything besides dog barks.’ I turned around, and it was Walt
Disney.” .
Photos by David J. Hayden
Disney then invited McKennan to his office, and showed him
the plans for an amusement park that he would call Disneyland. “He
also told me about a show he was producing, and he wanted me to
host it,” McKennan said, “It was the Mickey Mouse Club. Unfor
tunately, I was working with CBS and couldn’t get free.”
Year’s later, McKennan said he saw Disney sitting on the lawn
of his office, placidly staring at his studio across the street. The next
day, Walt Disney died.
With more than a quarter century of experience, McKennan is
now teaching a course on how to use one’s voice. He offers the class
to actors, teachers, speakers and anyone else interested in learning
how to “...change your voice and maintain character,” McKennan
explained.
“The class is designed to help people come out of their shells.
Also, how to find the mechanics in your voice and control them for
fun and profit,” he said. He has offered the class in Chicago, Kansas
City and LA, as well as in Portland and Astoria.
“I’m excited about working with the younger students;” McKen
nan said, “I love to work with kids of any age.”
Children have changed in the years he has been entertaining
them, McKennan said. “Kids don’t want story telling, they want ac
tion, and scary stories. Also, kids are more sophisticated,” he said.
“You have to go along with the ‘in’ thing or they’re not interested.”
Still, with all the endeavors on McKennan’s list, the anima
tion/voice business still holds his interest. He talks fondly of the men
who pioneered tlje field: Walter Lantz, who created Woody
Woodpecker; “It doesn’t take much to know how to draw. But it’s a
real talent to know how to do the elements that make good anima
tion; what looks good, what is attractive. Walter Lantz had that;
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