Arthur Quirk Bryan was an American actor from Brooklyn, New York City, primarily recognized as a voice actor for radio and animation. He is best known for his roles as the wisecracking physician and surgeon Dr. George Gamble in "Fibber McGee and Molly" (1935-1959),and the inept hunter Elmer Fudd in "Looney Tunes". Bryan voiced Fudd from 1940 to 1959, the heyday of the character in theatrical animation.
Born in 1899, Bryan began his career singing in churches in the New York City area, aiming to become a professional singer. In 1918, he was hired as an insurance clerk for the Mutual Life Insurance Company, and in 1926, he was hired as a singer by the New York City-based radio station WINS.
Bryan's career progressed as he was hired as a tenor soloist by WFAN in 1928, and later as an announcer for WOR from 1929 to 1931, WCAU in 1931, WTEL in 1933, and WHN in 1934. In 1936, he moved to Los Angeles, initially working as a screenwriter for Paramount Pictures before transitioning into acting roles.
From 1938 to 1940, Bryan was a regular cast member in the radio talk show "The Grouch Club", featuring radio stars who voiced their frustrations with everyday life. He also appeared in several radio shows, including "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Fibber McGee and Molly", in which he portrayed Dr. George Gamble.
Bryan's most notable role was as Elmer Fudd in "Looney Tunes", which he voiced from 1940 to 1959. He nearly always vocalized consonants [r] and [l] as [w], a trait that became a defining characteristic of the character. Following his death in 1959, Hal Smith voiced Fudd in two animated shorts, and the character was later revived with subsequent voice actors imitating Bryan's performance.
In addition to his work in radio and animation, Bryan appeared in several films, including "The Devil Bat" (1940),"Samson and Delilah" (1949),and "Ozzie and Harriet" feature films. He also appeared on television, mostly in one-shot roles, including the sitcom "The Halls of Ivy" (1954-1955).
Bryan died of a sudden heart attack in November 1959, at the age of 60. He was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood. His final appearance as Fudd was in the posthumously released short "Person to Bunny" (April 1960),a parody of the interview show "Person to Person" (1953-1961).
