The voices of Speed Racer were an integral part of the series that I was fascinated with as a child. I would repeatedly watch the show, listen to the voices and become more intrigued listening to the characters in the series. The voices listed at the end titles are as follows: Jack Grimes, Corinne Orr and Jack Curtis.
The film business is full of numerous actors who specialize in dubbing voice-overs for film and television. You also have the radio programs, too. The actors aren't strangers in the business, nor are they micro-actors who never made it big. They are talented people who work one job after the other in their careers. At some point in time, they've all worked with each other and moved on with their work.
Jack Grimes was no mystery to my ears. I had heard him in radio programs going back in time. On television, he was seen and heard in All in the Family and Maude. In motion pictures, Pendulum, with George Peppard. This indelible, boyish-sounding voice, with a New York accent was Jack's trademark. Corinne Orr, the only female actress of the four actors, who provided the female voice-overs. I could easily tell any character voice that was voiced by her in Speed Racer. The third actor was Jack Curtis listed in the end titles. Gifted with a baritone voice and a very fast delivery of dialogue in the voice-overs in Speed Racer.
At some point, I wasn't sure about what characters he supplied the voices for. By the late 80's, I had gone to the West Covina library to see if I could find information on the subject. I recall discovering a book on children's cartoons. I went through it and Speed Racer finally showed up on one of the pages. Curtis was listed as the voices of Pops Racer and Inspector Detector. But, in looking at this, I saw Jack Grimes listed as the voice of Speed Racer! In my thoughts, I said, "This is impossible! No chance."
At some point in past years, there was a mistake made by the author of this book who had been researching the voice cast. Nor did the author revise and republish his book with the corrections. I had only one actor left to verify who the gentleman was that provided the voices for Speed Racer and Racer X in the series. There had been some rumors and speculation it was Jack Curtis, but I ruled this out because of the fast dialogue delivered and the obvious differences in listening to Curtis, Grimes and the "mystery voices" of Speed and Racer X.
By the early 90's, I had done a complete study of Speed and Racer X's voices and what I had been listening to; a warm, deep, slighty raspy voice, which had a hint of Spanish-American and New York accent written all over it. One evening, I had been watching the show and there came the end titles again. There was the name of Peter Fernandez listed as dialogue director. It stuck in my head. The last name is Spanish and this tied in with what I'd been hearing in the two voices, especially Speed.
In order to verify my observations, I wrote a letter to NOW Comics in 1994 to see if I was right. Several weeks later, my letter was printed in part two of The Return of the GRX issue. The editor was kind enough to verify that Peter Fernandez was the voice of Speed and Racer X! My long path to resolution was finally concluded and it felt great.
The Voices of Speed Racer Speed Racer and Racer X Peter Fernandez
Peter Fernandez was born in Manhattan, New York on January 29, 1927. His parents were from Cuba. As a little boy, Peter was a John Robert Powers model. Growing up in the 1930's, Peter was hired for his acting talents in Whiteoaks, a Broadway play, with Ethel Barrymore. He also appeared in William Saroyan's Love's Old Sweet Song and several other Broadway plays. Peter bears the distinction of working in over 1,000 live radio programs. In the 1940's, he worked in Let's Pretend (1934-54), The Aldrich Family (1939-53) and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1947-56). He was hired to work in daily radio soap operas such as Snow Village and Just Plain Bill (1932-55).
In 1943, he enlisted in the Army and served in World War II and when it was over, he was discharged as a technical sergeant and transferred to work at the Pentagon as a mail clerk. At the time, he went to work as an announcer in the U. S. Army Band radio show. In 1949, he worked in the picture City Across the River. He kept busy writing for television and radio programs in the 50's. He married actress Marian Russell in 1950, but they divorced fourteen years later. Two radio shows he wrote for was Right to Happiness (1939-60) and Suspense (1942-62). For CBS-TV, he wrote for The Verdict is Yours (1957-62) and Rendezvous (1957-61).
In 1963, Peter was hired by Titra Studios for writing, directing and dubbing voices for foreign pictures. He recalled, "I'd get a rough translation. And you would have to cover every little twitch to make it look like it was filmed in English." He provided his multiple talents for the Godzilla films, and the anime series, Astro Boy and Gigantor. He also directed and adapted hundreds of children's books for libraries and schools.
In 1967, Peter was asked to prepare Speed Racer and Marine Boy for American syndication. In past years, he'd been asked what it felt like to do Speed Racer, a show that became a cult hit many years later. He replied, "Nope. It was just another job. Now, I get a wonderful reaction. People are very excited that they actually get to meet Speed Racer."
His persona is of the quiet, reserved type of man, and multi-talented. In his Speed Racer days, his voice was deeper at the age of 40. Handsome, with dark hair at 5' 9". His trademark is the clipped, dramatic narration that is heard in the series. The level of Peter's intonations are produced and spoken so well, especially with regard to the accuracy of pitch in the characters. Yet another of Peter's greatest abilities is that he can translate any language into English and adapt it for film and television. In his later years, Peter's voice has become lighter with age and he's recalled, "Now I have to reach up for Speed's voice. I'm closer to that of Racer X."
In a April 2001 interview, for the Speed Racer DVD Set, he recalled his thoughts about the characters, "Speed Racer, I think is a pretty straightforward guy. He wants to win races and of course, he's a good family member and I think he's not a complicated character. He's a little bit of a do-gooder and certainly wants to solve crimes and fight off evil. But don't we all? Maybe I read the wrong books?" (laughs).
"When Racer X first appeared and I would only get the scripts from Japan, let me say, one, two, or three at a time. I didn't know myself what was coming up in future episodes. So suddenly, this character appeared and I didn't even know what to name him, but his coming in gave me a feeling. I said, 'Okay, X, Racer X, cause X is an unknown quantity.'
Thank goodness I did, because later on, I, myself found out that it was Speed's older brother. That's how he became Rex because it fitted with the X. Racer X is a more complicated fellow than Speed. Okay, he ran away from home and felt terrible about wrecking the first car. Buy why he keeps secret all the time, I still don't know. He certainly has atoned for what he did, but he just keeps a secret eye protecting Speed. Perhaps he feels he can never go back to Pops."
"Trixie was a little bit complicated, I think. She loved Speed although we never said so, but it was obvious. At first, I think a lot of the audience maybe thought it was his sister, but there was so much interplay in a very subtle way. In those days, you had to be careful about any interplay between boys and girls. Not like today. Trixie, actually, we don't know anything about her background. I don't know her last name. Now maybe I did, but what episode? She was always Trixie."
"Spritle and Chim Chim are the humor of each episode. The obvious humor. That's mostly why they were, I think, inserted on the series. But they always did something that was so dangerous, getting into the trunk of that car." In renaming Kuri Mifune, Peter was thinking how the little boy was so vital, spirited and lively. The name Spritle was born.
In recent years, Peter explained why his name wasn't listed on the voice titles, but credited as dialogue director and writer in the series. "We were budgeted for only three cast members at $125 each episode. I didn't think I could do the series with only three actors. So I called Jack Grimes, whom I had known since we were kids and he had a vast amount of radio credits. I said, 'Jack, I have this acting job, but there's not enough money in the budget. If you sign on, I'll split my fee with you.'
Jack and I did each episode for $62.50 a piece. And being only three guys and one gal in the cast, we had to do all the villains and all the voices. Most of the voices were made up on the spot. Every voice actor has a couple of distinct "trick" voices, but Speed Racer provided us with a challenge to come up with voices we never dreamed we could do."
Fernandez was instructed to "Americanize" the Mach Go Go Go series, but that wasn't an easy task. He recalled, "The translations sent to me from Japan were very poor in those days, so I had the opportunity to make up the dialogue of the characters, and being the director also, hire the cast. I gave myself the two best parts, Speed Racer and Racer X."
Corinne Orr recalls,"We all liked working with each other on the series. Today, if you're working as a voice actor, you go in, you do your lines and you leave. You'll never met anyone in the show. During Speed Racer, there was a lot of camaraderie. We worked hard and respected and liked each other. All of the recording sessions were in New York City. That building is now a big condominium. Everything has been torn down and condos have been put up."
All the scripts were retranslated at the Studebaker Building, a New York City office complex at 1600 Broadway Avenue. The Zavala-Riss Company, founded by Pablo Zavala and Sheldon Riss, were in charge of the film editing, while Titra Studios was in charge of sound for voice dubbing. Simply put, an anime film would enter Broadway Ave and exit as a cartoon.
Peter's post-Speed Racer years have kept him busy working as dialogue director in syndicated television programs such as Ultraman (1968), Star Blazers (1979) and Galaxy Rangers (1986). He was hired to direct dialogue in Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Rider (1996), The Secret of Anastasia (1998), and in 13 episodes of Kenny the Shark (2003), and continued to work in television and radio commercials.
He resides in Pomona, Rockland County, New York, along with ducks, chickens, geese, cats and many other animals that want love and affection. In 1978, he married Noel Smith, a writer and poet. They've been together for the last 30 years. Peter still attends Speed Racer conventions across the country and is very active in his later years. Recently, Peter made a cameo appearance in the Speed Racer live-action film that will be released on May 9, 2008. He and Corinne Orr are still good friends and talk to each other on a weekly basis.
Peter has supplied the voice of Spritle in Speed Racer: The Next Generation, the new animated television series that is produced by Lionsgate Entertainment. It will remain true to the 1967 original Speed Racer in all respects. Twenty-six episodes have been made and will begin their run on Nicktoons cable network on May 2, 2008. The official DVD-video release date for Speed Racer: The Next Generation is May 6, 2008. Retail price is $19.98. The first episode of the new series is entitled The Beginning. The series will coincide with the theatrical release of the new Speed Racer movie that debuts on May 9, 2008.
The Voices of Speed Racer Sparky and Chim Chim Jack Grimes
Jack Grimes was born on April 1, 1926. A native of Manhattan, New York. Of Irish descent, sporting a dimunitive build and height of 5' 2", he worked in New York stage plays and Broadway as a child. But he is most recognized for the indelible and boyish voice that was heard in over 12,000 radio shows in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Jack specialized in playing "child parts" in radio. Some of the radio shows included Death Valley Days (1930-45), Second Husband, Phillip Morris Playhouse (1948-53) and Fred Allen (1932-49).
In 1944, Jack signed up in the Air Force. He was soon discharged because of his small build and short height. That year, he went to Hollywood and worked in three films made by Universal Pictures; River Gang, Lady on a Train, and Weekend at the Waldorf (1945). In 1949, he married Joan Farrell. In the 1950's, he began working in various television series such as Love of Life (1951), The Aldrich Family (1952-53), Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1954-55), and Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (1959).
In 1962, Jack and Peter Fernandez crossed paths while working at M.G.M. Studios in Culver City. They had initially met in their younger days, but this teaming was the first time in many years. The studio hired Grimes to direct and produce records and he hired Peter to write. In 1967, Jack got a phone call from Peter Fernandez, who told him that he needed a fourth actor to do the voice-overs for Sparky, Chim Chim and additional characters. There was only Jack Curtis and Corinne Orr, but this wouldn't be enough to make it work right. Grimes and Fernandez worked out the salaries and they immediately went to the voice dubbing for Speed Racer. In 1968, Jack voiced Professor Fumble in Marine Boy.
Just when the dubbing for Speed Racer was completed, Grimes was called back to Hollywood to work in Pendulum, starring George Peppard. In the film, he portrayed Artie, the bellhop. The picture was released in 1969. The last picture he worked in was Cold Turkey (1971). Back to the television work, Grimes was hired to work in Maude, On the Rocks and All in the Family. In the latter series, Jack was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Mr. Whitehead, the undertaker.
From 1974 to 1982, Jack worked in 49 radio dramas for the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. He also worked in Star Blazers (1979), with fellow dubbers Corinne Orr and Peter Fernandez. In 1986, Jack Grimes left the film business and began working in public relations for a law firm in New York for five years. He retired in 1991 and resides in the state with his family and grandchildren. To this day, Jack and Peter speak to each other frequently.
The Voices of Speed Racer Trixie, Spritle and Moms Racer Corinne Orr
Corinne Orr was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her birth year was in the early 1940's. At the age of 10, she began working at the Children's Theatre and Montreal Repertory Theatre Group and Mountain Playhouse. Two actors in the ensemble she worked with were William Shatner and Christopher Plummer. She had to learn how to develop her voice talent, and by the age of 14, Corinne was hired by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. She worked in radio dramas, including Laura Limited for the CBC.
In 1960, she played Suzie Mouse in the children's soap opera, Chez Helene. It was a CBC bilingual program devoted to teaching children English and French. Robert Goulet worked alongside her and they were the highest paid performers in Canada at the time. She moved to New York in the mid-60's and landed a job as a regular in the daytime soap opera, The Nurses (1964-65). Subsequently, Corinne was hired to voice in numerous television and radio commercials.
In 1966, she was hired by Titra as a "slater" and a year later, to work in doing voice-over dubbing for foreign pictures that were translated to English. Naturally, she was hired to work in Speed Racer and Marine Boy while employed at Titra. She dubbed Trixie, Spritle, Moms Racer and all the female characters. Her post-Speed Racer years have kept her busy providing voice-overs in numerous commercials, cartoons and narrating children's stories. Corinne is also credited working in many television shows such as Ultraman (1968), Galaxy Rangers (1986) and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Rider (1996).
She provided the voices for several dolls, published a series of audio books and judged the Daytime Emmy Awards for 18 years. From 1983 to 2005, she provided the voice for Snuggle the Bear, the company's fabric softener. She also lent her voice to the television series PB&J Otter (1998) and Stanley (2001). Corinne still resides and works in Manhattan, New York. In 2007, she was Guest of Honor at the New York Anime Festival. She provided her talented voice once again for the 2008 Speed Racer film.
The Voices of Speed Racer Pops Racer, Inspector Detector, Announcer Jack Curtis
Jack Curtis was born in Queens, New York on June 16, 1926. He was the son of Jack Curtis, Sr. and Mabel Ford. He worked in a vaudeville act when he was a child. His half-sister was actress Beatrice Curtis. Later, he became a theater agent and by the early 40's, Jack became interested in voice-over acting. He was hired to work in many radio shows and met Peter Fernandez while working Coast to Coast on a Bus (1937-41). In the middle 1950's, he met Terry Van Tell and they married, but it was a short-lived adjoining. In 1964, he made a picture entitled The Flesh Eaters. Curtis served as writer, director, camera man and edited the film.
In 1963, Jack was employed at Titra and met a woman named Paulette Rubinstein, who was a dubbing director and voice-over actress. They married in December of 1963 and in 1964, bore a daughter, Liane Curtis. In 1967, Jack was hired by his old friend Peter Fernandez to provide voice-over dubbing for Speed Racer. Jack dubbed Pops Racer, Inspector Detector and served as the announcer and narrator. Marine Boy and Kimba the White Lion were next for him to voice characters in. He and Peter also did voice-over dubbing for Son of Godzilla in 1967. In September of 1970, Jack died at age 44 from complications of liver disease and pneumonia.
Jack had his share of health issues that affected him over the years. He was born with a hand defect that prevented him from working on camera. He was a good musician and fine pianist. Jack owned a company, Film Synch, that specialized in film dubbing. He was a tall, handsome and outgoing man, with a warm and giving quality inside him. A great sense of humor, too. He was a class act.
