
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (1914-2005) was an American singer and voice-actor who frequently did work for The Walt Disney Company, in film, shorts and theme-park attractions. He is probably best remembered for being the singer of the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from the Chuck Jones cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) and for being the original voice of the Kellogg's mascot Tony the Tiger. For Disney, he voiced Monstro in Pinocchio, Fritz in the Enchanted Tiki Room, several Pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, Buff in the Country Bear Jamboree, Baloo and Stromboli in Disney on Parade, and Kirby in The Brave Little Toaster film series.
In the Haunted Mansion, Ravenscroft lended his face and voice to the singing bust known as Uncle Theodore.
Tributes[]
- The Composer's crypt in Walt Disney World has the name, "Ravenscroft" written on it.
- In the Ghost Gallery, the Singing Busts are named Thurl, Ravens, Croft, Singg, and Buss.
- A vampire known as, "Lord Ravenscroft" appeared in the Haunted Mansion as a live-performed character and appeared as a character in the 1990s for seasonal events in the Haunted Mansion.
- The central family of Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris were named the Ravenswoods, intended to be an allusion to Thurl. The original master of the estate in unused scripts would have been named to Arthur Ravenswood as a further portmanteau of Ravenscroft's name.