Eddie Carroll, who took over voicing Disney’s beloved Jiminy Cricket from the late Cliff Edwards in 1973, has died of a brain tumor at the age of 76.
Designed by legendary animator Ward Kimball, the character of Jiminy Cricket was appointed by the Blue Fairy to be Pinocchio’s conscience in the 1940 Disney animated classic. For decades, Jiminy appeared in a host of Disney shows, from segments on the Mickey Mouse Club to educational film series as well as a brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Carroll also spent several decades impersonating Jack Benny in a one-man stage show, Laughter in Bloom, touring at least 6 months a year up until last year. According to the Los Angeles Times [1], Carroll was born in Edmonton, Canada, and went to high school with noted crooner and actor Robert Goulet. The two came to Hollywood in the mid 1950s as part of an NBC talent program. Carroll met actor Jamie Farr, known for his work on the TV series Mash, in an acting class, later forming a production company in the 1960s that developed a number of projects for the networks and studios. His website [2] cites a long history of TV series work as well as appearances in over 200 commercials.
Links:
[1] http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-eddie-carroll11-2010apr11,0,7174566.story
[2] http://eddiecarroll.com/