Pat Buttram: The Rocking-Chair Humorist

by Sandra Grabman

Pat Buttram is known by today's youth as the yodel-y voice in the Disney animated films The Rescuers, Robin Hood, The Fox and the Hound, The Aristocats and A Goofy Movie. To their parents, he's Mr. Haney, the hilarious con-man from Green Acres; and to their grandparents, he's Gene Autry's humorous sidekick. Pat was one of Hollywood's truest success stories. He lived his dream of making people laugh, winning honors from the The Pacific Pioneers Broadcaster's award all the way up to an Emmy, and everyone who knew him loved him. No one could keep an audience laughing as well as Pat could. Born in 1915 in rural Alabama, the seventh of eight children grew up to be one of the most interesting voices in movies and television. This is his story, told for the first time by his many friends, family members, co-stars, and co-workers at Gene Autry Enterprises. Interspersed throughout the book are many of Pat's original one-liners. If they make you laugh, they will have earned their keep.

190 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2006

About the author

I formerly authored biographies of Albert Salmi, Peggy Ann Garner, and Pat Buttram, while also collaborating with retired actor Wright King on "No Retakes!" about the era of live television and with radio-man Joel Blumberg on "Lloyd Nolan: An Actor's Life With Meaning." Once my publisher hired me as his secretary, I wrote one more book, Petrocelli: San Remo Justice (aka An Episode Guide and Much More), then retired from writing to concentrate on processing book orders and handling the company's phone calls.