Cliff Nazarro
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Born Name:
Clifford Nazarro
Born Date: January 31, 1904
Born Place: New Haven, Connecticut
Died Date: February 18, 1961
Died Place: Ventura County, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, vocalist
Brief Biography: Clifford Nazarro was best known for his mastery of "double-talk"—a comedic style relying on fast-paced, authoritative-sounding gibberish. He enjoyed a prolific career across vaudeville, radio, films, and animation throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
Vaudeville Career:
Roots: Started his career performing in vaudeville, burlesque, and local theater stock companies.
Early Talent: Acted as a live master of ceremonies, leveraging a natural talent for vocal impressions and singing.
The Rise of "Double-Talk" and Radio:
The Breakthrough: Nazarro's career shifted dramatically after a routine on The Jack Benny Program. He performed a sketch giving directions to Oxford entirely in synchronized nonsense language.
Comedian's Comedian: His style was so hilarious that his film takes with Jack Benny frequently had to be re-recorded due to the crew bursting into laughter.
Audio Legacy: His vocal routines were later utilized by legendary puppeteer Jim Henson for early television projects like Sam and Friends.
Hollywood Film Career:
Nazarro made his on-screen debut in 1930 and went on to appear in more than 40 films. He was frequently cast as a comedic western sidekick in B-movies or brought into major studio pictures specifically to perform his double-talk routines. Notable film appearances include:
[You'll Never Get Rich (1941)](wikipedia.org Rich): Played "Swivel Tongue" alongside stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.
Hillbilly Blitzkrieg (1942): Played the iconic comic strip character Barney Google.
In Old Colorado (1941): Played Nosey Haskins in the popular Hopalong Cassidy Western series.
Other Roles: Appeared in movies such as Arise, My Love (1940), Dive Bomber (1941), and I'm From Arkansas (1944).
Animation and Voice-Over Work:
Nazarro's vocal flexibility made him a highly sought-after voice actor for Warner Bros..
Egghead: He provided the voice for "Egghead" in Leon Schlesinger's Merrie Melodies shorts, a character widely recognized as the direct precursor to Elmer Fudd.
Impressions: He regularly contributed singing impressions of major stars of the era, notably Eddie Cantor and Bing Crosby, to various animated shorts.
Born Date: January 31, 1904
Born Place: New Haven, Connecticut
Died Date: February 18, 1961
Died Place: Ventura County, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, vocalist
Brief Biography: Clifford Nazarro was best known for his mastery of "double-talk"—a comedic style relying on fast-paced, authoritative-sounding gibberish. He enjoyed a prolific career across vaudeville, radio, films, and animation throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
Vaudeville Career:
Roots: Started his career performing in vaudeville, burlesque, and local theater stock companies.
Early Talent: Acted as a live master of ceremonies, leveraging a natural talent for vocal impressions and singing.
The Rise of "Double-Talk" and Radio:
The Breakthrough: Nazarro's career shifted dramatically after a routine on The Jack Benny Program. He performed a sketch giving directions to Oxford entirely in synchronized nonsense language.
Comedian's Comedian: His style was so hilarious that his film takes with Jack Benny frequently had to be re-recorded due to the crew bursting into laughter.
Audio Legacy: His vocal routines were later utilized by legendary puppeteer Jim Henson for early television projects like Sam and Friends.
Hollywood Film Career:
Nazarro made his on-screen debut in 1930 and went on to appear in more than 40 films. He was frequently cast as a comedic western sidekick in B-movies or brought into major studio pictures specifically to perform his double-talk routines. Notable film appearances include:
[You'll Never Get Rich (1941)](wikipedia.org Rich): Played "Swivel Tongue" alongside stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.
Hillbilly Blitzkrieg (1942): Played the iconic comic strip character Barney Google.
In Old Colorado (1941): Played Nosey Haskins in the popular Hopalong Cassidy Western series.
Other Roles: Appeared in movies such as Arise, My Love (1940), Dive Bomber (1941), and I'm From Arkansas (1944).
Animation and Voice-Over Work:
Nazarro's vocal flexibility made him a highly sought-after voice actor for Warner Bros..
Egghead: He provided the voice for "Egghead" in Leon Schlesinger's Merrie Melodies shorts, a character widely recognized as the direct precursor to Elmer Fudd.
Impressions: He regularly contributed singing impressions of major stars of the era, notably Eddie Cantor and Bing Crosby, to various animated shorts.