One of the actors who did voice-overs for ALICE OF WONDERLAND IN PARIS is Allen Swift. Swift (real name: Ira Stadlin) began his career in show business as a stand-up entertainer in the Catskills resorts of upstate New York in the 1930's, where he beguiled audiences with his magic tricks, drawings, mind reading, impressions and parodies of popular radio commercials.

From there, Stadlin went to New York City, where he continued his stand-up act in NYC's most prominent nightclubs. He also performed on many well-known radio dramas: "Casey: Crime Photographer", "World Security Workshop", "Under Arrest", etc.

Stadlin's radio and stand-up career was briefly interrupted by his enlistment into the U.S. Army Air Corp during Word War II.

Eventually, Stadlin returned to the U.S., where he not only performed in clubs and on radio, but also wrote, produced and performed on his own children's radio program: "The Storytraveler". Stadlin played a well-to-do southern gentleman who went around the world collecting and telling stories to the children of the world.

Around 1950, Stadlin made his debut in the medium which made him famous: Television. He briefly appeared on the CBS TV Network version of "The Robert Q. Lewis Show" as a comic/character actor, mimic and singer. He also wrote and performed on many dramas on NBC TV's "Matinee Theater", including one episode which received critical acclaim: "Yankee Doodler".

It was during this time that Stadlin changed his name to Allen Swift ("Allen" for radio satirist Fred Allen, and "Swift" for Jonathan Swift, author of "Gulliver's Travels").

But Swift's most popular contribution to TV was his involvement with NBC TV's famous kids show, "Howdy Doody". From 1953 to 1956, Swift worked on "Howdy Doody" as a comic/character actor, mimic, puppeteer, singer and scriptwriter. He also did the voices of "Howdy", "Dilly Dally", "Mr. Bluster" and "Flub-A-Dub".

Following his departure from "Howdy", Swift became the first sea captain host/performer of New York WPIX TV (Channel 11's) "the Popeye Show". For five years, "Captain Swift" would entertain and inform his viewers with his magic tricks, songs, stories, craftmaking, hobbies and informational segments in-between reruns of the Paramount/Fleischer and Paramount/Famous Studios "Popeye" cartoons. Swift hosted the show weekday evenings from Monday, September 10, 1956 to Friday September 23, 1960.

Swift also did voice-overs for numerous movie and TV cartoons, including "King Leonardo & His Short Subjects" and "The Underdog Show" for NBC. Swift also provided the voices for the fish puppets and for "Diver Dan" (writer/actor Frank Freda) for the "Diver Dan" TV series.

Swift wrote, produced, directed and performed in many plays and musicals on and off Broadway, and in summer stock from the 1960's - 1980's.

Swift also performed on two children's records: "Popeye's Favorite Sea Shanties" For RCA/Camden, in 1960 (which received a Grammy nomination), and another for Cabot Records in 1957, which he worked on with Mae Questel (the voice of "Olive Oyl").

In recent years, Allen Swift has made a few on-camera TV appearances on "Law & Order", "The Equalizer" and "Kate & Allie". His work on "the Popeye Show" was mentioned in Tim Hollis' book which honors local kids TV shows, "Hi There! Boys & Girls!".

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Video/DVD availability:VHS (various), DVD (various)

Links of related interest:
Director Gene Deitch Website