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Michael Magee (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Magee (October 11, 1929 – July 15, 2011) was a Canadian actor, singer and author. He was known for voicing Cyril Sneer and his pet half dog/half aardvark Snag in the Canadian animated series The Raccoons[1] and the voice for The Coach on the CBC show, Yes You Can.

Career

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He was also well-known for his alter-ego that he created in the 1970s known as Fred C. Dobbs. Dobbs first came to the public's attention when a daily telephone call from a crotchety commentator enlivened the Bruno Gerussi's morning show on CBC Radio in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the mid-to-late 1970s, Magee starred in a series for Toronto's TVOntario called Magee & Company, in which he played numerous characters, including Dobbs.[2]

In 1973, he created the show The Real Magees, where he and his wife Duddie were the hosts of this weekday, half-hour talk show, chatting informally with non-celebrities, such as a cab driver, ambulance driver and nightclub bouncer. Bob Weinstein produced the series in Montreal for Screen Gems and CBC Television.[2]

He went on to work as a writer, producer, and commentator for the CBC racing telecasts from 1964 to 1986. The network won the Sovereign Award for outstanding film/video/broadcast in 1985. An avid racing historian, Magee authored the book, "Champions," in collaboration with Pat Bayes, which was published in 1980. He also was a renowned handicapper and one of his last official connections with racing was as the host of "Racing With Magee," a daily radio show that aired in the mid-1990s.

Death

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Magee died on July 15, 2011[3] at the age of 81. He had been suffering from colitis, which led to internal bleeding and heart stoppage.[2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1972 The Merry Wives of Tobias Rouke Narrator
1976 The Clown Murders Compton
1979 The Brood Inspector
1980 The Christmas Raccoons Cyril Sneer Voice, TV movie
1981 The Raccoons on Ice Cyril Sneer / Snag Voice, TV movie
1983 The Raccoons and the Lost Star Voice, TV movie
1984 The Raccoons: Let's Dance! Voice, TV movie
1984 The Surrogate Motorcycle Cop
1985-1991 The Raccoons Cyril Sneer / Snag Voice, TV Series

References

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  1. ^ Erickson, Hal (July 2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. McFarland & Co. p. 650. ISBN 978-0-7864-2256-2. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Hawthron, Tom (November 29, 2011). "Popular media personality loved horse racing, alter egos". Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  3. ^ "Michael Magee Obituary". Obitree.
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