Movie Musings: Disney and More

The Actor Who’s Voice “Never Quite Made it Through Puberty”

Pat Buttram is an actor who is best known for his role as the greedy Mr. Eustace Haney on the television show Green Acres (1965-1971). In addition to his role as Mr. Haney, he was also a very frequently used Disney voice-over artist. His high-pitched, drawling voice is instantly recognizable whether you see him live on-screen or as a cartoon character. His voice and his role as Mr. Haney were the two trademarks of his career. He once said that his own voice “never quite made it through puberty.”

Buttram lent his voice to five animals in five different movies for Disney. He voiced Napoleon the Hound Dog in The AristoCats (1970), The Sheriff of Nottingham-A Wolf in Robin Hood (1973), Luke the Muskrat in The Rescuers (1977), Chief the Hunting Dog in The Fox and the Hound (1981), One of the Toon Bullets in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and the Possum Park Emcee in A Goofy Movie (1995) was his final Disney and final film role, released a year after his death in 1994. 

Two of Pat Buttram’s co-stars from Green Acres (1965-1971) also lent their voices to Disney cartoons. Eva Gabor, who portrayed Lisa Douglas on Green Acres (1965-1971), lent her voice to The AristoCats (1970) and The Rescuers (1977) with Buttram, though in neither film did their characters interact with each other. (The Aristocats (1970) was in production at Disney while Green Acres (1965-1971) was still airing on television). Gabor played Duchess the Cat in The AristoCats (1970) and Miss Bianca the Mouse in The Rescuers (1977) and it’s sequel The Rescuers Down Under (1990). (Buttram didn’t reprise his role as Luke the Muskrat for the sequel). Eleanor Audley, who played Mother Eunice Douglas on Green Acres (1965-1971), provided the voices for the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (1950) and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959).

Buttram’s career primarily consisted of television roles, but he did act in some movies, including Gene Autry’s The Strawberry Roan (1948), Twilight of Honor (1963), and Back to the Future part 3 (1990). The same year that Back to the Future part 3 (1990) was released, he reprised his role as Mr. Haney for a Green Acres reunion television movie entitled Return to Green Acres (1990).

Pat Buttram’s distinctive voice might have “never quite made it through puberty,” but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t entertaining. His voice was what made each of the roles that he played appealing. When you look at him on-screen, he does not look like an attractive, A-list, Hollywood leading man, but he will make you want to pay attention to his character just because of his voice. It is not the sort of voice that you hear every day.