Ah Mel Blanc. One of a kind.
As the story goes...... when asked if the studio (Warner Bros.) could do anything for him after fifty years of service, and by this they apparently, really, meant anything, Mr. Blanc requested a "new" Edsel. Now this was in the '80's, a full thirty years after the Edsel had gone out of production. Never the less, either a mint- condition or restored Edsel was procured and given to Mr. Blanc at a party thrown by Warner Bros. on their studio lot. He got his Edsel.
He died at 81 yrs. of age and is interned in Hollywood Forever cemetery. Per his request, his headstone is marked "That's all Folks". And in the scheme of all things, not a bad epitaph IMO and one we could all do well to remember and appreciate. His contribution to humanity may have been small (and maybe not so small after all), but I think he represents a significant piece of Americana, maybe more-so to non- Americans. And if somewhere, in a corner of the world, a person ignorant of virtually all things American, and perhaps with a bit of distance or even hatred of America / Americans, can identity the amusement conveyed by Mel Blanc in SPITE of his being American.... well that is not such a bad thing IMO.
Sorry for waxing philological but I really liked Mel Blanc and I think he has a special place, although perhaps not a big one, is spreading just a bit of American thinking and (dare I say it?) culture to the world.
Brian
Looney Tunes with Mel Blanc was the best.. Unfortunately quite a bit was cut out in the later years.