| Cecil Roy | |
| Birth Name: | Cecil H. Roy |
| Birth Date: | 2 October 1900 |
| Birth Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actress |
Cecil H. Roy (October 2, 1900 – January 26, 1995) was an American actress who was well known in radio broadcasting of the 1930s and 1940s as The Girl of a Thousand Voices.[1]
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was an opera singer.
Roy entered radio during the 1930s, appearing on The Rise of the Goldbergs, The Henry Aldrich Show, Pepper Young's Family. Marthy and Elmer, and many other programs.
The "Girl of a Thousand Voices" label came about due to her ability to immediately shift through a wide range of characters and ages, from an elderly woman to a crying baby.[2]
Roy's roles on radio programs included those shown in the following table.
| Program | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Dari-Dan | Stanley Hall[3] | |
| Amanda of Honeymoon Hill | Aunt Mazie[4] | |
| Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories | infant[5] | |
| Big Sister | Jerry Jr.[6] | |
| Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten | Daisy Dean | |
| Ma Perkins | Junior Fitz | |
| The Timid Soul | Madge Milquetoast | |
| Quiet Please | Carol Sue |
She also was featured "enacting dilemmas" on Daily Dilemmas.
Between 1943 and 1964, she provided voices for numerous animated cartoons, specializing in children's voices, originating the voice of Little Lulu.[5]
Her recordings for children included the role of Winnie the Pooh on a recording with Jimmy Stewart,[2] and Cindy Bear on a Yogi Bear record.[7] Through Replica Records, Roy released at least one 33 rpm recording ("Helen's Holiday"), as well as three 45 rpm recordings with Helen Searles Westbrook and Betty Barrie: 1) Buddy's Butterfly 2) The Thistle/Buddy's Garden 3) Christmas Eve/Plasco Toys.
Roy spoke German and French and sang in Italian and French. She was reported to have a "polished repertoire of 20 dialects."[5] Her long-time partner, Beni (missing last name), was a hairdresser in New York City. His clientele included many Broadway and vaudeville stars. Cecil Roy also lived in Cozy Lake, Oak Ridge, New Jersey. Her "summer" or weekend home was a place where she entertained many of the neighborhood children with her accordion, singing, and voice talents.