Michael Magee Explained

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.

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 network radio program. 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.

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

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

Notes and References

  1. Book: Erickson, Hal. Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. 5 May 2011. July 2005. McFarland & Co.. 978-0-7864-2256-2. 650.
  2. News: Hawthron. Tom. Popular media personality loved horse racing, alter egos. December 19, 2011. Globe and Mail. November 29, 2011.
  3. Web site: Michael Magee Obituary. Obitree.