Profile Text
Birth Name: Melvin Jerome Blank
Date of Birth: May 30, 1908
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, U.S.
Date of Death: July 10, 1989
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Mel Blanc was an American voice actor and radio personality. He was known for his voice performances for a wide array of cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig; voicing the Looney Tunes during the Golden Age of Animation. He was known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices.”
Mel was the son of Rifka H. “Eva” (Katz) and Frederick/Fredrick Harvey “Fred” Blank. His father was born in New York, to German Jewish parents. His mother was a Lithuanian Jewish emigrant, born in Vilnius. He was raised in Western Addition, San Francisco, and then Portland, Oregon. Mel was married to Estelle Rosenbaum, until his death, with whom he had a son, commercial producer and voice actor Noel Blanc.
Mel’s paternal grandfather was Heinrich Sebastian Blanc/Blank (the son of John W. Blank and Maria C. Herman). Heinrich was born in Bavarian Rhenish Plaltinate.
Mel’s paternal grandmother was named Katharina Schwarzel. Katharina was born in Naila, Bavaria.
Mel’s maternal grandfather was Nachum/Nolan Hyman Katz (the son of Moshe Katz/Kats, HaCohen and Breine Asinovsky). Nachum was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. Moshe was born in Vilnius, the son of Leizer Kats, HaCohen and Eydla Chana Dimant. Breine was the daughter of Iosel Asinovsky and Itka Tonia.
Mel’s maternal grandmother was named Leah/Laura Beila Golemba (the daughter of Isaac “Israel” Isaac “Itsko” Golemba and Rivka). Leah was born in Oshminany, Vilna, Lithuania. Isaac was the son of Genokh Golemba and Chirke Melamed.
Sources: Genealogies of Mel Blanc – https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com
Mel Blanc on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org Mel Blanc on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Mel Blanc – https://www.familysearch.org