Billy Bletcher

Billy Bletcher, born as William Bletcher on September 24, 1894, was a renowned American actor, best known for providing the voice for a wide array of classic animated characters. These include Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney's Three Little Pigs. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Bletcher made appearances in films and later television spanning from the 1910s to the 1970s, including appearances in several Our Gang and The Three Stooges comedies. His distinctive deep, strong and booming baritone voice made him an ideal choice for a variety of voice-acting roles, including characters in Walt Disney Productions. He also auditioned for one of the dwarfs in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but was rejected due to fear of recognition. His voice work was not limited to Disney, Bletcher also worked for Ub Iwerks and Warner Bros. He even did ADR work for the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. His career includes voice acting for various MGM films, Warner Bros. characters, and several cartoons. Bletcher remained active in the industry till 1971 and even made one of his last performances as Pappy Yokum in a television adaptation of Lil Abner in 1971.