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Julie Bennett

Julie Bennett (January 24, 1932 – March 31, 2020) was an American actress and voice actress renowned for her extensive work in animation and live-action television during the mid-20th century. Best known for voicing the character Cindy Bear opposite Yogi Bear in Hanna-Barbera's The Yogi Bear Show from 1961 onward, as well as in the feature films Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! (1964) and Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears (1988), she contributed her distinctive voice to the role for over two decades. Born in , , Bennett grew up in after her family relocated there during her childhood, and she graduated from . She began her career in with stage, radio, and television work before moving to , where she appeared in numerous live-action roles on classic series including , , , , , , , , and , as well as specials featuring and . Bennett's voice acting portfolio spanned several decades and studios, including contributions to UPA, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Hanna-Barbera productions from the 1950s through the early 2000s. Notable roles included characters in Fractured Fairy Tales segments of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, voices in Bugs Bunny and Quick Draw McGraw cartoons, the animated musical Gay Purr-ee (1962), and The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo. Later in her career, she provided the voice of Aunt May Parker in the animated Spider-Man series (1997–1998). In the early , Bennett transitioned into a new phase of her professional life, adopting the name Marianne Daniels and working as a personal manager representing talent for more than 20 years. She passed away in on March 31, 2020, at the age of 88, due to complications from , survived by her mutually adopted family members Carol, Nick, and Mark Scroggs.

Biography

Early life

Julie Bennett was born on January 24, 1932, in , , to a family about which limited details regarding her parents or any siblings are publicly documented. Her family relocated to during her early childhood, where she began involvement in entertainment around the age of 6, and she spent the rest of her youth there, living in the area by the age of 18. She later transitioned to formal education in California, attending .

Education and training

Bennett grew up in following her family's move from during her early childhood. She attended and graduated from in the late 1940s. During her time in Los Angeles as a child, Bennett studied dramatic arts under renowned mentors, including director and instructor Florence Enright, whose guidance emphasized classical techniques and expressive delivery. After high school, Bennett returned to her birthplace of to pursue acting professionally. There, she underwent further training in stage performance, radio, and emerging television formats, honing her skills through practical involvement in theatrical productions and broadcasts. Upon her subsequent relocation to Hollywood, she refined her voice work through informal, self-directed practice amid early industry exposures, building on her foundational training to adapt to the demands of character voicing.

Career

Voice acting

Julie Bennett began her voice acting career in the 1950s, contributing to animated shorts and series at major studios such as UPA, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Hanna-Barbera. Her early work built on her prior experience in radio and stage performance, transitioning her effervescent on-stage presence into versatile vocal characterizations. Other notable voice roles included characters in Fractured Fairy Tales segments of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, voices in Bugs Bunny and Quick Draw McGraw cartoons, the role of Mewsette in the animated musical Gay Purr-ee (1962), and contributions to The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo. In 1961, Bennett secured her breakthrough role as Cindy Bear in , portraying Yogi's devoted, demure love interest—a anthropomorphic with a pronounced Southern accent, often depicted carrying a parasol and expressing wide-eyed affection. The series, produced by , featured 33 episodes and established Cindy as a key in the studio's burgeoning roster of family-friendly animations. Bennett's warm, flirtatious delivery enhanced Cindy's charm, making her a memorable foil to Yogi's scheming personality and contributing to the franchise's lasting cultural impact on Saturday morning television. She reprised Cindy Bear across multiple Hanna-Barbera productions, including the 1964 feature film Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, various Yogi Bear specials, and series like (1985–1988), voicing the character for nearly three decades and solidifying her association with the role. This longevity highlighted Bennett's reliability in ensemble recordings, where she often collaborated with , who voiced , to capture the duo's playful dynamic in sessions directed by producers. Their partnership exemplified the studio's collaborative voice directing process, with actors improvising line readings to sync with cycles. Bennett's portfolio also included a supporting role in the Loopy de Loop theatrical short Common Scents (1962), voicing a female skunk. Later in her career, she took on Parker in : The Animated Series (1994–1998), voicing the elderly aunt in seasons 4 and 5 following Linda Gary's passing, infusing the character with gentle concern and familial warmth across 8 episodes. Her voice work extended into the early , marking a five-decade span defined by adaptable performances in and .

Live-action, radio, and other work

Bennett began her professional career in New York shortly after graduating from Beverly Hills High School around 1950, to pursue opportunities in radio and stage. She appeared in radio soap operas and dramatic anthology programs during the early 1950s, including roles on CBS's Grand Central Station, where she frequently led all-Broadway casts in original dramas. Her radio work also encompassed appearances on popular shows such as The Lux Radio Theatre starting at age 15, The Pepsodent Show with Bob Hope, The Baby Snooks Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, and My Favorite Husband, showcasing her versatility in accents and dialects. Upon arriving in , Bennett also performed in theater, building on her early training under and Florence Enright. She worked as a character actress on stage, contributing to Broadway-adjacent productions that highlighted her effervescent personality and glamorous presence, though specific play titles from this period remain sparsely documented. These stage experiences complemented her radio efforts and laid the groundwork for her transition to live-action screen work. In live-action television and film, Bennett portrayed supporting characters, often glamorous women, receptionists, waitresses, or vamps, across several classic series from the 1950s to the 1980s. Notable roles include Ms. Worth in the 1955 crime drama Illegal, directed by Lewis Allen, where she played a minor but poised supporting part. On television, she appeared as Edith and Miss Williams in Lux Video Theatre (1953–1955), Comrade Munson in I Led 3 Lives (1954), a receptionist in The Ford Television Theatre (1954), Jane Stevens in Public Defender (1954), and Sometimes Mabel in Adventures of Superman (1956). She also recurred as Jan Petrie in Dragnet (1956–1959), alongside guest spots on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), Leave It to Beaver (1957), Highway Patrol, The Donna Reed Show, McHale's Navy, Gunsmoke, Get Smart (1965), Love, American Style, and Matinee Theatre (1955–1957). Later, in the 1981 TV miniseries Goliath Awaits, she portrayed Sylvia King, a survivor in the underwater adventure narrative. These roles emphasized her as a reliable character actress in ensemble casts.

Later years and death

Post-voice acting activities

Following the culmination of her extensive career in the early , Julie Bennett shifted her professional focus to talent representation. In the early , she adopted the Marianne Daniels to preserve her privacy outside of , establishing herself as a personal manager. Under this identity, Bennett represented both emerging and established artists in the entertainment industry for more than two decades, handling client management until the . Bennett maintained her residence in , where she had spent much of her life after relocating there in childhood.

Death and immediate aftermath

Julie Bennett died on March 31, 2020, at the age of 88, from complications related to while hospitalized at in . She was survived by her mutually adopted family members Carol, Nick, and Mark Scroggs. Her death was announced the following day by longtime talent agent and friend Mark Scroggs, who confirmed the details amid the early stages of the global . The announcement highlighted her contributions to . Immediate responses included tributes from fans on and within the animation community, with colleagues from productions recalling her warm personality and iconic voice work as Cindy Bear. Obituaries appeared promptly in industry trade publications, including , , and , emphasizing her lasting impact on classic cartoons during a period when deaths among entertainment figures were drawing widespread attention.

Filmography

Film roles

Julie Bennett began her film career with minor uncredited live-action roles in the 1950s, transitioning to voice work in animated features while occasionally appearing on camera in later productions. Her earliest credited film appearance was in the 1955 crime drama Illegal, where she played Ms. Worth in an uncredited supporting role alongside . In this production directed by Lewis Allen, Bennett's character contributed to the ensemble cast depicting the gritty underworld of . In 1956, Bennett provided voices for multiple characters (Jeannie, Joan, Baby) in the MGM animated short Busy Buddies. She followed with Joan in Tom's Photo Finish (1957) and Airline Hostess in Leprechaun (1958), both MGM shorts. In 1959, Bennett provided a distinctive in , dubbing the lines for James Stewart's three-year-old grandchild in a brief but memorable scene within this biographical drama about FBI agent Chip Hardesty. Directed by , the film chronicles the agency's history, and Bennett's vocal contribution added a touch of innocence to the family-oriented narrative. Bennett's voice acting gained prominence in animated features starting in the early . She voiced the two-headed Agatha and Emily in the 1963 Merrie Melodies short Transylvania 6-5000.) She voiced Lady From Provence, a minor character, in the 1962 musical , a production featuring and as singing cats in . Her role supported the film's whimsical storyline of feline romance and adventure. A pivotal role came in 1964 with Hey There, It’s !, Hanna-Barbera's first animated feature, where Bennett voiced Cindy Bear, Yogi's love interest, infusing the character with a Southern and bubbly personality throughout the park-rescue plot. This theatrical release marked a significant milestone in her career, extending her television work into . In 1966, she contributed vocal assists in the Woody Allen-reedited Japanese spy comedy What’s Up, Tiger Lily?, dubbing English dialogue for comedic effect in this cult favorite. Bennett returned to live-action in 1970 with an uncredited role as Amanda in the made-for-TV thriller Sole Survivor, a CBS production about plane crash survivors haunted by the dead, directed by Paul Stanley. Her appearance highlighted her versatility beyond animation during a period dominated by voice work. Another uncredited live-action part followed in 1973's , Michael Crichton's sci-fi thriller starring , where she played Janet Lane amid the theme park malfunction chaos. This role connected her early screen experience with genre filmmaking. Later in her career, Bennett voiced Agatha and Emily, the two-headed vulture, in the 1988 anthology feature , a compilation of shorts featuring her in a humorous, gothic supporting capacity. She also reprised Cindy Bear in the direct-to-video and the Invasion of the Space Bears that same year, voicing the character in an intergalactic adventure. Bennett's complete film credits from 1955 to 2000 include these roles, with additional uncredited or minor appearances in early career projects like Illegal underscoring her foundational work in .

Television roles

Bennett began her television career in the with live-action supporting roles in popular series, often portraying characters such as waitresses, receptionists, or minor antagonists. She appeared in episodes of (1950–1958) as various supporting characters, Adventures of Superman (1952–1958) as Sometimes Mabel, (1957–1963), (1951–1959), and (1958–1966) as a lady customer. These roles showcased her versatility before she transitioned more fully into . In animation, Bennett's television work primarily consisted of voice performances for and other studios, where she provided recurring and guest voices across numerous series. Her most iconic recurring role was as Cindy Bear, the lovesick companion to , which she first voiced in segments of (1958–1961) and continued in the lead role for (1961–1962). She reprised Cindy Bear in later ensemble series, including (1973), (1977–1978) as part of the Yogi Yahooeys team, and (1985–1988). Bennett also contributed additional voices to foundational shows like (1960–1966), (1961–1962), (1964–1965), Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969–1970), and (1974–1976). Early non- credits included Sagebrush Sal in (1959–1962) and voices in the "Fractured Fairy Tales" segments of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959–1964). She voiced / in The Superman/ Hour of Adventure (1967–1968). During the 1970s, Bennett voiced lead characters in several adventure and mystery series, such as Lori Elwood in The Funky Phantom (1971–1972) and Kitty Jo in The Cattanooga Cats (1969–1970). Other notable 1970s roles encompassed Monica in The All-New Popeye Hour (1978–1979) and Dinky Dog (1978), additional voices in Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (1977–1980), and Nancy Stevenson in These Are the Days (1976–1977). In the 1980s and 1990s, Bennett balanced voice work with occasional live-action appearances, including the miniseries Goliath Awaits (1981) as Sylvia King and Crossings (1986) as the 1st Lady. Her animated contributions continued with Cindy Bear in The Little Rascals (1982–1983, additional voices), various characters in The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show (1986), Cynthia Crawford in The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991), Sybil Divine in Square One TV (1987–1992) and its segment Mathnet (1987–1992), and guest spots in Garfield and Friends (1988–1994). Bennett's final major television role was as Aunt May Parker in Spider-Man: The Animated Series seasons 3–5 (1995–1998), succeeding Linda Gary after her death in 1995 and providing the voice for multiple episodes.

Video games and other media

Bennett provided the voice for an old woman in the 2000 video game Spider-Man, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for the PlayStation console. This minor role, which appears in several scenes involving elderly characters in New York City settings, represented her only known contribution to interactive media. The performance served as Bennett's final credited work in voice acting, concluding a career that spanned over four decades primarily in animation. It followed her portrayal of Aunt May Parker in the later seasons of the animated series Spider-Man: The Animated Series. No further video game roles, radio adaptations, audiobooks, or unreleased archival contributions by Bennett have been documented.

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