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Dayton Allen




Born "Dayton Allen Bolke" in New York City , he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York , where he graduated from A.B. Davis High School in June 1936. One of his school friends was Art Carney . Like Carney, Allen began his career in radio. In 1937-8 WINS (AM) hired him as a Disc Jockey .

Allen was the voice of various New York-based Children's Television show characters, appearing on '' Winky Dink And You '' as " Mr. Bungle " for five years and playing "Phineas T. Bluster", "Flub-a-Dub" and various other puppet characters on '' Howdy Doody '' for four years. Dayton was also the voice of Deputy Dawg , Heckle And Jeckle , Luno , Fearless Fly and many early Terrytoons cartoon characters. He continued to be a voiceover performer through the 1990s.

He was best known as the "Why Not?" man. The catch-phrase began as a stalling ad-lib to an interview question; then it caught on. Allen used it for television commercials and saw novelty toys, a book and a record spin off the "Why not?" phenomenon. In its day, fans were shouting "Why not?" as often as '' Mad Magazine '''s famous "What? Me Worry?"

His brother, Bradley Bolke , was also a voice actor best known as the voice of Chumley (Tennessee Tuxedo's walrus sidekick) on " Tennessee Tuxedo And His Tales " and the sydnicated version of "The Underdog Show".


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