Olan Soule

Olan Evart Soule (February 28, 1909 – February 1, 1994) was an American character actor and voice-over performer who had professional credits in nearly 7,000 radio shows and commercials, appearances in 200 television series and television films, and in over 60 films. Soule's voice work on television included his 15-year role (1968-1983) as Batman on several animated series that were either devoted to or involved the fictional "Dark Knight" superhero.

Early life
Born in 1909 in La Harpe, Illinois, to Elbert and Ann Williams Soule (descendants of three Mayflower passengers), Olan left Illinois at the age of seven and arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, where he lived until he was seventeen. He then launched his theatrical career by joining Jack Brooks' tent show in Sabula, Jackson County, in eastern Iowa.

Radio
After leaving the tent show, Soule appeared on stage in Chicago for seven years before moving to radio in 1933, including a stint on Chandu the Magician (1935–36). On radio he performed for eleven years in the daytime soap opera Bachelor's Children. Beginning in 1943, he played lead male characters on radio's famed The First Nighter Program for nine years. Listeners of First Nighter who met Soule in person were often surprised, since his slight 135-pound frame did not seem to match the voices he gave to his characters. From 1941 on, Soule had the role of L. William Kelly, SS-11, the second in command of the Secret Squadron on the Captain Midnight radio adventure serial. When Captain Midnight became a television series in the 1950s, Soule was known as SQ-3, behind Captain Midnight himself and Ichabod Mudd "with two D's". He also had a regular part on Lee Hansen's 1970s and 1980s science fiction radio drama Alien Worlds.

Television and films
Concluding his nine-year run on First Nighter, Soule moved to Hollywood, where he appeared in films and television shows, building a reputation as a reliable character actor. He was best known as Mr. Krull, a boarding house resident in The Day The Earth Stood Still. He appeared on many television series: The Donald O'Connor Show (as a semi-regular), Captain Midnight (as scientist Aristotle "Tut" Jones), I Love Lucy, several appearances as a hotel clerk and choir director on The Andy Griffith Show, and a semi-regular role as real-life LAPD criminalist Ray Murray on the 1967 revival version of Dragnet. He also made six appearances on Perry Mason, mostly as a court clerk, but also as a bank employee and water company official.

He made at least two appearances on Petticoat Junction. In both, the 1967 episode "Shoplifter at the Shady Rest" and the 1968 episode "Mae's Helping Hand", he played Mr. Benson.

The list of Soule's supporting and starring roles is long. Some include The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Jack Benny Program, I Love Lucy, The Danny Thomas Show, The Real McCoys, Mister Ed, City Detective, Behind Closed Doors, Dante, Harrigan and Son, Hennesey, State Trooper, One Step Beyond, The Restless Gun, The Rebel, Wanted: Dead or Alive, My Favorite Martian, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Bewitched, Pete and Gladys, The Addams Family, The Munsters, Johnny Ringo, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Happy, Bonanza, The Jean Arthur Show, Laramie, The Monkees, Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Fantasy Island, Little House on the Prairie, Dallas and Simon & Simon. He was the only actor who performed on both the Captain Midnight radio and television shows.

Batman
Soule is remembered by many for providing the voice of Batman in several animated series. He first performed as the Caped Crusader on the 1968 Filmation-produced The Batman/Superman Hour. He reprised his role as Batman on The Adventures of Batman, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Sesame Street (1970), Super Friends (1973), The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the SuperFriends, The World's Greatest Super Friends, and Super Friends (1980). He appeared as a newscaster on the live-action Batman television series (in the episode "The Pharaoh's in a Rut") with his Super Friends successor Adam West. Although Soule eventually gave back the Batman mantle to the man who portrayed him in live-action, he continued to contribute to the Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show series, providing the voice of Professor Martin Stein, mentor and subconscious of fledgling hero Firestorm.

Other voice-over work
Soule provided the voice of Master Taj in the English-dubbed version of the cult 1973 film Fantastic Planet in addition to his work as Batman.

Personal life & death
Soule married Norma Elizabeth Miller on September 29, 1929. They had two children and were married for 63 years, until Norma's death on July 1, 1992. With regard to Soule's involvement with various organizations, he was a 32-degree Mason as well as a member of the Los Angeles Show Business Shrine Club (Al Malikah).

On February 1, 1994, Soule died at age 84 of lung cancer in Corona, California, at the home of his daughter, Jo Ann, and son-in-law, Dr. David Henriksen. His burial took place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.

Selected filmography

 * It's a Great Feeling (1949) - Flack (uncredited)
 * Beyond the Forest (1949) - Narrator (uncredited)
 * The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949) - Tyson's Assistant (uncredited)
 * Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950) - Salon Technician (uncredited)
 * Destination Big House (1950) - Ralph Newell
 * Peggy (1950) - Simmons (uncredited)
 * Branded (1950) - Bank Clerk (uncredited)
 * Cuban Fireball (1951) - Jimmy
 * Hollywood Story (1951) - Radio Commentator (uncredited)
 * The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - Mr. Krull (uncredited)
 * You Never Can Tell (1951) - Dog House Salesman (uncredited)
 * Bronco Buster (1952) - President of Junior Chamber of Commerce (uncredited)
 * The Atomic City (1952) - Mortie Fenton
 * The Story of Will Rogers (1952) - Howard (uncredited)
 * Don't Bother to Knock (1952) - Bespectacled Desk Clerk (uncredited)
 * Monkey Business (1952) - Pickwick Arms Clerk (uncredited)
 * Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) - Glove Salesman (uncredited)
 * Never Wave at a WAC (1953) - Lt. Constable, Quartermaster Corps (uncredited)
 * Call Me Madam (1953) - Clerk (uncredited)
 * Trouble Along the Way (1953) - Cardinal's Secretary (uncredited)
 * The Great Diamond Robbery (1954) - Mr. Heinsdorfer, Gibbons' Floor Manager (uncredited)
 * Francis Joins the WACS (1954) - Capt. Creavy, Psychiatrist
 * Human Desire (1954) - Lewis (uncredited)
 * Dragnet (1954) - Ray Pinker
 * Phffft (1954) - Mr. Duncan (uncredited)
 * Prince of Players (1955) - Catesby in 'Richard III' (uncredited)
 * Daddy Long Legs (1955) - Asst. Hotel Manager (uncredited)
 * Cult of the Cobra (1955) - Major Martin Fielding
 * This Island Earth (1955) - First Reporter (uncredited)
 * Francis in the Navy (1955) - Airline Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
 * Queen Bee (1955) - Dr. Pearson (uncredited)
 * Ransom! (1956) - Coffee Drinking Bank Clerk (uncredited)
 * Francis in the Haunted House (1956) - Dr. Bentley (uncredited)
 * House of Numbers (1957) - Radio News Broadcaster (voice, uncredited)
 * The Notorious Mr. Monks (1958) - Court Clerk (uncredited)
 * The Lost Missile (1958) - TV Floor Director (uncredited)
 * North by Northwest (1959) - Assistant Auctioneer (uncredited)
 * -30- (1959) - Vince, the sports editor
 * Cash McCall (1960) - Joe (uncredited)
 * Toby Tyler (1960) - Audience Member obstructed by Toby (uncredited)
 * Hell Bent for Leather (1960) - Basto, the Bartender (uncredited)
 * Bells Are Ringing (1960) - Nervous Man (uncredited)
 * Bachelor in Paradise (1961) - Waiter (uncredited)
 * 13 West Street (1962) - Staff Member (uncredited)
 * Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) - Ticket Agent (uncredited)
 * Days of Wine and Roses (1962) - Elevator Operator (uncredited)
 * It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) - Henry Johnson (uncredited)
 * Sunday in New York (1963) - Man Getting on Bus Behind Eileen (uncredited)
 * Shock Treatment (1964) - Hugo Paige (uncredited)
 * Looking for Love (1964) - Photographer (uncredited)
 * John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (1965) - 2nd Editor (uncredited)
 * Girl Happy (1965) - 2nd Waiter at 77 Club (uncredited)
 * The Art of Love (1965) - Tourist (uncredited)
 * The Cincinnati Kid (1965) - Desk Clerk (uncredited)
 * The Swinger (1966) - A.D. TV Man (uncredited)
 * The Bubble (1966) - Watch Repairman
 * The Destructors (1968) - Mace
 * The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) - TV Reporter (uncredited)
 * The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970) - Train Conductor (uncredited)
 * Which Way to the Front? (1970) - Pentagon General (uncredited)
 * The Seven Minutes (1971) - Harvey Underwood
 * Fantastic Planet (1973) - Master Taj (English version, voice)
 * Willie Dynamite (1974) - Conventioneer arrested in Vice Raid (uncredited)
 * The Towering Inferno (1974) - Johnson
 * The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) - Rube Cluck
 * St. Ives (1976) - Station Man
 * The Shaggy D.A. (1976) - Bar Patron
 * Homicide (1991) - Crime Scene Technician (final film role)