Laurie Main
Laurence George "Laurie" Main (29 November 1922 – 8 February 2012) was an Australian actor best known for hosting and narrating the children's series Welcome to Pooh Corner, which aired on The Disney Channel during the 1980s.
Laurie Main  | |
|---|---|
![]() Photo by Harry Langdon  | |
| Born | Laurence George Main 29 November 1922 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia  | 
| Died | 8 February 2012 (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S.  | 
| Occupation | Actor | 
| Years active | 1953–2003 | 
Born in Melbourne, Main moved to the UK at the age of 16, making his acting debut in The Yellow Balloon.[1][2] He emigrated to the United States in 1960, studying with Agnes Moorehead.[3]
His television and film guest appearances include Wagon Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, I Spy, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, The Andy Griffith Show, The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, That Girl, Ironside, The Monkees, Hogan's Heroes, Mayberry R.F.D., The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Daniel Boone, Family Affair, Bewitched, The Partridge Family, McMillan & Wife, Land of the Lost, Little House on the Prairie, Punky Brewster and Murder, She Wrote.[4][1] Main also appeared in The Facts of Life Goes to Paris in 1982.[1]
His stage work included The Diary of a Nobody (1954/5) and Waltz of the Toreadors (1956) in London's West End; and he made several appearances on Broadway.[5][6][7]
He also appeared on many television commercials.
Main also did considerable voice work for Disney, having supplied the voice of Dr. Watson in the 1986 animated film The Great Mouse Detective.[8] He also narrated the animated shorts Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons (1981) and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983), as well as serving as the story reader on many Disney Read-Along records, audio cassettes and compact discs.[9]
Main died on 8 February 2012 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 89.[3]
Filmography
    
- The Yellow Balloon (1953) as Bibulous Customer
 - The Master Plan (1955) as Johnny Orwell
 - Shop Spoiled (1954) as Coffee Stall Customer
 - Delavine Affair (1954) as Summit
 - The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956, TV Series) as Cook
 - The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1958, TV Series) as Cecil Meadows
 - The Whole Truth (1958) as Party Guest
 - Fair Game (1958, TV Series) as George Square
 - Sunday Night Theatre (1958-1959, TV Series) as Mihaly Farkas / Father Looe
 - Dow Hour of Great Mysteries (1960, TV Series) as Connors
 - Shirley Temple Theatre (1960, TV Series) as Archbishop of Canterbury
 - The DuPont Show of the Month (1960, TV Series)
 - Maverick (1960-1961, TV Series) as Crimmins / Marquis of Bognor
 - Vanity Fair (1961, TV Series)
 - Bachelor Father (1961, TV Series) as Beechim
 - Wagon Train (1961, TV Series) as Father Francis Xavier Sweeney
 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961, TV Series) as Wilkins
 - Play of the Week (1961, TV Series) as Roger Compton
 - Jane Eyre (1961, TV Movie) as St. John Rivers
 - Great Ghost Tales (1961, TV Series) as Sir Robert Tyne
 - Alcoa Premiere (1961, TV Series) as Sergeant Hadley
 - Ichabod and Me (1961, TV Series) as Arthur Barnsdall
 - The Dick Powell Theatre (1961, TV Series) as Harold Elrod
 - Hawaiian Eye (1962, TV Series) as Sir Wilfrid
 - The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor (1962, TV series) as Colonel Driscoll
 - The Phantom of the Opera (1962) as Forbes (uncredited)
 - The Punch and Judy Man (1963) as 2nd Drunk
 - The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963) as Carruthers (uncredited)
 - The DuPont Show of the Week (1963, TV Series) as J.T. Cooper
 - The Third Man (1963-1965, TV Series) as Dennis Nesbit
 - Daniel Boone (1964, tv show) as Benjamin Franklin
 - The Jack Benny Program (1964, TV Series) as Dr. Granger
 - I'd Rather Be Rich (1964) as Harrison
 - My Fair Lady (1964) as Hoxton Man Not Hoston (uncredited)
 - Honey West (1965, TV Series) as Antoine
 - Munster, Go Home! (1966) as Minor Role (uncredited)
 - I Spy (1966, TV Series) as Luchesi
 - The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966, TV Series) as Shah Karum
 - Hogan's Heroes (1966-1969, TV Series) as Air Marshal Woodhouse / Colonel Wembley / Major Shawcross / Col. Franz
 - Get Smart (1967, TV Series) as Dr. Ramsey
 - The Scorpio Letters (1967, TV Movie) as Tyson
 - The Andy Griffith Show (1967, TV Series) as Robling Flask
 - The Iron Horse (1967, TV Series) as Father Jean Louis
 - That Girl (1967, TV Series) as Grimsley / Maitre D'
 - Bewitched (1967-1971, TV series) as Tour Guide / Guide / Francis
 - The Guns of Will Sonnett (1968, TV Series) as Judge
 - Ironside (1968, TV Series) as Harris
 - The Monkees (1968, TV Series) as Mr. Friar
 - Family Affair (1968-1970, TV Series) as Mr. Edgemont / Passenger / Mr. Smyser
 - Target: Harry (1969) as Simon Scott
 - Mayberry R.F.D. (1969, TV Series) as Thornton Avery
 - The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1970, TV Series) as Nero
 - Daniel Boone (1965-1970, TV Series) as Stinch / Sir Samuel Peacham / Benjamin Franklin
 - On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) as Lord Percy
 - Darling Lili (1970) as French General
 - Night Chase (1970, TV Movie) as Tout
 - Cat Ballou (1971, TV Movie) as Land Developer
 - The Doris Day Show (1971, TV Series) as Father Kingsley
 - Private Parts (1972) as Reverend Moon
 - The Partridge Family (1972, TV Series) as Frederic La Forge
 - McMillan & Wife (1973, TV Series) as Alfie
 - The Strongest Man in the World (1975) as Mr. Reedy
 - My Father's House (1975, TV Movie) as Food Editor
 - Land of the Lost (1976, TV Series) as William Blandings
 - Freaky Friday (1976) as Mr. Mills
 - Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) as Duval
 - Five Weeks in a Balloon (1977, TV Movie) (voice)
 - Black Beauty (1978, TV movie) as Farmer Grey / Squire Douglas Gordon / Pipe Smoking Stable Owner (voice)
 - Time After Time (1979) as Inspector Gregson
 - ABC Weekend Specials (1979, TV Series) as Reggie
 - The Competition (1980) as Judge Wyeth
 - CBS Children's Mystery Theatre (1980, TV Series) as Dr. Watson
 - Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981) as Club Member (voice)
 - Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons (1981, Short) as Narrator (voice)
 - Little House on the Prairie (1981, TV Series) as Major Guffey
 - The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982, TV Movie) as Reggie
 - Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983, Short) as Narrator (voice)
 - Casablanca (1983, TV Series) as Wilf Parker
 - Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983, TV Series) (voice)
 - Monchhichis (1983, TV series) (voice)
 - Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984) as Narrator
 - Dumbo's Circus (1985, TV Series) (voice)
 - My Chauffeur (1986) as Jenkins
 - The Great Mouse Detective (1986) as Dr. Watson (archive sound)
 - Punky Brewster (1988, TV series) as Announcer
 - The New Yogi Bear Show (1988, TV series) (voice)
 - Wicked Stepmother (1989) as Client
 - Paddington Bear (1989-1990, TV Series) (voice)
 - Rover Dangerfield (1991) (voice)
 - Murder, She Wrote (1992, TV Series) as Man
 - Mom and Dad Save the World (1992) as Chorus Master
 - Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) as Wedding Guest
 - The Thief and the Cobbler (1993) as The Brigand
 - Piglet's Big Game (2003) as the Narrator
 
References
    
- "Laurie Main, Narrator on TV's 'Welcome to Pooh Corner,' Dies at 89 | Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 February 2012.
 - "Laurie Main | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
 - "Actor Laurie Main dies at 89". Variety. 15 February 2012.
 - "Laurie Main". aveleyman.com.
 - Wearing, J. P. (16 September 2014). The London Stage 1950-1959: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810893085 – via Google Books.
 - "Production of The Waltz of the Toreadors | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
 - "Laurie Main – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". ibdb.com.
 - "Laurie Main". BFI.
 - Minovitz, Ethan (16 February 2012). "Disney actor and narrator Laurie Main dead at 89". Big Cartoon News. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
 
3. Demetria Fulton previewed Main on The Facts of Life; episode titled, "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris “(09/25/1982).
External links
    
- Laurie Main at IMDb
 - Laurie Main at the Internet Broadway Database
 - Laurie Main at the TCM Movie Database
 
