As a lot of Flintstones fans will know, today is the birthday of the one and only Fred Flintstone. I've made a post before covering some of the many actors who have voiced the character, but what about the men who almost portrayed him?
Around sixty or so actors auditioned for The Flintstones. Of that group, we know of three that were considered for Fred before the role went to the great Alan Reed. I'll be going through all of them today, starting with the king of Hanna-Barbera voiceovers, Daws Butler.
Daws voiced both Fred and Barney in the pitch film, The Flagstones. His performance as both characters is good, but nothing particularly special when compared to his other roles. That being said, this was a pilot, so who knows how he'd have sounded in the actual series. Daws would not voice either character when the show was picked up, supposedly because Joe Barbera felt the studio was stretching him too thin. Despite that, he'd go on to voice the occasional side character in the series, and famously filled in for Mel Blanc as Barney after his near-fatal crash.
For a time, the role was nearly George O'Hanlon's. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because he would later voice George Jetson in The Jetsons. He had sent out a tape that Joe Barbera enjoyed, but there was one small problem: the network didn't, forcing Barbera to continue his search. Though O'Hanlon didn't get the role, Barbera kept him in mind and soon called on him for The Jetsons. O'Hanlon would also contribute to The Flintstones' later seasons as a writer.
Though I love George O'Hanlon and his work, I have to go with the executives on this one. O'Hanlon's voice worked perfectly for someone like George Jetson, but he lacks the gruffness that Fred Flintstone needs. Funnily enough, that was the exact reason Bill Thompson was booted from the role. For a short time, Touche Turtle himself was going to play Fred Flintstone. He had recorded five episodes before being sacked. Hal Smith, the original voice of Barney, was thrown out with him.
After a lengthy search, Alan Reed was finally chosen to play Fred Flintstone. Reed hadn't done much in the way of animation at the time (though he did contribute to Disney's Lady and the Tramp, which also featured Bill Thompson), but his voice had the grittiness Joe was looking for. Reed also chose to play the character straight, which I imagine put him above others auditioning for the role. And just like that, history had been made, and I don't think anyone can imagine anybody else voicing Mr. Flintstone.
