Valentine John Bettin (July 8, 1923 – January 7, 2021) was an American actor,[1] known for using an English accent in all of his roles. He is perhaps best known for voicing Dr. David Q. Dawson in the 1986 Disney animated film The Great Mouse Detective and the Sultan in The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, the two direct-to-video sequels to Disney's Aladdin as well as the TV show, taking over for Douglas Seale. Bettin also hosted The Storyteller, a children's show on Chicago television in the late 1950s.
Val Bettin | |
|---|---|
 Bettin in 1963 | |
| Born | Valentine John Bettin July 8, 1923 La Crosse, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2021 (aged 97) Ventura, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ivy Lawn Memorial Park |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953–2008 |
| Agent | CESD Talent Agency |
| Spouse | Hildy Pender (m. 1950; died 2007) |
Early life and career
editHe was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on July 8, 1923.[2] In 1948, he went to England to enroll in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated in 1950. There he met his wife Hildy in 1950, and the two married that same year. They returned to the United States in order for him to become a drama teacher in Iowa.[3]
Bettin's first film role was in 1980's Somewhere in Time. He later became a voice actor, with his first role as Dr. David Q. Dawson in the 1986 Disney film The Great Mouse Detective. His credits included Shrek, Gargoyles, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series and W.I.T.C.H..
Personal life
editHe married Hildy Pender, from Manchester, England, in 1950. She died in Ventura, California on August 16, 2007, at the age of 82.[4]
Bettin died of natural causes in Ventura on January 7, 2021, at the age of 97.[5] He was buried at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park on 3 March.[6]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Somewhere in Time | Director, in 1912 | |
| 1983 | The Man Who Wasn't There | Monocle | |
| The Young Landlords | Mr. Bender | TV film | |
| 1986 | Triplecross | Winslow | TV film |
| The Great Mouse Detective | Dr. David Q. Dawson/Thug Guard | Voice role | |
| 1990 | Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase | Playwright | TV film |
| 1994 | Aladdin: The Return of Jafar | The Sultan | Voice role, direct-to-video |
| 1995 | The Greatest Treasure | ||
| Jasmine's Wish | |||
| 1996 | True Hearts | ||
| Magic and Mystery | |||
| Aladdin and the King of Thieves | |||
| Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story | Mr. Breen | ||
| 2001 | Shrek | Bishop | Voice role; final film role |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour | Additional voices | Episode: "Who's Minding the Brat?", voice role |
| 1987 | Disneyland | Dr. Allworth | Episode: "Young Harry Houdini" |
| 1988 | Webster | Edwin | Episode: "Nerds Are People Too" |
| 1992 | Great Scott! | Pythagorean | Episode: "Hair Scare" |
| 1994-1995 | Aladdin | Sultan | Series regular, voice role |
| 1995 | American Masters | John Latrobe | Episode: "Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul" |
| 1996 | Mighty Ducks | Sarks | Episode: "Mondo-Man", voice role |
| Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles | Egon Pax | Episode: "To Serve Mankind", voice role | |
| 1997 | Pepper Ann | Sanford I. Paper | Episode: "The Big Pencil/Sani-Paper", voice role |
| 1998 | Hercules | King Tivius | Episode: "Hercules and the Jilt Trip", voice role |
| 2005 | W.I.T.C.H. | Herbert Olsen | Episode: "The Mogriffs", voice role |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Zork: Grand Inquisitor | Sneffle / Flickering Torch | |
| 1999 | Tarzan | Professor Porter | |
| 1999 | Disney's Activity Center: Tarzan | Professor Porter | |
| 2000 | Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge | Sultan |
Audiobooks
edit- Quest for Camelot Audio Action-Adventure (1998) - Narrator
References
edit- ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (September 21, 2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. pp. 239–. ISBN 9780786462711. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
- ^ Valentine John Bettin in the U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947
- ^ McMullen, Kieran (2012). The Many Watsons. MX Publishing. ISBN 978-1780923031.
- ^ Hildy Bettin obituary
- ^ Valentine John Bettin, 1923–2021
- ^ "Valentine John Bettin". Find a Loved One - Ivy Lawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home. Retrieved November 12, 2021.