Purv Pullen

Almy Purves "Purv" Pullen (February 2, 1909 – October 18, 1992), later known by the stage name Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath (or simply Dr. Birdbath), was an American voice actor. He was known for mimicking the sounds of animals and birds. He incorporated bird-calls into his first job as a disc jockey in Akron, and at other radio stations. Pullen's vocal contributions appear in many cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Popeye. Pullen was also the voice of the howling coyote in Cecil B. DeMille's 1935 film The Crusades, and the squawks and jungle sounds for Martin Denny's 1959 pop instrumental "Quiet Village".

In 1945, Pullen began a collaboration with Spike Jones, providing sound effects and other comic gimmicks on many of the classic Jones recordings. Jones gave Pullen the stage name "Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath."

Pullen also appeared in nightclubs as a ventriloquist with a dummy named Johnny.

Personal life Pullen was a longtime resident of Vacaville, California, where he performed puppet shows at the Nut Tree in the 1970s and 1980s and where he appeared with "Roscoe the Dog," a supposedly invisible dog puppeted by means of a stiffened dog leash.