Mark Elliott (1939-2021) was a voice artist heard primarily in movie trailers and TV promos. In contrast to the more stentorian announcers such as William Woodson and Don Pardo, Elliott's higher pitch usually lent itself to a lighter, more chipper delivery typified by his decades long association with The Walt Disney Company. He was heard in trailers and promos for several Muppet projects, beginning with the original theatrical trailers for The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper. As part of his Disney work, he announced the trailers for The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. On TV, he narrated The Making of The Muppet Christmas Carol and announced for the 2004 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, co-hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Born John Harrison Frick Jr., Elliott began his career in 1957 as a radio personality and disc jockey, using multiple names across different markets before finally settling on Mark Elliott. He moved to voice-overs in 1977, announcing the trailer for Smokey and the Bandit followed by a series of radio spots for Star Wars and The Goodbye Girl trailer. While Elliott continued to do other trailers (Chariots of Fire) and promos (for the finale of M*A*S*H), his Disney work lasted longest, from trailers for theatrical re-issues to the signature voice on The Magical World of Disney and commercials for the theme parks. For home video, he did "coming soon" promos, intoned "and now our feature presentation," and narrated bonus features or behind the scenes segments.
Elliott voiced a spoof TV promo in Scrooged and appeared on camera in the 2013 film In a World... (with Rob Corddry), playing himself in segments discussing the legacy of fellow trailer voice Don LaFontaine.
Trailers[]
- The Muppet Movie
- The Great Muppet Caper (theatrical and TV spot)
- Follow That Bird (TV spot)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Muppet Treasure Island
External links[]
- Obituary. Hollywood Reporter. April 5, 2021.
- YouTube playlist of trailers and promos, including Muppet spots