Allen, like Carney, began his career in radio. In 1937–1938
WINS (AM) hired him as a
disc jockey. He was the voice of various New York-based
children's television show characters, appearing on
Winky Dink and You as Mr. Bungle for five years, and playing Phineas T. Bluster, Flub-a-Dub, and various other puppet characters on
Howdy Doody (as well as several "live" characters, including Ugly Sam and Pierre the Chef) for four years. Dayton was also the voice of
Deputy Dawg,
Heckle and Jeckle,
Luno, and many early 1960s
Terrytoons cartoon characters. Allen also provided the voice of the title character on
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. He continued to be a voiceover performer through the 1990s. He was best known as the "Why Not?" man when he joined the cast of the NBC Sunday night variety show that Allen began hosting to compete against
Ed Sullivan on
CBS. The catchphrase began as a stalling
ad-lib to an interview question, then it caught on. Allen used it for television commercials and saw novelty toys, a book, and a record spin-off from the "Why not?" phenomenon. In its day, fans were shouting "Why not?" as often as
Mad Magazine's famous "What? Me Worry?" A classic example of Allen's humor comes from an August 1968 appearance on
The Steve Allen Show, syndicated nationally in the US by Filmways: "Did you know your mind alone can make you smart?"
Why Not was also an album he recorded in 1960, that peaked at No. 35 on the
Billboard Top LPs, in a week stay on the chart. His brother,
Bradley Bolke, was also a voice actor, best known as the voice of Chumley (Tennessee Tuxedo's walrus sidekick) on
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, and the syndicated version of
The Underdog Show. Allen's talents as a mimic were showcased in October 1963 when he appeared alongside
Groucho Marx on the CBS-TV game show ''
I've Got a Secret''. The show’s panelists had been blindfolded, and all their questions to Groucho were answered instead by Allen doing an accurate Groucho impersonation. Finally, with panelists
Bess Myerson,
Betsy Palmer,
Henry Morgan, and
Bill Cullen all stumped, the secret was revealed. After his show business career ended, Allen was a real estate agent, operating out of an office in
Dobbs Ferry, New York. ==Death==