Don Wilson (announcer)
Don Wilson | |
---|---|
Born | Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. | September 1, 1900
Died | April 25, 1982 | (aged 81)
Years active | 1935–1966 |
Known for | The Jack Benny Program |
Spouses | Lucy Jane Masterson
(m. 1927; div. 1940)Peggy Ann Kent
(m. 1940; div. 1942)Marusia Radunska
(m. 1942; div. 1949)Lois Corbett (m. 1950) |
Don Wilson (September 1, 1900 – April 25, 1982) was an American
Early life
Wilson played football for the University of Colorado in the 1920s. For his size he was an excellent sportsman, and was an excellent amateur golfer, teaming up with fellow NBC announcer Bud Stevens to win many matches in Southern California.
Wilson began his radio career as a singer over Denver radio station KFEL in 1923.[2] By 1929, he was working at KFI, and shortly afterwards for Don Lee at KHJ, in Los Angeles. In a 1978 appearance on Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, Wilson claimed he was fired from KHJ because he had bought a Packard from Earle C. Anthony, the business arch-rival of Cadillac dealer Don Lee and owner of KFI and KECA.[3]
Career
Though best known for his comedy work with Benny, Wilson had a background as a
On radio in particular, Wilson's girth could be exploited, both in jokes by Benny and in audio gags, such as the amount of time it took a railroad porter to brush the soot off of Don following a train trip, or to measure charging him by the pound.
Wilson rarely flubbed his lines. His most famous incident occurred on the January 8, 1950 broadcast. The script called for him to refer to columnist Drew Pearson, but Wilson read the name as "Dreer Pooson". Later on in the broadcast, during a murder-mystery skit, Frank Nelson was instructed – without Jack Benny's knowledge – to take advantage of the situation. Benny asked Nelson, "Pardon me, are you the doorman?" and Nelson, in his customary sarcastic manner, came back with: "Well who do you think I am, Dreer Pooson?," to sustained laughter and applause.
Wilson also served stints as announcer for
Wilson accompanied Benny into television in 1950, remaining with him through the end of the series in 1965. On television, the fat jokes were toned down only slightly, mostly because the real Wilson was not as impossibly large as the radio Wilson was described. These appearances also often involved the fictional character of Don's equally hefty, aspiring announcer son, Harlow (played by Dale White). Wilson co-starred with Benny in
In 1959, Wilson appeared as a flim-flam preacher in the episode, "Gates Ajar Morgan", on the
His other film roles included small appearances as announcers or commentators in several films, providing narration for Walt Disney's Academy Award nominated short Ferdinand the Bull, and a credited appearance as Mr. Kettering opposite Marilyn Monroe in Niagara. His role in the film Village Barn Dance was acclaimed by a review that said, "Surprise performance was that of Don Wilson ... who steals the show with his portrayal of a good-humored, grinning radio announcer."[7]
Wilson did frequent commercials and appeared in the Western Union Candygram commercials as their spokesman from 1969 through 1971. Those who recall the commercial remember him blaring out "Just tell them I want to send a Candygram."[8]
His final on-camera appearance in a series was in two episodes of the 1960s
Personal life
Wilson was married four times. His second wife was Peggy Ann Kent, daughter of
Death
Wilson and his wife lived in Palm Springs after his retirement.[11][12] He died of a stroke in his Cathedral City, California home in April 1982.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Don Wilson, 81, Announcer Who Was Jack Benny's Foil". The New York Times. April 27, 1982.
- ^ a b "Don Wilson Beaming Over Desert TV", Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1975.
- ^ Tomorrow with Tom Snyder. April 4, 1978.
- ^ a b "Donald Wilson – Broadway Cast & Staff". IBDB. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- ^ "Gates Ajar Morgan on Death Valley Days". IMDb. October 5, 1966. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "This Week on the Screen" (PDF). Movie and Radio Guide. 9 (21): 30. March 2, 1940. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Western Union, Don Wilson, Candy Gram, Mother's Day". YouTube.
- ^ "Wife Divorces Don Wilson; Charges Extreme Cruelty". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. December 4, 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "Don Wilson's Wife Says Television Broke Up Marriage". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 18, 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "Palm Springs Home To Radio Veterans". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 18, 1974. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-4793-2859-8.
Sources
- Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3
External links
- Don Wilson at IMDb