Gil Stratton
Gil Stratton | |
---|---|
Toluca Lake, California, U.S. | |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | St. Lawrence University |
Occupation(s) | Actor Sportscaster |
Years active | 1941–2003 |
Spouse | Dee Arlen (1961–2008) (his death) |
Children | 5[1] |
Website | [1] |
Gil Stratton Jr. (June 2, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an actor and sportscaster who was born in
Early life
Stratton was born June 2, 1922, in Brooklyn and attended Poly Prep. He later attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree, and starred as goalie of the SLU hockey team.[2]
Stage career
He first became interested in acting as a teenager. He debuted on Broadway at the age of 19 as Bud Hooper in the George Abbott musical Best Foot Forward. The musical ran from October 1, 1941, to July 4, 1942.[2][3]
Film career
As a result of Stratton's appearance in Best Foot Forward,
After completing Girl Crazy, he had a short film hiatus due to having enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps upon the US entry to World War II. He later noted that he ended up spending much of his service umpiring baseball. During this time he began umpiring for the Pacific Coast League (PCL). While umpiring in the PCL he began using the line, "time to call 'em as I see 'em."[2][5]
When Stratton completed his time with the Army, he returned to film, appearing in such features as Stalag 17 (1953) (as the narrator Cookie), a role in The Wild One (1953), and Bundle of Joy (1956). He starred in a total of 40 films during his film career, sharing the big screen with other notable actors such as Cary Grant, Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, and William Holden.[6]
Radio/television actor
In addition to acting in several films, Stratton began working as a radio actor in the late 1940s, performing in such shows as
In the 1950s, Stratton appeared in several episodes of
In the 1970s and 1980s he made occasional guest appearances on many television series, usually portraying a sports announcer.
Sportscasting career
Stratton was hired by Los Angeles television station
He also served as a sportscaster for California CBS AM radio station, KNX 1070, from 1967 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1997 and for KTTV for a time in the 70's and 80's.[8]
While working for CBS Sports in both television and radio, he covered the 1960 Summer Olympics from Rome. He also covered the NFL as "the voice" of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, and called Major League Baseball games, Kentucky Derbies, and feature races from Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar. He also covered many other sports, such as hockey, tennis, track and field and golf.[5][6]
MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann worked with Stratton at both KCBS/KNXT and at KNX 1070. He said of Stratton, "There aren't many renaissance men in any age, but Gil was one of them."[2] Stratton won five local Emmys during his television career, and was also awarded seven Golden Mike awards from the Radio-Television News Association.[6]
Retirement and later life
Stratton first retired from TV and radio in 1984, and traveled to the
Stratton died on October 11, 2008, at the age of 86.[7]
References
- ^ "Longtime L.A. sportscaster Gil Stratton dies". Los Angeles Daily News. Associated Press. October 13, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thurber, Jon (October 13, 2008). "Gil Stratton Dies; Longtime Sportscaster was also an Actor". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Gil Stratton, Jr., Performer". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ "Gil Stratton: Moving West to Moving Pictures". GilStratton.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-16.
- ^ a b "Gil Stratton: A Pioneer in Sports Broadcasting". GilStratton.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Iconic Sportscaster Gil Stratton Dead At 86". KCAL News. Archived from the original on 2008-10-16.
- ^ a b "Veteran sportscaster-actor Gil Stratton dead at 86". Reuters. October 13, 2008.
- ^ "Los Angeles Radio People, Where are They Now?". LARadio.com.