Not Quite 100, Art Gilmore passes away

[jon]

Other than host Robert Osborne, Art Gilmore is arguably the most heard voice on Turner Classic Movies. Due to the hundreds of movie trailers he voiced, as well as the many Joe Doakes shorts he narrated. Art died last Saturday at age 98 in Irvine, California.

I knew about his work as an announcer at KFWB Radio in Los Angeles in the mid-'30s, quickly moving to network announcer, including popular shows like Amos and Andy. He was later Red Skelton's announcer on television. But, what I just discovered is where he started. At KWSC in Pullman, Washington, when he was a student at Washington State College (WSC). Then moving on to KOL in Seattle. Long before it was the Top 40 station that I loved listening to for so many years.

I've talked about Art before here, but I'm not sure if I mentioned that I wrote TCM a letter early this year suggesting they interview Art "before it is too late". Based on their lack of response, and no trace of a feature on air, I suspect they missed the opportunity. Art had been still going strong relatively recently, appearing at cast reunions for some of the TV series he appeared in or narrated. One that caught me by surprise in his Variety obit was Mary Tyler Moore. A quick check of imdb.com, however, says he was only in one episode, 1973's Put on a Happy Face, as Norman Keller.

Art was born March 18, 1912 in Tacoma, Washington. His last credited work was in 2001 in the live action movie Moonbeams, where he gets third billing, as the voice of the Moon.

Update: just found a very nice tribute by Leonard Maltin, the king of film reviews:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmalti ... is_stilled