Don Wilson | |
|---|---|
 Wilson in 1949 | |
| Born | (1900-09-01)September 1, 1900 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 1982(1982-04-25) (aged 81) |
| Years active | 1935–1966 |
| Known for | The Jack Benny Program |
| Spouses | |
Don Wilson (September 1, 1900 – April 25, 1982) was an Americanannouncer and actor inradio and television, with aFalstaffian vocal presence, remembered best as the rotund announcer and comic foil to the star ofThe Jack Benny Program.
Wilson played football for theUniversity of Colorado in the 1920s. For his size he was an excellent sportsman, and was an excellent amateur golfer, teaming up with fellow NBC announcerBud Stevens to win many matches in Southern California.
Wilson began his radio career as a singer overDenver radio station KFEL in 1923.[2] By 1929, he was working at KFI, and shortly afterwards forDon Lee at KHJ, inLos Angeles. In a 1978 appearance onTomorrow with Tom Snyder, Wilson claimed he was fired from KHJ because he had bought aPackard fromEarle C. Anthony, the business arch-rival ofCadillac dealer Don Lee and owner of KFI and KECA.[3]
Though best known for his comedy work with Benny, Wilson had a background as asportscaster, covering the opening of the1932 Summer Olympics as well ascollege football games forNBC Radio. He appeared in two Broadway shows in the 1930s:The Passionate Pilgrim, which opened October 19, 1932, andThe First Legion, which opened October 1, 1934.[4] Wilson first worked with Benny on the broadcast of April 6, 1934, concurrent with a short stint as announcer onGeorge Gershwin's series,Music by Gershwin. At 6 feet (1.83 m) and 300 pounds (140 kg), Wilson possessed a resonant voice, a deep belly laugh, and a plump figure, all of which would become important parts of his character with Benny. Though Wilson's primary function as announcer was to read the opening and the commercial pitches – notably forJell-O,Grape-Nuts, andLucky Strike – his importance to the program was serving as both feed and foil to Jack and other cast members. A recurring goal was his effort to get the Sportsmen Quartet singing commercials approved by Benny.
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 columnistDrew Pearson, but Wilson read the name as "Drear Pewson". 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, Drear Pewson?," to sustained laughter and applause.
Wilson also served stints as announcer forradio comedy or variety shows starringAlan Young,[5]Bing Crosby,Ginny Simms, andFanny Brice's comedy hitBaby Snooks. In 1946, Don Wilson was a regular on the daytime comedyGlamour Manor, opposite formerJack Benny Program regularKenny Baker.
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 inBuck Benny Rides Again (1940) and voicing a caricature of himself inThe Mouse that Jack Built, a 1959Warner Brothers spoof ofThe Jack Benny Program directed byRobert McKimson. Wilson appeared in the Broadway showMake a Million, which opened on October 23, 1958.[4]
In 1959, Wilson appeared as a flim-flam preacher in the episode, "Gates Ajar Morgan", on thesyndicatedanthology series,Death Valley Days, hosted byStanley Andrews. In the story line, Morgan promotes a false religious philosophy based on the novelThe Gates Ajar. He must confess the sham to save his friend and benefactor from a lynch mob. The episode also featuresChris Alcaide andSue Randall.[6]
His other film roles included small appearances as announcers or commentators in several films, providing narration forWalt Disney'sAcademy Award nominated shortFerdinand the Bull, and a credited appearance as Mr. Kettering oppositeMarilyn Monroe inNiagara. His role in the filmVillage 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 theWestern 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 1960sBatman as newscaster Walter Klondike (spoofingWalter Cronkite). Wilson would continue to appear on talk-shows throughout his life whenever a program would salute Jack Benny or talk aboutold-time radio.
Wilson was married four times. His second wife was Peggy Ann Kent, daughter of20th Century Fox President Sidney R. Kent. They were married November 19, 1940 and divorced in December, 1942.[9] The same month the divorce was final, Wilson married Polish countess Marusia Radunska. This marriage ended in divorce in 1949.[10] Wilson finally found a lasting partnership with fourth wife, radio actress Lois Corbett (who occasionally appeared as "Mrs. Wilson" on Benny's later radio and TV shows). Together they hosted a localPalm Springs, California television showTown Talk from 1968 until the mid-1970s.[2]
Wilson and his wife lived in Palm Springs after his retirement.[11][12] He died of a stroke in hisCathedral City, California home in April 1982.[1]
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