Harry von Zell
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| Harry von Zell | |
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| Born | July 11, 1906 Indianapolis, Indiana  |
| Died | November 21, 1981 (aged 75) Woodland Hills, California  |
Harry von Zell (July 11, 1906 - November 21, 1981), born in Indianapolis, made his mark as an announcer of radio programs and an actor in films and television shows.
After his family moved to California, von Zell studied music and drama at UCLA and worked at a variety of jobs. After friends tricked him into singing on a radio program, he received offers from radio stations, and his radio career began. Auditioning for Paul Whiteman's radio show, he beat out 250 other announcers. When that series came to an end in 1930, he headed for New York and became a CBS staff announcer, working for Fred Allen, Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Eddy Duchin and Ed Wynn, and announcing for The March of Time.
As a young announcer, von Zell made a memorable verbal slip when he referred to U.S. President Herbert Hoover as "Hoobert Heever". This Spoonerism was made in 1931, as part of a live tribute on Hoover's birthday. It came at the end of a long reading of Hoover's career, during which von Zell had correctly pronounced the president's name several times. The incident did not occur during a broadcast at Hoover's presidential inauguration, as is often believed: That version was fabricated by Kermit Schaefer for his Pardon My Blooper album.
Von Zell developed into an excellent announcer; he delivered commercials persuasively and displayed a good sense of humor on the air. Radio comedians recognized von Zell's quick wit, and scripted dialogue routines were brightened by his ad-libbed interjections.
[edit] Films
In 1945, Harry von Zell began acting in films. He appeared in at least 28 features and in his own series of slapstick comedy shorts for Columbia Pictures (1946-50). The exposure he received from the Columbia comedies led to his being hired for the new Burns and Allen television show. Von Zell replaced the radio version's announcer, Bill Goodwin. Von Zell, appearing in character under his own name, played the befuddled friend of the Burns family and the show-within-a-show's announcer.
Von Zell delivered the commentary on Celebrity Golf, a series of half-hour nine-hole golf matches made in 1960 with Sam Snead taking on Hollywood celebrities at Los Angeles golf courses such as Woodland Hills and Lakeside Country Club. Those matches can now be viewed late nights on the Golf Channel.
In his later years he was a commercial spokesman for Los Angeles-based savings & loan Home Savings of America. In 1976 he was one of the many leading radio announcers who participated in a television special, The Good Old Days of Radio.
Harry von Zell died of cancer in 1981.
[edit] Trivia
- Von Zell engaged in a legendary fistfight at Ciro's nightclub in Hollywood in 1942 with MGM studio executive Bob Stevens over actress Margaret Lindsay.
