Larry Thor (August 27, 1916 – March 15, 1976) was a radio newscaster and announcer, an actor in film and radio, and a university professor. He "was noted for his distinctive voice ... his rich resonant tones."[3]
Larry Thor | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Thor in The Fast and the Furious (1954) | |
| Born | Arnleifur Lawrence Thorsteinson[1] August 27, 1916[citation needed] |
| Died | March 16, 1976 (aged 59) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–1974 |
| Spouse(s) | Leona Finnie Jean Howell (1956) |
Early professional life
editA native of Lundar, Manitoba, Canada, Thor was a soldier, a construction worker, a farmer, and a rancher before he went into broadcasting. His first experience in radio came in 1937[4] as an unpaid singer at CFAR in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. He soon became the writer for CFAR, a job he held for three years. From there he went to CKGB in Timmins as an announcer. Later, he moved to CKCL in Toronto as a newscaster.[1] In 1946, he moved to the United States, joining the staff of KFAC in Los Angeles.[4] Following that, Thor worked at KMPC, in Hollywood, California, as a newscaster[5] and writer.[6] In 1948, he left KMPC and went to KNX in Hollywood as an announcer.[7] From 1964 to 1967 he was the radio announcer on the TV program Gilligan's Island, and appeared as himself on S02 Episode 04 Smile, You're on Mars Camera.
Radio drama
editThor's involvement with drama on radio began in Canada. In addition to his work as an announcer (noted above), he began his own company, Peak Radio Ltd., which produced radio dramas.[4] During Thor's time on American network radio, he was an announcer for Green Lama,[8] Rocky Jordan,[9] and Suspense.[10] He was perhaps best known for starring in Broadway Is My Beat, playing Detective Danny Clover.[9] He also was the announcer on the syndicated radio program, The Clyde Beatty Show.[8]
Recordings
editIn 1964, Thor recorded a 12-song album for children.[3] Galloping on My Dinosaur was released on the Harmony label.[11] Thor also wrote the music and lyrics for the songs in the album.[4]
Writing
editThor wrote his first script for an episode of Suspense. "The Man Who Cried Wolf" was broadcast February 9, 1953.[10] He went on to write scripts for episodes of This is our Heritage, Fantasy of Fact, The Record Collectors, and Hallmark Hall of Fame. He also wrote four books.[4]
Teaching
editThor began teaching in the screenwriting program at the University of California, Los Angeles, in January 1968, offering "a special course for the advanced writers."[4] He continued to teach there, enhancing his courses with "many professional actors, producers and writers who were brought into his class as guest lecturers" until he died in 1976.[4]
Family
editWhile still in Canada, Thor married the former Leona Finnie of Winnipeg[1] when he was 21. They had four children.[3] In 1956, Thor married Jean Howell, an actress and writer.[4] She divorced him after four months.[12]
Filmography
editThor had roles in 29 feature films, as shown in the table below.[13]
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pride of St. Louis | 1952 | St. Louis Home Games Announcer | Uncredited |
| The Mississippi Gambler | 1953 | Captain | Uncredited |
| The Roar of the Crowd | 1953 | Announcer | Uncredited |
| The Kid from Left Field | 1953 | First Announcer | Uncredited |
| The Fast and the Furious | 1955 | Detective Sergeant | |
| Five Guns West | 1955 | Confederate Captain | |
| Portland Exposé | 1957 | Captain Vincent | Uncredited |
| Hell Bound | 1957 | Doctor | Uncredited |
| The Amazing Colossal Man | 1957 | Major Eric Coulter, MD | |
| Zero Hour! | 1957 | Vancouver Radio Dispatcher | |
| The True Story of Lynn Stuart | 1958 | Police Sergeant | Uncredited |
| Machine-Gun Kelly | 1958 | Detective Drummond | |
| The Littlest Hobo | 1958 | Police Captain | |
| The Hunters | 1958 | Captain Owynby | Uncredited |
| The Gun Runners | 1958 | Captain | Uncredited |
| Tarawa Beachhead | 1958 | Colonel Kempler | |
| A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed | 1958 | Detective | Uncredited |
| Gunmen from Laredo | 1959 | Captain Garrick | Uncredited |
| Holiday for Lovers | 1959 | Captain | Uncredited |
| Battle of the Coral Sea | 1959 | Army Major | Uncredited |
| Wake Me When It's Over | 1960 | TV Broadcaster | Uncredited |
| Let's Make Love | 1960 | Wilson | Uncredited |
| Spartacus | 1960 | Staff Officer | Uncredited |
| Where the Boys Are | 1960 | Doctor | Uncredited |
| Bachelor Flat | 1961 | Officer in Sheriff's Office | Uncredited |
| Company of Killers | 1970 | Clarington | |
| Tora! Tora! Tora! | 1970 | Major General Frederick L. Martin | Uncredited |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | 1970 | Tock the Watchdog | Voice |
| Night Games | 1974 | Court Reporter | (final film role) |
Selected Television Appearances
edit- Perry Mason (1957-1963) (2 episodes)
- (Season 1 Episode 5: "The Case of the Sulky Girl") (1957) as Police Surgeon
- (Season 6 Episode 28: "The Case of the Witless Witness") (1963) as Commentator
- Sea Hunt (1958) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Female of the Species") as Pete Zawicki
- Wagon Train (1958) (Season 1 Episode 28: "The Sally Potter Story") as Sergeant Hood
- Rawhide (1959) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Incident of the Judas Trap") as Brown
- The Rifleman (1962) (Season 4 Episode 24: "Tinhorn") as Jesse Phillips
- The Andy Griffith Show (1964) (Season 5 Episode 2: "Barney's Physical") as Mr. Bronson
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Crimson Witness") as Detective Haskel
- The Munsters (1965) (Season 1 Episode 18: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up") as Second Man
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966) (Season 3 Episode 7: "The Thor Affair") as Announcer
- The Mod Squad (1968) (Season 1 Episode 1: "The Teeth of the Barracuda") as Doctor
References
edit- ^ a b c Hammerston, Claude (March 1, 1950). "Drama And Music On CBS". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Eder, Bruce (2014). "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Larry Thor". Icelandic National League of North America. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Larry Thor, Theater Arts: Los Angeles". calisphere. University of California. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Zhito, Lee (April 1, 1950). "FCC Witnesses Press Bias Charges Against Richards; New Delay, Till Fall Looms". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Roberts, Lynn (March 16, 1947). "News as You Want It" (PDF). Radio Life. 15 (2): 6. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "Production" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 31, 1948. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. pp. 139, 277.
- ^ a b Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. pp. 120, 582.
- ^ a b Young, Kathryn (March 1953). "C.B.S. Notes" (PDF). WIBW Round-Up. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard. September 19, 1964. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "Television Actress Divorces Husband". The Florence Times. July 6, 1956. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ "Larry Thor: Complete Filmography". TCM. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
External links
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