Bill Forman (radio)

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For the baseball player, see Bill Forman (baseball).

Bill Forman (1915 – 1966) was an American radio announcer and actor. He was best known for his work as the title character on The Whistler.[1]

Early life[edit]

Forman was born Raymond L. Forman on May 26, 1915 in Mount Vernon, New York. His father was a Methodist minister. He attended Wesleyan University, where he majored in English and theatre.[2] John Golden discovered him and cast him in a play in New York. Forman later reported having been in six flop plays that year.[2][3][4]

Career[edit]

Forman worked for WHBC in Canton, Ohio and then for WGAR in Cleveland, Ohio before he moved to Los Angeles to work at KMPC, where he succeeded Lou Huston, in 1942.[5][6][2] During his career, Forman was known as the "dean" and for his many accents on Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge.[7]

Forman appeared on The Whistler starting in 1941.[2][8] He once stated he never missed a broadcast.[9] According to a 1990 newspaper article, he did not provide the whistling of his character.[10] He starred in the television adaptation of The Whistler which aired for one season beginning in 1954.[11][12][13]

Forman also announced and narrated for various radio shows. He was the narrator on the Zane Grey Show[14] and the announcer on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show; its predecessor, The Fitch Bandwagon;[15] Richard Diamond, Private Detective;[16] The Charlie McCarthy Show;[17] and The Tony Martin Show.[18][19]

In addition to his work on broadcast and radio, Forman contributed vocal work to several films, including Wilbur the Lion (1947)[20] and The Pride of St. Louis (1952).[21]

Personal life and death[edit]

Forman was inducted into the military at Fort MacArthur in 1945.[22][23]

Forman was married and had three children. He enjoyed golf, cooking, and Sherlock Holmes stories and films.[2][24][3] Forman was a friend of Frank Lovejoy.[25]

He died on April 25, 1966.[26][4][27][28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Old timers being heard again". The Wichita Beacon. 1973-04-27. p. 27. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Star of 'The Whistler' on job 13 years". The Times. 1955-02-27. p. 55. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  3. ^ a b Kelsay, Bill (1956-07-20). "The Whistler revealed" (PDF). TV-Radio Life.
  4. ^ a b "Raymond Forman". The Californian. 1966-04-28. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  5. ^ "Radio: Payroll Traffic". Variety. Vol. 138, no. 12. May 29, 1940. p. 35.
  6. ^ "Behind the mike". Broadcasting, Broadcast Advertising. Mar 2, 1942. 22, 9. p. 36. Via Proquest.
  7. ^ "Music Records: Kay Kyser, Popular Bandleader, Radio Host, Dies In N. Carolina". Variety. Jul 31, 1985. 320, 1. p. 77. Via Proquest.
  8. ^ "Radio voice to influence votes". The Times-News. 1944-11-05. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  9. ^ "And coffee cost 5 cents". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 1955-08-07. p. 68. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  10. ^ "Now you know "Whistler' secrets". The Courier-Journal. 1990-09-09. p. 54. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  11. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2013-11-07). Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-9250-7.
  12. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2022-10-06). From Radio to Television: Programs That Made the Transition, 1929-2021. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-8836-7.
  13. ^ Cox, Jim (2015-06-14). Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1227-0.
  14. ^ Chase, Sam. "Radio: Network program reviews & analysis - Zane Grey Show". The Billboard. Oct 4, 1947. 59, 39. p. 12. Via Proquest.
  15. ^ Dunning, John (1998-05-07). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-977078-6.
  16. ^ "Crime story". The Gazette. 1953-06-27. p. 28. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  17. ^ "Listening in". Daily News. 1944-09-07. p. 26. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  18. ^ Herm (July 8, 1953). "Radio Review: Tony Martin Show". Variety. Vol. 191, no. 5. p. 24.
  19. ^ "'Rhapsody in Blue' score on TV tonight; Cantor signs for fall radio chatter program". The Los Angeles Times. 1951-09-20. p. 28. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  20. ^ Scott, Keith (2022-10-03). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media.
  21. ^ Daniel, Blum (1969). Screen World Vol. 4 1953. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8196-0259-6.
  22. ^ "Chatter: Hollywood". Variety. May 16, 1945. p. 55.
  23. ^ "They tell me". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1945-05-16. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  24. ^ Hannah, Sara (1952-02-08). "Who hides behind "The Whistler's" mask?" (PDF). Radio-TV Life: 4.
  25. ^ "Frank Lovejoy was devoted to youth". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1962-10-09. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  26. ^ "Forman, Raymond L." The Los Angeles Times. 1966-04-27. p. 26. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  27. ^ "Funeral services..." The Los Angeles Times. 1966-05-01. p. 333. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  28. ^ "The 'Whistler' is dead". The Modesto Bee. 1966-04-27. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-04-05.

External links[edit]

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