Ernie Anderson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ernie Anderson (November 12, 1923 – February 6, 1997) was an American television and radio, voice announcer. Working primarily for ABC in the 1970s, Anderson earned as much as two million dollars a year.

Contents

[edit] Early life and career

Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Anderson planned to go to law school but was instead drafted into World War II. After the war, Anderson became a disc jockey at WSKI AM in Montpelier, VT. [1] Anderson worked as a disc jockey in Albany, NY, and Providence, RI before moving to Cleveland, [2] where he collaborated with Tim Conway on a local TV show called Ernie's Place.

As the hipster character Ghoulardi, Anderson later hosted Shock Theater at WJW-TV in Cleveland, from 1963 through 1966. Shock Theater featured grade "B" science fiction and horror movies. Shock Theater was aired in a Friday late-night time slot, but at the peak of Ghoulardi's popularity, Anderson also hosted the Saturday afternoon Masterpiece Theater and the weekday children's program Laurel, Ghoulardi and Hardy.

In 1966, Anderson left Cleveland and moved to Los Angeles, California in order to become an actor. He appeared on the first two episodes of Rango, a short-lived comedy starring Conway. Anderson and Conway collaborated on a comedy act. They appeared together on ABC's Hollywood Palace and released two comedy albums together. [3]

[edit] Career at the American Broadcasting Company

After finding limited success in front of the camera, Anderson moved behind the microphone when Fred Silverman made Anderson the voice of the American Broadcasting Company. Anderson's voice is likely best remembered for his newscast introductions for various television stations across the country: "Eyewitness News...starts...NOW!" Anderson's signature was putting emphasis on a particular word. One example was his enunciation of "Love" in "The Love Boat." Anderson was also the announcer of America's Funniest Home Videos from 1989 to 1997 and did the voice over for previews of new episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Anderson told the San Francisco Chronicle that his goal as an announcer was to "try to create a mood. I have to concentrate on each word, on each syllable. I have to bring something special to every sentence I say. If I don't do that, they might as well just get some announcer out of the booth to read it. I want people to hear me talk about a show and then to say, 'Hey, this is going to be great. I want to watch this.'" [4]

[edit] Death

Anderson died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 6, 1997, aged 73. [5] His son, director Paul Thomas Anderson, dedicated his 1997 film Boogie Nights to his memory. Similarly, a 1997 episode of The Drew Carey Show was also dedicated to his memory.

More than a decade after his death, radio stations can still license Anderson's voice for promotions. [6] By paying a licensing fee, stations including New York City's WHTZ use Anderson's voice for positioning statements such as, "If its too loud, you're too old" and "Lock it in and rip the knob off!" [7]

[edit] Personal

He was married with four children.

Despite being a daily presence on American television, Anderson lived in relative anonymity in Southern California. "But that's all right," he said. "If I'm out in public and I feel like being recognized, I just raise my voice and say... 'The Love Boat.'" [8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Starr Seibel, Deborah. "Deep Words From The Voice Of America - TV's Most Sought-After Announcer Puts His Mouth Where The Money - Is", Chicago Tribune, October 24, 1991. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  2. ^ Cobb, Nathan. "He Uses His Voice To Entice You Ernie Anderson Is Prime-Time Pitchman For ABC -TV's Programs", Boston Globe, April 9, 1985. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  3. ^ Feran, Tom. "TV Icon 'Ghoulardi' Dies at 73", Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 7, 1997. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  4. ^ Greene, Bob. "Televisions' Most Recognizable Voice", San Francisco Chronicle, June 4, 1985. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  5. ^ Feran, Tom. "TV Icon 'Ghoulardi' Dies at 73", Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 7, 1997. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  6. ^ Feran, Tom. "High Tech Lets 'Ghoulardi' Speak From The Grave", Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2000. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  7. ^ Gallagher, David F.. "Compressed Data - Legendary Voice for Hire. No Live Gigs", New York Times, February 2, 2004. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  8. ^ "Greene, Bob. "The Man Behind the Voice of ABC", Chicago Tribune, February 24, 1985. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 

[edit] External links

Languages