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Harry von Zell
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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.
His family moved to California, where 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.
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Encyclopedia
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.
His family moved to California, where 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 with Fred Allen, Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Eddy Duchin and Ed Wynn. He also announced for The March of Time.
As a young announcer, von Zell made a memorable verbal slip in 1931 when he referred to U.S. President Herbert Hoover as "Hoobert Heever" during a live tribute on Hoover's birthday. Hoover was not present at this tribute. Von Zell's spoonerism came at the end of a lengthy coverage of Hoover's career in which he had correctly pronounced the President's name several times. Some mistakenly believe Hoover was present when the incident happened because of a re-enactment fabricated by Kermit Schaefer for his Pardon My Blooper record album.
Radio comedy
As an actor, von Zell appeared on the Joan Davis radio series as the love interest of Verna Felton's character. When von Zell entered a room, Felton would often shout excitedly, "Why Mr. Von Zellllllllllll!" Von Zell headlined his own short-lived radio program, The Smiths of Hollywood, which featured Arthur Treacher and Jan Ford (who would later become Howard Hughes' paramour Terry Moore).
In 1942, von Zell engaged in a legendary fistfight at Ciro's nightclub in Hollywood with MGM studio executive Bob Stevens over actress Margaret Lindsay.
Highly regarded as an announcer, von Zell 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 sometimes brightened by his ad-libbed interjections.
Films
As a film actor, von Zell 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. Appearing under his own name, von Zell 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.
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