Robert West LeMond, Jr. (April 11, 1913 – January 6, 2008) was an American
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
and
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
announcer
An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event.
Television and other media
Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, ...
who was best known as the voice who announced for the television shows ''
Leave It to Beaver'' and ''
Ozzie and Harriet
''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...
''.
LeMond was also the announcer for the first
radio sitcom by
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
, ''
My Favorite Husband
''My Favorite Husband'' is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, evolved into the groundbreaking television sitcom ''I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ...
'', as well as for the first television pilot episode of ''
I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
''.
The peak of his announcing career spanned from the 1930s well into the 1960s.
[
]
Early life
Bob LeMond was born in Hale Center, Texas
Hale Center is a city in Hale County, Texas. The population was 2,252 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Hale Center lies on the high plains of the Llano Estacado at the intersection of Interstate 27 and Farm to Market Road 1914, in central Hale C ...
on April 11, 1913.[ He was raised in ]Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
,[ and was reportedly a star football player at ]Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a four-year public high school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States. The school serves portions of Long Beach, including Bixby ...
,[ as indicated by his winning letters in football and wrestling. After graduating, he sold classified advertising, drove trucks, and worked with a cement crew before beginning to work in radio.][ ]
LeMond first became involved in radio announcing during the 1930s. He was selling advertising for the ''Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
The ''Los Angeles Herald Examiner'' was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published in the afternoon from Monday to Friday and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. It was formed when the afternoon ' ...
'' when his brother-in-law asked him to read a commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
for a radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
that his advertising agency
An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...
was sponsoring.[ This ]audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...
was performed live on the air, and LeMond was hired on the spot for a salary of $20 a week.[ He worked at KEHE (later ]KECA
Checea ( hu, Nagykőcse; german: Ketscha; sr, Кеча, Keča; hr, Keča) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Checea, part of the commune of Cenei until 2004, when it was split off. Geography
Checea is l ...
) in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1937-38 and at KYA in San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1938-39[ before being hired by ]CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
as one of its main announcers.[
In 1942, LeMond was the announcer for ''The Second Mrs. Burton'' and '']Hollywood Showcase
''Hollywood Showcase'' is the title of two American old-time radio talent shows, both of which were broadcast on CBS in the 1930s and 1940s. During some intervals, the program was carried only on CBS's west-coast stations.
1937-1944 version
''Hol ...
'' on radio. An October news report indicated that he would be the announcer for '' Lights Out'', but military service intervened.
In October 1942, Lemond qualified to be a tower control operator with the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. He continued to announce even after entering the U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, where he worked for Armed Forces Radio
The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which i ...
from 1942 until 1946.[ He ran the Mosquito Network, which broadcast to United States military personnel throughout the South Pacific.][ After the Japanese surrendered, he was named manager and officer in charge of ]Radio Tokyo
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestria ...
.
He met his future wife, Barbara Brewster of the 20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
Brewster Twins, at a USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
while stationed in New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
.[ Brewster and LeMond were married in 1946 after the end of World War II.][ The couple eventually had three children together.][ The marriage lasted for 59 years until her death in June 2005.][
]
Post-war career
LeMond returned to work at CBS after World War II, where he enjoyed the peak of his career.[ His most famed work came as the announcer for Lucille Ball's radio ]sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''My Favorite Husband
''My Favorite Husband'' is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, evolved into the groundbreaking television sitcom ''I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ...
'' from 1948 until 1951.[ He continued to work with Ball as the announcer for the ]pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
of the television show which eventually became ''I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
''.[ (This original pilot episode, which never aired, was lost for many years before being rediscovered in 2000 or 2001).][
LeMond's other blossoming television and radio credits during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s included '' Leave It to Beaver'', '']The Red Skelton Show
''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televis ...
'', ''Red Skelton
Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...
'', ''Bat Masterson
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
'', ''Our Miss Brooks
''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became one of the medi ...
'', ''My Friend Irma
''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...
'', ''Spike Jones
Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...
'', Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Ch ...
's '' Do You Trust Your Wife?'' and ''Life with Luigi
''Life with Luigi'' is an American radio situation comedy series which began September 21, 1948, on CBS Radio and broadcast its final episode on March 3, 1953.
The action centered on Luigi Basco and his experiences as a newly arrived Italian imm ...
''.[ He also announced for countless television special events including the ]Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
s (for sponsor General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
' Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
division) and the Tournament of Roses Parade
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
.[
Additionally, LeMond continued to work as a ]voice actor
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
for television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
and radio commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
s. One of his most famous commercials included a spot for Raid bug spray with Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
, the legendary voice actor and voice of Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
.[ His other commercial credits included Dial Soap, ]Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
and Johnson's Wax, just to name a few.[
]
Later life
LeMond gradually began to receive less work by the mid-1960s, as the television medium changed and the demand for announcers fell.[ He officially retired from ]show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...
in 1971 and moved to Bonsall, California
Bonsall is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,982 at the 2010 census, up from 3,401 at the 2000 census.
The Bonsall area was heavily affected by the Lilac Fire in December 2017, which burned 4, ...
in 1972.[ He worked as a ]real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
agent and became active with Bonsall's homeowners' association
A homeowner association (or homeowners' association, abbreviated HOA, sometimes referred to as a property owners' association or POA), or a homeowner community, is a private association-like entity often formed either ''ipso jure'' in a building ...
.[ Many of his new neighbors had no idea about LeMond's past career in television and radio.][
In 1998, LeMond and the surviving cast members of '']My Favorite Husband
''My Favorite Husband'' is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, evolved into the groundbreaking television sitcom ''I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ...
'' were reunited by Gregg Oppenheimer, the son of Jess Oppenheimer
Jessurun James Oppenheimer (November 11, 1913 – December 27, 1988) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and director. He was the producer and head writer of the CBS sitcom ''I Love Lucy''.
Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer “ ...
, the original creator and producer of the show, to benefit pediatric
Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
research.[ LeMond reprised his role as the announcer of the show for the event.][ Oppenheimer commented at the time on LeMond, who used to both announce and warm up the ]live studio audience
A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canned ...
before the show, "He did it again, and it was like magic. It was like it was 1948."[
The original pilot episode of ''I Love Lucy'', with LeMond as the show's announcer, was rediscovered in 1990 by the real-life widow of the actor Pepito Pérez, who played Pepito the Clown, who found the missing program under her bed.][ However, the first 15 seconds of LeMond's original ]narration
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to storytelling, convey a narrative, story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deli ...
was missing from the film.[ Gregg Oppenheimer owned the pilot episode's original script, complete with the missing narration.][ Oppenheimer, who produced the ''I Love Lucy'' ]DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
releases beginning in 2002, drove to LeMond's home in Bonsall and asked him to re-record the original, missing narration.[ LeMond agreed and read the words into a microphone which Oppenheimer had brought with him.][ In doing so, LeMond and Oppenheimer recaptured the first words which were ever associated with ''I Love Lucy''.][ Oppenheimer was happy with the results of the audio recording: "He sounded older, but it worked."][
]
Death
Bob LeMond died of complications from dementia at his home in Bonsall, California
Bonsall is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,982 at the 2010 census, up from 3,401 at the 2000 census.
The Bonsall area was heavily affected by the Lilac Fire in December 2017, which burned 4, ...
, on January 6, 2008. His survivors included three sons, Rob, Stephen and Barry, five grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
References
External links
*
''San Diego Union-Tribune'': Bob Lemond; early TV announcer opened pilot for 'Lucy'
''North County Times'': Bonsall resident had the voice that launched a thousand shows
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemond, Bob
1913 births
2008 deaths
Radio and television announcers
American male radio actors
Radio personalities from California
American male voice actors
United States Army soldiers
United States Army personnel of World War II
Deaths from dementia in California
Male actors from California
People from Hale County, Texas
Radio personalities from Texas
Male actors from Texas