Nelson Case (February 3, 1910 – March 23, 1976) was an American radio and television announcer.
Case was the son of Walter and Ethel Case. His father was a newspaperman, and his mother was a driving force in the Long Beach Community Players. He attended
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 ...
and first worked as an announcer on the school's radio station. One of his early ventures into entertainment came when "as a youngster in Long Beach, he sang and played the uke for a band called the Sunset Symphonic Six."
[ ]
He was a graduate of the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
,
in
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...
, where he met his future wife.
[ ]
Although Case was best known for being an announcer on popular radio and television programs (in 1953, he was "on radio 20 times a week, on TV three"
[ ]), a 1941 newspaper article noted that he "covered everything from news and special events to sports." His assignments included "
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
pageants ...
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the organis ...
tennis matches and presidential inaugurations." One of his more unusual assignments came February 6, 1936, when he described a simulated air attack on New York City. With
United States 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, cla ...
planes in the roles of bombers and defenders, Case flew in a plane to "describe the combat from the air. He
asattached to the 'defense' squadron ..."
Career
Early years
Case's career as a professional entertainer began when, at 15, he was a pianist at radio station KFON in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. At 16, he started an orchestra and performed with it over KFON. In 1927, he moved to KGER (also in Long Beach) as an announcer and singer.
[Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 120.] He also worked at
KFI
KFI (640 AM) is a radio station in Los Angeles, California, owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. It began operations in 1922 and became one of the first high-powered, clear-channel Class A stations. It was the first U.S. station west of Chi ...
,
KFWB
KFWB (980 AM) is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California. It airs a classic Regional Mexican music format. KFWB is owned by Lotus Communications. The station has a colorful history, being the radio voice of Warner Bros. Studios i ...
, and KGFJ in Los Angeles. Even after taking a position at a network, Case had a weekly program "for his baritone solo work" on
KGO in San Francisco.
In 1931, Case was listed as "announcer and singer with the Pacific vagabonds" on an afternoon program on
WJZ-NBC.
Network radio
Case joined
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
in 1931 as an announcer in San Francisco.
[ In 1934, he moved to New York City to be on the NBC staff there.][ During his years on network radio the programs he announced for included ''Criminal Casebook'', '']The Story of Mary Marlin
''The Story of Mary Marlin'' is an American soap opera radio program. It was broadcast from October 3, 1934, until April 12, 1945, and returned from September 24, 1951, until April 11, 1952. After 1937 it was among the highest-rated soap operas. A ...
'', ''Marriage Club, Inc.'', ''The Lanny Ross Show'', ''Against The Storm'', ''Lone Journey'', ''Charlie and Jessie'', '' Crime Doctor'', ''Great Moments From Great Plays'',[ ] ''N.T.G. and His Girls'', ''Ask-It-Basket'', ''Wheatenaville'', ''Johnny Presents'', ''Hercule Poirot'', ''Lowell Thomas Show'', '' The Ford Theater'',[Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1949). ''The 1949 Radio Annual''. Radio Daily Corp. P. 138.] ''The A&P Gypsies
''The A&P Gypsies'' is a musical series broadcast on radio beginning in 1924. With the opening theme of "Two Guitars," the host and band leader was Harry Horlick, who had learned gypsy folk music while traveling with gypsy bands in Istanbul.
Bac ...
'', ''The Adventures of the Thin Man
''The Adventures of the Thin Man'' radio series, initially starring Les Damon, was broadcast on all four major radio networks during the years 1941 to 1950. Claudia Morgan had the female lead role of Nora Charles throughout the program's entire ni ...
'', ''Big Sister
Big Sister may refer to:
*An older sister, see birth order
*Big Sister (brothel), an online brothel in Prague
*The Big Sister (Dexter's Laboratory), "The Big Sister" (Dexter's Laboratory), an episode of ''Dexter's Laboratory''
*"Big Sister," a son ...
'', ''Carefree Carnival'', ''The Carnation Contented Hour
''The Carnation Contented Hour'' was a long-running radio music series, sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company, which premiered April 26, 1931 on the regional NBC West Coast network. The full network series began January 4, 1932, on the Blue Netw ...
'', ''The Coty Playgirl'', ''The Dave Garroway Show'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''Exploring The Unknown'', ''Hilda Hope, MD'', ''Husbands And Wives'', ''Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy
''Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy'' is an American old-time radio soap opera. After beginning as a transcribed program on seven stations on October 23, 1939, it was broadcast weekday afternoons on CBS from October 7, 1940, until April 3, 1942 and spo ...
'', ''Life Can Be Beautiful
''Life Can Be Beautiful'' was a daytime drama broadcast on NBC and CBS during its 16-year run. The program was also facetiously known to many as ''Elsie Beebe'', a contrived acronym based on the show's initials.
Scripted by Don Becker and Carl Bi ...
'', ''Mary And Bob's True Story Hour'', ''NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC Symphony performed weekly radio concert broadcasts with Tosca ...
'', ''Orphans of Divorce'', ''Philip Morris Playhouse
''Philip Morris Playhouse'' is a 30-minute old-time radio dramatic anthology series.Terrace, Vincent (1981), ''Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930–1960''. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. . P. 214.
The program " nerally .. ...
'', ''The Right Thing To Do'', ''The Road of Life'', ''Sky Blazers'', ''True Story Time'', and ''Vaughn Monroe Show''.
Case also was announcer for musical broadcasts by bandleaders, including Wayne King
Harold Wayne King (February 16, 1901 – July 16, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader with a long association with both NBC and CBS. He was referred to as "the Waltz King" because much of his most popular music involved wa ...
, Ray Noble
Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...
, Phil Spitalny
Phil Spitalny (November 7, 1890 – October 11, 1970) was a Russian Empire-born American musician, music critic, composer, and bandleader heard often on radio during the 1930s and 1940s. He rose to fame after he led an all-female orchestra, a nov ...
and Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...
.[
]
Television
During his years on television, the programs Case announced for included ''What's It Worth?'', ''Trash Or Treasure?''[ '' The Ford Television Theater'',][ ''Lowell Thomas'', '']The Ken Murray Show
''The Ken Murray Show'' was an American music and comedy television show on CBS Television hosted by Ken Murray that ran from 1950 to 1953.
Show
An established entertainer and vaudeville regular, Murray had hosted comedy and variety series on CB ...
'', ''Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
''Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' is an American television anthology drama series which offered adaptations of Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, novels, and stories. The distinguished journalist Elmer Davis was the host and narrator of this 1950-1952 A ...
'', ''Robert Montgomery Presents
''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...
'', ''The Red Buttons Show'', ''Road of Life'', ''Omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Omnibus'' (film)
* Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes
* ''Omnibus'' (UK TV series), an arts-based documentary programme
* ''Omnibus'' (U.S. TV series), an educational progr ...
'', ''Wide Wide World
''Wide Wide World'' is a 1955–1958 90-minute documentary series telecast live on NBC on Sunday afternoons at 4pm Eastern. Conceived by network head Pat Weaver and hosted by Dave Garroway, ''Wide Wide World'' was introduced on the ''Producers' ...
'', ''State Trooper'', ''Jane Wyman Theater'', '' Sammy Kaye Show'', ''Tic-Tac-Dough
''Tic-Tac-Dough'' is an American television game show based on the paper-and-pencil game of tic-tac-toe. Contestants answer questions in various categories to put up their respective symbol, ''X'' or ''O'', on the board. Three versions were produc ...
'', ''Fibber McGee and Molly
''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (1935–1959) was a longtime highly popular husband-and-wife team radio comedy program.
The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most p ...
'', ''True Story'', ''M Squad
''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...
'', ''The Arthur Murray Party
''The Arthur Murray Party'' is an American television variety show which ran from July 1950 until September 1960. The show was hosted by famous dancers Arthur Murray, Arthur and Kathryn Murray, and was basically one long advertisement for their c ...
'', ''Saber of London
''The Vise'' (later known as ''Saber of London'', also known as ''Mark Saber'') is an American detective drama that was broadcast on ABC (1955-1957) and then moved to NBC (1957-1960). The series is a reboot of the '' ABC Mystery Theater'' radio a ...
'', and ''Modern Romances''. Case was also host of ''Summer Playhouse
''Summer Playhouse'' is a 30-minute CBS television anthology series. It was a summer replacement series made up of unsold pilots for projected regular series, airing sporadically from 1964 to 1967. It was produced by Don Fedderson, and among its ...
'' on NBC in 1954.
Later years
In 1962, Case was one of six people forming Metroscope, a service that furnished recorded commentaries to local radio stations.
Style
Case became was what he called "a soft sell announcer," using a natural, conversational delivery that he said was "the opposite of the shouting, hammering type."[ ] Early in his career, he responded to a newspaper's questionnaire by writing, in part:The days when a program was introduced by stentorian blasts from the announcer are over. Nowadays he tries to be pleasant, cordial and friendly with his chatter .. both in introducing musical numbers and in giving commercial announcements.
A newspaper columnist wrote, " broadcasts a feeling of sincerity unlike anyone else and his personality is broadcast to the listener and viewer who gets a feeling, 'Now, there's a guy I can trust.'"
Military
Case was active in the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
, being promoted to Flight commander in 1942. At one point he filled in for a sick colleague on a radio broadcast, hurried to Roosevelt Field
Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located east-southeast of Mineola, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazel ...
to practice maneuvers with the CAP, then dashed back to the studio for a rehearsal and broadcast.
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 ...
, Case was an aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
in the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
for three years.[ He later was a Lieutenant Commander in the ]United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...
.
Professional organizations
In 1932, Case was elected president of a group of announcers "within the NBC headquarters in San Francisco." A news brief noted, "Association officials say that they are not organized as a union but are merely grouped together to ask the network for a raise in salaries when they are given spot announcements to make."[
Later, in New York, organization became more official and Case became more involved. In 1947, he was elected to a one-year term on the board of directors of the American Federation of Radio Artists' New York local. In 1948, he was elected president of the New York local and a vice-president of AFRA at the national level. For 1949, he was re-elected to the New York local board and re-elected president of the local.
]
Hobbies
Case enjoyed writing fiction and composing music.[ He also was described as "a great record fan."][ ] When he bought a high fidelity sound system, he bought 130 LP record
The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
s to play on it.[ He accumulated "such a tremendous collection of jazz records that record companies, compiling albums of old-time jazz, often do their research in his library."
He was also a writer. In 1952, he wrote a book, History of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1953, his article, "Can TV Commercials Be Improved?," was published in Academy Magazine.
In the 1960s, Case and his wife lived on an 84-acre farm in ]Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the Englis ...
, where he raised Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
cattle as a hobby.[
]
Family
Case married Sarah Lee, a descendant of Robert E. Lee and Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for ...
. They had a daughter, Virginia Lee, and a son, Nelson Jr. They were divorced in 1947. His second marriage, on September 5, 1947, was to Nondas Metcalfe, an actress and writer. They moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 2,612 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. New Hope is located approximately north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west bank of the Delaw ...
, in 1958 and still made their home there when he died.
Death
Case died of a heart attack March 23, 1976, in Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Trenton,
north of Center City, Philadelphia,
southeast of Allentown, and southwest of New York City.
As of the 2020 cen ...
. He was survived by his wife, his son, and his daughter.[
]
References
External links
Video clip of Nelson Case doing a commercial on ''Wide Wide World''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Case, Nelson
1910 births
1976 deaths
Radio and television announcers
American radio personalities
Television personalities from California
College of William & Mary alumni
People from Long Beach, California