Jack Lescoulie (November 17, 1912 – July 22, 1987) was a radio and television announcer and host, notably on NBC's ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' during the 1950s and 1960s; a newspaper source lists his date of birth as May 17, 1912. Lescoulie was also known for his voice impersonation of

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

Early years

Lescoulie was born in Sacramento, California. His parents were both in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

along with their children; Lescoulie's first public performance was at age 7. His first media job was with KGFJ 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 ...

, when he was still in high school. The young Lescoulie helped the radio station cover the

1933 Long Beach earthquake The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 , and a ...

. Lescoulie has a star for his work in television on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

Radio

In 1933, Lescoulie had an orchestra that broadcast on KGFJ in Los Angeles. He was billed as the "Grouchmaster" on '' The Grouch Club'' (1938–40), a program in which people aired their complaints about anything, created by

Nat Hiken Nathan Hiken (June 23, 1914 – December 7, 1968) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s. Early years Hiken was born on June 23, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jewish p ...

, creator of ''

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes were broadcast – all half-a ...

'' (''You'll Never Get Rich'') and ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City p ...

''. In the 1940s, he was morning-drive partner to

Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn (born Eugene Peter Jeljenic; December 22, 1917 – November 29, 1999) was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show '' Match Game'' for over t ...

on WNEW radio (now

WBBR WBBR (1130 AM) is a Class A clear-channel radio station licensed to New York, New York. It serves as the flagship station of Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg L.P.'s radio service. The station offers general and financial news reports 24-hours a ...

) in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, before turning over his role in the team to Dee Finch. The Lescoulie and Finch pairings with Rayburn provided what are believed to be radio's first two-man morning teams. While at WNEW, he also was host of the overnight '' Milkman's Matinee'' program. During World War II, Lescoulie was a war correspondent, flying in Air Force planes on bombing missions over Italy. In the Fall of 1947, Lescoulie became the "all night radio man" on the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. ra ...

's New York affiliate

WOR (AM) WOR (710 AM) is a 50,000-watt class A clear-channel AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia and licensed to New York, New York. The station airs a mix of local and syndicated talk radio shows, primarily from co-owned Premiere Networks, inclu ...

. On April 12, 1948, he portrayed a mysterious newscaster in "Twelve to Five," a '' Quiet, Please'' fantasy drama which recreated an all-night request radio program so convincingly that some listeners phoned in with requests. He returned to ''Quiet Please'' June 4, 1949, in the horror drama, "Tanglefoot."

Television

On television, Lescoulie hosted one of the earliest TV game shows, '' Fun and Fortune'' (1949) which lasted only one episode, and he was an announcer on

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

's ''

Cavalcade of Stars ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...

'' (1949–52), as well as the original network announcer for ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

'' (1955–56). He continued to announce for Gleason into the mid-1960s, at which time Gleason began to exclusively use

Johnny Olson John Leonard Olson (May 22, 1910 – October 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer. Olson is perhaps best known for his work as an announcer for game shows, particularly the work he did for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman P ...

. During his long run on ''

'' (1952–67), Lescoulie's duties included announcing the show at the top and bottom of every hour, conducting interviews, reporting on sports, chatting with the crowd outside the studio and acting as a foil for

Dave Garroway David Cunningham Garroway (July 13, 1913 – July 21, 1982) was an American television personality. He was the founding host and anchor of NBC's ''Today'' from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style belied a lifelong battle with depressi ...

's pranks. He once joked that, despite his war correspondent credentials, he was picked for ''Today'' because he thought "they were looking for a man who doesn't sleep well in the mornings." Lescoulie was nicknamed "The Saver" by Garroway for his ability to liven up otherwise dull segments. Typical Lescoulie sketches included acting a scene from

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada * Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village * Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton * Shaw, Swindon, a suburb of Swindon ...

's ''Caesar and Cleopatra'' with

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

in July, 1956, and being hit in the face with a pie by

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

in April, 1963. Often, Lescoulie would act as a traveling companion for Garroway to ''Todays overseas visits. He co-anchored the remote portions of both the 1959 Paris trip and the 1960 Rome voyage. It was during the latter that Lescoulie took an "accidental" dive into

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain ( it, Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others. Standing high and wide, it is the lar ...

in front of unsuspecting pedestrians. Lescoulie went through a brief stint as host of ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' for six months in 1957. After

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

's departure from ''Tonight'' in January, NBC renamed the show '' Tonight! America After Dark'' and transformed it into an interview and news program modeled after ''Today''. Lescoulie, and then

Al "Jazzbo" Collins Albert Richard "Jazzbo" Collins (January 4, 1919 – September 30, 1997) was an American disc jockey and musician who hosted ''The Tonight Show'' in 1957. Career Born in Rochester, New York, in 1919, Collins grew up on Long Island, New York. In ...

, served as hosts. Lescoulie's tenure ran from January 28 to June 21, 1957. For a period starting in 1958, ''Today'' ceased live broadcasts and instead taped the afternoon before. The official explanation from NBC said the change would add flexibility in scheduling interviews, though the real reason had more to do with relieving strain on the cast. When Garroway left the show in the summer of 1961, NBC announced ''Today'' would resume its live broadcasts on July 17. Lescoulie promptly resigned, saying "I can't face those hours anymore." Lescoulie moved on to host the NBC educational children's series '' 1, 2, 3 Go!'', which was canceled on May 20, 1962. He returned to ''Today'' that summer and stayed for another five years. Lescoulie left the show permanently in 1967, and the role he originated was filled by

Joe Garagiola Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball catcher, later an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. Garagiola played nine seasons in Major League Basebal ...

Willard Scott Willard Herman Scott Jr. (March 7, 1934 – September 4, 2021) was an American weather presenter, radio and television personality, actor, narrator, clown, comedian, and author, whose broadcast career spanned 68 years, 65 years with the NBC br ...

and

Al Roker Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's '' Today'', and occasionally co-hosts '' 3rd Hour Today''. He has an in ...

Films

Between 1938 and 1950, Lescoulie had a number of roles as a film actor, mostly uncredited, but he used the name Joe Hartman when he acted in the aviation drama ''Emergency Landing'' (1941). Lescoulie also recorded voice-overs for four

Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

shorts: *''

Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur ''Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' animated cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on April 22, 1939, and is the first Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Jones. ''Daffy Duck and the D ...

'' (1939), a

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, pro ...

short in which Lescoulie voiced Casper Caveman, an impersonation of

. *''

Slap-Happy Pappy ''Slap-Happy Pappy'' is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon, starring Porky Pig. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and scored by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on April 13, 1940. Plot Porky owns a ...

'' (1940), a

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the '' Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' ...

short in which Lescoulie voiced a rabbit named Jack Bunny, an impersonation of Jack Benny. *'' Malibu Beach Party'' (1940), a

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ...

short in which he voiced Jack Bunny, an impersonation of Jack Benny. *''

Goofy Groceries ''Goofy Groceries'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' animated short film directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on March 29, 1941. Bearing a similar premise to earlier WB shorts ''Speaking of the Weather'' and '' Have You Got ...

'' (1941), a Bob Clampett short in which Lescoulie voiced a rabbit named Jack Bunny, an impersonation of Jack Benny. *'' Meet John Doughboy'' (1941), a Bob Clampett short in which Lescoulie voiced a caricature of Jack Benny.

Stage

Lescoulie appeared in one

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play, ''Tapestry in Gray'' (1935-1936). He also appeared in other theatrical productions, such as ''Achilles Had a Heel'' in New York City in 1935.

Death

Lescoulie died July 22, 1987, in St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was undergoing treatment for colon cancer.

References

External links

* *
WNEW Radio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lescoulie, Jack 1912 births 1987 deaths American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors Television personalities from California NBC News people People from Sacramento, California Radio and television announcers Warner Bros. Cartoons voice actors