Cornelius Westbrook Van Voorhis (September 21, 1903 – July 13, 1968) was a

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a 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 deliver information to the ...

for

television programs A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...

and

movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

. He is perhaps best known for his work on ''

The March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945. The "voice" of both series was Westbrook Van Voorhis. ...

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 transmi ...

and newsreel series, where he became known as the "Voice of Doom", as well as for the

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

, "Time...marches on!"

Early years

Van Voorhis was born in New Milford, Connecticut, on September 21, 1903, and studied at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Career

Van Voorhis became a broadcaster late in the 1920s. On radio, he worked for station WOR and the CBS and NBC networks. He narrated each episode of the 1954–1956

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

series ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

.'' He also did narration for the 1957

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

'' Panic!''. He was originally scheduled to be the announcer for ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

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 ...

show but only narrated the

television pilot 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 distr ...

, the episode "

Where is Everybody? "Where Is Everybody?" is the first episode of the American anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone''. It was originally broadcast on October 2, 1959, on CBS. It is one of the most realistic ''Twilight Zone'' episodes, as it features no s ...

" had its narration revoiced by the show's creator and writer Rod Serling. One of his last appearances was in a circa-1966 series of TV commercials for

Quaker Life Cereal Life is a breakfast cereal produced by the Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. It was formerly made of oats, soy protein concentrate, sodium caseinate and sugar, but now also contains corn flour, whole wheat flour, and rice flour. It w ...

, where he moderated "the great Quaker Life debate....is it for adults or kids?". He ended each commercial with his stentorian voice proclaiming "Quaker Life. It must be for everybody!"

Death

Van Voorhis died of cancer at

New Milford Hospital New Milford Hospital, (founded 1921) is a not-for profit hospital in Litchfield County, Connecticut which serves western and northwestern Connecticut and parts of southeastern New York state. Services provided by the 85-bed hospital include emer ...

in New Milford, Connecticut in 1968, aged 64. His interment was at New Milford's Center Cemetery.

References

External links

* 1903 births 1968 deaths American male voice actors People from New Milford, Connecticut 20th-century American male actors {{US-voice-actor-1900s-stub