Harlow Wilcox (March 12, 1900 – September 24, 1960) was an American

radio 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 ...

. Wilcox became one of the most successful announcers and pitchmen in radio and he was a pioneer in making commercials part of a program's story. Wilcox also had roles on television and film.

Early life

Wilcox came from a show business-oriented family, with a father who played in the

Ringling Brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of the largest circuses in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers ...

circus band and a sister who played violin both in vaudeville and in classical concerts. Harlow took vocal lessons and briefly performed on stage.

''Fibber McGee and Molly''

He eventually decided to try radio and met

Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...

and Marian Jordan at a station in Chicago. An April 1944 article in Radio Mirror magazine reported:

Jim and Marion icJordan were just getting a toehold in radio in Chicago then and Wilcox helped them cut some records. When the pair landed their own radio show, they asked for Wilcox as their announcer. The future triumphs of the trio are well known to all Fibber McGee and Molly fans. When the Jordans moved out to Hollywood in 1939, Wilcox went with them and now, even when Fibber McGee and Molly leave the air for their annual summer vacations on their ranch, Wilcox carries on, announcing the sponsor's substitute show.

Wilcox became "one of the most successful announcers and pitchmen in radio." He was the announcer for ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (his first network program) throughout the show's run in a 30-minute format. He also was a pioneer in making commercials a part of a program's story rather than something simply inserted during a break. The "Wistful Vista" website put it this way:

Wilcox was one of the masters of the integrated commercial, a technique that was popularized on Ed Wynn's and Jack Benny's shows. Instead of stopping the story for the mid-show commercial, Wilcox would just show up and work his plug into the plot, much to Fibber's consternation. Fibber tagged Wilcox with the nickname "Waxy" for his ability to turn any conversation topic to Johnson's Wax ...

An article in a

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...

newsletter described Wilcox's role in integrating commercials into stories as follows:

A standard joke on the popular comedy Fibber McGee and Molly was the arrival of Johnson's Wax salesman Harlow Wilcox. He knocked at their door as just another person in their stream of visitors, but no matter what the conversation had been about before his arrival, Wilcox somehow managed to turn it to floor wax within a few moments, and then struggled to promote his product over the continuing action around him.

As was generally true of radio personalities, most people's impressions of Harlow Wilcox came solely from hearing him on the air. One writer, however, recorded her perceptions as a member of the studio audience at the ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' broadcast Dec. 5, 1946. In her "By-ways" column, Florence Burlingame Taylor wrote:

Harlowe icWilcox was introduced as a young lad, just getting a start in radio. This was before Harlowe appeared, and Fibber had us believing that Harlowe was ill. How we applauded the popular Harlowe! He is a handsome, debonair man-about-town – at least 40, gray-haired, with crisp gray mustache, tall, with all the poise of a veteran announcer.

Radio shows

Radio shows for which Wilcox was announcer included ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio sho ...

'', '' The Baby Snooks Show'', ''

Ben Bernie Benjamin Anzelwitz, known professionally as Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Frank Merriwell Frank Merriwell is a fictional character appearing in a series of novels and short stories by Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the pseudonym Burt L. Standish. The character appeared in over 300 dime novels between 1896 and 1930 (some between 1927 a ...

'', ''

Hap Hazard ''Hap Hazard'' is an American old-time radio comedy-variety program that was broadcast on NBC-Red beginning on July 1, 1941 and on CBS beginning in January 1942. Premise The title character, Hap Hazard, was the proprietor of Crestfallen Manor, " ...

'', ''Hollywood Premiere'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

'', ''

Truth or Consequences ''Truth or Consequences'' is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–1958), ...

'', ''

The Victor Borge Show ''The Victor Borge Show'' is a 30-minute American variety television program that was broadcast live on NBC from February 3, 1951, to June 30, 1951. It was sponsored by Kellogg. Premise The program starred Victor Borge, an "internationally know ...

'' ''Your Electric Servant'', '' Blondie'' ''

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him ...

'' and '' The Passing Parade''.

Television and film

In addition to his announcing roles, Wilcox also acted in an episode of the TV version of '' You Are There'' and in two movies, ''

Look Who's Laughing ''Look Who's Laughing'' (aka ''Look Who's Talking'') is a 1941 film from RKO Radio Pictures. The film is built around a number of radio stars from the Golden Age of Radio and centers around radio personality Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee from the co ...

'' and ''They're Off''. Wilcox can be heard on a 1937 promotional film for Stewart-Warner refrigerators which was preserved by the Library of Congress, and which also includes an appearance by 18-year-old

Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed Norton on the si ...

. In the 1950s, Wilcox was executive vice president of Rockett Pictures, Inc., a film production company in Hollywood, California.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcox, Harlow 1900 births 1960 deaths American male radio actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Omaha, Nebraska Radio and television announcers