Leonard Graves (1927–2000) was an American actor and singer best known for narrating the 1952 television documentary ''

Victory at Sea ''Victory at Sea'' is a documentary television series about warfare in general during World War II, and naval warfare in particular, as well as the use of industry in warfare. It was broadcast by NBC in the United States during 1952–53. It w ...

.'' Graves was the only voice on the 26-part series, which won multiple awards, including a 1954

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

for Best Public Affairs Program, a special

Peabody award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

and the

Freedoms Foundation Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (now Founding Forward) is an American non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. The foundation is located adjacent to the Valley Forge National Historical Park, near Val ...

's George Washington Medal. Graves was born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

in 1927 and began his performing career in radio. He joined the Broadway cast of ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childr ...

'' as the Interpreter and also understudied for

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...

as the King, filling in on many occasions. Graves took over the lead when Brynner left the show, and after a two-year run on Broadway, he joined a national tour.Ask Vance: Leonard Graves
Vance Lauderdale, Memphis Magazine, January 11, 2018 Graves appeared in several motion pictures, including: *''

Three Brave Men ''Three Brave Men'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Ray Milland, Ernest Borgnine and Frank Lovejoy. The film was based on real-life events arising in Greenbelt, Maryland,Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryla ...

'' (1956) as Flaxman (uncredited) *''

The Joker Is Wild ''The Joker Is Wild'' is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Charles Vidor, starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain and Eddie Albert, and released by Paramount Pictures. The VistaVision film is about Joe E. Lewis, the p ...

'' (1957) as Tim Coogan *''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' ( rus, Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy, ˈbratʲjə kərɐˈmazəvɨ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly ...

'' (1958) as Third Court Officer (uncredited) *'' The Buccaneer'' (1958) as Chighizola *'' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959) as Lt. Cook *'' A Private's Affair'' (1959) as General's Aide (uncredited) *'' Pay or Die'' (1960) as Opera Singer (uncredited) *''

The Story of Ruth ''The Story of Ruth'' is a 1960 American historical romance film directed by Henry Koster, shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color, and released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay, written by Norman Corwin, is an adaptation of the biblical Book of R ...

'' (1960) as Reaper (uncredited) *''A Message from the Future (שדר מן העתיד)'' (1981) as Anderson (final film role) Graves also had guest roles in a number of television series including ''Navy Log'' and ''The Big Picture (Army In Action episodes)''. In 1968 he was appointed manager of the Memphis Opera Theater. Graves later moved to Israel with his wife where he was active in the Israel National Opera. He reportedly died circa 2000.Kauai and Victory at Sea
Hank Soboleski, The Garden Island, August 11, 2019An update on Memphis Singer and Actor Leonard Graves
Vance Lauderdale, Memphis Magazine, January 31, 2018

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graves, Leonard American male film actors Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee Actors from Memphis, Tennessee 1927 births 2000 deaths