Harlow Wilcox (announcer)
| Harlow Wilcox | |
|---|---|
Wilcox in 1930.
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| Born |
Harlow Wilcox March 12, 1900 Omaha, Nebraska |
| Died | September 24, 1960 (aged 60) Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | radio announcer |
Harlow Wilcox (March 12, 1900 - September 24, 1960) was an American radio announcer.
Radio shows for which Wilcox was announcer included Amos 'n' Andy, The Baby Snooks Show, Ben Bernie, Fibber McGee and Molly, Frank Merriwell,Hap Hazard, Hollywood Premiere, Suspense, The Victor Borge ShowYour Electric Servant,BlondieBoston Blackie and The Passing Parade.
Wilcox came from a show business-oriented family, with a father who played in the Ringling Brothers' band and a sister who played violin both in vaudeville and in classical concerts. Continuing the trend, Harlow took vocal lessons and briefly performed on stage. He eventually decided to try radio and met Jim and Marian Jordan at a station in Chicago. An April 1944 article in Radio Mirror magazine reported:
Jim and Marion [sic] Jordan 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 ...
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