Wendell Niles

Born: 1904-12-29

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wendell Niles (December 29, 1904 – March 28, 1994) was one of the great announcers of the American golden age of radio. He was an announcer on such shows as The Charlotte Greenwood Show, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe,[2] The Man Called X,[3] The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show and The Chase and Sanborn Hour . On February 15, 1950, Wendell starred in the radio pilot for The Adventures of the Scarlet Cloak along with Gerald Mohr. He began in entertainment by touring in the 1920s with his own orchestra, playing with the Dorsey Brothers and Bix Beiderbecke. Niles moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1935 to join George Burns and Gracie Allen. He and his brother, Ken, developed one of the first radio dramas, which eventually became Theatre of the Mind. -Los Angeles Magazine- How the intersection got its claim to fame Q: Why is the intersection of Hollywood and Vine famous? There’s nothing there. A: In May 1936, Wendell Niles from radio station KFWB brought a microphone to the corner and started a man-on-the-street program. “Niles was a big announcer on radio shows for Bob Hope and George Burns,” says L.A. vocal legend Gary Owens. Niles’s popularization of the corner as shorthand for Hollywood was copied by newspaper reporters and gossip columnists alike and even led to the (terrible) feature film Hollywood and Vine, which was released in 1945. The radio show is gone, but you can still watch celebrities through the glass at the online entertainment network BiteSize TV, whose studios are located in the W Hotel. He toured with Bob Hope during World War II and narrated a 1936 Academy Award-winning short film on the life of tennis great Bill Tilden. Among his film credits is Knute Rockne, All American with Ronald Reagan. Wendell Niles was the announcer for "America's Show Of Surprises"..."It Could Be You", and the Hatos-Hall production "Your First Impression". Niles was also the original announcer for Let's Make a Deal during that show's first season in 1963 and 1964; he was later replaced by Jay Stewart. Wendell and his brother Ken Niles are the first brothers to have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died of cancer in his Toluca Lake home at the age of 89.


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The Hitch-Hiker

as Wendell Niles
Released: 1953-03-30

Roy and Gilbert's fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker they pick up turns...

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The Roaring Twenties

as Self - Announcer (uncredited)
Released: 1939-10-28

After World War I, Armistice Lloyd Hart goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George...

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Marked Woman

as Radio News Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: 1937-04-10

In the underworld of Manhattan, a woman dares to stand up to one of the city's most powerful...

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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

as Announcer
Released: 1956-09-13

A newspaper publisher, wanting to prove a point about the insufficiency of circumstantial...

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I Died a Thousand Times

as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Released: 1955-11-09

After aging criminal Roy Earle is released from prison he decides to pull one last heist before...

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Four Wives

as Concert Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Released: 1939-12-22

In this sequel to Four Daughters, Ann struggles to move on after the death of her husband as...

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Three Faces West

as Man-on-the-Street Radio Announcer
Released: 1940-07-03

Viennese surgeon Dr. Braun and his daughter Leni come to a small town in North Dakota as...

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Cowboy from Brooklyn

as Radio Announcer
Released: 1938-07-09

A singing cowboy turns out to be a tenderfoot.

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The Crowd Roars

as First Radio Announcer
Released: 1932-04-16

Famous auto racing champion Joe Greer returns to his hometown to compete in a local race,...

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Gaucho Serenade

as Radio Announcer
Released: 1940-05-09

Gene Autry and sidekick Frog Millhouse depart Madison Square Garden and NYC heading west for...

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Indianapolis Speedway

as First Radio Announcer
Released: 1939-08-05

A champion auto racer who unhappily learns his kid brother wants to enter the same profession...

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Here Comes Elmer

as Radio Announcer
Released: 1943-11-15

This musical comedy stars radio star Al Pearce has a double role playing himself and Elmer...

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Swingin' on a Rainbow

as Radio Announcer
Released: 1945-09-01

A young girl goes to New York to find a band leader who has stolen all the songs she wrote and...

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The Masked Marvel

as Newscaster
Released: 1943-11-06

A team of two-fisted insurance investigators (one of whom disguises himself as The Masked...

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Harmon of Michigan

as Wendell Niles
Released: 1941-09-11

A former University of Michigan football star (Tom Harmon) rejects an opportunity to play...

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Ever Since Eve

as Monteray Police Announcer (uncredited)
Released: 1937-07-15

Madge Winton (Marion Davies), a beautiful secretary, makes herself look homely in order to avoid...

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A Man Betrayed

as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Released: 1941-03-07

Bucolic lawyer John Wayne takes on big-city corruption in A Man Betrayed. He sets out to prove...

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Street Corner

as Wendell Niles
Released: 1948-12-03

Naive small-town girl gets pregnant on her prom night, and winds up in the clutches of the local...

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A Tragedy at Midnight

as Show Announcer
Released: 1942-02-02

The host of a whodunit radio show finds himself involved in his own mystery when he awakens to...

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Hitchhike to Happiness

as Wendell Niles (uncredited)
Released: 1945-07-16

An aspiring playwright gets a job in a New York City restaurant favored by celebrities in hopes...

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Espionage Agent

as Radio Announcer Introducing Garrett
Released: 1939-09-30

When Barry Corvall discovers that his new bride is a possible enemy agent, he resigns from the...

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A Strange Adventure

as Newscaster (uncredited)
Released: 1956-08-24

A trio of thieves make their getaway by kidnapping a young hot-rodder, and take over a mountain...

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Let's Make a Deal

as uncredited
First aired: 1963-12-30

Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since...

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