Jack Lescoulie
Encyclopedia
Jack Lescoulie was a radio and television announcer and host, notably on NBC's Today during the 1950s and 1960s. His parents were both in vaudeville
along with their children; Lescoulie's first public performance was at age seven. His first media job was with KGFJ
, Los Angeles
, when he was still in high school. The young Lescoulie helped the radio station cover the 1933 Long Beach earthquake
. Lescoulie has a star for his work in television on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
, creator of The Phil Silvers Show
/You'll Never Get Rich and Car 54, Where Are You?
. In the 1940s, he was morning-drive partner to Gene Rayburn
on WNEW radio (now WBBR
) in New York City
, before turning over his role in the team to Dee Finch. The Lescoulie and Finch pairings with Rayburn provided what are believed to be radio's first two-man morning teams.
During World War II, Lescoulie served as a war correspondent, flying in Air Force planes on bombing missions over Italy.
In the fall of 1947, Lescoulie became the "all night radio man" on the Mutual Broadcasting System
's New York affiliate WOR (AM)
. On April 12, 1948, he portrayed a mysterious newscaster in "Twelve to Five," a Quiet, Please
fantasy drama which recreated an all-night request radio program so convincingly that some listeners phoned in with requests. He returned to Quiet Please June 4, 1949, in the horror drama, "Tanglefoot."
(1949) which lasted only one episode, and he was an announcer on Jackie Gleason
's Cavalcade of Stars
(1949–52), as well as the original network announcer for The Honeymooners
(1955-56). He continued to announce for Gleason into the mid-1960s, at which time Gleason began to exclusively use Johnny Olson
.
During his long run on Today (1952–67), Lescoulie was a versatile cast member, as his duties included announcing the show at the top and bottom of every hour, conducting interviews, reporting on sports, chatting with the crowd outside the studio and acting as a foil for Dave Garroway
's pranks. He once joked that, despite his war correspondent credentials, he was picked for Today because he thought "they were looking for a man who doesn't sleep well in the mornings."
He was a purveyor of light features, nicknamed "The Saver" by Garroway for his ability to liven up otherwise dull segments. Typical Lescoulie sketches included acting a scene from Shaw
's Caesar and Cleopatra with Jayne Mansfield
in July, 1956, and being hit in the face with a pie by Buster Keaton
in April, 1963. Often, Lescoulie would act as a traveling companion for Garroway to Todays overseas visits. He co-anchored the remote portions of both the 1959 Paris trip and the 1960 Rome voyage. It was during the latter that Lescoulie took an "accidental" dive into Trevi Fountain
in front of unsuspecting pedestrians.
Lescoulie went through a brief stint as host of The Tonight Show
for six months in 1957. After Steve Allen
's departure from Tonight in January, NBC renamed the show Tonight! America After Dark and transformed it into an interview and news program modeled after Today. Lescoulie, and then Al "Jazzbo" Collins, served as hosts. Lescoulie's tenure ran from January 28 to June 21, 1957.
For a period starting in 1958, Today ceased live broadcasts and instead taped the afternoon before. The official line from NBC said the change would add flexibility in scheduling interviews, though the real reason had more to do with relieving strain on the cast. When Garroway left the show in the summer of 1961, NBC announced Today would resume its live broadcasts on July 17. Lescoulie promptly resigned, saying "I can't face those hours anymore."
Lescoulie moved on to host the NBC educational children's series 1, 2, 3 Go!
, which was canceled on May 20, 1962. He returned to Today that summer and stayed for another five years.
Lescoulie left the show permanently in 1967, and the role he originated was filled by Joe Garagiola, Willard Scott
and Al Roker
.
Lescoulie also did voice work in two Warner Brothers animated cartoons: "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur," a 1939 short directed by Chuck Jones
, in which Lescoulie played Caspar Caveman; and "Malibu Beach Party," a Friz Freleng
1940 short where Lescoulie impersonated radio
comedian
Jack Benny
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
along with their children; Lescoulie's first public performance was at age seven. His first media job was with KGFJ
KYPA
KYPA is a Korean-language radio station in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Multicultural Broadcasting.KYPA is one of three radio stations in the greater Los Angeles area that broadcast entirely in Korean; the others are KMPC and KFOX.The format includes various shows that serve the largest...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, when he was still in high school. The young Lescoulie helped the radio station cover the 1933 Long Beach earthquake
1933 Long Beach earthquake
The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 took place on March 10, 1933 at 17:55 PST , with a magnitude of 6.4, causing widespread damage to buildings throughout Southern California. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach on the Newport-Inglewood Fault. An estimated fifty million dollars worth...
. Lescoulie has a star for his work in television on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
Radio
On radio, he was billed as the "Grouchmaster" on The Grouch Club (1938–40), a program in which people aired their complaints about anything, created by future TV legend Nat HikenNat Hiken
Nat Hiken was an American television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s.-Biography:...
, creator of The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show is a comedy television series which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G...
/You'll Never Get Rich and Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. Episodes had various directors, the most recognized being Al De Caprio. Stanley Prager and Nat Hiken also directed several episodes. Most of its filming was on location in The Bronx, and at Biograph...
. In the 1940s, he was morning-drive partner to Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
on WNEW radio (now WBBR
WBBR
WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,...
) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, before turning over his role in the team to Dee Finch. The Lescoulie and Finch pairings with Rayburn provided what are believed to be radio's first two-man morning teams.
During World War II, Lescoulie served as a war correspondent, flying in Air Force planes on bombing missions over Italy.
In the fall of 1947, Lescoulie became the "all night radio man" on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
's New York affiliate WOR (AM)
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
. On April 12, 1948, he portrayed a mysterious newscaster in "Twelve to Five," a Quiet, Please
Quiet, Please
Quiet, Please! was a radio fantasy and horror program created by Wyllis Cooper, also known for creating Lights Out. Ernest Chappell was the show's announcer and lead actor. Quiet, Please! debuted June 8, 1947 on the Mutual Broadcasting System, and its last episode was broadcast June 25, 1949, on...
fantasy drama which recreated an all-night request radio program so convincingly that some listeners phoned in with requests. He returned to Quiet Please June 4, 1949, in the horror drama, "Tanglefoot."
Television
On television, Lescoulie hosted one of the earliest TV game shows, Fun and FortuneFun and Fortune
Fun and Fortune is an early American Game show that was canceled by ABC after airing one episode an January 6, 1949.-Game format:The game consisted of contestants trying to identify an item hidden behind a curtain based on four clues....
(1949) which lasted only one episode, and he was an announcer on Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
's Cavalcade of Stars
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
(1949–52), as well as the original network announcer for The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
(1955-56). He continued to announce for Gleason into the mid-1960s, at which time Gleason began to exclusively use Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
.
During his long run on Today (1952–67), Lescoulie was a versatile cast member, as his duties included announcing the show at the top and bottom of every hour, conducting interviews, reporting on sports, chatting with the crowd outside the studio and acting as a foil for Dave Garroway
Dave Garroway
David Cunningham "Dave" Garroway was the founding host of NBC's Today from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing, relaxed, and relaxing style belied a battle with depression that may have contributed to the end of his days as a leading television personality—and, eventually, his life...
's pranks. He once joked that, despite his war correspondent credentials, he was picked for Today because he thought "they were looking for a man who doesn't sleep well in the mornings."
He was a purveyor of light features, nicknamed "The Saver" by Garroway for his ability to liven up otherwise dull segments. Typical Lescoulie sketches included acting a scene from Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
's Caesar and Cleopatra with Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
in July, 1956, and being hit in the face with a pie by Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
in April, 1963. Often, Lescoulie would act as a traveling companion for Garroway to Todays overseas visits. He co-anchored the remote portions of both the 1959 Paris trip and the 1960 Rome voyage. It was during the latter that Lescoulie took an "accidental" dive into Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 26 metres high and 20 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world....
in front of unsuspecting pedestrians.
Lescoulie went through a brief stint as host of The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
for six months in 1957. After Steve Allen
Steve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
's departure from Tonight in January, NBC renamed the show Tonight! America After Dark and transformed it into an interview and news program modeled after Today. Lescoulie, and then Al "Jazzbo" Collins, served as hosts. Lescoulie's tenure ran from January 28 to June 21, 1957.
For a period starting in 1958, Today ceased live broadcasts and instead taped the afternoon before. The official line from NBC said the change would add flexibility in scheduling interviews, though the real reason had more to do with relieving strain on the cast. When Garroway left the show in the summer of 1961, NBC announced Today would resume its live broadcasts on July 17. Lescoulie promptly resigned, saying "I can't face those hours anymore."
Lescoulie moved on to host the NBC educational children's series 1, 2, 3 Go!
1, 2, 3 Go!
1, 2, 3 Go! is an American filmed children's television series hosted by Jack Lescoulie with Richard Thomas; The show also featured Richard Morse, only for the first episode as The Courier, and Joseph Warren, who portrayed Thomas Jefferson in the first episode....
, which was canceled on May 20, 1962. He returned to Today that summer and stayed for another five years.
Lescoulie left the show permanently in 1967, and the role he originated was filled by Joe Garagiola, Willard Scott
Willard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:...
and Al Roker
Al Roker
Albert Lincoln "Al" Roker, Jr. is an American television meteorologist as well as an actor and book author. He is best known as being the weather anchor on NBC's Today. On Monday, July 20, 2009, he began co-hosting his new morning show, Wake Up with Al, on The Weather Channel, which airs weekdays...
.
Films
Between 1938 and 1950, Lescoulie had a number of roles as a film actor, mostly uncredited, but he used the name Joe Hartman when he acted in the aviation drama Emergency Landing (1941).Lescoulie also did voice work in two Warner Brothers animated cartoons: "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur," a 1939 short directed by Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
, in which Lescoulie played Caspar Caveman; and "Malibu Beach Party," a Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
1940 short where Lescoulie impersonated radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
.