Les Tremayne
Encyclopedia
Les Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker. He began working in radio when he was 17 years old.
, he starred in The First Nighter Program
from 1936 to 1942. He starred in The Adventures of the Thin Man
and The Romance of Helen Trent
during the 1940s. He also starred in the title role in The Falcon
, and played detective Pat Abbott in The Abbott Mysteries
in 1946–1947. Tremayne was married four times. He did a morning talk show, The Tremaynes with his second wife, Alice Reinhardt. When Tremayne died in 2003, he was married to his fourth wife, Joan. Tremayne was once named one of the three most distinctive voices on American radio. The other two were Bing Crosby
and President Franklin D. Roosevelt
.
, The Racket
, The War of The Worlds
and North by Northwest
.
television series based on the DC Comics
superhero Captain Marvel
. In the role of Mentor, Tremayne served as the literal mentor of the program's protagonist, young Billy Batson. He appeared in General Hospital
as Edward Quartermaine, the oldest character in that series, as a temporary replacement for David Lewis in 1987. He played the deceased Victor Lord for one month on One Life to Live
during the 1987 Heaven storyline in which daughter Vicki Lord Buchanan was reunited with most every character that had died on the show after a heart attack left her in purgatory.
After doing more than 30,000 broadcasts, Tremayne was elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2003, Tremayne died of heart failure at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California
at the age of 90.
He was entombed in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
.
Radio
On radio during the 1930s and 1940s, Tremayne was heard in as many as 45 shows a week. Replacing Don AmecheDon Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
, he starred in The First Nighter Program
The First Nighter Program
The First Nighter Program was a long-running radio anthology comedy-drama series broadcast from 1930 to 1953. The host was Mr. First Nighter .The show's opening recreated the aural atmosphere of a Broadway opening. Before each week's drama began, Mr...
from 1936 to 1942. He starred in The Adventures of the Thin Man
The Adventures of the Thin Man
The Adventures of the Thin Man radio series, initially starring Les Damon, was broadcast on all four major radio networks during the years 1941 to 1950. Claudia Morgan had the female lead role of Nora Charles throughout the program's entire nine-year run...
and The Romance of Helen Trent
The Romance of Helen Trent
The Romance of Helen Trent was a radio soap opera which aired on CBS from 1933 to 1960 for a total of 7,222 episodes. The show was created by Frank and Anne Hummert, who were among the most prolific producers during the radio soap era....
during the 1940s. He also starred in the title role in The Falcon
The Falcon (radio)
The Falcon radio series premiered on the Blue Network on April 10, 1943, continuing on NBC and Mutual until November 27, 1954. Some 70 episodes were produced....
, and played detective Pat Abbott in The Abbott Mysteries
Abbott Mysteries
Abbott Mysteries was a comedy-mystery radio program adapted from the novels of Frances Crane . Initially a summer replacement for Quick As a Flash, the series was heard on Mutual and NBC between the years 1945 and 1955....
in 1946–1947. Tremayne was married four times. He did a morning talk show, The Tremaynes with his second wife, Alice Reinhardt. When Tremayne died in 2003, he was married to his fourth wife, Joan. Tremayne was once named one of the three most distinctive voices on American radio. The other two were Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
.
Film
His film credits include A Man Called PeterA Man Called Peter
A Man Called Peter is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as chaplain of the U.S. Senate late in his life, in an account written by his wife Catherine Marshall...
, The Racket
The Racket (1951 film)
The Racket is a 1951 remake of the the 1928 film The Racket. This film noir-style black-and-white film was directed by John Cromwell with uncredited directing help from Nicholas Ray and Mel Ferrer. The police crime drama is based on a popular Bartlett Cormack play. The Racket is a 1951 remake of...
, The War of The Worlds
The War of the Worlds (1953 film)
The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
and North by Northwest
North by Northwest
North by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau...
.
Television
Between 1974 and 1977, Tremayne appeared on the Saturday morning Shazam!Shazam! (TV series)
Shazam! is a half-hour live-action television program produced by Filmation , based upon DC Comics' superhero Captain Marvel....
television series based on the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
superhero Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
. In the role of Mentor, Tremayne served as the literal mentor of the program's protagonist, young Billy Batson. He appeared in General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
as Edward Quartermaine, the oldest character in that series, as a temporary replacement for David Lewis in 1987. He played the deceased Victor Lord for one month on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
during the 1987 Heaven storyline in which daughter Vicki Lord Buchanan was reunited with most every character that had died on the show after a heart attack left her in purgatory.
After doing more than 30,000 broadcasts, Tremayne was elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2003, Tremayne died of heart failure at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
at the age of 90.
He was entombed in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
.