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DEATHS ; Notable Passings; The Thread to Pay Last Respects

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,081
Location
London, UK
George Romero changed my life. When October's World Zombie Day rolls around again, this year I shall do an especial shamble in his honour.

12144940_10153013345762260_6177723960432201699_n.jpg
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
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33,760
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Bob Wolff has died at the age of 96. An active broadcaster since 1939, Wolff is best remembered for his thirteen-year tenure as the voice of the Washington Senators, a woebegone franchise which forced him to become a first-class broadcaster simply because nobody would have wanted to listen otherwise. Wolff broadcast for the Nats from 1947 to 1960, and followed the franchise to Minnesota in 1961. He only spent a single season in the Upper Midwest before heading to New York to take over the NBC Game Of The Week telecasts. He held that seat until he was replaced by Curt Gowdy in 1966, but remained in New York doing a wide range of sports including football, soccer, basketball, hockey, golf -- and the Westminster Dog Show, where he became something of an institution. Wolff broadcast three World Series on radio -- 1956, 1958, and 1961, and perhaps his single most famous call was the radio broadcast of Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.

At the time of his death, Wolff was still an active broadcaster, and his 78 years behind the microphone stand as the all-time radio record.

video-bob-wolff-archives-videoLarge.jpg


Wolff interviewing some has-been ex-ballplayer in 1947.
 
Messages
17,216
Location
New York City
Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Bob Wolff has died at the age of 96. An active broadcaster since 1939, Wolff is best remembered for his thirteen-year tenure as the voice of the Washington Senators, a woebegone franchise which forced him to become a first-class broadcaster simply because nobody would have wanted to listen otherwise. Wolff broadcast for the Nats from 1947 to 1960, and followed the franchise to Minnesota in 1961. He only spent a single season in the Upper Midwest before heading to New York to take over the NBC Game Of The Week telecasts. He held that seat until he was replaced by Curt Gowdy in 1966, but remained in New York doing a wide range of sports including football, soccer, basketball, hockey, golf -- and the Westminster Dog Show, where he became something of an institution. Wolff broadcast three World Series on radio -- 1956, 1958, and 1961, and perhaps his single most famous call was the radio broadcast of Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.

At the time of his death, Wolff was still an active broadcaster, and his 78 years behind the microphone stand as the all-time radio record.

video-bob-wolff-archives-videoLarge.jpg


Wolff interviewing some has-been ex-ballplayer in 1947.

That is incredible longevity. For whom was he currently broadcasting?
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,760
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
He was doing local school sports commentaries for "News 12 Long Island." I've known a lot of radio people who just couldn't step away from the microphone, but none with that level of committment. He really did love broadcasting.

To put it in perspective, when Vin Scully began his professional broadcasting career, Wolff had already been on the air for ten years.

In his memory, here's the full broadcast of Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. Wolff calls the second half of this game -- the first half is called by Bob Neal of the Cleveland Indians.

 

MisterCairo

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,005
Location
Gads Hill, Ontario
Canadian character actor Harvey Aitken has died, aged only 74 (yup, cancer). One of those "hey, it's that guy" actors, he is known widely for roles on Cagney and Lacey and Law and Order. He was also a staple of Canadian tv and "Can-Con" films, and US productions filmed up north.

Link to follow.
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,760
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Remarkable true fact: George Romero worked for "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in the mid-1960s, shooting short "field trip" films, including one in which Mister Rogers got his tonsils out. Romero wanted to use Betty "Lady" Aberlin in "Night of the Living Dead," but Fred Rogers didn't think that was a good idea, although he was fine with Don "Chef" Brockett having a role as a zombie in the film.
 

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