Larry Thor

Larry Thor (August 27, 1916 – March 15, 1976) was a radio newscaster and announcer, an actor in film and radio, and a university professor. He "was noted for his distinctive voice ... his rich resonant tones."[3]

Larry Thor
Thor in The Fast and the Furious (1954)
Born
Arnleifur Lawrence Thorsteinson[1]

(1916-08-27)August 27, 1916
Lundar, Manitoba, Canada[2]
DiedMarch 16, 1976(1976-03-16) (aged 59)
OccupationActor
Years active1952–1974
Spouse(s)Leona Finnie
Jean Howell (1956)

Early professional life

A native of Lundar, Manitoba, Canada, Thor was a soldier, a construction worker, a farmer, and a rancher before he went into broadcasting. His first experience in radio came in 1937[4] as an unpaid singer at CFAR in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. He soon became the writer for CFAR, a job he held for three years. From there he went to CKGB in Timmins as an announcer. Later, he moved to CKCL in Toronto as a newscaster.[1] In 1946, he moved to the United States, joining the staff of KFAC in Los Angeles.[4] Following that, Thor worked at KMPC, in Hollywood, California, as a newscaster[5] and writer.[6] In 1948, he left KMPC and went to KNX in Hollywood as an announcer.[7] 1964-1967|he was the radio announcer on the TV program Gilligan's Island, and appeared as himself on S02 Episode 04 Smile, You're on Mars Camera.

Radio drama

Thor's involvement with drama on radio began in Canada. In addition to his work as an announcer (noted above), he began his own company, Peak Radio Ltd., which produced radio dramas.[4] During Thor's time on American network radio, he was an announcer for Green Lama,[8] Rocky Jordan,[9] and Suspense.[10] He was perhaps best known for starring in Broadway Is My Beat, playing Detective Danny Clover.[9] He also was the announcer on the syndicated radio program, The Clyde Beatty Show.[8]

Recordings

In 1964, Thor recorded a 12-song album for children.[3] Galloping on My Dinosaur was released on the Harmony label.[11] Thor also wrote the music and lyrics for the songs in the album.[4]

Writing

Thor wrote his first script for an episode of Suspense. "The Man Who Cried Wolf" was broadcast February 9, 1953.[10] He went on to write scripts for episodes of This is our Heritage, Fantasy of Fact, The Record Collectors, and Hallmark Hall of Fame. He also wrote four books.[4]

Teaching

Thor began teaching in the screenwriting program at the University of California, Los Angeles, in January 1968, offering "a special course for the advanced writers."[4] He continued to teach there, enhancing his courses with "many professional actors, producers and writers who were brought into his class as guest lecturers" until he died in 1976.[4]

Family

While still in Canada, Thor married the former Leona Finnie of Winnipeg[1] when he was 21. They had four children.[3] In 1956, Thor married Jean Howell, an actress and writer.[4] She divorced him after four months.[12]

Filmography

Thor had roles in 29 feature films, as shown in the table below.[13]

TitleYearRoleNotes
The Pride of St. Louis1952St. Louis Home Games AnnouncerUncredited
The Mississippi Gambler1953CaptainUncredited
The Roar of the Crowd1953AnnouncerUncredited
The Kid from Left Field1953First AnnouncerUncredited
The Fast and the Furious1955Detective Sergeant
Five Guns West1955Confederate Captain
Portland Exposé1957Captain VincentUncredited
Hell Bound1957DoctorUncredited
The Amazing Colossal Man1957Maj. Eric Coulter, MD
Zero Hour!1957Vancouver Radio Dispatcher
The True Story of Lynn Stuart1958Police SergeantUncredited
Machine-Gun Kelly1958Detective Drummond
The Littlest Hobo1958Police Captain
The Hunters1958Captain OwynbyUncredited
The Gun Runners1958CaptainUncredited
Tarawa Beachhead1958Colonel Kempler
A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed1958DetectiveUncredited
Gunmen from Laredo1959Captain GarrickUncredited
Holiday for Lovers1959CaptainUncredited
Battle of the Coral Sea1959Army MajorUncredited
Wake Me When It's Over1960TV broadcasterUncredited
Let's Make Love1960WilsonUncredited
Spartacus1960Staff OfficerUncredited
Where the Boys Are1960DoctorUncredited
Bachelor Flat1961Officer in Sheriff's OfficeUncredited
Company of Killers1970Clarington
Tora! Tora! Tora!1970Maj. Gen. Frederick L. MartinUncredited
The Phantom Tollbooth1970Tock the WatchdogVoice
Night Games1974Court Reporter(final film role)

References
  1. Hammerston, Claude (March 1, 1950). "Drama And Music On CBS". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  2. Eder, Bruce (2014). "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
  3. "Larry Thor". Icelandic National League of North America. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. "Larry Thor, Theater Arts: Los Angeles". calisphere. University of California. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  5. Zhito, Lee (April 1, 1950). "FCC Witnesses Press Bias Charges Against Richards; New Delay, Till Fall Looms". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  6. Roberts, Lynn (March 16, 1947). "News as You Want It" (PDF). Radio Life. 15 (2): 6. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  7. "Production" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 31, 1948. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  8. Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. pp. 139, 277.
  9. Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. pp. 120, 582.
  10. Young, Kathryn (March 1953). "C.B.S. Notes" (PDF). WIBW Round-Up. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  11. "Album Reviews". Billboard. September 19, 1964. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  12. "Television Actress Divorces Husband". The Florence Times. July 6, 1956. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  13. "Larry Thor: Complete Filmography". TCM. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
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