Dan Seymour (announcer)
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Dan Seymour (June 28, 1914 - July 27, 1982)[1] was an announcer in the era of old-time radio and in the early years of television[2] and later became an an advertising executive.[1]
Contents
Early years
Seymour was born in Manhattan. He attended schools in Paterson, New Jersey, and graduated fromMontclair Academy.[3] When he was 18, he traveled to study and teach stage techniques as a guest of the Austrian Ministry of Education.[4] He was a dramatics major at Amherst College.[5]
Radio
Seymour was once recognized as "Radio's best announcer."[4] An obituary noted, "Seymour was best known as the deep-voiced announcer who startled Americans with a convincing, but fictional account of Martians landing on Earth in the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast in 1938."[6]
His first job in radio—announcing at a station in Boston, Massachusetts—came in 1935, after his college graduation.[3] While at the station, he was also an announcer for the Yankee Network. In 1936, he resigned and joined CBS in New York City.[7] His first major assignment there was announcing for Major Bowes Amateur Hour.[8]
A significant assignment early in his career was becoming the announcer on We the People, a job that led to a position with the program's advertising agency, Young and Rubicam.[4]
Other programs on which Seymour worked as announcer were The Henry Morgan Show,[9]:{{{3}}} The Aldrich Family,[9] Songs by Jack Smith,[10] Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories,[11] Sing It Again,[12] Bobby Benson,[13] and Original Gillette Community Sing.[13]:{{{3}}}
Seymour was one of the producers of You and the News.[14]
Television
Seymour was master of ceremonies on Where Was I?[15] and Sing It Again.[16]:{{{3}}} He was announcer for Tex and Jinx,[16]:{{{3}}} Dunninger and Winchell, (also known as The Bigelow Show for part of its run),[16] and The Swift Home Service Club.[16]:{{{3}}}
Production
In 1945, Seymour, director Tony Leader, and writer Judson Phillips combined efforts to create P.L.S. Productions, a radio producing team, with offices in New York City. The team's first program was You Make the News, which began November 15, 1945, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.[17]
Three months after Seymour became producer of We the People in February 1950, the program's television Nielsen rating had almost doubled.[18]
Advertising
In 1950, Seymour left the on-air side of broadcasting to work in programming. He explained his transition by saying: "I never really enjoyed being a performer. The process of simply reading lines became a bore. I became fascinated with the whole business of mass communications and mass persuasion. This was where the challenge lay."[3]
He first was employed by the Young & Rubicam advertising agency.[19] An invitation to "administer a lift to the General Electric program" for Y & R led to "a permanent role with the agency as a television and radio executive."[4] In 1953, he was appointed a vice president in charge of programming in the agency's radio-television department.[20] He resigned from Y & R October 1, 1955, to become a vice president of the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.[21] Later, he became president and chief executive officer at the Thompson agency.[22]
Recording
In 1946, Seymour and Kathryn Murray shared narration on an eight-sided album, Arthur Murray Teaches the Fox Trot. The instructional recordings were issued in conjunction with Arthur Murray's dance studios.[23]
Union activities
Seymour was elected to one-year terms on the board of the New York City local of the American Federation of Radio Artists for 1948[24] and 1949.[25]
Public service
Seymour served on two ad hoc committees appointed by two United States presidents. Under Lyndon Johnson, he was on a committee "to make recommendations for improvements in United States foreign trade." Under Richard Nixon, he was on a committee "to find ways to increase public awareness on personal health."[3]
Personal life
Seymour was married to the former Louise Scharff. They had four children.[4]
Death
Seymour died of a heart attack July 27, 1982, at his apartment in New York City. He was 68.[6] He was survived by his wife, a son, three daughters and 10 grandchildren.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Cox, Jim (2007). Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s--A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6086-1. Pp. 262-263.
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- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 17.
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- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7. P. 292.
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