image of Wendell Niles
Birthday: Dec 29, 1904
Place of Birth: Livingston, Montana, USA

Wendell Niles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wendell Niles (December 29, 1904 – March 28, 1994) was one of the great announcers of the American golden age of radio. He was an announcer on such shows as The Charlotte Greenwood Show, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe,[2] The Man Called X,[3] The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show and The Chase and Sanborn Hour . On February 15, 1950, Wendell starred in the radio pilot for The Adventures of the Scarlet Cloak along with Gerald Mohr. He began in entertainment by touring in the 1920s with his own orchestra, playing with the Dorsey Brothers and Bix Beiderbecke. Niles moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1935 to join George Burns and Gracie Allen. He and his brother, Ken, developed one of the first radio dramas, which eventually became Theatre of the Mind. -Los Angeles Magazine- How the intersection got its claim to fame Q: Why is the intersection of Hollywood and Vine famous? There’s nothing there. A: In May 1936, Wendell Niles from radio station KFWB brought a microphone to the corner and started a man-on-the-street program. “Niles was a big announcer on radio shows for Bob Hope and George Burns,” says L.A. vocal legend Gary Owens. Niles’s popularization of the corner as shorthand for Hollywood was copied by newspaper reporters and gossip columnists alike and even led to the (terrible) feature film Hollywood and Vine, which was released in 1945. The radio show is gone, but you can still watch celebrities through the glass at the online entertainment network BiteSize TV, whose studios are located in the W Hotel. He toured with Bob Hope during World War II and narrated a 1936 Academy Award-winning short film on the life of tennis great Bill Tilden. Among his film credits is Knute Rockne, All American with Ronald Reagan. Wendell Niles was the announcer for "America's Show Of Surprises"..."It Could Be You", and the Hatos-Hall production "Your First Impression". Niles was also the original announcer for Let's Make a Deal during that show's first season in 1963 and 1964; he was later replaced by Jay Stewart. Wendell and his brother Ken Niles are the first brothers to have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died of cancer in his Toluca Lake home at the age of 89.

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Here Comes Elmer Radio Announcer 1943
Hitchhike to Happiness Wendell Niles (uncredited) 1945
The Hitch-Hiker Wendell Niles 1953
A Man Betrayed Radio Announcer (uncredited) 1941
I Died a Thousand Times Radio Announcer (uncredited) 1955
A Tragedy at Midnight Show Announcer 1942
The Crowd Roars First Radio Announcer 1932
A Strange Adventure Newscaster (uncredited) 1956
The Masked Marvel Newscaster 1943
Street Corner Wendell Niles 1948
Ever Since Eve Monteray Police Announcer (uncredited) 1937
Cowboy from Brooklyn Radio Announcer 1938
Indianapolis Speedway First Radio Announcer 1939
Four Wives Concert Radio Announcer (uncredited) 1939
Espionage Agent Radio Announcer Introducing Garrett 1939
The Roaring Twenties Self - Announcer (uncredited) 1939
Fashion Horizons 1940
Gaucho Serenade Radio Announcer 1940
The Square Jungle 1955
Three Faces West Man-on-the-Street Radio Announcer 1940
Swingin' on a Rainbow Radio Announcer 1945
Harmon of Michigan Wendell Niles 1941
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Announcer 1956
Marked Woman Radio News Commentator (voice) (uncredited) 1937
Series Cast Year
Let's Make a Deal Self - Announcer 1963
My Favorite

Welcome back!

Support Us

Like Movienade?

Please buy us a coffee

scan qr code