Art Gilmore

He wanted to be the next Don Wilson. Instead, he became the first Art Gilmore.

Gilmore was one of the West Coast’s great announcers, and not just on radio. He narrated industrial films, especially for Dudley Pictures, was the voice-over on top of live-action shorts for Warner Bros., memorably in the Joe McDoakes series, and was the first King of the Movie Trailers, including those plugging science fiction films of various grades.

One thing he wanted to do was exchange comedy banter, like Wilson or Harry Von Zell or Ken Carpenter. Instead, he did something Wilson wanted to do—act. Gilmore was on camera on the original version of Dragnet. And he puts in an urgent performance as a uniformed police officer in the Jerry Fairbanks car safety/scare film Why Take a Chance? (1953).

Many of us will recognise him as the announcer who introed and extroed “The World Tomorrow” religious programme. And he was heard on one of the top syndicated shows of the 1950s—Highway Patrol.

As you see on the right, he also endorsed Vaseline (a 1938 ad).

The list goes on and on, so we’ll end it there.

Like many announcers, Gilmore left radio for service during World War Two. Here’s a post-war article from that fine publication, Radio Life, dated Feb. 3, 1946.

Art Gilmore Has Returned to His Radio Assignments, Relates for Radio Life His Experiences Aboard Pacific Carrier
Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., CBS-KNX. Tuesday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., KHJ-Mutual
TALL (6’, 2”), lean (190 lbs.), good-looking Art Gilmore greeted us at the door of his attractive
Valley home. He was looking comfortably casual in civvies ("I'm lucky. The moths left 'em alone! ").
Peering shyly from behind Art's long legs was a little blonde moppet of about two years.
"That's Barbara," smiled the mike-man, and as he ushered us into a living room bathed in the glow of a cheery wood fire, we noted another little blonde moppet (aged five and a half) peeking with curiosity around the door.
"That's Marilyn," grinned Gilmore. "I have 'em all over the place." The roll call ceased there, however, save for the charming Mrs. Gilmore who made her appearance several minutes later, chiding Art with a choice bit of reminiscing: "Tell how you were always at the microphone with your shoes off!"
"That was during our college days," her husband elaborated. "I was tired."
"He waited tables and did all sorts of odd jobs," Mrs. Gilmore interpolated.
"What wore me out was watching all those pretty girls," was Art's explanation, which won him a scorching look from his missus. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore were high-school sweethearts. "Another girl turned me down, so I took Grace instead, and never went with anybody else afterward," Art summed up.
"Personality Announcer" Aim
At the time of our visit with the Gilmores, Art had been a civilian for just a few short weeks, but was already busy testing for prospective screen assignments (film acting is one of his chief aspirations), and preparing for his return to the microphone on CBS' "Dr. Christian" and "Stars Over Hollywood," KFI's "Bullock's Show" and Mutual's "Red Ryder" series. His radio goal is to be a "personality announcer"—one who delivers dialogue as well as commercials (a la Bill Goodwin, Harry von Zell and the like).
"It's a funny thing," Art laughed. "Even in the Navy, I didn't get away from the microphone.” The announcer served as a fighter director aboard a carrier in the Pacific, and participated in the landings on Luzon, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and Leyte.
Before every big maneuver, the rumor would circulate that ‘after this one, we're heading home!’" Gilmore smilingly reminisced. "But there always seemed to be one more job to do.
"We were expecting to go into the northern seas to join forces with the Russians, when the word of the war's end came through," he went on to relate. "Were we glad! We didn't relish the thought of swimming around in those icy waters if our ships should be hit."
The carrier on which Art was stationed was struck just once, by a Jap kamikaze. No one was killed or critically injured, but Art grimly recalled that one man, a gunner, had a very narrow escape. A part of the fallen plane flew toward him, missed his face by mere inches, knocked the sights off his gun and landed over the side of the ship into the ocean.
During far more quiet moments on board ship, Art told us then, he and his shipmates gathered together "for what we laughingly termed 'our happy hours' ". Gilmore emceed the "home talent" shows, played his guitar and sang.
Started in Seattle
Born in Tacoma, Washington, thirty-three-year-old Gilmore started his career as a singer, studied opera, doubled as a vocalist and dishwasher to pay his way through college. After his second year in college, he quit school to join the Seattle CBS station as an announcer, came to Hollywood in 1936, worked first on KFWB, then KNX.
Gilmore's first microphone assignment following his recent release from the Navy was an acting chore on NBC's "Pacific Story." He was absent from the Hollywood scene for over two years.
Another pastime the mikeman acquired during the long months aboard ship was wood-carving. He still enjoys doing it, and modestly displayed some finished samples of his work—a totem pole he made for his children, and two tiny figures of a Kentucky hillbilly and a pompous maestro.
Art's other interests include home movies (particularly ones of his children), gardening (he has done all the planting on the grounds of his home), and carpentry (he has added several novel and attractive touches to the furnishings in his home).
"I guess," Gilmore smilingly summed up, "you'd call me a ‘putterer’."

The Red Skelton Show and Shower of Stars were among his television announcing gigs as Gilmore slid from radio into the new medium. Radio must have been his first love, as Gilmore was a founder of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters in 1966, when comedy/variety, drama and adventure had pretty been replaced on radio networks by newscasts and news feeds. He was active in the organisation for years and several people I’ve spoken with who met him at conventions remarked about how friendly he was.

Gilmore’s marriage to Grace lasted 72 years until his death in 2010.

Oh, Gilmore had a brief, unintentional, cartoon career. He was among many people—Don Wilson included—who cut children’s records for Capitol. They were turned into the soundtrack for “Mel-O-Toons,” with drawings (you can’t call much of it “animation”) showing the action. You can listen to one of his Capitol records below.