User:Teblick/Pierre Andre (announcer)
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Pierre Andre | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philip Litman November 25, 1899 Duluth, Minnesota |
| Died | July 21, 1962, age 62 Evanston, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | Announcer |
Pierre Andre (born Philip Litman; November 25, 1899 - July 21, 1962)[1] was an announcer in the era of old-time radio.
Early years[edit]
Andrea was born Philip Litman,[2] the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rae Litman,[3] in Duluth, Minnesota.[4] He graduated from high school in Superior, Wisconsin.[5] He next tried acting, which resulted in what he called "my first disastrous experience".[5] The small stock theater company with which he performed ran out of money, leading him to enter law school at the University of Minnesota (UM).[5] Andre won competitions in public speaking and dramatics while he was a student at UM.[2]
Career[edit]
Drawn to reporting, Andre left Um after two years to be a journalist. He worked as a reporter in Cleveland, Minneapolis, and St. Paul and briefly operated a weekly newspaper in Minnesota's Messabe iron range.[5]
Andre's initial performance on radio, at WEBC in Duluth, Minnesota, resulted from his being invited to speak over the microphone at a studio party. His obituary in the Chicago Tribune reported, "His performance was so good that he immediately was engaged as an announcer."[2] In 1929,[6] he went from WEBC to KSTP in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked for two years. He changed his name when he began working at KSTP.[2] He was a continuity writer at KTSP in addition to announcing.[5]
Andre began working at WGN in Chicago, Illinois, on August 4, 1930, and stayed there for the rest of his career, with much of his work also being broadcast nationally via network connections.[2] He was one of the early announcers for soap operas when they began to become staples of daytime radio.[7]
His obituary noted that he "introduced the first of the remote dance band broadcasts, the Midnight Flyers program from the Blackhawk resaurant."[2] It also reported that he adapted to different types of programming as old-time radio formats disappeared, being replaced by talk shows and other genres.[2]
Programs on which Andre was heard nationally as an announcer included Little Orphan Annie,[8]: 402-403 The Couple Next Door,[8] The Romance of Helen Trent, Arnold Grimm's Daughter, Betty and Bob, Backstage Wife, Carters of Elm Street, Easy Aces,[7] Sky King,[9]Captain Midnight,[10]: 63 How's the Family?[10]: 159 and The Romance of Helen Trent.[10]
Death[edit]
Andre died of lympho-sarcoma July 21, 1962, in Evanston, Illinois. He was 62. He was survived by his wife, a son, a brother and a sister.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ 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. 11-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Pierre Andre Dies; Pioneer Radio Star". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. July 22, 1962. p. Part 1-Page 3. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ "The Final Curtain" (PDF). Billboard. August 2, 1941. p. 28. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Pierre Andre returns to W-G-N-Mutual as staff announcer". Chicago Tribune. January 28, 1940. p. 26. Retrieved July 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Once Worked As Reporter". The Minneapolis Star. December 30, 1929. p. 19. Retrieved July 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pierre Andre Joins KSTP Announcers". The Minneapolis Journal. March 24, 1929. p. 21. Retrieved July 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Pierre Andre Launches New Show Tonight". Chicago Tribune. June 18, 1955. p. 4 F. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b Dunning, John (May 7, 1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Television-Radio Reviews: Sky King" (PDF). Billboard. September 22, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 289.