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Larry Thor

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

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

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]

Early professional life

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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] From 1964 to 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

Title Year Role Notes
The Pride of St. Louis 1952 St. Louis Home Games Announcer Uncredited
The Mississippi Gambler 1953 Captain Uncredited
The Roar of the Crowd 1953 Announcer Uncredited
The Kid from Left Field 1953 First Announcer Uncredited
The Fast and the Furious 1955 Detective Sergeant
Five Guns West 1955 Confederate Captain
Portland Exposé 1957 Captain Vincent Uncredited
Hell Bound 1957 Doctor Uncredited
The Amazing Colossal Man 1957 Major Eric Coulter, MD
Zero Hour! 1957 Vancouver Radio Dispatcher
The True Story of Lynn Stuart 1958 Police Sergeant Uncredited
Machine-Gun Kelly 1958 Detective Drummond
The Littlest Hobo 1958 Police Captain
The Hunters 1958 Captain Owynby Uncredited
The Gun Runners 1958 Captain Uncredited
Tarawa Beachhead 1958 Colonel Kempler
A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed 1958 Detective Uncredited
Gunmen from Laredo 1959 Captain Garrick Uncredited
Holiday for Lovers 1959 Captain Uncredited
Battle of the Coral Sea 1959 Army Major Uncredited
Wake Me When It's Over 1960 TV Broadcaster Uncredited
Let's Make Love 1960 Wilson Uncredited
Spartacus 1960 Staff Officer Uncredited
Where the Boys Are 1960 Doctor Uncredited
Bachelor Flat 1961 Officer in Sheriff's Office Uncredited
Company of Killers 1970 Clarington
Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970 Major General Frederick L. Martin Uncredited
The Phantom Tollbooth 1970 Tock the Watchdog Voice
Night Games 1974 Court Reporter (final film role)

Selected Television Appearances

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  • Perry Mason (1957-1963) (2 episodes)
    • (Season 1 Episode 5: "The Case of the Sulky Girl") (1957) as Police Surgeon
    • (Season 6 Episode 28: "The Case of the Witless Witness") (1963) as Commentator
  • Sea Hunt (1958) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Female of the Species") as Pete Zawicki
  • Wagon Train (1958) (Season 1 Episode 28: "The Sally Potter Story") as Sergeant Hood
  • Rawhide (1959) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Incident of the Judas Trap") as Brown
  • The Rifleman (1962) (Season 4 Episode 24: "Tinhorn") as Jesse Phillips
  • The Andy Griffith Show (1964) (Season 5 Episode 2: "Barney's Physical") as Mr. Bronson
  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Crimson Witness") as Detective Haskel
  • The Munsters (1965) (Season 1 Episode 18: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up") as Second Man
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966) (Season 3 Episode 7: "The Thor Affair") as Announcer
  • The Mod Squad (1968) (Season 1 Episode 1: "The Teeth of the Barracuda") as Doctor

References

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  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c "Larry Thor". Icelandic National League of North America. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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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