Tuesday, September 02, 2008

In A World Where...There Is No Don LaFontaine

When I was studying broadcasting Don LaFontaine had the job that most of the guys wanted. He also had the voice that we all wanted. Today he died at the age of 68. For most of his career people only knew his voice. In recent years his face and name were becoming known to movie and TV audiences. I think that had he lived even greater fame was on the horizon. Still he left a wonderful broadcast and entertainment legacy as much as Mel Blank, Orson Welles, Paul Frees or Thurl Ravenscroft.
The person who is hired to do voice overs for the movies better not use his signature phrase "In a world..." Movie audiences will be too sad to hear it. He once said that he used the phrase as it was the beginning of the sentence that described the setting of the movie in one sentence. In another interview he said that his voice has been that way since it changed in school. He hated his voice till he and his friends realized he could call up the school and say he was their Father to get them all out of classes.
Rest in Peace Don LaFontaine.

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