Don Wilson
Birthday: Born in 1900-09-01 in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Deathday: 1982-04-25
Don Wilson (September 1, 1900 – April 25, 1982) was an American announcer and actor in radio and television, with a Falstaffian vocal presence, remembered best as the rotund announcer and comic foil to the star of The Jack Benny Program. His film roles included small appearances as announcers or commentators in several films, and an appearance as Mr. Kettering opposite Marilyn Monroe in Niagara. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TV Credits
This Is Your Life
Character: Self
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience, including special guest appearances by colleagues, friends and family. Edwards revived the show in 1971-72, while Joseph Campanella hosted a version in 1983. Edwards returned for some specials in the late 1980s, before his death in 2005. T...
The Jack Benny Program
Character: Announcer
Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular performers from his radio show days....
Movie Credits
Artists & Models
Character: Radio Speaker (voice) (uncredited)
An ad man gets his model girlfriend to pose as a debutante for a new campaign....
Larceny
Character: Master of Ceremonies
Rick Mason is the no-good lowdown rat who tries to capitalize on postwar patriotism and grief. He finagles a war widow into giving up her savings for a nonexistent memorial. When Mason falls in love with the widow he has pangs of conscience, but he reckons without his con-artist boss, who tends to bolster his arguments with muscle and bullets....
The Chase
Character: Fats
Chuck Scott gets a job as chauffeur to tough guy Eddie Roman; but Chuck's involvement with Eddie's fearful wife becomes a nightmare....
Ferdinand the Bull
Character: Narrator (voice)
This Oscar-winning short tells of a bull who preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers to clashing horns with his fellow animals. As luck would have it, an untimely bee reveals Ferdinand's ferocious side via pained howls and wild stomping. This lands him in the bull-fighting arena amidst characters based on Walt's animators with a matador reportedly modeled after Walt himself....
Niagara
Character: J.C. Kettering
Rose Loomis and her older, gloomier husband, George, are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The couple befriend Polly and Ray Cutler, who are honeymooning in the area. Polly begins to suspect that something is amiss between Rose and George, and her suspicions grow when she sees Rose in the arms of another man. While Ray initially thinks Polly is overreacting, things between George and Rose soon take a shockingly dark turn....
The Mouse That Jack Built
Character: Don (voice)
In this spoof of "The Jack Benny Program", a mouse with Jack Benny's personality and poor violin playing ability lives, along with a mouse version of Benny's valet, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, in a hole in a wall of Jack Benny's own home. Jack the rodent takes a mouse version of 'Mary Livingstone (I)' out to dinner, and the two unwittingly walk right into the disguised mouth of an orange cat!...
The Kid from Brooklyn
Character: Radio Announcer
Shy milkman Burleigh Sullivan accidentally knocks out drunken Speed McFarlane, a champion boxer who was flirting with Burleigh's sister. The newspapers get hold of the story and photographers even catch Burleigh knock out Speed again. Speed's crooked manager decides to turn Burleigh into a fighter. Burleigh doesn't realize that all of his opponents have been asked to take a dive. Thinking he really is a great fighter, Burleigh develops a swelled head which puts a crimp in his relationship with p...
Charlie's Haunt
Character: Announcer
The residents of a small town are haunted by the ghost of Charlie McCarthy, who doesn't like the fact that they are a very careless bunch and are constantly putting themselves in danger....
The Hot Choc-late Soldiers
Character: Narrator
A group of confectionary soldiers go to war against a neighboring cookie castle....
Broadway Melody of 1936
Character: Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Lovely, gifted Irene Foster hopes that her childhood sweetheart-turned Broadway producer Robert Gordon will recognize her--and her talent. Gordon is too busy sparring with a dirt-dishing gossip columnist to notice, but his wisecracking, heart-of-gold secretary certainly does. She and Irene must use their wits to show him what he's missing!...
The Roundup
Character: Sheriff 'Slim' Hoover
A woman's believed-dead cowhand beau shows up on her wedding day to cause trouble....
Celebrate Christmas With Mickey, Donald & Friends
Character: Narrator (voice) (archive footage)
This charming collection features 7 classic Disney cartoons from the 30's and 40's. "The Cookie Carnival" The other unrelated christmas short is "Ferdinand the Bull" The delights are "Santas Workshop" (1932) where its Christmas Eve and Santa and his elves are preparing the toys for Santa to deliver. "The Night Before Christmas" (1933) where we see Santa deliver the presents to a house and the toys come alive in this enchanting animation. "Pluto's Christmas Tree" where Mickey's newly decorated ch...
Swing It Soldier
Character: Brad Saunders
In this musical comedy, a pregnant disc jockey misses her husband who is fighting overseas. Stressed out by the situation and her job, she decides to take some time off and convinces her twin sister to trade places with her. The switcheroo causes the soldier her husband appointed as her unofficial guardian no end of confusion....
Buck Benny Rides Again
Character: Don Wilson
Radio star Jack Benny, intending to stay in New York for the summer, is forced by the needling of rival Fred Allen to prove his boasts about roughing it on his (fictitious) Nevada ranch. Meanwhile, singer Joan Cameron, whom Jack's fallen for and offended, is maneuvered by her sisters to the same Nevada town. Jack's losing battle to prove his manhood to Joan means broad slapstick burlesque of Western cliches....
Love Thy Neighbor
Character: Radio Show Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Capitalizing on the famous radio 'feud' between comedians Jack Benny and Fred Allen. The two stars play versions of themselves, constantly at each other's throats due to real and imagined slights....
Sailor Beware
Character: Mr. Chubby
Meeting in a navy recruiting line, Al Crowthers and Melvin Jones become friends. Al has tried to enlist before, but was always rejected. He keeps trying so that he can impress women. Melvin, is allergic to women's cosmetics and his doctor prescribed ocean travel, so he decided to join the navy....
Du Barry Was a Lady
Character: Radio Interviewer (uncredited)
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a poor dancer but wants to marry for money. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, he asks May to marry him and she accepts even though she doesn't love him. Soon after, Louis has an accident and gets knocked on the head, where he dreams that he's King Louis XV pursuing the infamous Madame Du Barry....
The Stars Are Singing
Character: Radio Announcer
After she enters the United States illegally, 15-year-old Polish singer Katri Walenska (Anna Maria Alberghetti) finds herself under the wing of aspiring singer Terry Brennan (Rosemary Clooney). Soon Terry has Katri booked on a TV talent show -- but her immigration status may cause a problem. This musical classic boasts a host of famous performers, including Metropolitan Opera star Lauritz Melchior. [netflix]...
Out of This World
Character: Radio Announcer
An all-girl band hits paydirt—and mud—when they sign a male crooner and then sell five 25% shares of his contract....
Desert Empire
Character: Narrator
A travelogue, this film provides a guided tour of pre-World War II Utah and of course does not pretend to cinematic greatness. Recommended viewing for those in search of introductory Utah history. Also valuable for persons seeking insight into the state as it would have looked during this time period. Especially informative for those desiring a window into the past for a view of how Utah was in the days of their pre-World War II progenitors living in the state. Those whose Utah ancestors were in...
Show-Business at War
Character: Self (uncredited)
A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort....
Dangerous Blondes
Character: Himself, Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Mystery writer Barry Craig (Allyn Joslyn) and his wife Jane (Evelyn Keyes), prefer solving crimes rather than writing about them. They get a chance when killings plague the fashion photography studio of Ralph McCormick (Edmund Lowe). After his secretary, Julie Taylor(Anita Louise) reports an attempt to murder her there, Erika McCormick's (Ann Savage) Aunt Isabel Fleming (Mary Forbes) is stabbed and the evidence points to Madge Lawrence (Bess Flowers) an older model and an apparent suicide. Poli...
Hollywood Goes to Town
Character: Self
This short shows how Hollywood gets ready for the world premiere of an "important" movie. The film celebrated here is Marie Antoinette (1938), which had its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre. We see the street leading to the theatre transformed to suggest a garden that might be seen in a French palace. This includes the placement of trees and other foliage, as well as large statues along the route. Grandstands are set up so fans can see their favorite stars as they arrive for the premiere. ...
Mardi Gras
Character: Announcer
The first of a series of six two-reel "Musical Parade" shorts produced in Technicolor for the Paramount 1943-44 production season. The series would continue into 1948, and then were reissued in the early 50's. Songs included "All the Way" and "At the Mardi Gras."...
The Corpse Came C.O.D.
Character: Narrator
Rival reporters (George Brent, Joan Blondell) investigate a Hollywood star (Adele Jergens) and the box she receives with a dead man inside....
$1,000 a Touchdown
Character: Announcer
A couple inherits a college and to generate revenue offers a thousand dollars to players for each touchdown they score....
Radio Stars on Parade
Character: Don Wilson - Announcer
A Hollywood talent agency tries to avoid finacial ruin by getting its best clients on the air....
Radio City Revels
Character: Don Wilson - Radio Station Announcer
A down-on-his-luck songwriter attempts to peddle musical compositions of a naive Arkansas hillbilly under his own name. Comedy....
Two Girls on Broadway
Character: Announcer
Eddie Kerns sells his song to a Broadway producer and also lands a job dancing in the musical. He sends for his dance partner-fiancée Molly Mahoney who brings her younger sister Pat. Upon seeing Molly and Pat dance, the producer picks Pat for the show and gives Molly a job selling cigarettes. A wealthy friend of the producer named "Chat" Chatsworth also has his eye on Pat. Pat is teamed with Eddie in the specialty number as Kerns and Mahoney. Pat and Eddie soon realize that they are in love and ...
Behind the Mike
Character: Tiny Martin
Complications ensue after a radio producer insults a sponsor....
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.5
Character: Narrator (Ferdinand The Bull) (voice) (archive sound)
Six more animated stories from the Disney studios. 'Three Blind Mousketeers' follows the misadventures of the outrageous trio. In 'Three Little Pigs', the Big Bad Wolf is doing his best to cunningly snare the guileless little pigs, while in 'Three Little Wolves' he goes one step further and decides to disguise and train his own offspring to lure them into his fold. 'Funny Little Bunnies' explores the mystery of the Easter Bunny. 'Lambert the Sheepish Lion' is a lovable, shy lion who plucks up th...
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Character: Self, Radio Announcer
An Eddie Cantor look-alike organizes an all-star show to help the war effort....
Comin' Round the Mountain
Character: Don Wilson -Radio Program Announcer
A Tennessee boy (Bob Burns) returns from the big city, runs for mayor and puts his musical kin on the radio....