Gil Stratton

Gil Stratton
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Portrays:	Steve Baldwin (announcer, uncredited)
Date of Birth:	June 02, 1922
Date of Death:	October 11, 2008
Age at Death:	86
Nationality:	USA
Related Media
		@ BW Media
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IMDb profile

Gil Stratton Jr. (June 2, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American actor and legendary sportscaster who portrayed an uncredited baseball game announcer named Steve Baldwin in the Galactica 1980 episode "Spaceball," whose appearance was confirmed via computer-aided facial recognition. Best known for his signature catchphrase "Time to call 'em as I see 'em," Stratton was a fixture in Southern California sports broadcasting for over four decades.

Early Life and Education

Stratton was born on June 2, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Poly Prep preparatory school. He later attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he earned a bachelor's degree and starred as goalie for the university's hockey team. He first became interested in acting as a teenager.

In an interview with KNBC-KFWB sports anchor Bill Seward conducted the year before his death, Stratton explained the origin of his "Jr." billing: "When I was a kid I loved getting the mail from the mailman. I was named a junior and I would see something for Gil Stratton in the mail and of course I opened it. My father said I was not Gil Stratton, I was Gil Stratton, Jr. 'And don't open my mail.' It was that way until I was about to open on Broadway and they asked me how I wanted to be billed as Gil Stratton or Gil Stratton, Jr. I said bill me as Gil Stratton, Jr. I did it really just to show my father and then it just kinda stuck. Particularly after World War II where I primarily made my living as a radio actor the junior part would lead to what part I played on the show. They would read all the parts and if there was a kid's role and they saw junior they would pick me and it stayed with me all that time."

Career

Broadway and Early Film Work

Stratton made his Broadway debut at the age of 19 as Bud Hooper in the George Abbott musical Best Foot Forward, which ran from October 1, 1941, to July 4, 1942. His performance caught the attention of MGM, which hired him as a contract player. His first assignment for MGM was the 1943 film Girl Crazy with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, in which Stratton sang "Embraceable You" in a duet with Garland.

During World War II, Stratton served in the Army Air Forces as a bombardier trainee, though he spent much of his service time working as a baseball umpire, a skill he had learned in college.

After the war, Stratton's notable film appearances included playing Sgt. Clarence Harvey "Cookie" Cook, the stuttering narrator, in Stalag 17 (1953), and "Mousie," a member of Marlon Brando's motorcycle gang, in The Wild One (1953). His later film work included The Cat from Outer Space (1978), Mae West's final film Sextette (1978), and Inside Moves (1980).

Radio Career

After settling in Southern California, Stratton became a fixture in dramatic radio during the late 1940s and 1950s. He performed in such shows as Lux Radio Theater, The Great Gildersleeve, and My Little Margie. He worked opposite Judy Garland in the 1950 radio adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and acted opposite Shirley Temple in a radio version of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer. When My Little Margie transitioned from television to radio, Stratton played Margie's boyfriend, Freddie, for several years.

In the 1950s, Stratton appeared in several episodes of Jack Webb's Dragnet. He also appeared in two 1956 episodes of the Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar radio drama.

Television and Sportscasting Career

Stratton played "Junior Jackson" in the 1954–1955 CBS sitcom That's My Boy, a role that caught the attention of management at Los Angeles CBS affiliate KNXT. They offered him regular work as their daily sportscaster, a position that lasted more than 20 years and established his reputation as one of the best sportscasters in the business.

In 1961, Stratton became an integral part of the nation's first regular hour-long television newscast, Channel 2's The Big News. Stratton and his colleagues Jerry Dunphy and Bill Keene dominated the early evening Los Angeles television airwaves throughout the 1960s, becoming the prototype news team for local TV stations across the country. The groundbreaking newscast at various times featured Clete Roberts, Ralph Story, Bill Stout, and Bill Keene.

Stratton worked as the broadcast voice of the Los Angeles Rams and covered virtually every kind of sporting event, including the 1960 Summer Olympics from Rome. He hosted a popular 30-minute live horse racing show from Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar racetracks on Saturday afternoons from 1955 through the early 1970s. The show, originally sponsored by Union Oil, was carried on CBS affiliates in 34 western markets ranging from Mexico to Canada.

Stratton also worked as an umpire in minor league baseball's Pacific Coast League. He continued at KNX 1070 radio from 1967 to 1984 and again from 1986 to 1997.

MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann, who worked with Stratton at both KCBS/KNXT and KNX 1070, said of him: "There aren't many renaissance men in any age, but Gil was one of them."

Later Television Appearances

In the 1970s and 1980s, Stratton made occasional guest appearances on many television series, usually portraying sports announcers, a role that perfectly suited his established persona. His television appearances included The Red Skelton Show, Police Story, Wonder Woman, Archie Bunker's Place, Cagney & Lacey, and Remington Steele. His final screen role was as a café manager in the 2003 film Dismembered.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout his career, Stratton won five local Emmy Awards and was awarded seven Golden Mike awards from the Radio-Television News Association. He was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Stratton was married to Dee Arlen, an actress who worked in television during the early 1950s and 1960s, for 47 years. The couple resided in Toluca Lake, California.

In 1984, Stratton initially retired from broadcasting and moved to Hawaii, where he became owner and general manager of radio station 790 AM KKON in Kealakekua. However, he found that being behind a desk was not for him and returned to broadcasting work. He maintained homes in both Toluca Lake and Hawaii.

Death

In his later years, Stratton spoke openly about his personal struggles and recovery. In the Bill Seward interview, he revealed: "I was part of it all for a long time and finally I joined AA and that seemed to get me straightened out and from there on there were no problems."

Stratton died on October 11, 2008, at his Toluca Lake home from congestive heart failure at the age of 86. According to his widow, Dee, he was "dressed in his favorite robe, sitting in his favorite chair and watching his favorite sport – European soccer – on television when he fell asleep and never woke up."

He is survived by his widow Dee; five children, Gilda Stratton, Gibby Stratton, Billy Norvas, Laurie O'Brien, and Cary Stratton; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

References

External Links

• Gil Stratton at Wikipedia