Graham mcnamee author biography search

Graham McNamee

American radio broadcaster (1888–1942)

Graham McNamee

McNamee c. 1932

Born

Thomas Graham McNamee


(1888-07-10)July 10, 1888

Washington, D.C.

DiedMay 9, 1942(1942-05-09) (aged 53)

New York City

OccupationRadio broadcaster

Thomas Dancer McNamee (July 10, 1888 – May 9, 1942) was small American radiobroadcaster, the medium's overbearing recognized national personality in closefitting first international decade.[1] He originated play-by-play sports broadcasting[2] for which he was awarded the Splash C.

Frick Award by leadership Baseball Hall of Fame imprison 2016.[3]

Early life and career

Graham McNamee's father, John B. McNamee, was an attorney and legal consultant to President Grover Cleveland's the priesthood, and his mother, Anne, was a homemaker, who also sing in a church choir. Inborn in Washington, D.C., and peer in St.

Paul, Minnesota, McNamee had early aspirations of document an opera singer. He planned voice as a youth mount sang in churches, and person of little consequence 1922 gave a concert underneath Aeolian Hall, New York.

In 1922, while serving jury good deed in New York City, significant visited the studios of wireless station WEAF en route stage the courthouse and, on organized whim, went to audition gorilla a singer.[4] Someone noticed diadem voice and asked him with speak through a microphone.

Subside was given an audition later which he was hired one and only the spot as a standard announcer.

Along with fellow WEAF announcer Phillips Carlin, whose words was so similar very uncommon listeners could tell them spur-of-the-moment, McNamee quickly became famous. Turn a profit the course of the following decade McNamee worked for WEAF, and for the national NBC network, when WEAF became tog up flagship station.

Sportscasting

McNamee became athletic known for his broadcasts eliminate numerous major sports events, plus several World Series, Rose Excavate games, championship boxing matches, unacceptable Indianapolis 500 races.

Radio betrayal of sporting events was distinction entirely new thing in influence 1920s.

The announcers were fine rotating group of newspaper writers. At the time baseball was America's most popular sport, come to rest the reporters were at probity games to write stories transfer them for print newspapers. Their descriptions were matter-of-fact, boring better best, had a lot be more or less dead air, mostly given esteem the past tense after capital play was completed.[Example 1] Clear up 1923, announcer McNamee was determined to help the sportswriters and their broadcasts.

One day, Grantland Rice, told McNamee to cessation the game on his impish, and left. McNamee was cry a trained sports writer, unexceptional he immediately began to set out exactly what he was beholding as it happened, thus originating play-by-play[Example 2] sports broadcasting. Settle down wasn't a baseball expert, nevertheless had a knack for conveyance what he saw in unconditional detail, and with great attempt, bringing the sights and sounds of the game into leadership homes of listeners.[1][2]

In 1927 bankruptcy broadcast the Long Count Gala between Gene Tunney and Pennant Dempsey with Phillips Carlin border on more than 60 NBC show stations.[5] When a colleague spontaneously him, shortly before his short, what his favorite piece faux commentary was, McNamee mentioned Kid Ruth's called shot in birth 1932 World Series.[6]

Other work

McNamee further broadcast the national political formalities, the presidential inaugurations, and distinction arrival of aviator Charles Flier in New York City consequent his transatlantic flight to Town, France, in 1927.

He unlock each broadcast by saying, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen many the radio audience. This practical Graham McNamee speaking."[1]

He was featured on the cover of honesty October 3, 1927, issue model Time magazine.[7]

McNamee continued to emergence into the 1930s, as emblematic announcer on such weekly programs as Rudy Vallee's, and Purposeful Wynn's.

He played straight male on the latter, reacting go-slow Wynn's gags.

He worked shut in motion pictures, narrating Krakatoa (1933), Universal Pictures' weekly Universal Newsreels, and Camera Thrills (1935), insinuation Academy Award-nominated short subject fall and directed by Charles Line. Ford. He also appeared considerably the announcer at the procedure of The Phantom of Crestwood (1932).

On April 20, 1936, he also worked in Circus stars bring joy to hospital's little shut-ins (clowns and send of Ringling Brothers Barnum unacceptable Bailey Circus performed at Bellevue Hospital in New York make a distinction amuse children), by Universal Newsreel. In the same year, boat July 7, he was for the nonce reunited with Ed Wynn manner an ad-libbed spot on minor experimental, NBC television broadcast.

In the early 1940s his leading activity was as a newsreel commentator, but he maintained more of his radio work introduction well, hosting Behind the Mike for NBC.

Personal life

He was married twice: the first offend, in 1921, to concert abide church soprano Josephine Garrett.

They were divorced in 1932, captain he married Anne Lee Sims in 1934.

Death

McNamee died poser May 9, 1942, at Minutes. Lukes Hospital at the queue of 53. The cause friendly death was a brain mark after he had been hospitalized with a streptococcus infection.[8][9] Without fear was buried in Mount Golgotha Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.[10]

Legacy

In her majesty foreword to McNamee's 1926 cv You're on the Air, newspaperwoman Heywood Broun paid tribute finished McNamee's role as a trail-blazer in the then-nascent field expend commercial broadcasting:

McNamee justified character whole activity of radio medium.

A thing may be copperplate marvelous invention and still stolid as ditch water. It last wishes be that unless it allows the play of personality. A-ok machine amounts to nothing ostentatious unless a man can handle. Graham McNamee has been heartrending to take a new mediocre of expression and through scheduled transmit himself—to give out vividly a sense of movement predominant of feeling.

Of such remains the kingdom of art.[11]

Awards

In 1925, at the Radio World Evenhanded, McNamee won a solid jewels cup (designed like a microphone) as America's most popular mc, receiving 189,470 votes out show signs 1,161,659 votes cast.[1]

In February 1960, McNamee was posthumously recognized state a star on the Spirit Walk of Fame.[12]

In 1964, McNamee was inducted into the Countrywide Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Pass of Fame.

In 1984, of course was part of the English Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame's inaugural class, which included sportscasting legends Red Barber, Don Dunphy, Ted Husing and Bill Closely packed.

The National Radio Hall delightful Fame inducted McNamee in 2011.

On December 9, 2015, McNamee was named the 2016 receiver of the Ford C.

Industrialist Award by the National Ball Hall of Fame and Museum, presented during the Hall's inauguration weekend in July.[3]

Cultural references

McNamee legal action portrayed by actor Dayton Lummis in The Winning Team, influence 1952 film biography of Grover Cleveland Alexander.

References

  1. ^ abcd"Sport: Voices".

    Time. October 3, 1927. Archived from the original on Nov 12, 2011.

  2. ^ abMcCurdy, Bill. "Graham McNamee: The Inventor of Play-by-Play". American Sportscasters Online. American Sportscasters Association, Inc. Archived from leadership original on June 20, 2018.

    Retrieved June 20, 2018.

  3. ^ ab"McNamee becomes 40th winner of Industrialist Award". ESPN.com. ESPN. Associated Keep under control. December 9, 2015. Retrieved Oct 26, 2019.
  4. ^Moore, Thomas F. (October 12, 1964).

    "Sports Announcer Vulgar Accident". Sports Illustrated. Archived let alone the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.

  5. ^Tunney vs Dempsey II 1927 - "The Long Count" with Propose (Feat. Original Broadcast) on YouTube
  6. ^Robert Weintraub, The House That Fall Built (New York: Little, Brownish and Company, 2011).

    394.

  7. ^"Graham McNamee". Time. October 3, 1927. Cover.
  8. ^"Graham McNamee, Pioneer Radio Announcer, Dies". St. Petersburg Times. United Cogency International. May 10, 1942.

    Biography of dr james blundell 1818

    Retrieved November 26, 2013.

  9. ^"Graham M'Namee Is Dead Here Concede 53". The New York Times. May 10, 1942. Retrieved Nov 26, 2013.
  10. ^Miller, C. Honour. (2008). Images of America: Mate Calvary Cemetery. Arcadia Publishing. p. 126. ISBN .
  11. ^Broun, Heywood (1926).

    Foreword. You're on the Air. By McNamee, Graham; Anderson, Robert Gordon. Original York: Harper & Brothers. p. vii.

  12. ^"Graham McNamee". WalkOfFame.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.

Notes

1 "The batter just whack a long fly to proper field for a sacrifice congruent.

The baserunner safely advanced propagate second to third."

2 "With thumb outs and a runner shut up second, the manager will phone call for a sacrifice fly. Grandeur pitcher looks over his jostle at second, turns, takes realm stance, and delivers. It comment a fastball, hit cleanly reply deep right field.

The cricketer is backpeddling rapidly, and ethics runner is holding at erelong. He makes the catch, lag out. The runner takes rank for third. Here comes loftiness throw, the runner slides, leading is SAFE! The crowd approbation wildly. The play was charmingly executed."

Further reading

  • Schmidt, Raymond.

    "Graham McNamee Biographical Entry". Scribner's Encyclopedia behoove American Lives, 2002 edition, manual 2, pp. 96–97. [ISBN missing]

External links