Bill Goodwin

William Nettles Goodwin (July 28, 1910 – May 9, 1958),[1] was for many years the announcer and a recurring character of the Burns and Allen radio program, and subsequently The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on television from 1950–1951. Upon his departure, he was replaced by Harry von Zell.

For other people named Bill Goodwin, see William Goodwin (disambiguation).
Bill Goodwin
Goodwin in 1951
Born
William Nettles Goodwin

(1910-07-28)July 28, 1910
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedMay 9, 1958(1958-05-09) (aged 47)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Burial placeDesert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California
OccupationRadio announcer and actor of film and television
Years active1941–1958
Spouse(s)
Philippa Hilber
​
​
(m. 1938)​
Children4 including Bill Goodwin

Early years

A native of San Francisco, California,[2] Goodwin attended the University of California.[3] He acted in stage productions on the West Coast before he began working in radio in 1930. His initial work on the air was at a station in Portland, Oregon. It was followed by stints at stations in Sacramento and Los Angeles.[4]

Radio

Goodwin was known for frequently promoting the item sold by the sponsor of the show (Swan Soap or Maxwell House Coffee, among others, on radio; Carnation Evaporated Milk on television). He was effective on radio in doing "integrated commercials", the first announcer to do so[4] in which the advertisement was deftly woven into the show's storyline. In 1945, Goodwin was the "featured comedian" as a regular on The Frank Sinatra Show and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.[5] In 1947, he had his own program,[6] The Bill Goodwin Show, a situation comedy, also known as Leave It to Bill, which ran from April 26-December 13, 1947.[7] He was the announcer for the Blondie radio program.[8]

Television

Goodwin was the host of television shows, including Colgate Theatre[9][10] and Penny to a Million.[4] His last job as announcer was for NBC Radio's The Bob Hope Show (1953–1955). Not long before his death, Goodwin appeared as Ed Weston in two episodes of the short-lived CBS sitcom, The Eve Arden Show.

Film

Goodwin acted in several movies, including The Stork Club (1945), The Jolson Story (1946), and Jolson Sings Again (1949). He played the role of Sherman Billingsley in The Stork Club (1945) and that of the hotel detective in Hitchcock's Spellbound (also 1945) and appeared with Doris Day in Tea for Two (1950) and It's a Great Feeling (1949). Goodwin's best film role was probably as a vain but impoverished stage actor in So This Is New York (1948). His last major role was as the narrator for the animated television cartoon Gerald McBoing-Boing.

Walk of Fame

Goodwin was inducted into the radio portion of the Hollywood Walk of Fame February 8, 1960. His star is at 6810 Hollywood Boulevard.[11]

Family

Goodwin was married to actress Phillippa Hilber; the couple had four children:[12] Jill, Lynn, Sally, and Bill Jr.[3] His son is jazz drummer Bill Goodwin.

Death

Goodwin was found dead in his car on May 9, 1958, at the age of 47 after a heart attack in Palm Springs, California.[13] He is interred at the Desert Memorial Park[1] in Cathedral City, California.

Partial filmography

References
  1. Palm Springs Cemetery District, "Interments of Interest", pscemetery.com; accessed June 20, 2017.
  2. Mann, May (August 27, 1942). "Going Hollywood". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. p. 13. Retrieved July 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Radio Veteran Bill Goodwin Found Dead". Eugene Register-Guard. May 9, 1958. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  4. Kleiner, Dick (June 11, 1955). "The Marquee". The La Crosse Tribune. p. 7. Retrieved July 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Y&R Seeks Dana Andrews" (PDF). Radio Daily. January 12, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  6. Ackerman, Paul (May 10, 1947). "Bill Goodwin". Billboard. p. 11. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  7. Dunning, John (1998). "The Bill Goodwin Show". On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 13 July 2017. The Bill Goodwin Show, situation comedy.
  8. Rathbun, Joe (October 6, 1940). "Joe's Radio Parade". The Times Recorder. p. 8. Retrieved July 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Bill Goodwin, 47, Announcer on Radio, Dies". Chicago Tribune. May 10, 1958. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  10. Witte, Lawrence (June 29, 1955). "TV-Radio News Bits". The Evening Independent. p. 15. Retrieved July 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Bill Goodwin". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  12. Wilk, Ralph (February 18, 1945). "Los Angeles" (PDF). Radio Daily. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  13. "Bill Goodwin Dies of Heart Attack". Desert Sun. May 9, 1958.
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