Gil Stratton

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Gil Stratton (born June 2, 1922 in Brooklyn , New York , † October 11, 2008 in Toluca Lake , California ) was an American actor and sports reporter.

life and career

Gil Stratton began his career at the age of 19 on George Abbott's Broadway musical Best Foot Forward . He got his first major film role in 1943 in Girl Crazy alongside Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland , with whom he sang the duet "Embraceable You". But soon afterwards he was drafted into the Second World War as a soldier. He returned to the film business in the late 1940s and took on a number of supporting roles. In 1953 he was hired by Billy Wilder for Stalag 17 . In addition to the Oscar-winning William Holden , he played the role of the stuttering narrator Harvey "Cookie" Cook and left a lasting impression.

In the mid-1950s, he shifted his focus to his work as a sports reporter and commentator on various American channels. Until the 1990s he also acted as an announcer for football stadiums. Among other things, he reported on the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 for CBS . Stratton taught radio and television at California State University Northridge. Occasionally, however, Stratton returned to acting, mostly in guest roles on television series. Until his last role, Gil Stratton played in over 40 films and numerous television productions. In his retirement he supported charity events and raised money for the Henry Mayo Clinic in Newhall, among other things. A neonatal ward was named after him in recognition of his services. Stratton died of heart failure in October 2008 at the age of 86.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary for Gil Stratton at Reuters
personal data
SURNAME Stratton, Gil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City , New York
DATE OF DEATH October 11, 2008
Place of death Toluca Lake , California