Art Gilmore

Arthur Wells “Art” Gilmore (March 18, 1912 – September 25, 2010) was an American voice actor and announcer whose distinctive voice became a hallmark of radio, television, and film from the 1930s through the 1970s. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Gilmore studied speech at Washington State University, where he began his broadcasting career at the campus radio station, KWSC, alongside future legend Edward R. Murrow. His early work included singing and announcing at Tacoma’s KVI in 1934 and Seattle’s KOL in 1935, earning him the nickname “The Man with the Smiling Voice.” In 1936, he moved to Los Angeles, joining Warner Brothers’ KFWB as a staff announcer before transitioning to CBS-owned KNX as a news reader and announcer.
Gilmore’s career spanned over 60 years, during which he became one of America’s most recognizable voices, described by film historian Leonard Maltin as “ubiquitous” for two decades. His voice—crisp, articulate, authoritative yet friendly—was heard on countless radio and TV programs, over 2,700 movie trailers, commercials, documentaries, and children’s records. Notable radio shows included Amos ‘n’ Andy, Dr. Christian, Red Ryder, and Sears Radio Theater. On television, he announced for The George Gobel Show and served as the announcer for The Red Skelton Show for 16 seasons (1954–1971), famously opening with “Live! From Television City in Hollywood!” He narrated series like Highway Patrol (1955–1959), delivering its iconic opening: “Whenever the laws of any state are broken, a duly authorized organization swings into action…” Other TV narrations included Mackenzie’s Raiders, Men of Annapolis, and The World Tomorrow, a religious program.
In film, Gilmore voiced President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and narrated Japanese sequences in The Gallant Hours (1960). He narrated trailers for classics like It’s a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Vertigo, Shane, and Gilda (1946), often adapting his tone to match the film’s mood—upbeat for lighthearted films, ominous for thrillers like Seven Days in May. He also narrated the Joe McDoakes comedy shorts and appeared on-screen in the trailer for The Big Clock (1948). His voice work extended to over 3,000 trailers, children’s records for Capitol Records (including Disney’s Pinocchio), and commercials, notably as Chrysler’s national spokesman.

During World War II, Gilmore served as a U.S. Navy fighter-director officer aboard the escort aircraft carrier USS Lunga Point in the Pacific. After the war, he co-authored Radio Announcing (1946) and Television and Radio Announcing (1949). He was a key figure in the industry, serving as president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) from 1961 to 1963 and founding the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters (now Hollywood Media Professionals) in 1966 with stars like Edgar Bergen. The organization honors his legacy with the Art Gilmore Career Achievement Award. He also volunteered for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic from 1973 to 2005.
Gilmore occasionally acted, appearing in shows like Dragnet, Adam-12, Emergency!, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, often as authority figures like police captains. His final role was voicing “The Moon” in Moonbeams (2001). A stickler for pronunciation, he kept a dictionary handy and believed “the word tells you how to say it,” a philosophy that shaped his versatile delivery.
Gilmore died of natural causes on September 25, 2010, at age 98 in Irvine, California.