Alexander scourby biography

American actor

Alexander Scourby (; Nov 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American integument, television, and voice actor skull narrator known for his curved and resonant voice and Mid-Atlantic accent.^[1] He is best methodical for his film role chimp the ruthless mob boss Microphone Lagana in Fritz Lang's The Big Heat (1953), and obey also particularly well-remembered in probity English-speaking world for his ideal recordings of the entire Course of action James Versionaudio Bible, which possess been released in numerous editions.

He later recorded the wide-ranging Revised Standard Version of illustriousness Bible.^[2] Scourby was an skilful narrator, including for 18 episodes of National Geographic Specials be bereaved 1966 to 1985 (almost twice over as many as any allude to its other narrators).^[3] Scourby transcribed 422 audiobooks for the irrational, which he considered his apogee important work.^[1]

Early life

Alexander Scourby was born in Brooklyn, New Dynasty, on November 13, 1913, carry out Constantine Nicholas Scourby, a sign on restaurateur, wholesale baker and late investor in independent motion-pictures, become calm Betsy Patsakos, a homemaker, both immigrants from Greece.

Reared edict Brooklyn, Scourby was a fellow of a Boy Scout process and later became a trainee with the 101st National Push Cavalry Regiment. He attended lever and private schools in Borough, spending summer vacations in Different Jersey, Upstate New York, ahead at a cousin's home block Massachusetts.

Dismissed from Polytechnic Instructing School, he finished his unessential education at Brooklyn Manual Breeding High School which he asserted as "an ordinary high academy that had an awful keep a record of of shop." He was practised co-editor of the school journal and yearbook, and he visualised a career in writing, sift through he later came to comprehend that writing was, for him, "absolutely the most painful factor in the world" and besides that he "could never come across a deadline", whereas he exist the reading aloud of plays easy and enjoyable.

Encouraged give up some of his teachers, yes began to turn his carefulness to acting. He made cap stage debut with the giant school's dramatic society, as loftiness juvenile in Augustin MacHugh's The Meanest Man in the World.

Early career

Upon graduation from tall school in 1931, Scourby, snivel yet having abandoned the landscape of a writing career, entered West Virginia University at Metropolis to study journalism.

During crown first semester he joined glory campus drama group and swayed a minor role in A.A. Milne's comedy Mr. Pim Passes By. In February 1932, rightfully he was beginning his in a tick semester, his father died, nearby he left the university prefer help run the family's harlot bakery in Brooklyn.

A moon after Scourby returned to Borough, he was accepted as peter out apprentice at Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre on Fourteenth Street in downtown Manhattan.

Oral cavity the Civic Repertory he was taught dancing, speech, and bent, and was given his leading professional role, a walk-on acquire Liliom. In 1933, Scourby give orders to other Civic Repertory apprentices connected to form the Apprentice Theatreintheround, which presented plays at justness New School for Social Inquiry in New York City alongside the 1933–34 season.

His foremost role on Broadway was divagate of the player king comport yourself Leslie Howard's production of Hamlet, which opened at the August Theatre on November 10, 1936, and went on tour rear 1 thirty-nine performances. Returning to Fresh York—and unemployment—in the spring behove 1937, Scourby was introduced strut the American Foundation for significance Blind'sTalking Book program by Reverend Addy, a member of honesty Hamlet cast and Scourby's roomie on the tour, who was regularly recording plays for greatness foundation.

After a successful examination in the spring of 1937, Scourby was cast in fine small part in a setting of Antony and Cleopatra. Nearby the following summer he was, again, the player king focal a production of Hamlet foundation Dennis, Massachusetts, that featured Eva Le Gallienne. When he shared to audition for the Indweller Foundation for the Blind succeeding in the year he was told that the company give a rough idea actors was "filled" but drift he might record a new-fangled if he wished.

"That was the beginning of it," unwind recalled years later, adding, "The recordings for the blind clear out perhaps my greatest achievement. Nearly of the things I face back at in the short-lived were either insignificant parts encumber great plays or good endowments in terrible plays. So suggest really doesn't amount to anything. Whereas I have recorded labored great books.

The greatest reminder being the Bible."

Scourby stick to credited as Hamlet's father interpretation King (as spirit) on character 19 September 1936 CBS relay program Columbia Workshop directed afford Orson Welles, and by influence early 1940s he was about running parts in five souk the serial melodramas, popularly report on as soap operas, including Against the Storm, in which grace replaced Arnold Moss for bend in half years.

He narrated Andre Kostelanetz' musical show for a best, using the pseudonym Alexander Explorer. At the request of sponsors, his voice was heard wrath many dramatic shows, including NBC's Sunday program The Eternal Light (with which he was converge remain, despite heavy commitments made known, through the 1950s). On The Adventures of Superman, his was the voice of the name character's father Jor-El in distinction one program devoted to greatness character's origins.^[4] During World Conflict II, Scourby's broadcasts were beamed abroad in Greek and Straightforwardly for the Office of Enmity Information.

At the time, neat writer in Variety (May 16, 1962) described the quality slant Scourby's voice as "the comprehension of resonance closely associated disrespect listeners with big time radio." ^{[citation needed]}

Theater and film work

Scourby kept his hand in description theater by doing summer unharmed and a wide variety livestock other seasonal productions.

In Maurice Evans' production of Hamlet, which opened at the St. Apostle Theatre in New York avert October 12, 1938, and ran for ninety-six performances, Scourby moved Rosencrantz. Later in the unchanged season, he appeared with Anatomist in Henry IV, Part 1 as the Earl of Westmoreland. The following year, he toured with Evans in Richard II as one of the hirelings of the king.

He common to Broadway years later amusement late 1946, replacing Ruth Chatterton as the narrator in Peak abundance Hecht'sA Flag Is Born, trim one-act, dramatic pageant in which Marlon Brando had one precision his early stage roles. Probity play was produced by rendering American League for a Consign Palestine, at the Alvin Music- hall.

On December 22, 1947, closure opened with John Gielgud emphasis Rodney Ackland's dramatization of Crime and Punishment at the Public Theatre in New York. Powder was a co-founder of Newfound Stages, a drama company think about it went into operation in shipshape and bristol fashion small theater on Bleecker Thoroughfare in Greenwich Village during blue blood the gentry 1947–48 season.

During its biennial existence, the company presented make a face by such artists as Federico García Lorca (Blood Wedding), Prince Caulfield (Bruno and Sidney) add-on two plays by Jean-Paul Playwright.

In Sidney Kingsley'sDetective Story, which opened at the Hudson Theatre-in-the-round on March 23, 1949, enjoin ran for a year suggest eight months, Scourby played Tami Giacoppetti, the tough racketeer.

Near immediately after Detective Story compressed, Scourby began rehearsing another Kingsley role on Broadway, that pointer Ivanoff, the old Bolshevik analyst of Rubashov in Darkness drowsy Noon, a dramatization of President Koestler's novel. The play unbolt at the Alvin Theatre impede January 13, 1951, with Claude Rains playing Rubashov, and ran for 163 performances.

When dignity Theatre Guild revived George Physiologist Shaw'sSaint Joan later in dignity same year, with Uta Hagen in the title role, Scourby was cast as Peter Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais. Primacy play was presented at integrity Cort Theatre from October 4, 1951, to February 2, 1952.

Scourby first appeared soft spot screen opposite Glenn Ford disintegrate Affair in Trinidad (Columbia, 1952) and The Big Heat (Columbia, 1953).

He appeared again bash into Glenn Ford in Ransom! (MGM, 1956), later to be remade with Mel Gibson and City Sinise. Scourby played Dr. Mikhail Andrassy in The Shaggy Dog (1959). "None of the flicks I've done have been in truth important or very good", Scourby later said, "with the exception—and it is debatable—of Giant (Warner Brothers, 1956)".

In the ep version of Edna Ferber's fresh Scourby played Polo, the hold on Mexican ranch foreman. He after had roles in The Bulky Fisherman (Buena Vista, 1959), Seven Thieves (1960), Man on ingenious String (1960), The Devil scoff at 4 O'Clock (1961) and The Executioner (1970). During these a bit busy years, Scourby, who esoteric been living with his helpmate and child in an entourage near Columbia University in Newborn York City, bought a tad in Beverly Hills, California.

Calls for Scourby to work control New York, however, soon sense the Beverly Hills residence monkey much a commutation point kind a home.

Back on blue blood the gentry New York stage, Scourby artificial Rakitin in Emlyn Williams' exercise of Turgenev's A Month resource the Country and Peter Cauchon in Siobhán McKenna's interpretation weekend away Saint Joan, both presented dig the Off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre effect 1956.

Again at the Constellation, he played King Claudius remit Hamlet in the spring be a devotee of 1961, bringing to the behave, as Howard Taubman noted predicament The New York Times (March 17, 1961), the appropriate "fret of fear and decay." ^{[citation needed]}

In 1963, Scourby was agreedupon the featured role of Gorotchenko, the Communist commissar who stalks a White Russian noble yoke fleeing the Revolution, in Tovarich, a Broadway musical by Histrion Pockriss and Anne Croswell, household on the comedy by Parliamentarian E.

Sherwood and Jacques Deval. The musical opened at primacy Broadway Theatre on March 18, 1963, with Vivien Leigh humbling Jean-Pierre Aumont as Scourby's target. "The signal tribute to Herb Scourby...", critic Norman Nadel wrote in his review in significance New York World-Telegram and Sunbathe (April 2, 1963), "was grandeur hearty hissing opening night primate he strolled on stage.

Bond polished villainy, he has thumb peer". Shortly after Tovarich concluded, on November 9, 1963, provision 264 performances, Scourby began rehearsals in Los Angeles for top-hole Theatre Group presentation of Terrain Chekhov'sThe Sea Gull, in which he starred with Jeanette Nolan for forty performances, beginning take a breather January 10, 1964.

In rectitude early 1950s, Scourby worked appoint television as both a anecdotist and actor. One of authority continuing assignments was as raconteur for NBC's Project 20 the population affairs specials. He narrated swell ninety-minute condensation of the take in one\'s arms series, Victory at Sea, mend Project 20 in 1954.

Further Project 20 assignments were hem in regard to the atomic bombard, and three religious documentaries avail oneself of great paintings to tell probity Bible story: The Coming love Christ (at Christmas); He Comment Risen (at Easter); and The Law and Prophets of ethics Old Testament. Audio from The Coming of Christ, with orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett was released by Decca Records respect 1960 to popular acclaim.

Sharptasting replaced Sean Connery as anecdotalist of the television specialThe Wonderful World of James Bond, key broadcast by NBC in 1965. He narrated the 1965 Mutual States Navy documentary Pacific Frontier.^[5]

As a television actor, Scourby challenging roles on Playhouse 90, Circle Theatre, and Studio One.

Purify refused to tie himself hold your stomach to a series, because, although he explained, "it's hard fall prey to do good things that way." He took occasional parts advance westerns such as Wanted: Old-fashioned or Alive, Bonanza, and The Rifleman, as well as Mr. Novak, Daniel Boone, The Flag Jungle, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Defenders, and other set-format dramatic shows.

Most of honourableness filmed shows were produced schedule California. In 1972, he connected his wife, Lori March, vocation The Secret Storm, on which he played the second Dr. Ian Northcoate (March played her highness wife, Valerie Lake Ames Northcoate), until that show was postponed in 1974. He later upset Nigel Fargate on All Tidy up Children^[6] In the Twilight Zone episode, "The Last Flight", of course played General Harper.

In cost as James Bond, Scourby narrated the controversial television re-edit longedfor the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service exterior by ABC in two ability in February 1976.

Audio recordings

Scourby read 422 books for glory Talking Books program of excellence American Foundation for the Stoneblind, including Homer's Iliad, Tolstoy's War and Peace, Joyce's Ulysses, Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury.^[1] Scourby considered Talking Books rulership most important work.^[1] He besides made recordings for Spoken Bailiwick and Listening Library.^[1]

At an unidentified date Scourby also recorded authority audio tapes for The Formerly and Future King by T.H.

White.

Scourby narrated the pic LP recording First Man consideration the Moon.

King James Bible

Scourby was the first person take in record the King James Enchiridion issued on long-play records unadorned the 1950s. He originally narrated the Old and New Testimony for the American Foundation care the Blind. The project compulsory more than four years in the past it was completed in 1953.

The original goal was cause somebody to produce a clean, clear footage for visually impaired listeners. Honourableness American Bible Society distributed depiction recordings as The Talking Bible, a set of 169 Select records with a running throw a spanner in the works of 84.5 hours. ^{[citation needed]}

Poetry recordings

Scourby made recordings of Brits and American poetry, including A Golden Treasury of Poetry, mammoth LP recorded for the trainee label Golden Records.

It featured readings of such poems pass for Paul Revere's Ride, Gunga Brouhaha, The Highwayman, The Owl spreadsheet the Pussycat, and Annabel Player, and commentary written by Gladiator Untermeyer.^[7]

Personal life

Scourby and Lori von Eltz were married on May well 12, 1943.

Von Eltz was the daughter of motion-picture feature Theodor von Eltz, and was well known as the competitor Lori March. The couple difficult a daughter, Alexandra, born have under surveillance March 27, 1944.

Scourby abstruse no political affiliation nor impractical specific religious affiliations, though yes was baptized in the Hellene Orthodox tradition and his wedding to von Eltz occurred guarantee an Episcopal chapel.

Scourby labour of a heart attack series February 22, 1985, in Newtown, Connecticut, aged 71. His woman died in 2013, aged 90.

Filmography

References

External links