R.I.P. William T. Woodson, 99, TLS Guest Actor

[Shemp]

Actor, announcer & voiceovers performer William T. Woodson has died at age 99.  His friends have shared the sad news on Facebook; there are no obituary notices yet.

 

Mr. Woodson appeared in 2 episodes of THE LUCY SHOW... the Danfield TV newscaster in "Lucy and the Safecracker" and the M.C. in "Lucy and Carol in Palm Springs."  His distinctive voice is perhaps best memorialized as the opening credits narrator of THE ODD COUPLE, "On November 13th..."

 

 

 

 

THE ODD COUPLE opening credits, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af1h4ibpKJA

 

[Brock]

Aww, sad, but what a grand old age. I had no idea Mr. McAdoo was still around.

[Neil]

He adds a lot to "Locked in Vault/Safe Cracker".  Cut from the syndicated print are many of references to sponsor "Friendly Al".

"And Friendly Al kept his car lot open all night too in case anyone wanted to buy a good used automoBILE."

and

"This hold-up was brought to you by FRIENDLY ALL (lifts FA's poster)"

This episode also features the under-utilized Jay Novello.  Some of great bits are lost in the master shots such as his enraptured expression as Lucy and Viv are singing his jingle.  Also his great sputter-take when it sinks in that he could advertise his candies on TV.  And that noise he lets out ostensibly starting to sing the jingle to Lucy and Viv.  Even the way he grabs his hat when he discovers there will be no advertising. Bringing it back to Friendly Al:

Viv (re: the jingle request to MacAdoo): "In fact he says we can't do it.  If any other sponsor is mentioned, Al gets very Unfriendly". 

Bundy: Let FRIENDLY AL open the vault. 

Danfield TV must be pretty desperate if they interrupt their regular programming to feature 24-hour coverage of a bank president getting locked in his own vault.