Ken Niles (December 9, 1906 – October 31, 1988) was an American radio announcer. Niles was born in Livingston, Montana.
Ken Niles | |
|---|---|
 Publicity Photo of Ken Niles | |
| Born | Kenneth Niles December 9, 1906[1] Livingston, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1988 (aged 81) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Radio announcer |
| Spouse | Nadia Niles |
| Children | 2 |
Niles debuted in radio on KJR in Seattle, Washington, late in the 1920s.[2] He began a series of original radio dramas called Theater of the Mind in 1928.[3][4] Niles subsequently narrated, or served as announcer, in several other feature films. His most notable film role was the murdered lawyer Leonard Eels in Out of the Past (1947) with Robert Mitchum.
Niles also served as commercial announcer and foil for Bing Crosby in the Bing Crosby Entertains series (1933-1935) and also on several series sponsored by Camel Cigarettes, notably The Abbott and Costello Show.[5] Niles was frequently paired in comedy skits opposite Elvia Allman as his fictitious wife, "Mrs. Niles". He was also the announcer for The Amazing Mrs. Danberry.[5]
For his work in radio, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,[3] as did his brother, making them the first brothers to be so honored. Ken Niles' star is at 6711 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Radio section. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.[6]
Family
editHe was married to Nadia Niles, and had two children, Kenneth Niles and Denise Niles.[7] His elder brother, Wendell Niles, was also a radio announcer.[8]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Hollywood Hotel | Ken Niles | |
| 1938 | Men Are Such Fools | Bill | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Sweepstakes Winner | First Radio Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Harmon of Michigan | Ken Niles | |
| 1943 | Hit Parade of 1943 | Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Shantytown | Radio Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Lady, Let's Dance | Announcer | |
| 1945 | Swingin' on a Rainbow | New York City Radio Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1946 | The Inner Circle | Ken - Radio Announcer | |
| 1947 | Magic Town | Reporter | Uncredited |
| 1947 | Out of the Past | Eels | |
| 1948 | You Were Meant for Me | Narrator | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1949 | My Friend Irma | Radio Contest Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Fat Man | Dr. Henry Bromley D.D.S. | Uncredited |
| 1956 | NBC Matinee Theater | Episode: "The Young and the Damned" | |
| 1962 | The Donna Reed Show | Professor Earnshaw | Episode: "Explorer's Ten" |
| 1968 | The Bob Hope Show | 1 episode, (final appearance) |
References
edit- ^ "United States Census, 1910 - Livingston Ward 2, Park, Montana". familysearch.org. 26 April 1910. (Kenneth Niles's age given as 3 in census in April 1910.)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. p. 205.
- ^ a b "Ken Niles - Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
- ^ "Ken Niles Dies at 82; a Pioneer Broadcaster". The New York Times. November 2, 1988. p. 27.
- ^ a b Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press; ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. pp. 2, 24.
- ^ "Ken Niles". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- ^ "Ken Niles". Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ "Wendell Niles". The Los Angeles Times. 1994-03-31. p. 59. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
External links
edit- Ken Niles at IMDb
- "The CBS Radio Workshop, Theater of the Mind – Old Time Radio". Radio Treasury. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
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