Gene Wood
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(November 2008) |
Gene Wood | |
|---|---|
 Gene Wood in an on-camera appearance on the finale ofCard Sharksin 1981. | |
| Born | Eugene Edward Wood October 20, 1925 |
| Died | May 21, 2004(aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Television personality, announcer, game show host |
| Years active | 1951–1998 |
| Spouse |
Carleen Anderson (m.1960) |
| Children | 3 |
Eugene Edward Wood(October 20, 1925 – May 21, 2004) was an American television personality, known primarily for his work as anannounceron variousgame shows.From the 1950s to the 1990s, he announced many game shows, primarilyMark Goodson–Bill Todmanproductions such asFamily Feud,Classic Concentration,Card Sharks,Password,andBeat the Clock.Wood also served a brief stint as a host on this last show, and on another show,Anything You Can Do.After retiring from game shows in 1996, Wood worked as an announcer for theGame Show Networkuntil his retirement in 1998.
Early life
[edit]Wood was born inQuincy, Massachusetts.He majored in speech and theater atEmerson College.
Career
[edit]His early career includedstand-up comedy,television commercials,and writing forBob KeeshanofCaptain Kangaroofame. This work included aTerrytoons-producedcartoon series,The Adventures of Lariat Sam,which aired on theCaptain Kangarooshow. Wood also supplied voices and sang the theme song. Wood also had a comedy career, often pairing with partnerBill Dana,performing their comedy act at nightclubs.[1]
His first role as a game show announcer came as a substitute on theABCversion ofSupermarket Sweepin 1966; three years later, he began a long association withMark Goodson-Bill TodmanProductions, where he worked onBeat the Clockas its announcer from 1969 to 1972; after the departure of the show's host,Jack Narz,Wood then took over as host ofBeat the Clock,with Nick Holenreich serving as announcer. Wood hosted the 1971–72 season of the short-lived game showAnything You Can Do,which featured teams of men competing against teams of women in stunts similar toBeat the Clock.He also appeared as a celebrity panelist on one week ofMatch Gamein 1974.
By 1976, Wood had become a regular announcer for Goodson–Todman, working as voice-over for many of the company's game shows. In addition to his role as announcer, Wood regularly served as a warm-up act for the audiences on these shows, and often performed a series of comedy skits. Among his most popular jobs was as announcer on the original version ofFamily Feud.The original version, hosted byRichard Dawson,ran onABCfrom 1976 to 1985, and whenFamily Feudwas revived in 1988 withRay Combsas host, Wood announced on that version as well through the 1994–1995 season, during which Dawson returned as host. Another show for which he announced on both the original version and a revival wasCard Sharks.The show's first incarnation, starringJim Perry,ran from 1978 to 1981 onNBC,while two concurrent revivals (one onCBSand another in syndication, hosted byBob EubanksandBill Rafferty,respectively) ran from 1986 to 1989. Wood announced the first few weeks ofBruce Forsyth's Hot Streakon ABC, before being replaced byMarc Summers.
After the 1985 death of the original announcerJohnny Olsonon theBob Barkerversion ofThe Price Is Right,Wood was one of four interim announcers on that show, untilRod Roddywas chosen as Olson's successor. At that same time, Wood also announced on the nightly syndicated version hosted byTom Kennedythat ran for the season. According to former producerRoger Dobkowitz,between Barker, Goodson & Dobkowitz, himself, felt that his voice was a little on the harsh side and was unsuitable for the show, despite his experience.[2]
Wood returned toPricebriefly in 1998 to read the summer rerun fee plugs. He also filled in for Olson, during the final weeks of the Tom Kennedy-hosted version ofBody Language.Other shows on which Wood served as a regular announcer wereTattletales(CBS, 1974–78),Double Dare(CBS, 1976–77),Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour(NBC, 1983–84),Password Plus(NBC, 1979–82),Super Password(NBC, 1984–89),Love Connection(Syndication, 1985–1988),Classic Concentration(NBC, 1987–91),Win, Lose or Draw(Syndicated, 1987–90), theRoss Shafer-hostedMatch Game(1990–91) andFamily Challenge(1995–96). Prior to his retirement in the late 1990s, he also did voiceovers for theGame Show Network.[citation needed]
Wood wrote the narration for the 1965 filmThe World of Abbott and Costello.[citation needed]
Death
[edit]Wood retired toAdamsville, Rhode Islandin the 1990s. He died oflung cancerinBoston,Massachusettson May 21, 2004 at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife of 44 years, Carleen Anderson Wood; two daughters, Sasha and Mia Wood, both of Los Angeles; a son from a previous marriage, Timothy E. Wood of San Francisco; and two grandchildren. Wood's body was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family.[3]
References
[edit]- ^Bill Dana profileArchived2008-10-25 at theWayback Machine,comedyland.net; accessed September 26, 2015.
- ^Interview with Roger Dobkowitz,wordpress.com, April 26, 2012; accessed September 26, 2015.
- ^https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8816265/gene-wood"Gene Wood, 78, Game Show Announcer".The New York Times.14 June 2004.RetrievedAugust 12,2011.