J. Donald Wilson

{{Short description|American radio & film writer and producer (1904–1984)}} {{Infobox writer | embed = | honorific_prefix = | name = J. Donald Wilson | image = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = John Donald Wilson | birth_date = {{birth date|1904|06|5}} | birth_place = [[Kansas City, Missouri]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1984|01|26|1904|06|5}} | death_place = [[Van Nuys]], [[California]], U.S. | resting_place = | occupation = {{hlist|Radio writer|film writer|producer|voice actor}} | language = | education = | alma_mater = | years_active = 1936–1960 | genre = | subject =  | movement = | notable_works = | spouse = Loraine Wilson (1948; divorced)<br/>{{marriage|[[Christine McIntyre]]|1953}} | partner =  | website =  | portaldisp =  }} '''John Donald Wilson''' (June 5, 1904 – January 26, 1984) was a radio and film writer, producer, and voice actor, born in [[Kansas City, Missouri]].

He created the title character in the radio series ''[[The Whistler (radio series)|The Whistler]]'',<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cox|first=Jim|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gLzwCQAAQBAJ&q=%22J.+Donald+Wilson%22+radio+writers+-wikipedia&pg=PA8|title=Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-1227-0|language=en}}</ref> a show that he wrote.<ref>Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, Volume 2. {{ISBN|9780786429424}}. </ref> His other radio writing, producing, and directing work included ''[[The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe]]'',<ref name=":0" /> ''[[The Adventures of Bill Lance]]'',<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Dunning|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/7 7]|title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio|year=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-984045-8|language=en}}</ref> and ''[[Dark Venture]].''<ref name=":0" />

He did voice work in radio in the 1930s. He voiced [[Mickey Mouse]] in select 1938 broadcasts of ''[[The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air]]''<ref>Korkis, Jim (2014). The Book of Mouse: A Celebration of Mickey Mouse. Theme Park Press. {{ISBN|978-0984341504}}.</ref> as well as other characters in Disney productions such as ''[[The Reluctant Dragon (1941 film)|The Reluctant Dragon]]''.<ref>RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956. {{ISBN|978-1-4766-1683-4}}</ref> He was the announcer on ''[[Strange as It Seems|Strange As It Seems]]'' and ''[[Charlie Chan#Radio|Charlie Chan]]''.<ref name=":1" /> After more than a decade of acting on radio, he became production head of ABC and later was promoted to vice president.<ref name=":2" />

In 1952, Wilson produced ''Mystery Theater'', a Friday night television program in Los Angeles. In the era of live TV, when holding TV programs to their intended durations was a problem, Wilson was noted for keeping ''Mystery Theater'' on time by using techniques that he had practiced with radio programs. Reading scripts aloud ahead of time and marking where optional cuts could be made provided the ability to adapt if a program began to run long.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last1=Ames |first1=Walter |title=Tenney, Kenny Feud Moves to Video Tonight; Wilson Using Radio Technique on TV Film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46925778/the-los-angeles-times/ |access-date=March 19, 2020 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=March 4, 1952 |location=California, Los Angeles |page=20|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

He was known for his work on films such as ''[[The Whistler (1944 film)|The Whistler]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Blottner|first=Gene|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FUzc4If3M8gC&q=%22J.+Donald+Wilson%22+whistler+-wikipedia&pg=PA300|title=Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926–1955: The Harry Cohn Years|date=2011-12-22|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-8672-4|language=en}}</ref>''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Erickson|first=Hal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mCXOAwAAQBAJ&q=%22J.+Donald+Wilson%22+whistler+-wikipedia&pg=PA208|title=From Radio to the Big Screen: Hollywood Films Featuring Broadcast Personalities and Programs|year=2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-1558-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Wilk|first=Ralph|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Daily/RD-1944/RD-1944-04.pdf|title=Los Angeles|date=1944-04-10|work=Radio Daily|access-date=2020-03-18|page=4}}</ref> and ''[[Key Witness (1947 film)|Key Witness]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=50whAQAAIAAJ&q=j.+donald+wilson+key+witness&pg=RA3-PA54|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series|date=1947|language=en}}</ref>

He inverted his first and middle names so as not to be confused with [[Don Wilson (announcer)|Don Wilson]], the announcer on ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]''. In 1938, it was announced that he had adopted the name Norman Wilson,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=Behind the Mike|date=1938-01-01|work=Broadcasting|page=50 }}</ref> but at some point he went back to J. Donald Wilson.

He was married to Loraine Wilson, who sued him for divorce in 1948 over numerous affairs, including one with his secretary Tania Karl.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Radio's Don Wilson Sued for Divorce|date=1948-01-30|work=Pasadena Independenti|page=40|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Wilson was later married to [[Christine McIntyre]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Obituaries|date=1984-08-01|work=Variety|issue=1|volume=316|page=71}}</ref> He reportedly suffered a [[Mental disorder|nervous breakdown]] in 1946, but was soon back at work.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/46-OCR/1946-04-22-BC-OCR-Page-0062.pdf|title=Production|date=1946-04-22|work=Broadcasting & Telecasting|access-date=2020-03-18|page=60}}</ref> He died in 1984.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Necrology of 1984|date=1985-01-16|work=Variety|issue=12|volume=317|page=232}}</ref>

==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1936 | ''[[To Spring]]'' | Head Elf | Voice, uncredited |- | 1939 | ''[[Society Dog Show]]'' | Judge | Voice, uncredited |- | 1941 | ''[[The Reluctant Dragon (1941 film)|The Reluctant Dragon]]'' | Mayor, Knight | Voice, uncredited |- | 1942 | ''[[Bambi]]'' | Chipmunk #2<ref name="CartoonVoices">{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Keith |title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2 |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=BearManor Media |language=en}}</ref> | Voice, uncredited |}

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb name|id=0933524|name=J. Donald Wilson}} * [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5726051/j_-donald-wilson J. Donald Wilson] on [[Find a Grave]] *[https://radiogoldin.library.umkc.edu/Home/RadioGoldin_Records?searchString=Wilson,%20J.%20Donald&type=Artists J. Donald Wilson] on the RadioGOLDINdex

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, J Donald}} [[Category:1904 births]] [[Category:1984 deaths]] [[Category:American radio producers]] [[Category:American radio writers]] [[Category:Disney people]] [[Category:Writers from Kansas City, Missouri]]