{{Short description|American radio newscaster and announcer (1916–1976)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Larry Thor | image = Larry Thor in The Fast and the Furious (cropped) (cropped).jpg | imagesize = | caption = Thor in ''The Fast and the Furious'' (1954) | birth_name = Arnleifur Lawrence Thorsteinson<ref name=oc>{{cite news|last1=Hammerston|first1=Claude|title=Drama And Music On CBS|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19500301&id=YNIwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b90FAAAAIBAJ&pg=748,5977780|accessdate=30 January 2015|agency=Ottawa Citizen|date=March 1, 1950}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date|1916|08|27}}{{Citation needed |date=September 2021}} | birth_place = Lundar, Manitoba, Canada<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/221018/Larry-Thor/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419161951/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/221018/Larry-Thor/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-04-19|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|first=Bruce|last=Eder|date=2014|title=Larry Thor}}</ref> | death_date = {{death date and age|1976|03|16|1916|08|27}} | death_place = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1952–1974 | spouse = Leona Finnie<br>Jean Howell (1956) }}
'''Larry Thor''' (August 27, 1916 – March 15, 1976) was a radio newscaster and announcer, an actor in film and radio, and a university professor. He "was noted for his distinctive voice ... his rich resonant tones."<ref name=inlna>{{cite web|title=Larry Thor|url=http://www.inlofna.org/Larry-Thor|website=Icelandic National League of North America|accessdate=31 January 2015}}</ref>
==Early professional life== A native of Lundar, Manitoba, Canada, Thor was a soldier, a construction worker, a farmer, and a rancher before he went into broadcasting. His first experience in radio came in 1937<ref name=uc>{{cite web|title=Larry Thor, Theater Arts: Los Angeles|url=http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00163&toc.depth=1&toc.id=|website=calisphere|publisher=University of California|accessdate=30 January 2015}}</ref> as an unpaid singer at CFAR in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. He soon became the writer for CFAR, a job he held for three years. From there he went to CKGB in Timmins as an announcer. Later, he moved to CKCL in Toronto as a newscaster.<ref name=oc/> In 1946, he moved to the United States, joining the staff of KFAC in Los Angeles.<ref name=uc/> Following that, Thor worked at KMPC, in Hollywood, California, as a newscaster<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zhito|first1=Lee|title=FCC Witnesses Press Bias Charges Against Richards; New Delay, Till Fall Looms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j_UDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Larry+Thor%22&pg=PA4|accessdate=30 January 2015|agency=Billboard|date=April 1, 1950}}</ref> and writer.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Lynn|title=News as You Want It|journal=Radio Life|date=March 16, 1947|volume=15|issue=2|page=6|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Life/40s/47/Radio-Life-1947-03-16.pdf|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> In 1948, he left KMPC and went to KNX in Hollywood as an announcer.<ref>{{cite news|title=Production|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/48-OCR/1948-05-31-BC-OCR-Page-0084.pdf|access-date=30 January 2015|agency=Broadcasting|date=May 31, 1948}}</ref> From 1964 to 1967 he was the radio announcer on the TV program Gilligan's Island, and appeared as himself on S02 Episode 04 Smile, You're on Mars Camera.
==Radio drama== Thor's involvement with drama on radio began in Canada. In addition to his work as an announcer (noted above), he began his own company, Peak Radio Ltd., which produced radio dramas.<ref name=uc/> During Thor's time on American network radio, he was an announcer for ''Green Lama'',<ref name="sies1">Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-5149-4}}. pp. 139, 277.</ref> ''Rocky Jordan'',<ref name="dunningota">Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-507678-3}}. pp. 120, 582.</ref> and ''Suspense''.<ref name=wibw>{{cite news|last1=Young|first1=Kathryn|title=C.B.S. Notes|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/WIBW/WIBW-1953-03.pdf|access-date=30 January 2015|agency=WIBW Round-Up|date=March 1953}}</ref> He was perhaps best known for starring in ''Broadway Is My Beat'', playing Detective Danny Clover.<ref name=dunningota/> He also was the announcer on the syndicated radio program, ''The Clyde Beatty Show''.<ref name="sies1"/>
==Recordings== In 1964, Thor recorded a 12-song album for children.<ref name=inlna/> ''Galloping on My Dinosaur'' was released on the Harmony label.<ref>{{cite news|title=Album Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6EQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Larry+Thor%22&pg=PA25|accessdate=30 January 2015|agency=Billboard|date=September 19, 1964}}</ref> Thor also wrote the music and lyrics for the songs in the album.<ref name=uc/>
==Writing== Thor wrote his first script for an episode of ''Suspense.'' "The Man Who Cried Wolf" was broadcast February 9, 1953.<ref name=wibw/> He went on to write scripts for episodes of ''This is our Heritage'', ''Fantasy of Fact'', ''The Record Collectors'', and ''Hallmark Hall of Fame''. He also wrote four books.<ref name=uc/>
==Teaching== Thor began teaching in the screenwriting program at the University of California, Los Angeles, in January 1968, offering "a special course for the advanced writers."<ref name=uc/> He continued to teach there, enhancing his courses with "many professional actors, producers and writers who were brought into his class as guest lecturers" until he died in 1976.<ref name=uc/>
==Family== While still in Canada, Thor married the former Leona Finnie of Winnipeg<ref name=oc/> when he was 21. They had four children.<ref name=inlna/> In 1956, Thor married Jean Howell, an actress and writer.<ref name=uc/> She divorced him after four months.<ref>{{cite news|title=Television Actress Divorces Husband|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19560706&id=eBcsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lMgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4151,3882374|accessdate=31 January 2015|agency=The Florence Times|date=July 6, 1956}}</ref>
==Filmography== Thor had roles in 29 feature films, as shown in the table below.<ref>{{cite web|title=Larry Thor: Complete Filmography|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/191584%7C95733/larry-thor#filmography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315051410/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/191584%7C95733/Larry-Thor/#filmography|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 15, 2012|website=TCM|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Title !! Year !! Role !! Notes |- | ''The Pride of St. Louis'' || 1952 || St. Louis Home Games Announcer || Uncredited |- | ''The Mississippi Gambler'' || 1953 || Captain || Uncredited |- |''The Roar of the Crowd'' || 1953 || Announcer || Uncredited |- | ''The Kid from Left Field'' || 1953 || First Announcer || Uncredited |- | ''The Fast and the Furious'' || 1955 || Detective Sergeant || |- | ''Five Guns West'' || 1955 || Confederate Captain || |- | ''Portland Exposé'' || 1957 || Captain Vincent || Uncredited |- | ''Hell Bound'' || 1957 || Doctor || Uncredited |- | ''The Amazing Colossal Man'' || 1957 || Major Eric Coulter, MD || |- | ''Zero Hour!'' || 1957 || Vancouver Radio Dispatcher || |- | ''The True Story of Lynn Stuart'' || 1958 || Police Sergeant || Uncredited |- | ''Machine-Gun Kelly'' || 1958 || Detective Drummond || |- | ''The Littlest Hobo'' || 1958 || Police Captain || |- | ''The Hunters'' || 1958 || Captain Owynby || Uncredited |- | ''The Gun Runners'' || 1958 || Captain || Uncredited |- | ''Tarawa Beachhead'' || 1958 || Colonel Kempler || |- | ''A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed'' || 1958 || Detective || Uncredited |- | ''Gunmen from Laredo'' || 1959 || Captain Garrick || Uncredited |- | ''Holiday for Lovers'' || 1959 || Captain || Uncredited |- | ''Battle of the Coral Sea'' || 1959 || Army Major || Uncredited |- | ''Wake Me When It's Over'' || 1960 || TV Broadcaster || Uncredited |- | ''Let's Make Love'' || 1960 || Wilson || Uncredited |- | ''Spartacus'' || 1960 || Staff Officer || Uncredited |- | ''Where the Boys Are'' || 1960 || Doctor || Uncredited |- | ''Bachelor Flat'' || 1961 || Officer in Sheriff's Office || Uncredited |- | ''Company of Killers'' || 1970 || Clarington || |- | ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' || 1970 || Major General Frederick L. Martin || Uncredited |- | ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' || 1970 || Tock the Watchdog || Voice |- | ''Night Games'' || 1974 || Court Reporter || (final film role) |}
==Selected Television Appearances== * ''Perry Mason'' (1957-1963) (2 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 5: "The Case of the Sulky Girl") (1957) as Police Surgeon **(Season 6 Episode 28: "The Case of the Witless Witness") (1963) as Commentator * ''Sea Hunt'' (1958) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Female of the Species") as Pete Zawicki * ''Wagon Train'' (1958) (Season 1 Episode 28: "The Sally Potter Story") as Sergeant Hood * ''Rawhide'' (1959) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Incident of the Judas Trap") as Brown * ''The Rifleman'' (1962) (Season 4 Episode 24: "Tinhorn") as Jesse Phillips * ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1964) (Season 5 Episode 2: "Barney's Physical") as Mr. Bronson * ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (1965) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Crimson Witness") as Detective Haskel * ''The Munsters'' (1965) (Season 1 Episode 18: "If a Martian Answers, Hang Up") as Second Man * ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1966) (Season 3 Episode 7: "The Thor Affair") as Announcer * ''The Mod Squad'' (1968) (Season 1 Episode 1: "The Teeth of the Barracuda") as Doctor
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} {{Portal|Biography|Canada|Radio|Film}} * {{IMDb name|0861158}} * [http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00163&toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calisphere Larry Thor, Theater Arts: Los Angeles – The University of California] * [http://www.phelpsfam.net/larrythor Galloping on My Dinosaur and Other Fun Songs for Children]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thor, Larry}} Category:1916 births Category:1976 deaths Category:Canadian people of Icelandic descent Category:Canadian radio personalities Category:Canadian male radio actors Category:Canadian male film actors Category:Canadian male voice actors Category:20th-century Canadian male actors Category:People from Interlake Region, Manitoba Category:Male actors from Manitoba