Leonard Graves (1927-2000) was an American actor and singer best known for narrating the 1952 television documentary Victory at Sea. Graves was the only voice on the 26-part series,[1] which won multiple awards, including a 1954 Emmy for Best Public Affairs Program,[2] a special Peabody award[3] and the Freedoms Foundation's George Washington Medal.[4]
Leonard Graves | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1927 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 2000 |
| Alma mater | Juilliard School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse | Meryl Graves |
| Children | 4 sons |
Graves was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1927 and began his performing career in radio. He joined the Broadway cast of The King and I as the Interpreter and also understudied for Yul Brynner as the King, filling in on many occasions. Graves took over the lead when Brynner left the show, and after a two-year run on Broadway, he joined a national tour.[5]
Graves appeared in several motion pictures, including:[6]
- Three Brave Men (1956) as Flaxman (uncredited)
- The Joker Is Wild (1957) as Tim Coogan
- The Brothers Karamazov (1958) as Third Court Officer (uncredited)
- The Buccaneer (1958) as Chighizola
- Pork Chop Hill (1959) as Lt. Cook
- A Private's Affair (1959) as General's Aide (uncredited)
- Pay or Die (1960) as Opera Singer (uncredited)
- The Story of Ruth (1960) as Reaper (uncredited)
- A Message from the Future (שדר מן העתיד) (1981) as Anderson[7] (final film role)
Graves also had guest roles in a number of television series[8] including Navy Log and The Big Picture (Army In Action episodes).[9] In 1968 he was appointed manager of the Memphis Opera Theater.[5] Graves later moved to Israel with his wife where he was active in the Israel National Opera. He reportedly died circa 2000.[10][11]
References edit
- ^ Mattheisen, Donald J. (February 1992). "Persuasive History: A Critical Comparison of Television's Victory at Sea and The World at War". The History Teacher. 25 (2). Society for History Education: 239–251. doi:10.2307/494277. JSTOR 494277.
- ^ Emmy awards —Victory at Sea
- ^ IMDB award page for Victory at Sea
- ^ Peter C. Rollins, Victory at Sea: Cold War Epic, Gary R. Edgerton & Peter C. Rollins (eds.), Television Histories. Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age, Kentucky 2001, pp. 103–122
- ^ a b Ask Vance: Leonard Graves, Vance Lauderdale, Memphis Magazine, January 11, 2018
- ^ Rotten Tomato biography
- ^ A Message from the Future, Full Cast and Crew IMDB
- ^ IMDB filmography for Leonard Graves
- ^ Army Pictorial Center website
- ^ Kauai and Victory at Sea, Hank Soboleski, The Garden Island, August 11, 2019
- ^ An update on Memphis Singer and Actor Leonard Graves, Vance Lauderdale, Memphis Magazine, January 31, 2018