Mel Brandt
Born(1919-06-18)June 18, 1919
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedMarch 14, 2008(2008-03-14) (aged 88)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • announcer
Years active1946–2008

Melville Brandt (June 18, 1919 – March 14, 2008)[1] was an actor and NBC staff announcer.

Early life

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mel Brandt’s military records state that he attended college for two years, and his civilian occupation was actor. He enlisted on February 17, 1941 in New York City, and served in the Medical Department.[2]

In September of 1945 Brandt auditioned for NBC radio’s Welcome Home,[3] a program started in 1944 as a way to help World War II veterans obtain work in radio.[4] Encouraged by his "A plus" audition rating he auditioned for numerous radio series, and was hired to work in a commercial on a daytime radio serial on another network.[3]

Announcing and acting career

Brandt joined NBC around 1948. His radio announcing credits included The Adventures of Frank Merriwell,[5] Author Meets the Critics, and The Eternal Light. In 1975, he announced for a syndicated radio program called Faces of Love.

He was one of the stars of the first television soap opera, Faraway Hill, broadcast in 1946 on the DuMont Television Network.[6] He announced the opening of the television soap opera, The Doctors.[7] His introduction was "The Doctors: The Emmy Award winning program, dedicated to the brotherhood of healing."

Brandt was the series announcer for other NBC-TV programs including The Bell Telephone Hour from 1959 through 1968,[8] and GE College Bowl on NBC from 1963–70, in which his introduction was "Match wits with the champions in America's favorite question and answer game, live from New York, the General Electric College Bowl,", and after a brief plug for General Electric would introduce "the man with the questions, Robert Earle."[9][10]

From 1962 to 1975 Brandt was the NBC announcer who stated "The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC"[11] as the second animated version of the NBC Peacock was seen.

Brandt replaced Don Pardo as the announcer on Saturday Night Live during the 1981-82 season – except for two episodes from that season in which Brandt was replaced by Bill Hanrahan, better known then as the voice of NBC Nightly News.[12]

AFTRA president

Mel Brandt was elected president of AFTRA – the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – from 1967 to 1970.[13] He was especially interested in the international aspects of performers' rights, and in 1972 he received the George Heller Memorial Gold Card (a gold-plated membership card) for his efforts to improve union and members' rights.[3] That was AFTRA's highest honor.[14]

Personal life

For many years Brandt lived in Montclair, New Jersey. He had a wife, Doris, and three children.[15] He later moved to Florida, and is buried at the Florida National Cemetery.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Social Security Death Index
  2. ↑ Brandt Military Records
  3. 1 2 3 SAG-AFTRA Mel Brandt bio
  4. ↑ First "Welcome Home Auditions" Year Reveals Impressive Record of Career Aid to Veterans, NBC Transmitter, November 1945, page 2
  5. ↑ Terrace, Vincent, From Radio to Television: Programs That Made the Transition, 1929-2021, page 5, McFarland, Inc., 2022
  6. ↑ Richard Irvin, The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated Prime Time Television Series from 1944 to 1949, Chapter 8, Bear Manor Media, 2018
  7. ↑ Extensions of Remarks, The Congressional Record, January 14, 1969, page 665, U.S. Government Printing
  8. ↑ Hyatt, Wesley, Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004, page 179, McFarland, Inc, 2015
  9. ↑ Mel Brandt radio credits, radiogoldindex.com; accessed August 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Mel Brandt's obituary, ocregister.com; accessed August 19, 2014.
  11. ↑ Irvin, Richard, The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated Prime Time Television Series from 1944 to 1949 (ebook version), Chapter 8, Bear Manor Media, 2018
  12. ↑ Tropiano, Stephen, Saturday Night Live FAQ, Applause, 2013
  13. ↑ AFTRA Presidents
  14. ↑ Heller Memorial Card
  15. ↑ Clarke, Mary, Mel Brandt Divides Time Between Soaps and Union, The Herald-News, March 23, 1970, page 24
  16. ↑ U.S. VA Gravesite Locator
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