Leonard Graves
Leonard Graves was an 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(s) | 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 Flaxman 1956
- The Joker Is Wild Tim Coogan 1957
- The Buccaneer Chighizola 1958
- Pork Chop Hill Lt. Cook 1959
- A Message from the Future (שדר מן העתיד) Anderson 1981[7]
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 2008.[10][11]
References
- Mattheisen, Donald J. (February 1992). "Persuasive History: A Critical Comparison of Television's Victory at Sea and The World at War". The History Teacher. Society for History Education. 25 (2): 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
- 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