Curt Gowdy
Sportscaster
About This Interview
Curt Gowdy (1919-2006) was interviewed for three hours in Boston, MA. Gowdy reflected on his early experiences as a sportscaster on Oklahoma City radio, detailing the then-common practice of recreating away games with sound effects to mimic stadium noises. He discussed working alongside famed Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen and becoming the official "Voice of the Red Sox," staying with the Boston team for fifteen years. He reminisced fondly about the many legendary players he covered during those years, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, and described the close friendships he developed with both. Gowdy also discussed his tenure at ABC, working under the now-legendary Roone Arledge in what was then the fledgling sports department. He spoke of his experiences covering Super Bowls, Olympics, Rose Bowls and World Series, and recounted working on two of his favorite shows, American Sportsman and The Way it Was. He also outlined broadcasting the Goodwill Games, producing and hosting the special America the Beautiful, and lending his sports expertise to cable shows such as ESPN's 20th Century Sports and HBO's Play-by-Play: A History of Sports and Inside the NFL. Marvin Wolf conducted the interview on May 19, 2000.
Related To This Video
YouTube video player - HTML5 compatible.
Interview
- Part 1
- On his childhood and early influences; on loving sports as a child; on joining the Air Corps, but hurting his back and not being able to be a pilot; on getting into sports radio with KFBC in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Clip begins at: 0:43 - On KFBC; on moving to a CBS station KOMA in Oklahoma City; on his big break as announcer for the New York Yankees; on re-creating away games; on announcing for the Yankees on radio and early television; on Yankee fans and players when he first started announcing for the Yankees
Clip begins at: 11:54 - On covering basketball at Madison Square Garden; on covering sports for the Dumont network
Clip begins at: 26:28 - Part 2
- On announcing basketball games at Madison Square Garden; on the Dumont network; on leaving the Yankees to be the head announcer for the Boston Red Sox; on Fenway Park; on traveling with the Red Sox
Clip begins at: 0:31 - On the duties of a sports announncer and preparing for games; on simulcasting; on Red Sox players; on memorable games - Joe DiMaggio's comeback at the '49 World Series and Ted Williams' last game; on other Red Sox players - Carl Yestrepski and Rico Petrocelli
Clip begins at: 08:49 - Curt Gowdy on announcing games for the Boston Celtics; on working for NBC; on the '52 B.U.-Villanova football game and the Rice-Alabama game
Clip begins at: 23:40 - Part 3
- On the Rice-Alabama game (contd.); on his start with NBC in 1956 and moving to ABC in 1960; on the genius of Roone Arledge
Clip begins at: 0:27 - On The American Sportsman; on leaving the Boston Red Sox; on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic games and the importance of satellite feeds; on the early days of instant replay; on the Hollywood Blacklist
Clip begins at: 09:36 - On JFK's assassination; on Game of the Week at NBC; on his co-anchors
Clip begins at: 24:07 - Part 4
- On the first Super Bowl, broadcast by both NBC and CBS; on memorable moments from Super Bowl III - Jets v. Colts; on Super Bowl V and other Super Bowls he called; on his friendships with coaches and players
Clip begins at: 0:30 - On Rose Bowls; on memorbale moments from Orange Bowls and Sugar Bowls; on NFL Game of the Week; on preparing for football games
Clip begins at: 14:14 - Part 5
- On covering 16 World Series; on extra cameras for World Series games; on memorable moments from World Series games; on preparation for the World Series; on international broadcasters; on All-Star games
Clip begins at: 0:36 - On colleague Howard Cosell and his opinions on former players who became broadcasters; on broadcasters becoming celebrities; on the PBS show The Way it Was; on preparing to cover hockey for the Olympics; on the syndicated show The Racers
Clip begins at: 12:45 - On his peers; on sports broadcasters' trademark expresssions; on having one of the most recognizable voices in all of broadcasting; on voices he believes are memorable
Clip begins at: 23:20 - Part 6
- On playing himself in movies; on acquiring radio stations; on his guest appearances on television shows; on becoming president of the Basketball Hall of Fame; on broadcasting the Goodwill Games; on returning to radio as the voice of the Patriots;
Clip begins at: 0:37 - On the show America the Beautiful; on HBO's Play by Play; on working for HBO and ESPN; on the evolution of sports broadcasting; on his sons - both involved in sports broadcasters/production; on his current projects; on his Emmy and Peabody wins; on advice to aspiring sports broadcasters; on his regrets and career triumphs
Clip begins at: 10:15
Shows
People
Topics
Genres
Professions
That's Carl Yastrzemski.
But since you only appear to be writing up this type of stuff in a script form, it's best to make sure that the dialogue of an important scene that occurs in the show is improvised with the use of literary devices. -Arthur van der Vant
Post new comment