Frank Gallop
Frank Gallop (June 30, 1900[1] – May 17, 1988) was an American radio and television personality who was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Palm Beach, Florida.
Born and raised in Boston's Back Bay and a graduate of Dorchester High School, he was working for an investment firm in 1934 when a client convinced him to become the replacement for his current announcer.
[3] Gallop's new-found job lasted only a short time, as the client decided to re-hire the announcer he had grown tired of.
[1][4] Gallop worked for the station for ten months before moving to New York with his friend Ed Herlihy to do network announcing.
When asked to explain, Gallop swallowed hard and said he believed $50 was a "round" sum, getting his first raise before actually starting with the network.
[7][4][8] He was heard on soap operas such as Her Honor, Nancy James,[9] Amanda of Honeymoon Hill, Hilltop House,[10] When a Girl Marries and Stella Dallas, as well as the Columbia Workshop and New York Philharmonic broadcasts.
[16] In addition to being the announcer for the radio show, The Doctor Fights, Gallop also had a dramatic role for the program's first year in 1944.
[26] At The Perry Como Show's premiere on September 17, 1955, the first voice heard was that of Gallop, saying, "We assume everyone can read, so we will not shout at you.
[1][28] At the start of the Perry Como Show, there literally was not enough room for Gallop to appear onstage, so viewers heard only his voice, coming from "somewhere".
[1] The "mystery man" proved intriguing, as the show received many cards and letters asking about Gallop.
[32] Gallop displayed his vocal abilities on the Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall broadcast of December 27, 1961, singing Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John", backed by The Ray Charles Singers.
[1] Some young children were frightened by the sight of Gallop's bodiless head on their television screen and were able to recognize him away from the set.
[7] He was also the host of Kraft Mystery Theatre, a 1961–1963 summer replacement show for Como's program, and Great Ghost Tales.
Gallop's hit Kapp album was called, When You're in Love the Whole World is Jewish; he toured several US cities as the result of his music's popularity.
[55][56] In the mid 1940s, Frank Gallop met a beautiful chorus girl from Texas named Mary Lou Bentley (also Bently) who had been having a relationship with Walter Winchell.
When her presence in the columnist's life became evident to his family and she realized he would not divorce his wife, she tried ending the relationship with Winchell and became Gallop's neighbor by moving into his Park Avenue apartment building.
He also learned where Gallop was auditioning for announcing jobs and convinced radio program sponsors not to hire him.
[37][61] Remaining active in announcing into the 1970s, Gallop divided his time between homes in New York and Palm Beach, Florida.
