| July 31 |
1919 -- Sportscaster Curtis Edward Gowdy is born in Green River, Wyoming. Originally wanting to be a WWII fighter pilot, Curt ruptured a disc while mowing his mother's lawn and was forced into a long recovery. It was during that time that he got a call from the owner of Cheyenne's only radio station and asked Curt, who'd played college ball for the University of Wyoming, to broadcast a local basketball game, and that launched a new dream. Curt's natural ability carried him far -- and fast. By 1949 (just six years since he first started, mind you) he was the #2 announcer to Mel Allen for N.Y. Yankees games; by 1951 he was lead sportscaster for the Boston Red Sox. In 1965 he went national with the NBC Game of the Week, teaming with former Yankees second baseman Tony Kubek to form one of the golden broadcasting booths in sports history. Curt was versatile, as well, broadcasting football, basketball and hosting ABC's Wide World of Sports, as well. Curt died of leukemia on February 20, 2006. He was 86 years old. 1933 -- listeners first tune in to hear 'Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy.' Many of their adventures hinged on the use of their hydroplane, the Silver Albatross. 1964 -- Country Music Hall of Famer Jim Reeves is killed in a plane crash near Nashville. His hits included 'Four Walls' and 'He'll Have to Go.' A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955, Jim had his own series on ABC in 1957. At the time of his death, Jim was three weeks shy of his 41st birthday. 1970 -- TV news anchor Chet Huntley retires, ending NBC's popular 'Huntley-Brinkley Report.' 1980 -- Singer and actor Bobby Van dies of brain cancer at the age of 49. 1984 -- One-armed actor Bill Raisch, remembered as the killer Fred Johnson on 'The Fugitive,' dies of lung cancer. One of the more unique stories in show business, Jersey-born tough-guy Raisch not only began his career as a dancer, but was talented enough to be signed by Florenz Ziegfield, Jr., to dance as part of the Follies. During WWII, Bill served in the U.S. Navy. A shipboard fire broke out; while fighting the blaze, Bill was severely injured and had his right arm amputated just above the elbow. No longer having the balance required of a dancer, Bill tried to eke out a living as an actor. In an already harsh business, having a visible challenge made it almost impossible; according to imdb.com, his roles include 'Onlooker at Shooting,' 'Pool Room Extra' and 'Emergency Room Corridor Extra.' However, it was an uncredited role in 'None But the Brave' that got him noticed by, and subsequently offered the One-Armed Man role from, the producers of 'The Fugitive.' Although Bill became synomymous with 'The One-Armed Man,' he amazingly appeared in only nine episodes, including the two-part finale. (Note: a photograph of him also appeared in a separate episode.) Even though 'The Fugitive' remains one of the most popular television shows of all time, and Bill arguably its powerful lynchpin, imdb.com lists him as having only one more credit, a 1968 episode of 'Mannix.' His character's name? 'Churchgoer.' 1990 -- Zsa Zsa Gabor is released from jail after serving a 72-hour sentence for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer. 1998 -- Gary Coleman (above), formerly of TV's 'Diff'rent Strokes,' turns himself in to police after allegedly punching a female fan who asked for his autograph. |
| Read an excellent interview with Curt at the Made in Wyoming website. |
| Jim reportedly recorded 444 songs. Of that, 11 hit #1 -- six of them after his death. His music remains so popular that in 1999 he received a Gold Record -- in Denmark. |
(L to R) Barry Morse, David Janssen and Bill Raisch. Bill was so stereotyped by the role of The One-Armed Man that, even though he was only in a handful of shows, producer Quinn Martin graciously kept him on retainer to make ends meet. |
