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with Judy Garland in Girl Crazy
with Marlon Brando in the Wild One
with horse legend Willy Shoemaker
with Mickey Rooney in Girl Crazy
with football legend Jim Brown
with Bill Holden,
Stalag 17 cast
AND Gloria Swanson
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Gil Stratton 1922-2008 |
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In lieu of flowers, please consider making a Memorial Donation in Gil Stratton's Name to the
Motion Picture & Television Fund.
in care of 23388 Mulholland Dr. Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Please sign our guestbook to send your condolences or share your remembrances of Gil Stratton.
Gil Stratton's story spans from the Golden Age of Radio to the dawn of contemporary Sport's Broadcasting History.
MOVING WEST TO MOVING PICTURES
Gil Stratton became a contract player for MGM as a result of his work in Best Foot Forward.
There he costarred with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in Girl Crazy (1943), the last of four Mickey/Judy
"backyard musicals" directed by Busby Berkeley, and sang Embraceable You in duet with Judy.
Gil's time in Hollywood was suspended during World War II when he served as a bombardier with the Army Air Corps,
but when he returned to civilian life Gil immediately flew back to Hollywood. Gil went on to act in movies such as
Kilroy Was Here (1947), Dangerous Years (1947), Half Past Midnight (1948), Tucson (1949), Army Bound (1952),
Battle Zone (1952) and two movies with then bit player Marilyn Monroe. In Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
he played Beanie, and a sign of things to come... a Track Announcer. Gil co-starred in Hot Rod (1950) and played Mouse,
a Black Rebels biker alongside Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1954), the first and best biker movie.
Gil upgraded his image as one of the Bowery Boys in Hold That Line and Here Come the Marines (1952)
both directed by William Beaudine. In Monkey Business (1952) directed by Howard Hawks, he worked with Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Charles Coburn.
Then along came Stalag 17 (1953) where Gil not only played Academy Award Winner William Holden sidekick Clarence
'Cookie' Cook, but in true Stratton radio voice style he provided the pivotal narration for the film.
One of Gil's later films before transitioning to the world of sports was Bundle of Joy (1956) for RKO co-starring
with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. After a long and successful career in Sportscasting, Gil did cameos
in The Cat from Outer Space, (1978), Sextette (1978), and Inside Moves (1980).
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(c) gil stratton 2007-2008 all rights reserved
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