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Don LaFontaine, Movie Trailer Voiceover King, Dies
September 02, 2008 06:00 PM
LaFontaine was best known for his deep voice and the frequently used movie trailer phrase, “In a world where …” He was 68.
A Well-Known Voice
His agent has confirmed that LaFontaine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles due to complications from to a collapsed lung.
Known as the “King of Voiceovers,” LaFontaine was born in Duluth, Minn., where he served in the army as a recording engineer before moving to New York City to work in the promo industry in the 1960s, reports the Associated Press.
He voiced his first film promo, for the movie “Gunfighters of Casa Grande,” in 1965. The client, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, liked his performance, and he went on to record more than 5,000 trailers during a 33-year career.
He explained the theory behind his most famous catch phrase in an interview with the Associated Press last year: “We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to. That’s very easily done by saying, ‘In a world where … violence rules.’ ‘In a world where … men are slaves and women are the conquerors.’ You very rapidly set the scene.”
Dan Brown of The Huffington Post writes that LaFontaine’s indelible mark on the movie industry means that many will feel his loss: “He made an extraordinary mark on popular culture. Every time the lights dim in a movie theater, he will be missed.”
LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters.
Known as the “King of Voiceovers,” LaFontaine was born in Duluth, Minn., where he served in the army as a recording engineer before moving to New York City to work in the promo industry in the 1960s, reports the Associated Press.
He voiced his first film promo, for the movie “Gunfighters of Casa Grande,” in 1965. The client, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, liked his performance, and he went on to record more than 5,000 trailers during a 33-year career.
He explained the theory behind his most famous catch phrase in an interview with the Associated Press last year: “We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to. That’s very easily done by saying, ‘In a world where … violence rules.’ ‘In a world where … men are slaves and women are the conquerors.’ You very rapidly set the scene.”
Dan Brown of The Huffington Post writes that LaFontaine’s indelible mark on the movie industry means that many will feel his loss: “He made an extraordinary mark on popular culture. Every time the lights dim in a movie theater, he will be missed.”
LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters.
Video: LaFontaine’s work
The Chicago Tribune blog Pop Machine provides a tribute to LaFontaine with several examples of his work, including trailers for the movies “Terminator 2” and “Batman Returns.” The site also includes a clip of the recent television commercial LaFontaine did for Geico car insurance, where he is introduced as “that announcer guy from the movies,” and helps a Geico customer describe a car accident. LaFontaine parodied himself by beginning, “In a world where both of our cars were totally under water …”
Source: Chicago Tribune (Pop Machine)
Reference: LaFontaine’s Web site
Visit LaFontaine’s official Web site for more information on his life and career and to view and hear samples of his work.
Source: Don LaFontaine Official Web Site
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
