Gene Wood
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Gene Wood, full name Eugene Edward Wood (October 20, 1925-May 21, 2004), was an American television personality. He was best known as the announcer of over 20 game shows -- most of which were Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions -- from the late 1960s through the 1990s.
Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Wood majored in speech and theater in Emerson College. His early career included stand-up comedy, television commercials, and writing for Bob Keeshan of Captain Kangaroo fame. His first role as a game show announcer came as a substitute on Password in 1965. He announced Beat the Clock in 1969 and hosted that show (replacing Jack Narz) from 1972 until its cancellation in 1974.
From 1976 through 1985 and again from 1988 through 1995, Wood was the successful announcer of Family Feud under hosts Richard Dawson and Ray Combs. He became noted for his introductions of the two families on that show, culminating with "On your marks... let's start... the FAMILY FEUUUUD!" He also made several on-camera appearances on Feud while exchanging jokes and performing stunts with the hosts (particularly Dawson) during their opening monologues.
Wood also announced both network versions of Card Sharks. For the 1978-81 version with emcee Jim Perry, Wood's voice was heard over the opening visuals reading a poem -- "Ace is high, deuce is low / Call them right and win the dough -- onnnnn Card Sharks!." That custom was soon changed to having Wood intone a poem that changed daily -- one submitted by the viewers. For example:
Shuffle, deal, cut and play / Someone's going to WIN today ---- onnnnn Card Sharks!
Wood was also an interim announcer on The Price is Right after the death of Johnny Olson in 1985 and before the selection of Rod Roddy as Olson's successor. Other shows that Wood announced included Password Plus, Super Password, Tattletales, Classic Concentration, and the 1990 version of Match Game. He announced for Game Show Network in the late 1990s before retiring.
Wood died of cancer in Boston, Massachusetts, at age 78.
External links
- Internet Movie Database: Gene Wood (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0939712/)
- Column on Gene Wood's death (http://tvgameshows.net/columnwood.htm) (from tvgameshows.net)
- A Conversation with Gene Wood (http://www.crosswinds.net/~gsfan/gene1.html), originally posted to the alt.tv.game-shows newsgroup in 1996