'In a world' voiceover master dies at 68

CNN ^ | 09/02/08

[Borges]

Don LaFontaine, the voiceover king whose "In a world ..." phrase on movie trailers was much copied -- and much parodied -- has died, according to media reports. He was 68.

Don LaFontaine was featured as "that voiceover guy" on a recent Geico commercial.

LaFontaine died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, according to ETOnline, "Entertainment Tonight's" Web site. He died from complications from pneumothorax, a collapsed lung that causes air to build in the pleural cavity, his agent, Vanessa Gilbert, told "ET."

LaFontaine, who was born in Duluth, Minnesota, began as a voice actor in the mid-1960s while working as a recording engineer, according to his Web site. His strong, slightly gravelly voice was featured on trailers for thousands of films, including "The Godfather," "Fatal Attraction" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." For a time in the late '70s, LaFontaine was the official voice of Paramount Pictures.

[Borges]

[Sue Perkick]

What a shame! Cool voice. Prayers for the family.

[weegee]

He was so successful, I have to wonder if some company will offer a “virtual” voiceover service using tapes from earlier narrative readings. “In a world” “where”...”one man”...

[jwparkerjr]

Is this the gentleman who was featured on the insurance company as a “real radio announcer”? They used Little Richard on another one.

[Borges]

Geico yeah.

[Ignatz]

Don was a voice-over legend. He will be missed.

[rom]

That’s a shame. His voice is probably instantly recognizable to almost every American.

Prayers for the family. RIP Mr. LaFontaine.

[VOA]

He died from complications from pneumothorax, a collapsed lung
that causes air to build in the pleural cavity

Whoa! I had a spontaneous pneumothorax while still a teenager.
I'm thankful that I survived...this news makes me even more thankful.

A great surgeon fixed me up with a surgical-steel staples repair.
Kinda' cool to see what looks like a zipper in my X-ray films!

[Andonius_99]

There goes half of Pablo Francisco’s routine...

[PhilCollins]

During most of my life (41 years), the movie ads, in movie theaters, were called previews. Now, some people call them trailers, but I still call them previews. Why did the name change?

[Dudoight]

Here he is on Youtube”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPMvj_xejg&feature=related

[Two Kids' Dad]

Every story I’ve heard about him shows that he was truly a class act. On a personal note, years ago I wrote to him to ask how one would get into the voice-over business and he responded personally by inviting me to join him for a day on the job. I deeply regret that I didn’t take him up on the offer. RIP Mr. LaFontaine.

[Borges]

Trailers used to follow the film with newsreels and other material. They date back to before TV when most people got their news that way.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Great video here to sums him up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPMvj_xejg&NR=1

[Centurion2000]

Godspeed.

[BallyBill]

I loved that “well done” nod/smirk he used to do at the end of the Geicko commercial. That woman was having a hard time keeping from laughing.

[Atlas Sneezed]

During most of my life (41 years), the movie ads, in movie theaters, were called previews. Now, some people call them trailers, but I still call them previews. Why did the name change?

---

I believe “trailers” has long been the inside industry term, while we rubes in the sticks were calling them “previews.”

[NonValueAdded]

Oh, wow! That’s an amazing anecdote that tells us much about the man. Thank you for sharing that. Rest In Peace, Mr. LaFontaine, and our prayers for your loved ones.

[abb]

They STILL ARE previews. Everyone else can call them whatever they like.