Larry McCormick

Lawrence William McCormick (February 3, 1933 – August 27, 2004) was an American television actor, reporter and news anchor, most notably working for Los Angeles television station KTLA-TV.

Biography

McCormick was born in Kansas City, Missouri to Pastor L.W. McCormick and Laura McCormick (pianist and vocalist). He began his broadcasting career in the late 1950s as a disc jockey, upon graduating from University of Kansas City. He first came to Los Angeles in 1958, working at then-R&B radio station KGFJ, from 1958-63. He later moved across town to popular Top-40 music outlet KFWB-AM from 1964-1968 before they instituted an all-news format in the spring of 1968.

McCormick became one of the first African-American newscasters in the country, leaving his morning drive slot as disc jockey on radio, KGFJ Los Angeles, where he was also PD, Program Director, from 1968-1969, transitioning to KCOP-TV winter of 1969. Shortly thereafter, he moved across town to KTLA in May 1971, and worked there until his death in 2004.

At KTLA, he served as a features reporter (such as business and health & fitness) on the station's 10 pm weeknight newscasts, while serving as lead anchor on its weekend editions, and co-hosting Making It! Minority Success Stories, a program which profiled successful minority business people.

On August 27, 2004, McCormick died of a cancer-related illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, at the age of 71.

Community involvement

McCormick was known to be very involved in the Los Angeles community, participating in various charities and events, including hosting local editions of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, back when KTLA carried the telethon locally (the telethon aired on KCAL-TV from 1997 to 2011). Also, for a twelve-year span (1988–2000), he hosted the Los Angeles Unified School District Academic Decathlon, including two national academic decathlons.

As an actor, McCormick usually appeared in guest spots on TV shows, mostly on TV dramas and sitcoms, such as That Girl; Barnaby Jones; The Jeffersons (in a memorable 1979 episode as Florence's strict and ultra-conservative born-again Christian beau); Murder, She Wrote; Beverly Hills, 90210; and Angel (1999). He also made appearances in such movies as The Punisher (1989) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), which was his final film appearance. McCormick also did voice over work in such Saturday morning cartoon series as The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour and Dynomutt, Dog Wonder.

Awards and honors

In 1994, McCormick was honored with the Governors Award, a high, prestigious honor given annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In June 2001, KTLA honored McCormick by renaming one of its soundstages at Tribune Studios in his name. He was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in Television. thumb

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1960 Please Don't Eat the Daisies Elevator Operator Uncredited 1967 A Guide for the Married Man Maitre D' Uncredited 1969 The Love God? Rich 1971 The Love Machine Reporter Uncredited 1976 Gus N.Y. Broadcaster 1978 Death Drug Newscaster 1987 Throw Momma from the Train Announcer 1989 The Punisher TV Newsreader 1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear TV Reporter 1996 Fly Away Home TV Anchor 2001 A Song for Honest Abe Bill Simmons Short film2003 S.W.A.T. Himself Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines KTLA Anchorman (final film role)

Television work (as actor)

Adam-12 (1969) as Wesley That Girl (1969) as Reporter The Brady Bunch (1969) as TV Announcer Assault on the Wayne (1971) as Radio Operator McMillan & Wife (1971) as Announcer The Doris Day Show (1971-1972) as Jim Murdock's Gang (1973) as TV Reporter The Dream Makers (1975) as TV Commentator The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour (1976) as Mayor Gaunt (voice) The Last Hurrah (1977) as Election announcer Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (1978) as Mayor Gaunt (voice) The Rockford Files (1978) as Newscaster The Jeffersons (1979) as Buzz Thatcher Barnaby Jones (3 episodes, 1973–1979) as TV Announcer Blind Ambition (1979, TV miniseries) as TV Commentator Act of Violence (1979) as Sportscaster 240-Robert (1981) as Newscaster Between Two Brothers (1982) as Reporter Shooting Stars (1983) (TV) as T.V. Newsman Murder, She Wrote (1984) as TV Reporter Matt Houston (1984) as Newsman The Fall Guy (1984) Streets of Justice (1985) as TV Reporter #1 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985) as TV Anchorman Cagney & Lacey (1985) as Reporter #1 The Case of the Hillside Stranglers (1989) as Newscaster Dear John (1989) as The Reporter Mathnet (1990) as Anchorman Knots Landing (1989–1990) as Reporter / TV Announcer / Presenter Columbo: Columbo Goes to College (1990) as News Anchor Midnight Run for Your Life (1994) as Newscaster Sliders (1999) as Weatherman Beverly Hills, 90210 (1999) as Reporter Angel (2003) as Himself