Carl King

By VARIETY STAFF

Carl King, actor, announcer and narrator known for his smooth delivery and hosting one of TV's first network magazines, died of lung cancer in North Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 16. He was 79.

King, a Stella Adler graduate who appeared as the Big Bad Wolf in the Broadway production of "A Thurber Carnival," is credited with creating, hosting and producing ABC's network magazine program "King's Crossroads," which ran for five seasons in the 1950s.

He also appeared on "Captain Video" and acted for several years in the CBS daytime TV soap "The Secret Storm." He was also a spokesman many years for Raleigh, Old Gold and Camel cigarettes, including four years on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows."

His voice talents were used to narrate numerous films, and he won a N.Y. Film Fest award in 1970 for the short "Curiosity Did Not Kill the Cat."

He is survived by his wife Jean; a son and two daughters; and three grandchildren.