Voice Overs

Voice-over performer Don LaFontaine barrels into a Hollywood recording studio, snatches a page of copy and crouches in front of the microphone. "Don't miss the most gripppping . . . terrrrifying and nail-biiiiting film of the year," he hisses, his rich, smoky baritone imploring an unseen audience of millions of would-be moviegoers into their seats.

Tom Kane hates the ads for Mercedes-Benz. It's not the car. It's Jon Hamm. Mercedes uses the "Mad Men" star as the voice of its television and radio commercials. "Even if it is a terrific spot - which it isn't - people don't have a clue who that is," grumbled Kane, a professional voice actor who's done animation, movie trailers and commercials for two decades. QUIZ: Who's that voice? As brand-name advertisers fight for attention in a cluttered media landscape, they are turning increasingly to celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. (Nissan)

With his deep, rich baritone, Rob Constantine can make a humble voicemail message sound like a promo for a Hollywood epic. That's a good thing, because Constantine, a 36-year-old video producer, hopes to break into the voice-over business. He has already narrated a few corporate videotapes and audio magazines, but he knows the road ahead is tough.

WASHINGTON — New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte threw the perjury prosecution of his friend Roger Clemens into disarray Wednesday when he testified that he could have misunderstood a conversation with Clemens about human growth hormone. Pettitte said he thought Clemens told him sometime in 1999 or 2000 that he used HGH, but he admitted under cross-examination that he was hazy on the details. Is it possible, asked Clemens lawyer Mike Attanasio, that Pettitte misunderstood the critical conversation?

When Dave Wittenberg began his acting career at a community theater in Boston, he never imagined that one day he'd be making his living as a voice artist for video game characters, portraying the likes of Hades, Tweedledee and Jerry Seinfeld. But in the last decade Wittenberg's voice has been heard in more video games than he "can remember." And, though it's not the traditional actor's stagecraft, he still draws extensively on his thespian skills. "You get to create characters you wouldn't be able to create in any other medium," said Wittenberg, 38. "From an acting standpoint, it lets you flex your muscles that you wouldn't ordinarily use."

Hal Douglas Voice-over actor for four decades specializing in movie trailers, TV, documentaries, commercials and business films. "It's really narration in all of its own forms. One takes what comes -- that is the working craft, you know." Currently providing the voice-overs for the faux movie trailers in "The Holiday" and for the actual trailers for "Night at the Museum."

On the surface, this was a pretty solid year for the movie business. But beneath the surface, things don't look so good. Hollywood is increasingly relying on steadily increasing domestic ticket prices to boost revenues. Fewer people went to see movies in the United States than they did three years ago; those who did go simply paid more. And lots of movies that did well overseas actually fared poorly when released in the United States. What accounts for this? The low quality of movies is a factor, but that alone does not explain the listless mood of the moviegoing public.

The Genie is back in the bottle. The yearlong feud between actor Robin Williams and the Walt Disney Co. is over. Williams, who last autumn accused Disney of lying to him and breaching an agreement not to use his voice to merchandise products inspired by the hit animated film "Aladdin," has received an apology from newly installed studio chief Joe Roth. Both sides say they will now discuss movie projects, although no official deal yet exists.

Under Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's shy and reclusive personality stands a man gracefully taking center stage. He did that on the hardwood. Abdul-Jabbar won five of his six championships with the Lakers during the Showtime era. He finished as the NBA's all-time leading scorer (38,387 points). And he capped his 20-year career with a distinguishable skill-set with his famed sky hook. Abdul-Jabbar also has done that with acting. He grew up taking acting lessons at St. Jude Catholic School in Manhattan.

Their voices move imaginations, widen smiles, even refresh our fantasies. So we pump up the volume when Casey's bedroom chuckle and Jack's easy nuances make foreplay of radio commercials for Shedd's Country Crock. Or Beringer Wines. Or 3-Day Blinds. Clearly, their marriage must be an endless honeymoon. In our minds, Tom Bodett is a fictional character. Or he could be an actor taking a cue from Garrison Keillor's cracker barrel. Maybe he's the president of Motel 6 looking to break into show biz.

Under Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's shy and reclusive personality stands a man gracefully taking center stage. He did that on the hardwood. Abdul-Jabbar won five of his six championships with the Lakers during the Showtime era. He finished as the NBA's all-time leading scorer (38,387 points). And he capped his 20-year career with a distinguishable skill-set with his famed sky hook. Abdul-Jabbar also has done that with acting. He grew up taking acting lessons at St. Jude Catholic School in Manhattan.

A new Looney Tunes short starring Tweety and Sylvester will debut Friday before showings of the Warner Bros. animated feature "Happy Feet Two. " But while the short "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" is computer animated and in 3-D, the soundtrack dates back to 1951 and a novelty song recorded by voice-over artist Mel Blanc. The song, which has the same title as the short, features Blanc, the actor who created the voices for all the Looney Tune classics characters, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Pepe Le Pew. The song was written by Alan Livingston, Billy May and Warren Foster, and was highly popular when it was released.

After 22 movies done over 28 years, there's nothing the team of Dereck and Beverly Joubert don't know about filming the king of the jungle, so it goes without saying that their latest effort, "The Last Lions," is mightily impressive to look at. What it's like to listen to is somewhat different. Major forces in wildlife conservation, the Jouberts are so revered that Disney animators saw one of their films to get in the mood for creating "The Lion King. " The couple have lived for the last seven years on Duba Island in Botswana's Okavango Delta, the location where their latest documentary feature takes place.

Officials at the planned Mexican American cultural center La Plaza de Cultura y Artes,  which is being built near Olvera Street, scrambled to do damage control this week after news about excavated skeletal remains generated more and more criticism. The fragile bones of dozens of bodies had been found in the historic downtown spot,  buried beneath the site of a planned outdoor space and garden.   Native American groups,  archaeologists and the L.A. Archdiocese have voiced concerns over the removal of what may be the remains of the city's first cemetery.

Fred Foy, a radio and television announcer best known for conjuring up "those thrilling days of yesteryear" in the late 1940s and '50s as the announcer-narrator of "The Lone Ranger" on radio and television, has died. He was 89. Foy died Wednesday morning of age-related causes at his home in Woburn, Mass., said his daughter, Nancy Foy. During a broadcasting career that began in Detroit in 1940, Foy spent more than 20 years as a staff announcer for ABC television and radio before retiring in the mid-1980s.

As the pace quickens for construction of the Westside subway extension, the city of Beverly Hills could prove to be a formidable obstacle for the long-delayed project. Citing potential hazards from the construction and operation of the new rail link, municipal leaders, school district officials and residents strongly oppose a possible route that would require tunneling under homes and Beverly Hills High School, which has 2,200 students and serves as the city's emergency preparedness center.

Once Jesus signed on, it was easy to enlist King Solomon and Moses. Jim Caviezel (Jesus), Malcolm McDowell (King Solomon) and Richard Dreyfuss (Moses) were among hundreds of actors who lined up to create "The Word of Promise Audio Bible," all 98 hours and 79 CDs of it. The nearly four-year project, released last month,was the inspiration of Carl Amari, a Chicago-area producer behind "Twilight Zone Radio Dramas," "Mystery Theater" and other radio programs. "I always thought it would be cool to do a radio drama of the Bible," said Amari, who grew up "not real religious" in the Catholic Church.

If you live in Los Angeles, even if you've never had the slightest desire to be in show business, sooner or later, The Industry is going to get you. "You really should be doing voice-overs," said Jack Naimo, a sound engineer at KABC Talkradio Inc., where I am a weekly guest on the "Ken and Barkley Show." I've been told that my voice is quirky--it has been described as a cross between Judy Holliday and Carol Kane--but I wouldn't in a million years have classified it as an asset.

In a sign of possible differences among top military officials, Army and Air Force chiefs voiced concern Tuesday about ending a ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces while the country is in the middle of two wars. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz both told Congress that they supported the Pentagon's plan to spend a year studying a change in the policy that allows gays to serve only as long as they keep their preferences hidden. However, both generals were mum about their own views on gays in the military, and neither followed the lead of Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who this month said gays should be allowed to serve openly.