Before Lorne Greene’s dulcet tones rang in our ears on Bonanza, they were first heard on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) National News, where he worked as a newsreader. There, listeners would become familiar with Greene’s voice as he read them the happenings of the world.
However, by the time Canada entered World War Two in 1939, many of the news stories Greene was tasked with speaking on grew more somber and morose as time went on. It was during this time that Greene earned a new nickname: “The Voice of Doom.”
Greene is not the only man to earn the nickname. Westbrook Van Voorhis, similarly known for his work on radio, was also called The Voice Of Doom, so it seems that Greene is in good company. Moreover, while the news regarding the war was sometimes upsetting, Greene held a great and necessary responsibility to deliver that information and was frequently one of the few men trusted with the job. In an article by the Canadian Press, reporter Wallace MacDonald said, “When Canada had a message for her people, it was handed to the dark-haired young man from Ottawa to translate into emotion.”
In an article for The Toronto Star, Greene’s colleague at CBC and radio announcer Allen McFee said of the Bonanza actor, “He was perfect to work with” and called Greene “A very vital guy.” He continued, “He always remembered Canadians and loved Canada.”
Greene was aware of his reputation and even discussed it during an interview with The Toronto Star. Greene explained that he had been given the name “because I didn’t feel one could make light of a war, particularly when it was going badly. So people would say, ‘Oh, Lorne Greene, the voice of doom!'” However, the war did end eventually, and Greene also earned another nickname that would stand by him for the rest of his career. He said, “But once news got much better — from 1942 on — boy, I was The Voice of Canada.”