Passing of Howard Warren

Passing of Howard Warren (released 3/24/2005) By Douglas Lorah Here is a letter that was written on Saturday, March 19th regarding the recent passing of Howard Warren. This letter was written by Ron Scelza, Production Sound Mixer, from Miami. Following the letter is a picture of Ron and Howard. Dear Brothers And Sisters, I'm saddened today to hear the news of Howard Warren's passing. Marking the end of an era for the production of recorded sound on movies from the days of black & white through the nineties the perfectly recorded dialogue of Howard Warren's movies will still be heard for years to come. Many of us based our lives work on the knowledges passed to us from Howard's work. The sound tools he invented to make the job easier, now being used and marketed as standards. -- His tricks -- the use of top stick and lambs wool for quieting noisy wardrobe and footsteps. A laugh comes to me when I think of how things have changed from the stories of his sound truck with 35mm Mag Recorders, a ten man sound crew planting mics everywhere and remembering his some times musical voice saying "leave some work for the FOLEY guys -- they've got to work too". For Howard (as with us all), it was the love of the business and delivering the best sound possible. Howard would keep going all day mixing -- and all night transferring 1/4 to 35mag... just to start again at 5:30am recording and solving the sound issues of the day. All of us now benefit from this origin of production sound, established set practices, sound set etiquette and our working standards. We can thank Howard Warren for his contribution. Howard never won an Emmy for his work but I am personally grateful for his contributions to production sound, which are used on every set today. Howard moved to Florida in the fifties Leaving NY and Aster Studios. After moving to Florida he designed, built, and sold "Thunderbird Studios" to Ivan Tors the Producer of Flipper. "Ivan Tors Studios" Now called Greenwich Studios -- The stuffed burlap bag walls are still the deadest sound stages you've heard lately. Howard built a couple of other studios also Warren Sound West in Hollywood CA. and Warren Sound East at Universal Studios Orlando FL. A few of his works as a Sound Mixer is heard in Midnight Crossing (1988), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), Making Mr. Right (1987), Porky's Revenge (1985), and "Flipper" (1964) TV Series. Howard is survived by his wife Marilyn and sons Scott and Clifford. Thursday Services - Mar 24th at Boulder City Mortuary, 833 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005. Ph. 702-294-3000. Ron Scelza Print this article

Passing of Howard Warren
(released 3/24/2005)
By Douglas Lorah

Here is a letter that was written on Saturday, March 19th regarding the recent passing of Howard Warren. This letter was written by Ron Scelza, Production Sound Mixer, from Miami. Following the letter is a picture of Ron and Howard.

Dear Brothers And Sisters,

I'm saddened today to hear the news of Howard Warren's passing.

Marking the end of an era for the production of recorded sound on movies from the days of black & white through the nineties the perfectly recorded dialogue of Howard Warren's movies will still be heard for years to come.

Many of us based our lives work on the knowledges passed to us from Howard's work. The sound tools he invented to make the job easier, now being used and marketed as standards. -- His tricks -- the use of top stick and lambs wool for quieting noisy wardrobe and footsteps.

A laugh comes to me when I think of how things have changed from the stories of his sound truck with 35mm Mag Recorders, a ten man sound crew planting mics everywhere and remembering his some times musical voice saying "leave some work for the FOLEY guys -- they've got to work too".

For Howard (as with us all), it was the love of the business and delivering the best sound possible. Howard would keep going all day mixing -- and all night transferring 1/4 to 35mag... just to start again at 5:30am recording and solving the sound issues of the day.

All of us now benefit from this origin of production sound, established set practices, sound set etiquette and our working standards. We can thank Howard Warren for his contribution. Howard never won an Emmy for his work but I am personally grateful for his contributions to production sound, which are used on every set today.

Howard moved to Florida in the fifties Leaving NY and Aster Studios. After moving to Florida he designed, built, and sold "Thunderbird Studios" to Ivan Tors the Producer of Flipper. "Ivan Tors Studios" Now called Greenwich Studios -- The stuffed burlap bag walls are still the deadest sound stages you've heard lately. Howard built a couple of other studios also Warren Sound West in Hollywood CA. and Warren Sound East at Universal Studios Orlando FL.

A few of his works as a Sound Mixer is heard in Midnight Crossing (1988), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), Making Mr. Right (1987), Porky's Revenge (1985), and "Flipper" (1964) TV Series.

Howard is survived by his wife Marilyn and sons Scott and Clifford. Thursday Services - Mar 24th at Boulder City Mortuary, 833 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005. Ph. 702-294-3000.

Ron Scelza

Print this article

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