William Bakewell
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 2, 1908
- Died
- April 15, 1993 (aged 84)
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Biography
William Bakewell (May 2, 1908 – April 15, 1993), also known as Billy Bakewell, was an American actor, who achieved his greatest fame as one of the premiere juvenile performers of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Bakewell, educated at Los Angeles Harvard Military School, began his film career as an extra in the silent movie Fighting Blood (1924), and went on to appear in some 170 films and television shows. He had supporting roles at the end of the silent era and reached the peak of his career around 1930. He is perhaps best remembered for playing German soldier Albert Kropp in the film classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), and Rodney Jordan, Joan Crawford's brother, in Dance, Fools, Dance (1931). He also co-starred in Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929) with Winnie Lightner and Lilyan Tashman. In 1933, he contributed to the founding of the Screen Actors Guild, and was member 44 of the original 50. He never achieved stardom after the Depression years, although he became familiar in dozens of films, including his short appearance as a mounted soldier in Gone with the Wind (1939) whom Scarlett O'Hara asks when the Yankee soldiers are coming to Atlanta. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army with the rank of second lieutenant. He was stationed at the 73rd Evacuation Hospital and at the Radio Section of the Special Service Division as the Post Intelligence Officer. He also worked under the department that handled distribution of recorded programs to overseas station circuits. He starred in the Columbia Pictures serial Hop Harrigan (1946), where he played a top Air Corps pilot. He also portrayed Major Tobias Norton and a Keelboat Race Master of Ceremonies in the phenomenally popular Disney series Davy Crockett (1954-1955). In the 1960s, he guest starred in numerous situation comedy television series, including Guestward, Ho!, Pete and Gladys, Bringing Up Buddy, The Tab Hunter Show, Mister Ed, Leave It to Beaver, The Jack Benny Program, Petticoat Junction , and Hazel. He also was cast in episodes of Peter Gunn, Sea Hunt, Wagon Train, The Roaring 20s, The Virginian, Arrest and Trial, and 87th Precinct He played the Virginia statesman George Wythe in the episode "George Mason" in the 1965 NBC documentary series, Profiles in Courage. He made his last film in 1975. For four decades, Bakewell served on the board of Motion Picture and Television Fund. He died on April 15, 1993 of leukemia at the age of 84.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Bruised Celluloid
Movie · as Himself
The Strongest Man in the World
Movie · as Professor
Set This Town on Fire
Movie · as Desk Clerk
Call Her Mom
Movie · as Jeremy's Father
Alias Smith and Jones
TV · 1 ep
Nanny and the Professor
TV · as Carnival Host, Norm · 1 ep
Love, American Style
TV · as Elroy · 1 ep
It Takes a Thief
TV · as Hotel Clerk · 1 ep
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
Movie · as Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)
That Girl
TV · 1 ep
Green Acres
TV · 1 ep
I Dream of Jeannie
TV · as Colonel Harris · 1 ep
Run for Your Life
TV · as County Attorney Lassiter · 1 ep
Profiles in Courage
TV · as Wythe · 1 ep
Petticoat Junction
TV · as Ralph Craig, Actor, Herbert · 1 ep
The Beverly Hillbillies
TV · 1 ep
The Virginian
TV · as Sam Branch, Nate Eastman · 1 ep
Mister Ed
TV · 1 ep
87th Precinct
TV · 1 ep
Hazel
TV · 1 ep
Bringing Up Buddy
TV · 1 ep
Pete and Gladys
TV · 1 ep
Guestward, Ho!
TV · 1 ep
The Roaring 20's
TV · 1 ep
Sea Hunt
TV · 2 eps
Peter Gunn
TV · 1 ep
Down Liberty Road
Movie · as Waldo (Uncredited)
Leave It to Beaver
TV · 1 ep
M Squad
TV · as Detective · 1 ep
Maverick
TV · 1 ep
Harbor Command
TV · as Officer Maxwell · 1 ep
Casey Jones
TV · as Ben Slater · 1 ep
Official Detective
TV · as Sam Graves · 1 ep
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
Movie · as Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
Movie · as Norton
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Movie · as Maj. Tobias Norton
Highway Patrol
TV · 1 ep
The Great Gildersleeve
TV · 1 ep
Lucky Me
Movie · as Motorist (uncredited)
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter
Movie · as Major Norton
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV · as Major Tobias Norton · 1 ep
So This Is Love
Movie · as Charles, Waiter (uncredited)
I'm the Law
TV · 1 ep
Radar Men from the Moon
Movie · as Ted Richards
When the Redskins Rode
Movie · as Appleby
Wells Fargo Gunmaster
Movie · as Charlie Lannon
Come Fill the Cup
Movie · as Hal Ortman
Boston Blackie
TV · as Ron Taylor · 1 ep
The Capture
Movie · as Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
Lux Video Theatre
TV · as Major Dort, Robert Cooper, Michael Dailey · 1 ep
Romance on the High Seas
Movie · as Dudley (Travel Agent)
Night Wind
Movie · as Capt. Kingston
Arthur Takes Over
Movie · as Lawrence White
So This Is New York
Movie · as Hotel Clerk
You Gotta Stay Happy
Movie · as Dick Hebert
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Movie · as Winters
The Trespasser
Movie · as Bruce Coleman
King of the Bandits
Movie · as Captain Frank Mason
The Farmer's Daughter
Movie · as Windor
The Fabulous Dorseys
Movie · as Eddie
Messenger of Peace
Movie · as Pastor Willie von Adel
Jungle Terror
Movie · as Tom Branning
Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways
Movie · as Hop Harrigan
Yanks Ahoy
Movie · as Ens. Crosby (uncredited)
Dr. Kildare's Victory
Movie · as Mr. Hubbell
I Live on Danger
Movie · as Mac
The Dawn Express
Movie · as Tom Fielding
The Postman Didn't Ring
Movie · as Robert Harwood Jr.
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
Movie · as Hugh Pleasant
King of the Mounties
Movie · as Cpl. Hall Ross
Seven Sinners
Movie · as Ensign
The Saint Takes Over
Movie · as Shipboard Card Player
Beyond Tomorrow
Movie · as David Chadwick
Gone with the Wind
Movie · as Mounted Officer
Zenobia
Movie · as Townsman at Zeke's Recitation
Hotel Imperial
Movie · as Cadet (uncredited)
King of the Turf
Movie · as Intern
The Higgins Family
Movie · as Eddie Davis
The Duke of West Point
Movie · as Honor Committee Spokesman
Trapped by G-Men
Movie · as Dick Withers
Dangerous Holiday
Movie · as Tom Connor
Jungle Menace
Movie · as Tom Banning
Exiled to Shanghai
Movie · as Andrew
Mile a Minute Love
Movie · as Bob
Quality Street
Movie · as Lieutenant Spicer
Lady Luck
Movie · as Dave Haines
Sea Spoilers
Movie · as Lieut. Commander Mays
Laddie
Movie · as Robert Pryor
Together We Live
Movie · as Billy
Strangers All
Movie · as Dick Carter
Happiness C.O.D.
Movie · as Ken Sherridan
On Probation
Movie · as Bill Coleman
Green Eyes
Movie · as Cliff Miller
Straight Is the Way
Movie · as Dr. Wilkes
You Can't Buy Everything
Movie · as Don Bell (adult)
Crimson Romance
Movie · as Adolph
Speed Wings
Movie · as Jerry
Sons of Steel
Movie · as Roland Chadburne
The Curtain Falls
Movie · as Barry Graham
The Quitter
Movie · as Russell Tilford
The Party's Over
Movie · as Clay
Three Cornered Moon
Movie · as Douglas Rimplegar
Straightaway
Movie · as Billy Dawson
A Man of Sentiment
Movie · as John Russell
Lucky Devils
Movie · as Slugger Jones
While Paris Sleeps
Movie · as Paul Renoir
Cheaters at Play
Movie · as Maurice Perry
Back Street
Movie · as Richard Saxel
Dance, Fools, Dance
Movie · as Rodney Jordan
Guilty Hands
Movie · as Tommy Osgood
Politics
Movie · as Benny Emerson
Reducing
Movie · as Tommy Haverly
A Woman of Experience
Movie · as Count Karl Runyi
Daybreak
Movie · as Otto
The Spirit of Notre Dame
Movie · as Jim Stewart
All Quiet on the Western Front
Movie · as Albert Kropp
Playing Around
Movie · as Jack
The Bat Whispers
Movie · as Brook
Paid
Movie · as Carney
Gold Diggers of Broadway
Movie · as Wally Saunders
On With the Show!
Movie · as Jimmy
The Show of Shows
Movie · as Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
The Iron Mask
Movie · as Louis XIV / Twin Brother
Hot Stuff
Movie · as Mack Moran
Lady of the Pavements
Movie · as A Pianist
West Point
Movie · as 'Tex' McNeil
Harold Teen
Movie · as Percival
Annapolis
Movie · as Skippy
The Battle of the Sexes
Movie · as The Son
The Latest from Paris
Movie · as Bud Dolan
The Devil's Trademark
Movie · as Tom Benton
The Shield of Honor
Movie · as Jerry MacDowell
Mother
Movie · as Jerry Ellis
The Heart Thief
Movie
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
Movie · as Salesman
Old Ironsides
Movie · as Young Philadelphian (uncredited)
Whispering Wires
Movie
The Last Edition
Movie · as 'Ink' Donovan