Bill Williams
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 21, 1915
- Died
- September 21, 1992 (aged 77)
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
Biography
William Herman Katt (born Herman August Wilhelm Katt; May 15, 1915 – September 21, 1992), known as Bill Williams, was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his starring role in the early television series The Adventures of Kit Carson, which aired in syndication from 1951 to 1955. Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrant parents. He attended the Pratt Institute, and became a professional swimmer, performing in underwater shows. He landed a walk-on role as a theater usher in King Kong (1933). He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, but was discharged before the end and became an actor. His credited debut was in The Blue Room in 1944, using the professional name Bill Williams. His first starring role was opposite Susan Hayward in Deadline at Dawn (1946). Williams appeared in ten films before he landed the lead role in television's The Adventures of Kit Carson, which ran for 105 episodes. When the series ended, Williams' star power faded. It was revived in 1957 when he co-starred with Betty White on television in Date with the Angels. Williams portrayed Federal agent Martin Flaherty in The Scarface Mob (1959), the pilot for ABC's The Untouchables. However, when the series was accepted, the role went to Jerry Paris. Williams turned down the lead in Sea Hunt in 1958, believing that an underwater show would not work on television. Lloyd Bridges accepted the part and turned it into a hit. Williams did star as a former Navy frogman in Assignment: Underwater, which ran for just one season. He played a variety of roles on Perry Mason, in which his wife Barbara Hale co-starred as Raymond Burr's secretary Della Street. In a 1962 episode, "The Case of the Crippled Cougar," he played defendant Mike Preston. In 1963, he was murder victim Floyd Grant in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast." In 1965 Williams played murderer Charles Shaw in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid," and was murderer Burt Payne in "The Case of the 12th Wildcat". Williams appeared with his son in a final season episode of Ironside, bringing him together again with Raymond Burr. He also made numerous guest appearances on television and worked in low-budget science fiction films until his retirement.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
Movie · as Cowboy Bob
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Movie · as Self
B. J. and the Bear
TV · 1 ep
240-Robert
TV · 1 ep
A Fire in the Sky
Movie · as Dale Turner
69 Minutes
Movie
The Flight of the Grey Wolf
Movie · as The Sheriff
The Giant Spider Invasion
Movie · as Dutch
125 Rooms of Comfort
Movie
Police Woman
TV · 2 eps
The Rookies
TV · 3 eps
The Streets of San Francisco
TV · 1 ep
Emergency!
TV · as Pete · 1 ep
Scandalous John
Movie · as Sheriff Hart
Primus
TV · 1 ep
Rio Lobo
Movie · as Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
Buckskin
Movie · as Frank Cody
Adam-12
TV · as William Taylor, Fred Wheeler · 1 ep
Eight on the Lam
Movie · as Cop at Roadblock (uncredited)
Ironside
TV · as Lt. Dacker · 1 ep
Batman
TV · as Multimillionaire · 2 eps
Tickle Me
Movie · as Deputy Sturdivant
A Letter to Nancy
Movie · as George Reed
Spaceflight IC-1
Movie · as Capt. Mead Ralston
The Hallelujah Trail
Movie · as Lt. Brady (uncredited)
The F.B.I.
TV · as David Warren, Crawford · 1 ep
The Wild Wild West
TV · 1 ep
Law of the Lawless
Movie · as Silas Miller
Daniel Boone
TV · as Caleb Trevor · 1 ep
Stampede at Bitter Creek
Movie · as Paul Forbes
The Sergeant Was a Lady
Movie · as Col. House
The Investigators
TV · 1 ep
Oklahoma Territory
Movie · as Temple Houston
Hell to Eternity
Movie · as Leonard
Assignment: Underwater
TV · as Bill Greer · 38 eps
Alaska Passage
Movie · as Al Graham
The Scarface Mob
Movie · as Martin Flaherty
A Dog's Best Friend
Movie · as Wesley 'Wes' Thurman
Rawhide
TV · as Tom Bickle · 1 ep
Men Into Space
TV · 1 ep
Laramie
TV · 1 ep
Space Master X-7
Movie · as John Hand
Legion of the Doomed
Movie
77 Sunset Strip
TV · as Henry Cook · 1 ep
Yancy Derringer
TV · as Duke Winslow · 1 ep
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
TV · as Martin Flaherty · 1 ep
The Halliday Brand
Movie · as Clay Halliday
Pawnee
Movie · as Matt Delaney
The Storm Rider
Movie · as Sheriff Colton
Slim Carter
Movie · as Frank Hanneman
Perry Mason
TV · as Mike Preston, Floyd Grant, Charles Shaw, Burt Payne · 1 ep
M Squad
TV · as Jerry Langdon · 1 ep
Date with the Angels
TV · 60 eps
The Wild Dakotas
Movie · as Jim Henry
The Broken Star
Movie · as Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry
Apache Ambush
Movie · as James Kingston
Wiretapper
Movie · as James Arthur Vaus, Jr.
Hell's Horizon
Movie · as Paul Jenkins
Gunsmoke
TV · as Red · 1 ep
The Millionaire
TV · as Donald Abbott, Clint Halloran · 1 ep
The Outlaw's Daughter
Movie · as Jess Raidley aka Big Red
Racing Blood
Movie · as Tex
Lassie
TV · as Jed Bingham · 2 eps
Torpedo Alley
Movie · as Tom Graham
General Electric Theater
TV · as Stewart Davidson · 1 ep
Music at the Meadowbrook
TV · 1 ep
Son of Paleface
Movie · as Kirk
The Pace That Thrills
Movie · as Richard L. 'Dusty' Weston
Rose of Cimarron
Movie · as George Newcomb
The Last Outpost
Movie · as Sgt. Tucker
The Great Missouri Raid
Movie · as Jim Younger
Havana Rose
Movie · as Tex Thompson
Blue Blood
Movie · as Bill Manning
Dragnet
TV · 1 ep
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV · as Ed Sawyer · 1 ep
The Adventures of Kit Carson
TV · 103 eps
Operation Haylift
Movie · as Bill Masters
The Cariboo Trail
Movie · as Mike Evans
Blue Grass of Kentucky
Movie · as Lin McIvor
California Passage
Movie · as Bob Martin
Rookie Fireman
Movie · as Joe Blake
The Clay Pigeon
Movie · as Jim Fletcher
The Stratton Story
Movie · as Eddie Dibson
A Dangerous Profession
Movie · as Claude Brackett
A Woman's Secret
Movie · as Lee Crenshaw
Fighting Man of the Plains
Movie · as Marshall Johnny Tancred
Adventures In Jazz
TV · 22 eps
A Likely Story
Movie · as Bill
Deadline at Dawn
Movie · as Alex Winkler
Till the End of Time
Movie · as Perry Kincheloe
West of the Pecos
Movie · as Tex Evans
Those Endearing Young Charms
Movie · as Jerry
The Body Snatcher
Movie · as Survis - Medical Student (uncredited)
Back to Bataan
Movie · as (uncredited)
Johnny Angel
Movie · as Big Sailor (uncredited)
Sing Your Way Home
Movie · as Officer (uncredited)
Murder in the Blue Room
Movie · as Larry (as Bill MacWilliams)
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Movie · as Bud Felton
King Kong
Movie · as Theatre Usher (uncredited)