William Bakewell
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
Credits
- 1984 · Bruised Celluloid as Himself
- 1975 · The Strongest Man in the World as Professor
- 1973 · Set This Town on Fire as Desk Clerk
- 1972 · Call Her Mom as Jeremy's Father
- 1971 · Alias Smith and Jones as
- 1970 · Nanny and the Professor as Carnival Host
- 1970 · Nanny and the Professor as Norm
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Elroy
- 1966 · Not With My Wife, You Don't as Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)
- 1966 · That Girl as
- 1965 · I Dream of Jeannie as Colonel Harris
- 1965 · Green Acres as
- 1964 · Profiles in Courage as Wythe
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as Ralph Craig
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as Actor
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as Herbert
- 1962 · The Beverly Hillbillies as
- 1962 · The Virginian as Sam Branch
- 1962 · The Virginian as Nate Eastman
- 1961 · Hazel as
- 1961 · 87th Precinct as
- 1961 · Mister Ed as
- 1960 · The Roaring 20's as
- 1960 · Bringing Up Buddy as
- 1960 · Guestward, Ho! as
- 1960 · Pete and Gladys as
- 1958 · Peter Gunn as
- 1958 · Sea Hunt as
- 1957 · Harbor Command as
- 1957 · Leave It to Beaver as
- 1957 · Maverick as
- 1957 · M Squad as Detective
- 1957 · Official Detective as
- 1956 · Davy Crockett and the River Pirates as Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)
- 1955 · Highway Patrol as
- 1955 · The Great Gildersleeve as
- 1955 · Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier as Maj. Tobias Norton
- 1955 · Davy Crockett Goes to Congress as Norton
- 1954 · Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter as Major Norton
- 1954 · Lucky Me as Motorist (uncredited)
- 1953 · So This Is Love as Charles, Waiter (uncredited)
- 1953 · I'm the Law as
- 1952 · Radar Men from the Moon as Ted Richards
- 1951 · Come Fill the Cup as Hal Ortman
- 1951 · The Adventures of Boston Blackie as
- 1951 · When the Redskins Rode as Appleby
- 1951 · Wells Fargo Gunmaster as Charlie Lannon
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Major Dort
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Robert Cooper
- 1950 · The Capture as Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
- 1948 · You Gotta Stay Happy as Dick Hebert
- 1948 · Night Wind as Capt. Kingston
- 1948 · Romance on the High Seas as Dudley (Travel Agent)
- 1948 · So This Is New York as Hotel Clerk
- 1948 · Arthur Takes Over as Lawrence White
- 1947 · King of the Bandits as Captain Frank Mason
- 1947 · Messenger of Peace as Pastor Willie von Adel
- 1947 · The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer as Winters
- 1947 · The Trespasser as Bruce Coleman
- 1947 · The Farmer's Daughter as Windor
- 1947 · The Fabulous Dorseys as Eddie
- 1946 · Jungle Terror as Tom Branning
- 1946 · Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways as Hop Harrigan
- 1942 · King of the Mounties as Cpl. Hall Ross
- 1942 · The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe as Hugh Pleasant
- 1942 · The Postman Didn't Ring as Robert Harwood Jr.
- 1942 · I Live on Danger as Mac
- 1942 · The Dawn Express as Tom Fielding
- 1942 · Dr. Kildare's Victory as Mr. Hubbell
- 1940 · Seven Sinners as Ensign
- 1940 · The Saint Takes Over as Shipboard Card Player
- 1940 · Beyond Tomorrow as David Chadwick
- 1939 · Hotel Imperial as Cadet (uncredited)
- 1939 · Zenobia as Townsman at Zeke's Recitation
- 1939 · Gone with the Wind as Mounted Officer
- 1939 · King of the Turf as Intern
- 1938 · The Duke of West Point as Committee Captain
- 1938 · The Higgins Family as Eddie Davis
- 1937 · Exiled to Shanghai as Andrew
- 1937 · Trapped by G-Men as Dick Withers
- 1937 · Jungle Menace as Tom Banning
- 1937 · Dangerous Holiday as Tom Connor
- 1937 · Mile a Minute Love as Bob
- 1937 · Quality Street as Lieutenant Spicer
- 1936 · Sea Spoilers as Lieut. Commander Mays
- 1936 · Lady Luck as Dave Haines
- 1935 · Happiness C.O.D. as Ken Sherridan
- 1935 · Together We Live as Billy
- 1935 · Strangers All as Dick Carter
- 1935 · On Probation as Bill Coleman
- 1935 · Laddie as Robert Pryor
- 1934 · Sons of Steel as Roland Chadburne
- 1934 · Crimson Romance as Adolph
- 1934 · The Curtain Falls as Barry Graham
- 1934 · The Party's Over as Clay
- 1934 · Straight Is the Way as Dr. Wilkes
- 1934 · Green Eyes as Cliff Miller
- 1934 · Speed Wings as Jerry
- 1934 · The Quitter as Russell Tilford
- 1934 · You Can't Buy Everything as Don Bell (adult)
- 1933 · Straightaway as Billy Dawson
- 1933 · A Man of Sentiment as John Russell
- 1933 · Three-Cornered Moon as Douglas Rimplegar
- 1933 · Lucky Devils as Slugger Jones
- 1932 · Back Street as Richard Saxel
- 1932 · While Paris Sleeps as Paul Renoir
- 1932 · Cheaters at Play as Maurice Perry
- 1931 · The Spirit of Notre Dame as Jim Stewart
- 1931 · Guilty Hands as Tommy Osgood
- 1931 · A Woman of Experience as Count Karl Runyi
- 1931 · Daybreak as Otto
- 1931 · Politics as Benny Emerson
- 1931 · Dance, Fools, Dance as Rodney Jordan
- 1931 · Reducing as Tommy Haverly
- 1930 · Paid as Carney
- 1930 · The Bat Whispers as Brook
- 1930 · All Quiet on the Western Front as Albert Kropp
- 1930 · Playing Around as Jack
- 1929 · Show of Shows as Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
- 1929 · Gold Diggers of Broadway as Wally Saunders
- 1929 · On With the Show! as Jimmy
- 1929 · Hot Stuff as Mack Moran
- 1929 · The Iron Mask as Louis XIV / Twin Brother
- 1929 · Lady of the Pavements as A Pianist
- 1928 · Annapolis as Skippy
- 1928 · The Battle of the Sexes as The Son
- 1928 · Harold Teen as Percival
- 1928 · The Latest from Paris as Bud Dolan
- 1928 · West Point as 'Tex' McNeil
- 1927 · The Shield of Honor as Jerry MacDowell
- 1927 · Mother as Jerry Ellis
- 1927 · The Heart Thief as
- 1926 · Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl as Salesman
- 1926 · Old Ironsides as Young Philadelphian (uncredited)
- 1925 · The Last Edition as 'Ink' Donovan