William Bakewell
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 2, 1908
- Died
- Apr 15, 1993 (aged 84)
- Place of birth
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Credits
- 137
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
Gone with the Wind
1939Movie
Mounted Officer
All Quiet on the Western Front
1930Movie
Albert Kropp
I Dream of Jeannie
1965TV
Colonel Harris
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
1947Movie
Winters
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962TV
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955Movie
Maj. Tobias Norton
Filmography
Bruised Celluloid
1984Movie
Himself
The Strongest Man in the World
1975Movie
Professor
Set This Town on Fire
1973Movie
Desk Clerk
Call Her Mom
1972Movie
Jeremy's Father
Alias Smith and Jones
1971TV
Nanny and the Professor
1970TV
Carnival Host, Norm
Love, American Style
1969TV
Elroy
It Takes a Thief
1968TV
Hotel Clerk
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
1966Movie
Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)
That Girl
1966TV
I Dream of Jeannie
1965TV
Colonel Harris
Green Acres
1965TV
Run for Your Life
1965TV
County Attorney Lassiter
Profiles in Courage
1964TV
Wythe
Petticoat Junction
1963TV
Ralph Craig, Actor, Herbert
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962TV
The Virginian
1962TV
Sam Branch, Nate Eastman
Hazel
1961TV
87th Precinct
1961TV
Mister Ed
1961TV
The Roaring 20's
1960TV
Bringing Up Buddy
1960TV
Guestward, Ho!
1960TV
Pete and Gladys
1960TV
Peter Gunn
1958TV
Sea Hunt
1958TV
Harbor Command
1957TV
Officer Maxwell
Casey Jones
1957TV
Ben Slater
Leave It to Beaver
1957TV
Maverick
1957TV
M Squad
1957TV
Detective
Down Liberty Road
1957Movie
Waldo (Uncredited)
Official Detective
1957TV
Sam Graves
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
1956Movie
Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)
Highway Patrol
1955TV
The Great Gildersleeve
1955TV
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955Movie
Maj. Tobias Norton
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
1955Movie
Norton
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter
1954Movie
Major Norton
Lucky Me
1954Movie
Motorist (uncredited)
So This Is Love
1953Movie
Charles, Waiter (uncredited)
I'm the Law
1953TV
Radar Men from the Moon
1952Movie
Ted Richards
Come Fill the Cup
1951Movie
Hal Ortman
Boston Blackie
1951TV
Ron Taylor
When the Redskins Rode
1951Movie
Appleby
Wells Fargo Gunmaster
1951Movie
Charlie Lannon
Lux Video Theatre
1950TV
Major Dort, Robert Cooper, Michael Dailey
The Capture
1950Movie
Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
You Gotta Stay Happy
1948Movie
Dick Hebert
Night Wind
1948Movie
Capt. Kingston
Romance on the High Seas
1948Movie
Dudley (Travel Agent)
So This Is New York
1948Movie
Hotel Clerk
Arthur Takes Over
1948Movie
Lawrence White
King of the Bandits
1947Movie
Captain Frank Mason
Messenger of Peace
1947Movie
Pastor Willie von Adel
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
1947Movie
Winters
The Trespasser
1947Movie
Bruce Coleman
The Farmer's Daughter
1947Movie
Windor
The Fabulous Dorseys
1947Movie
Eddie
Jungle Terror
1946Movie
Tom Branning
Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways
1946Movie
Hop Harrigan
Yanks Ahoy
1943Movie
Ens. Crosby (uncredited)
King of the Mounties
1942Movie
Cpl. Hall Ross
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
1942Movie
Hugh Pleasant
The Postman Didn't Ring
1942Movie
Robert Harwood Jr.
I Live on Danger
1942Movie
Mac
The Dawn Express
1942Movie
Tom Fielding
Dr. Kildare's Victory
1942Movie
Mr. Hubbell
Seven Sinners
1940Movie
Ensign
The Saint Takes Over
1940Movie
Shipboard Card Player
Beyond Tomorrow
1940Movie
David Chadwick
Gone with the Wind
1939Movie
Mounted Officer
Hotel Imperial
1939Movie
Cadet (uncredited)
Zenobia
1939Movie
Townsman at Zeke's Recitation
King of the Turf
1939Movie
Intern
The Duke of West Point
1938Movie
Honor Committee Spokesman
The Higgins Family
1938Movie
Eddie Davis
Exiled to Shanghai
1937Movie
Andrew
Trapped by G-Men
1937Movie
Dick Withers
Jungle Menace
1937Movie
Tom Banning
Dangerous Holiday
1937Movie
Tom Connor
Mile a Minute Love
1937Movie
Bob
Quality Street
1937Movie
Lieutenant Spicer
Sea Spoilers
1936Movie
Lieut. Commander Mays
Lady Luck
1936Movie
Dave Haines
Happiness C.O.D.
1935Movie
Ken Sherridan
Together We Live
1935Movie
Billy
Strangers All
1935Movie
Dick Carter
On Probation
1935Movie
Bill Coleman
Laddie
1935Movie
Robert Pryor
Sons of Steel
1934Movie
Roland Chadburne
Crimson Romance
1934Movie
Adolph
The Curtain Falls
1934Movie
Barry Graham
The Party's Over
1934Movie
Clay
Straight Is the Way
1934Movie
Dr. Wilkes
Green Eyes
1934Movie
Cliff Miller
Speed Wings
1934Movie
Jerry
The Quitter
1934Movie
Russell Tilford
You Can't Buy Everything
1934Movie
Don Bell (adult)
Straightaway
1933Movie
Billy Dawson
A Man of Sentiment
1933Movie
John Russell
Three Cornered Moon
1933Movie
Douglas Rimplegar
Lucky Devils
1933Movie
Slugger Jones
Back Street
1932Movie
Richard Saxel
While Paris Sleeps
1932Movie
Paul Renoir
Cheaters at Play
1932Movie
Maurice Perry
The Spirit of Notre Dame
1931Movie
Jim Stewart
Guilty Hands
1931Movie
Tommy Osgood
A Woman of Experience
1931Movie
Count Karl Runyi
Daybreak
1931Movie
Otto
Politics
1931Movie
Benny Emerson
Dance, Fools, Dance
1931Movie
Rodney Jordan
Reducing
1931Movie
Tommy Haverly
Paid
1930Movie
Carney
The Bat Whispers
1930Movie
Brook
All Quiet on the Western Front
1930Movie
Albert Kropp
Playing Around
1930Movie
Jack
The Show of Shows
1929Movie
Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Gold Diggers of Broadway
1929Movie
Wally Saunders
On With the Show!
1929Movie
Jimmy
Hot Stuff
1929Movie
Mack Moran
The Iron Mask
1929Movie
Louis XIV / Twin Brother
Lady of the Pavements
1929Movie
A Pianist
Annapolis
1928Movie
Skippy
The Battle of the Sexes
1928Movie
The Son
Harold Teen
1928Movie
Percival
The Devil's Trademark
1928Movie
Tom Benton
The Latest from Paris
1928Movie
Bud Dolan
West Point
1928Movie
'Tex' McNeil
The Shield of Honor
1927Movie
Jerry MacDowell
Mother
1927Movie
Jerry Ellis
The Heart Thief
1927Movie
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
1926Movie
Salesman
Old Ironsides
1926Movie
Young Philadelphian (uncredited)
Whispering Wires
1926Movie
The Last Edition
1925Movie
'Ink' Donovan