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