William Bakewell
William Bakewell
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
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
137
Gender
Male
Birthday
1908-05-02 (117 years old)
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Acting

1984

Bruised Celluloid as Himself

1973

Set This Town on Fire as Desk Clerk

1972

Call Her Mom as Jeremy's Father

1971

Alias Smith and Jones as Not available

1970

Nanny and the Professor as Carnival Host

1969

Love, American Style as Elroy

1966

That Girl as Not available

1966

Not With My Wife, You Don't as Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)

1965

I Dream of Jeannie as Colonel Harris

1965

Green Acres as Not available

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 Not available

1962

The Virginian as Sam Branch

1962

The Virginian as Nate Eastman

1961

Hazel as Not available

1961

87th Precinct as Not available

1961

Mister Ed as Not available

1960

Pete and Gladys as Not available

1960

Guestward, Ho! as Not available

1960

Bringing Up Buddy as Not available

1960

The Roaring 20's as Not available

1958

Sea Hunt as Not available

1958

Peter Gunn as Not available

1957

Leave It to Beaver as Not available

1957

Maverick as Not available

1957

Official Detective as Not available

1957

Harbor Command as Not available

1957

M Squad as Detective

1956

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates as Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)

1955

Highway Patrol as Not available

1955

The Great Gildersleeve as Not available

1955

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier as Maj. Tobias Norton

1954

Lucky Me as Motorist (uncredited)

1954

Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter as Major Norton

1953

I'm the Law as Not available

1953

So This Is Love as Charles, Waiter (uncredited)

1952

Radar Men from the Moon as Ted Richards

1951

The Adventures of Boston Blackie as Not available

1951

When the Redskins Rode as Appleby

1951

Wells Fargo Gunmaster as Charlie Lannon

1951

Come Fill the Cup as Hal Ortman

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Major Dort

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Robert Cooper

1950

Lux Video Theatre as Michael Dailey

1950

The Capture as Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil

1948

Romance on the High Seas as Dudley (Travel Agent)

1948

You Gotta Stay Happy as Dick Hebert

1948

Night Wind as Capt. Kingston

1948

So This Is New York as Hotel Clerk

1948

Arthur Takes Over as Lawrence White

1947

The Farmer's Daughter as Windor

1947

The Fabulous Dorseys as Eddie

1947

The Trespasser as Bruce Coleman

1947

King of the Bandits as Captain Frank Mason

1947

Messenger of Peace as Pastor Willie von Adel

1946

Jungle Terror as Tom Branning

1942

The Dawn Express as Tom Fielding

1942

King of the Mounties as Cpl. Hall Ross

1942

Dr. Kildare's Victory as Mr. Hubbell

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

1940

Seven Sinners as Ensign

1940

The Saint Takes Over as Shipboard Card Player

1940

Beyond Tomorrow as David Chadwick

1939

Gone with the Wind as Mounted Officer

1939

Zenobia as Townsman at Zeke's Recitation

1939

King of the Turf as Intern

1939

Hotel Imperial as Cadet (uncredited)

1938

The Duke of West Point as Committee Captain

1938

The Higgins Family as Eddie Davis

1937

Quality Street as Lieutenant Spicer

1937

Jungle Menace as Tom Banning

1937

Trapped by G-Men as Dick Withers

1937

Exiled to Shanghai as Andrew

1937

Mile a Minute Love as Bob

1937

Dangerous Holiday as Tom Connor

1936

Lady Luck as Dave Haines

1936

Sea Spoilers as Lieut. Commander Mays

1935

Strangers All as Dick Carter

1935

Laddie as Robert Pryor

1935

On Probation as Bill Coleman

1935

Together We Live as Billy

1935

Happiness C.O.D. as Ken Sherridan

1934

Green Eyes as Cliff Miller

1934

Speed Wings as Jerry

1934

You Can't Buy Everything as Don Bell (adult)

1934

Crimson Romance as Adolph

1934

Sons of Steel as Roland Chadburne

1934

The Party's Over as Clay

1934

Straight Is the Way as Dr. Wilkes

1934

The Quitter as Russell Tilford

1934

The Curtain Falls as Barry Graham

1933

Three Cornered Moon as Douglas Rimplegar

1933

Lucky Devils as Slugger Jones

1933

Straightaway as Billy Dawson

1933

A Man of Sentiment as John Russell

1932

Back Street as Richard Saxel

1932

While Paris Sleeps as Paul Renoir

1932

Cheaters at Play as Maurice Perry

1931

Dance, Fools, Dance as Rodney Jordan

1931

Politics as Benny Emerson

1931

Reducing as Tommy Haverly

1931

Guilty Hands as Tommy Osgood

1931

Daybreak as Otto

1931

A Woman of Experience as Count Karl Runyi

1931

The Spirit of Notre Dame as Jim Stewart

1930

All Quiet on the Western Front as Albert Kropp

1930

The Bat Whispers as Brook

1930

Paid as Carney

1930

Playing Around as Jack

1929

The Iron Mask as Louis XIV / Twin Brother

1929

The Show of Shows as Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)

1929

Lady of the Pavements as A Pianist

1929

On With the Show! as Jimmy

1929

Gold Diggers of Broadway as Wally Saunders

1929

Hot Stuff as Mack Moran

1928

The Battle of the Sexes as The Son

1928

West Point as 'Tex' McNeil

1928

Harold Teen as Percival

1928

Annapolis as Skippy

1928

The Latest from Paris as Bud Dolan

1927

Mother as Jerry Ellis

1927

The Shield of Honor as Jerry MacDowell

1927

The Heart Thief as Not available

1926

Old Ironsides as Young Philadelphian (uncredited)

1926

Whispering Wires as Not available

1925

The Last Edition as 'Ink' Donovan