Person Details

Birthday: 1908-05-02 21:50:32

Death: 1993-04-15 21:50:32

Aliases: Billy Bakewell , William Bakewell Jr. , Bill Bakewell

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 70

TV Involvements: 6


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

The Virginian
Average
7

The Virginian

(1962) Nate Eastman
Lux Video Theatre
Average
3

Lux Video Theatre

(1950) Robert Cooper
Gone with the Wind
Average
8

Gone with the Wind

(1939) Mounted Officer
All Quiet on the Western Front
Average
8

All Quiet on the Western Front

(1930) Albert Kropp
M Squad
Average
6

M Squad

(1957) Detective
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Average
7

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier

(1955) Maj. Tobias Norton
Beyond Tomorrow
Average
6

Beyond Tomorrow

(1940) David Chadwick
Profiles in Courage
Average
5

Profiles in Courage

(1964) Wythe

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1984 Himself
1975 Professor
1973 Desk Clerk
1972 Jeremy's Father
1971 N/A
1970 N/A
1966 N/A
1965 Colonel Harris
N/A
1964 Wythe
1963 N/A
1962 N/A
Nate Eastman
Sam Branch
1961 N/A
N/A
N/A
1960 N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1958 N/A
N/A
1957 N/A
N/A
N/A
Detective
N/A
1955 N/A
N/A
Maj. Tobias Norton
Norton
1954 Major Norton
Motorist (uncredited)
1953 Charles, Waiter (uncredited)
N/A
1952 Ted Richards
1951 Hal Ortman
N/A
Appleby
Charlie Lannon
1950 Major Dort
Robert Cooper
Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
1948 Dick Hebert
Capt. Kingston
Dudley (Travel Agent)
Hotel Clerk
Lawrence White
1947 Captain Frank Mason
Winters
Bruce Coleman
Windor
Eddie
1946 Tom Branning
Hop Harrigan
1942 Cpl. Hall Ross
Hugh Pleasant
Robert Harwood Jr.
Mac
Tom Fielding
Mr. Hubbell
1940 Ensign
Shipboard Card Player
David Chadwick
1939 Mounted Officer
Cadet (uncredited)
Townsman at Zeke's Recitation
Intern
1938 Committee Captain
Eddie Davis
1937 Andrew
Dick Withers
Tom Banning
Tom Connor
Bob
Lieutenant Spicer
1936 Lieut. Commander Mays
Dave Haines
1935 Ken Sherridan
Billy
Bill Coleman
Dick Carter
Robert Pryor
1934 Roland Chadburne
Adolph
Barry Graham
Clay
Dr. Wilkes
Cliff Miller
Jerry
Russell Tilford
Don Bell (adult)
1933 Billy Dawson
John Russell
Douglas Rimplegar
Slugger Jones
1932 Richard Saxel
Paul Renoir
Maurice Perry
1931 Jim Stewart
Tommy Osgood
Count Karl Runyi
Otto
Benny Emerson
Rodney Jordan
Tommy Haverly
1930 Carney
Brook
Albert Kropp
Jack
1929 Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Wally Saunders
Jimmy
Mack Moran
Louis XIV / Twin Brother
A Pianist
1928 Skippy
The Son
Percival
Bud Dolan
'Tex' McNeil
1927 Jerry MacDowell
Jerry Ellis
N/A
1926 Salesman
Young Philadelphian (uncredited)
1925 'Ink' Donovan
Year Character Movie/Tv

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