William Bakewell
Encyclopedia
William Bakewell 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.
, and went on to appear in some 170 films and TV shows. He is most remembered for playing Albert in the 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front, and Roddy, Joan Crawford
's brother in Dance, Fools, Dance
. 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 significant status past the Depression years, although he became familiar in dozens of films, from Gone with the Wind
to the phenomenally popular Disney
television
miniseries
, Davy Crockett
, in which he played Major Tobias Norton and a Keelboat Race Master of Ceremonies. In 1946, Bakewell starred in the Columbia serial Hop Harrigan, where he played a top Air Corps pilot.
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 The Radio Section of the Special Service Division as the Post Intelligence Officer and, also worked under the department that handled distribution of recorded programs to overseas station circuits.
For four decades Bakewell served on the board of Motion Picture and Television Fund.
Life and career
Bakewell, educated at Los Angeles Harvard Military School, began his film career as an extra in the movie Fighting BloodFighting Blood
Fighting Blood is a 1911 short silent Western film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring George Nichols and featuring Lionel Barrymore and Blanche Sweet...
, and went on to appear in some 170 films and TV shows. He is most remembered for playing Albert in the 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front, and Roddy, Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
's brother in Dance, Fools, Dance
Dance, Fools, Dance
Dance, Fools, Dance is a pre-code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rouverol, and the film was directed by Harry Beaumont...
. He also co-starred in Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929) with Winnie Lightner
Winnie Lightner
Winnie Lightner was an American motion picture actress. Perhaps her most famous role was as a gold-digger named Mabel, in Gold Diggers of Broadway...
and Lilyan Tashman
Lilyan Tashman
Lilyan Tashman was a Brooklyn-born Jewish American vaudeville, Broadway, and film actress. Tashman was best known for her supporting roles as tongue-in-cheek villainesses and the bitchy 'other woman'...
. In 1933, he contributed to the founding of the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
and was member 44 of the original 50.
He never achieved significant status past the Depression years, although he became familiar in dozens of films, from Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
to the phenomenally popular Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett (TV miniseries)
Davy Crockett is a five part serial which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes on the Disneyland series. The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his fictional best friend, George Russel....
, in which he played Major Tobias Norton and a Keelboat Race Master of Ceremonies. In 1946, Bakewell starred in the Columbia serial Hop Harrigan, where he played a top Air Corps pilot.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the U.S. Army with the rank of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He was stationed at the 73rd Evacuation Hospital and at the The Radio Section of the Special Service Division as the Post Intelligence Officer and, also worked under the department that handled distribution of recorded programs to overseas station circuits.
For four decades Bakewell served on the board of Motion Picture and Television Fund.
Further reading
- William Bakewell (1991), Hollywood Be Thy Name: Random Recollections of a Movie Veteran From Silents to Talkies to TV (ISBN 0-8108-2388-8)