William Ching
Encyclopedia
William Ching, also credited as William Brooks, Bill Ching and William Brooks Ching (born 2 October 1913, St. Louis, Missouri - died 1 July 1989, Tustin, California) was a United States
character actor
who appeared in almost 20 films and on television during the later 1940s and throughout the 1950s. By the early 21st century Ching was most widely noted for his supporting role in Rudolph Maté
's 1950 film noir
drama
D.O.A.
as Halliday, who slips "luminous poison" into the drink of an accountant visiting San Francisco for the weekend, along with his role as the overbearing boyfriend of Katharine Hepburn
's character in George Cukor
's 1952 Tracy-Hepburn comedy Pat and Mike
.
Ching began his career as a professional singer, appearing in musical comedies such as Rodgers and Hammerstein
's Allegro
(1947). His first film role was in 1946. He signed with Republic Pictures
in 1947 and for the next dozen years acted mostly in westerns and dramas. His last major acting credit was in a 1959 episode of the television series 77 Sunset Strip
.
William Ching died of congestive heart failure in 1989 at the age of 75 and is buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who appeared in almost 20 films and on television during the later 1940s and throughout the 1950s. By the early 21st century Ching was most widely noted for his supporting role in Rudolph Maté
Rudolph Maté
Born in Kraków , Maté started in the film business after his graduation from the University of Budapest. He went on to work as an assistant cameraman in Hungary and later throughout Europe, sometimes with noted colleague Karl Freund...
's 1950 film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
D.O.A.
D.O.A. (1950 film)
D.O.A. , a film noir drama film directed by Rudolph Maté, is considered a classic of the genre. The frantically paced plot revolves around a doomed man's quest to find out who has poisoned him – and why – before he dies.Leo C...
as Halliday, who slips "luminous poison" into the drink of an accountant visiting San Francisco for the weekend, along with his role as the overbearing boyfriend of Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
's character in George Cukor
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David Copperfield , Romeo and Juliet and...
's 1952 Tracy-Hepburn comedy Pat and Mike
Pat and Mike
Pat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who also directed The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.- Plot :...
.
Ching began his career as a professional singer, appearing in musical comedies such as Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's Allegro
Allegro (musical)
Allegro is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II , their third collaboration for the stage. Opening on Broadway on October 10, 1947, the musical centers on the life of Joseph Taylor, Jr.—Joe follows in the footsteps of his father as a doctor, but is tempted by fortune and fame at...
(1947). His first film role was in 1946. He signed with Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
in 1947 and for the next dozen years acted mostly in westerns and dramas. His last major acting credit was in a 1959 episode of the television series 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
.
William Ching died of congestive heart failure in 1989 at the age of 75 and is buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
.