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.
Movie | Bruised Celluloid | Himself | 1984-01-01 |
Movie | The Strongest Man in the World | Professor | 1975-02-06 |
Movie | Call Her Mom | Jeremy's Father | 1972-02-15 |
Series | Alias Smith and Jones | Unknown | 1971-01-05 |
Series | Nanny and the Professor | Unknown | 1970-01-21 |
Series | That Girl | Unknown | 1966-09-08 |
Movie | Not With My Wife, You Don't | Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited) | 1966-11-02 |
Series | Green Acres | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Series | I Dream of Jeannie | Unknown | 1965-09-18 |
Series | Profiles in Courage | Unknown | 1964-11-08 |
Series | Petticoat Junction | Unknown | 1963-09-24 |
Series | The Virginian | Unknown | 1962-09-19 |
Series | The Beverly Hillbillies | Unknown | 1962-09-26 |
Series | Mister Ed | Unknown | 1961-01-05 |
Series | Hazel | Unknown | 1961-09-28 |
Series | 87th Precinct | Unknown | 1961-09-25 |
Series | Pete and Gladys | Unknown | 1960-09-19 |
Series | Guestward, Ho! | Unknown | 1960-09-29 |
Series | Bringing Up Buddy | Unknown | 1960-10-10 |
Series | The Roaring 20's | Unknown | 1960-10-15 |
Series | Sea Hunt | Unknown | 1958-01-04 |
Series | Peter Gunn | Unknown | 1958-09-22 |
Series | M Squad | Unknown | 1957-09-20 |
Series | Official Detective | Unknown | 1957-01-01 |
Series | Maverick | Unknown | 1957-09-22 |
Series | Leave It to Beaver | Unknown | 1957-10-04 |
Series | Harbor Command | Unknown | 1957-10-11 |
Movie | Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier | Maj. Tobias Norton | 1955-05-25 |
Movie | Davy Crockett Goes to Congress | Norton | 1955-01-26 |
Series | The Great Gildersleeve | Unknown | 1955-09-20 |
Series | Highway Patrol | Unknown | 1955-10-03 |
Movie | Lucky Me | Motorist (uncredited) | 1954-04-09 |
Movie | Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter | Major Norton | 1954-12-15 |
Series | I'm the Law | Unknown | 1953-02-13 |
Movie | So This Is Love | Charles, Waiter (uncredited) | 1953-07-15 |
Movie | Radar Men from the Moon | Ted Richards | 1952-01-09 |
Series | This Is Your Life | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | When the Redskins Rode | Appleby | 1951-05-30 |
Movie | Wells Fargo Gunmaster | Charlie Lannon | 1951-05-15 |
Series | The Adventures of Boston Blackie | Unknown | 1951-09-08 |
Movie | Come Fill the Cup | Hal Ortman | 1951-10-24 |
Movie | The Capture | Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil | 1950-04-08 |
Series | Lux Video Theatre | Unknown | 1950-10-02 |
Movie | So This Is New York | Hotel Clerk | 1948-06-01 |
Movie | Arthur Takes Over | Lawrence White | 1948-04-07 |
Movie | Romance on the High Seas | Dudley (Travel Agent) | 1948-06-25 |
Movie | Night Wind | Capt. Kingston | 1948-09-01 |
Movie | You Gotta Stay Happy | Dick Hebert | 1948-10-28 |
Movie | The Fabulous Dorseys | Eddie | 1947-02-26 |
Movie | The Farmer's Daughter | Windor | 1947-03-26 |
Movie | The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer | Winters | 1947-09-01 |
Movie | The Trespasser | Bruce Coleman | 1947-07-03 |
Movie | King of the Bandits | Captain Frank Mason | 1947-11-07 |
Movie | Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways | Hop Harrigan | 1946-03-27 |
Movie | Jungle Terror | Tom Branning | 1946-06-01 |
Movie | The Dawn Express | Tom Fielding | 1942-03-27 |
Movie | Dr. Kildare's Victory | Mr. Hubbell | 1942-02-04 |
Movie | King of the Mounties | Cpl. Hall Ross | 1942-10-17 |
Movie | I Live on Danger | Mac | 1942-06-16 |
Movie | The Postman Didn't Ring | Robert Harwood Jr. | 1942-07-03 |
Movie | The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe | Hugh Pleasant | 1942-08-28 |
Movie | Beyond Tomorrow | David Chadwick | 1940-05-10 |
Movie | Seven Sinners | Ensign | 1940-10-25 |
Movie | The Saint Takes Over | Shipboard Card Player | 1940-06-07 |
Movie | King of the Turf | Intern | 1939-02-17 |
Movie | Zenobia | Townsman at Zeke's Recitation | 1939-04-21 |
Movie | Hotel Imperial | Cadet (uncredited) | 1939-05-11 |
Movie | Gone with the Wind | Mounted Officer | 1939-12-15 |
Movie | The Higgins Family | Eddie Davis | 1938-03-28 |
Movie | The Duke of West Point | Committee Captain | 1938-12-29 |
Movie | Mile a Minute Love | Bob | 1937-04-05 |
Movie | Quality Street | Lieutenant Spicer | 1937-03-26 |
Movie | Dangerous Holiday | Tom Connor | 1937-06-06 |
Movie | Jungle Menace | Tom Banning | 1937-09-01 |
Movie | Exiled to Shanghai | Andrew | 1937-12-20 |
Movie | Trapped by G-Men | Dick Withers | 1937-09-09 |
Movie | Lady Luck | Dave Haines | 1936-09-13 |
Movie | Sea Spoilers | Lieut. Commander Mays | 1936-09-30 |
Movie | Laddie | Robert Pryor | 1935-03-18 |
Movie | Strangers All | Dick Carter | 1935-04-01 |
Movie | On Probation | Bill Coleman | 1935-04-01 |
Movie | Happiness C.O.D. | Ken Sherridan | 1935-10-14 |
Movie | Together We Live | Billy | 1935-08-16 |
Movie | The Quitter | Russell Tilford | 1934-02-05 |
Movie | Green Eyes | Cliff Miller | 1934-06-15 |
Movie | You Can't Buy Everything | Don Bell (adult) | 1934-01-26 |
Movie | Straight Is the Way | Dr. Wilkes | 1934-08-10 |
Movie | Crimson Romance | Adolph | 1934-10-12 |
Movie | Sons of Steel | Roland Chadburne | 1934-12-14 |
Movie | The Curtain Falls | Barry Graham | 1934-10-02 |
Movie | The Party's Over | Clay | 1934-08-30 |
Movie | Lucky Devils | Slugger Jones | 1933-02-03 |
Movie | Three-Cornered Moon | Douglas Rimplegar | 1933-08-08 |
Movie | A Man of Sentiment | John Russell | 1933-09-15 |
Movie | While Paris Sleeps | Paul Renoir | 1932-05-08 |
Movie | Back Street | Richard Saxel | 1932-08-04 |
Movie | Politics | Benny Emerson | 1931-02-26 |
Movie | Reducing | Tommy Haverly | 1931-01-03 |
Movie | Daybreak | Otto | 1931-05-02 |
Movie | Dance, Fools, Dance | Rodney Jordan | 1931-02-07 |
Movie | A Woman of Experience | Count Karl Runyi | 1931-07-08 |
Movie | Guilty Hands | Tommy Osgood | 1931-08-22 |
Movie | The Spirit of Notre Dame | Jim Stewart | 1931-10-13 |
Movie | Playing Around | Jack | 1930-01-10 |
Movie | All Quiet on the Western Front | Albert Kropp | 1930-04-29 |
Movie | The Bat Whispers | Brook | 1930-11-13 |
Movie | Paid | Carney | 1930-12-30 |
Movie | The Iron Mask | Louis XIV / Twin Brother | 1929-02-21 |
Movie | Hot Stuff | Mack Moran | 1929-05-05 |
Movie | Lady of the Pavements | A Pianist | 1929-01-22 |
Movie | Show of Shows | Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited) | 1929-11-21 |
Movie | On With the Show! | Jimmy | 1929-07-13 |
Movie | Gold Diggers of Broadway | Wally Saunders | 1929-08-30 |
Movie | Harold Teen | Percival | 1928-04-28 |
Movie | West Point | 'Tex' McNeil | 1928-01-07 |
Movie | The Latest from Paris | Bud Dolan | 1928-02-04 |
Movie | Annapolis | Skippy | 1928-11-18 |
Movie | The Battle of the Sexes | The Son | 1928-10-12 |
Movie | Mother | Jerry Ellis | 1927-05-01 |
Movie | The Shield of Honor | Jerry MacDowell | 1927-12-10 |
Movie | Old Ironsides | Young Philadelphian (uncredited) | 1926-12-06 |
Movie | Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl | Salesman | 1926-12-19 |
Movie | The Last Edition | 'Ink' Donovan | 1925-11-08 |