William Bakewell

Acting

Born May 2, 1908 — Died April 15, 1993 Los Angeles, California, USA

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.

TV Shows(32)

Movies(105)

Bruised Celluloid

Himself

1984

The Strongest Man in the World

Professor

1975

Set This Town on Fire

Desk Clerk

1973

Call Her Mom

Jeremy's Father

1972

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)

1966

Down Liberty Road

Waldo (Uncredited)

1957

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates

Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)

1956

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier

Maj. Tobias Norton

1955

Davy Crockett Goes to Congress

Norton

1955

Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter

Major Norton

1954

Lucky Me

Motorist (uncredited)

1954

So This Is Love

Charles, Waiter (uncredited)

1953

Radar Men from the Moon

Ted Richards

1952

Come Fill the Cup

Hal Ortman

1951

When the Redskins Rode

Appleby

1951

Wells Fargo Gunmaster

Charlie Lannon

1951

The Capture

Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil

1950

You Gotta Stay Happy

Dick Hebert

1948

Night Wind

Capt. Kingston

1948

Romance on the High Seas

Dudley (Travel Agent)

1948

So This Is New York

Hotel Clerk

1948

Arthur Takes Over

Lawrence White

1948

King of the Bandits

Captain Frank Mason

1947

Messenger of Peace

Pastor Willie von Adel

1947

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

Winters

1947

The Trespasser

Bruce Coleman

1947

The Farmer's Daughter

Windor

1947

The Fabulous Dorseys

Eddie

1947

Jungle Terror

Tom Branning

1946

Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways

Hop Harrigan

1946

Yanks Ahoy

Ens. Crosby (uncredited)

1943

King of the Mounties

Cpl. Hall Ross

1942

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

Hugh Pleasant

1942

The Postman Didn't Ring

Robert Harwood Jr.

1942

I Live on Danger

Mac

1942

The Dawn Express

Tom Fielding

1942

Dr. Kildare's Victory

Mr. Hubbell

1942

Seven Sinners

Ensign

1940

The Saint Takes Over

Shipboard Card Player

1940

Beyond Tomorrow

David Chadwick

1940

Gone with the Wind

Mounted Officer

1939

Hotel Imperial

Cadet (uncredited)

1939

Zenobia

Townsman at Zeke's Recitation

1939

King of the Turf

Intern

1939

The Duke of West Point

Committee Captain

1938

The Higgins Family

Eddie Davis

1938

Exiled to Shanghai

Andrew

1937

Trapped by G-Men

Dick Withers

1937

Jungle Menace

Tom Banning

1937

Dangerous Holiday

Tom Connor

1937

Mile a Minute Love

Bob

1937

Quality Street

Lieutenant Spicer

1937

Sea Spoilers

Lieut. Commander Mays

1936

Lady Luck

Dave Haines

1936

Happiness C.O.D.

Ken Sherridan

1935

Together We Live

Billy

1935

Strangers All

Dick Carter

1935

On Probation

Bill Coleman

1935

Laddie

Robert Pryor

1935

Sons of Steel

Roland Chadburne

1934

Crimson Romance

Adolph

1934

The Curtain Falls

Barry Graham

1934

The Party's Over

Clay

1934

Straight Is the Way

Dr. Wilkes

1934

Green Eyes

Cliff Miller

1934

Speed Wings

Jerry

1934

The Quitter

Russell Tilford

1934

You Can't Buy Everything

Don Bell (adult)

1934

Straightaway

Billy Dawson

1933

A Man of Sentiment

John Russell

1933

Three Cornered Moon

Douglas Rimplegar

1933

Lucky Devils

Slugger Jones

1933

Back Street

Richard Saxel

1932

While Paris Sleeps

Paul Renoir

1932

Cheaters at Play

Maurice Perry

1932

The Spirit of Notre Dame

Jim Stewart

1931

Guilty Hands

Tommy Osgood

1931

A Woman of Experience

Count Karl Runyi

1931

Daybreak

Otto

1931

Politics

Benny Emerson

1931

Dance, Fools, Dance

Rodney Jordan

1931

Reducing

Tommy Haverly

1931

Paid

Carney

1930

The Bat Whispers

Brook

1930

All Quiet on the Western Front

Albert Kropp

1930

Playing Around

Jack

1930

The Show of Shows

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)

1929

Gold Diggers of Broadway

Wally Saunders

1929

On With the Show!

Jimmy

1929

Hot Stuff

Mack Moran

1929

The Iron Mask

Louis XIV / Twin Brother

1929

Lady of the Pavements

A Pianist

1929

Annapolis

Skippy

1928

The Battle of the Sexes

The Son

1928

Harold Teen

Percival

1928

The Devil's Trademark

Tom Benton

1928

The Latest from Paris

Bud Dolan

1928

West Point

'Tex' McNeil

1928

The Shield of Honor

Jerry MacDowell

1927

Mother

Jerry Ellis

1927

The Heart Thief

1927

Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl

Salesman

1926

Old Ironsides

Young Philadelphian (uncredited)

1926

Whispering Wires

1926

The Last Edition

'Ink' Donovan

1925