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William Bakewell
Acting
1908-05-02 - Present
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.
Credits
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Gone with the WindasMounted Officer
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The Bat WhispersasBrook
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All Quiet on the Western FrontasAlbert Kropp
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Beyond TomorrowasDavid Chadwick
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The Dawn ExpressasTom Fielding
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Quality StreetasLieutenant Spicer
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The Fabulous DorseysasEddie
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The CaptureasHerb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
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The Strongest Man in the WorldasProfessor
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The Bachelor and the Bobby-SoxerasWinters
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Davy Crockett and the River PiratesasOfficial at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)
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Davy Crockett, King of the Wild FrontierasMaj. Tobias Norton
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Davy Crockett Goes to CongressasNorton
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Not With My Wife, You Don'tasBrig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)
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The Farmer's DaughterasWindor
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Romance on the High SeasasDudley (Travel Agent)
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Seven SinnersasEnsign
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Dance, Fools, DanceasRodney Jordan
Set This Town on FireasDesk Clerk
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Radar Men from the MoonasTed Richards
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The Show of ShowsasPerformer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
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The Iron MaskasLouis XIV / Twin Brother
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ZenobiaasTownsman at Zeke's Recitation
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Guilty HandsasTommy Osgood
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The Loves of Edgar Allan PoeasHugh Pleasant
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Hotel ImperialasCadet (uncredited)
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Lucky MeasMotorist (uncredited)
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LaddieasRobert Pryor
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So This Is LoveasCharles, Waiter (uncredited)
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PoliticsasBenny Emerson
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Call Her MomasJeremy's Father
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The Spirit of Notre DameasJim Stewart
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Three Cornered MoonasDouglas Rimplegar
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The Saint Takes OverasShipboard Card Player
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The TrespasserasBruce Coleman
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Gold Diggers of BroadwayasWally Saunders
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Bertha the Sewing Machine GirlasSalesman
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Back StreetasRichard Saxel
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West Pointas'Tex' McNeil
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ReducingasTommy Haverly
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You Gotta Stay HappyasDick Hebert
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Green EyesasCliff Miller
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Old IronsidesasYoung Philadelphian (uncredited)
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Harold TeenasPercival
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Jungle MenaceasTom Banning
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DaybreakasOtto
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Lucky DevilsasSlugger Jones
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Speed WingsasJerry
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Sea SpoilersasLieut. Commander Mays
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When the Redskins RodeasAppleby
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Lady of the PavementsasA Pianist
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StraightawayasBilly Dawson
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Come Fill the CupasHal Ortman
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King of the BanditsasCaptain Frank Mason
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Lady LuckasDave Haines
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AnnapolisasSkippy
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The Higgins FamilyasEddie Davis
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The Duke of West PointasCommittee Captain
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King of the MountiesasCpl. Hall Ross
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Playing AroundasJack
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On ProbationasBill Coleman
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King of the TurfasIntern
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Trapped by G-MenasDick Withers
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The Battle of the SexesasThe Son
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Cheaters at PlayasMaurice Perry
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I Live on DangerasMac
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A Woman of ExperienceasCount Karl Runyi
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Wells Fargo GunmasterasCharlie Lannon
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Arthur Takes OverasLawrence White
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Strangers AllasDick Carter
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The QuitterasRussell Tilford
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Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the AirwaysasHop Harrigan
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Night WindasCapt. Kingston
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Dr. Kildare's VictoryasMr. Hubbell
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Hot StuffasMack Moran
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Davy Crockett, Indian FighterasMajor Norton
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The Last Editionas'Ink' Donovan
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PaidasCarney
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Crimson RomanceasAdolph
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On With the Show!asJimmy
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So This Is New YorkasHotel Clerk
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MotherasJerry Ellis
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The Latest from ParisasBud Dolan
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Jungle TerrorasTom Branning
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Sons of SteelasRoland Chadburne
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Happiness C.O.D.asKen Sherridan
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The Curtain FallsasBarry Graham
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Dangerous HolidayasTom Connor
Exiled to ShanghaiasAndrew
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The Party's OverasClay
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The Postman Didn't RingasRobert Harwood Jr.
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While Paris SleepsasPaul Renoir
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You Can't Buy EverythingasDon Bell (adult)
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Mile a Minute LoveasBob
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A Man of SentimentasJohn Russell
Messenger of PeaceasPastor Willie von Adel
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Together We LiveasBilly
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Straight Is the WayasDr. Wilkes
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The Heart Thiefas
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The Shield of HonorasJerry MacDowell
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Bruised CelluloidasHimself
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Whispering Wiresas