
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

Gone with the WindasMounted Officer

The Bat WhispersasBrook

All Quiet on the Western FrontasAlbert Kropp

Beyond TomorrowasDavid Chadwick

The Dawn ExpressasTom Fielding

Quality StreetasLieutenant Spicer

The Fabulous DorseysasEddie

The CaptureasHerb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil

The Strongest Man in the WorldasProfessor

The Bachelor and the Bobby-SoxerasWinters

Davy Crockett and the River PiratesasOfficial at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild FrontierasMaj. Tobias Norton

Davy Crockett Goes to CongressasNorton

Not With My Wife, You Don'tasBrig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)

The Farmer's DaughterasWindor

Romance on the High SeasasDudley (Travel Agent)

Seven SinnersasEnsign

Dance, Fools, DanceasRodney Jordan
Set This Town on FireasDesk Clerk

Radar Men from the MoonasTed Richards

The Show of ShowsasPerformer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)

The Iron MaskasLouis XIV / Twin Brother

ZenobiaasTownsman at Zeke's Recitation

Guilty HandsasTommy Osgood

The Loves of Edgar Allan PoeasHugh Pleasant

Hotel ImperialasCadet (uncredited)

Lucky MeasMotorist (uncredited)

LaddieasRobert Pryor

So This Is LoveasCharles, Waiter (uncredited)

PoliticsasBenny Emerson

Call Her MomasJeremy's Father

The Spirit of Notre DameasJim Stewart

Three Cornered MoonasDouglas Rimplegar

The Saint Takes OverasShipboard Card Player

The TrespasserasBruce Coleman

Gold Diggers of BroadwayasWally Saunders

Bertha the Sewing Machine GirlasSalesman

Back StreetasRichard Saxel

West Pointas'Tex' McNeil

ReducingasTommy Haverly

You Gotta Stay HappyasDick Hebert

Green EyesasCliff Miller

Old IronsidesasYoung Philadelphian (uncredited)

Harold TeenasPercival

Jungle MenaceasTom Banning

DaybreakasOtto

Lucky DevilsasSlugger Jones

Speed WingsasJerry

Sea SpoilersasLieut. Commander Mays

When the Redskins RodeasAppleby

Lady of the PavementsasA Pianist

StraightawayasBilly Dawson

Come Fill the CupasHal Ortman

King of the BanditsasCaptain Frank Mason

Lady LuckasDave Haines

AnnapolisasSkippy

The Higgins FamilyasEddie Davis

The Duke of West PointasCommittee Captain

King of the MountiesasCpl. Hall Ross

Playing AroundasJack

On ProbationasBill Coleman

King of the TurfasIntern

Trapped by G-MenasDick Withers

The Battle of the SexesasThe Son

Cheaters at PlayasMaurice Perry

I Live on DangerasMac

A Woman of ExperienceasCount Karl Runyi

Wells Fargo GunmasterasCharlie Lannon

Arthur Takes OverasLawrence White

Strangers AllasDick Carter

The QuitterasRussell Tilford

Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the AirwaysasHop Harrigan

Night WindasCapt. Kingston

Dr. Kildare's VictoryasMr. Hubbell

Hot StuffasMack Moran

Davy Crockett, Indian FighterasMajor Norton

The Last Editionas'Ink' Donovan

PaidasCarney

Crimson RomanceasAdolph

On With the Show!asJimmy

So This Is New YorkasHotel Clerk

MotherasJerry Ellis

The Latest from ParisasBud Dolan

Jungle TerrorasTom Branning

Sons of SteelasRoland Chadburne

Happiness C.O.D.asKen Sherridan

The Curtain FallsasBarry Graham

Dangerous HolidayasTom Connor
Exiled to ShanghaiasAndrew

The Party's OverasClay

The Postman Didn't RingasRobert Harwood Jr.

While Paris SleepsasPaul Renoir

You Can't Buy EverythingasDon Bell (adult)

Mile a Minute LoveasBob

A Man of SentimentasJohn Russell
Messenger of PeaceasPastor Willie von Adel

Together We LiveasBilly

Straight Is the WayasDr. Wilkes

The Heart Thiefas

The Shield of HonorasJerry MacDowell

Bruised CelluloidasHimself

Whispering Wiresas