Acting · Los Angeles, California, USA · Born May 2, 1908
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.
MovieBruised Celluloid
1984
as Himself
MovieThe Strongest Man in the World
1975
as Professor
MovieSet This Town on Fire
1973
as Desk Clerk
MovieCall Her Mom
1972
as Jeremy's Father
TVAlias Smith and Jones
1971
TVNanny and the Professor
1970
as Carnival Host
TVLove, American Style
1969
as Elroy
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Hotel Clerk
MovieNot With My Wife, You Don't!
1966
as Brig. Gen. Swift (uncredited)
TVThat Girl
1966
TVI Dream of Jeannie
1965
as Colonel Harris
TVGreen Acres
1965
TVRun for Your Life
1965
as County Attorney Lassiter
Profiles in Courage
1964
as Wythe
TVPetticoat Junction
1963
as Ralph Craig
TVThe Beverly Hillbillies
1962
TVThe Virginian
1962
as Sam Branch
TVHazel
1961
TV87th Precinct
1961
TVMister Ed
1961
TVThe Roaring 20's
1960
Bringing Up Buddy
1960
TVGuestward, Ho!
1960
TVPete and Gladys
1960
TVPeter Gunn
1958
TVSea Hunt
1958
TVHarbor Command
1957
as Officer Maxwell
TVCasey Jones
1957
as Ben Slater
TVLeave It to Beaver
1957
TVMaverick
1957
TVM Squad
1957
as Detective
MovieDown Liberty Road
1957
as Waldo (Uncredited)
TVOfficial Detective
1957
as Sam Graves
MovieDavy Crockett and the River Pirates
1956
as Official at Keel Boat Race (uncredited)
TVHighway Patrol
1955
The Great Gildersleeve
1955
MovieDavy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955
as Maj. Tobias Norton
MovieDavy Crockett Goes to Congress
1955
as Norton
MovieDavy Crockett, Indian Fighter
1954
as Major Norton
MovieLucky Me
1954
as Motorist (uncredited)
MovieSo This Is Love
1953
as Charles, Waiter (uncredited)
TVI'm the Law
1953
MovieRadar Men from the Moon
1952
as Ted Richards
MovieCome Fill the Cup
1951
as Hal Ortman
TVBoston Blackie
1951
MovieWhen the Redskins Rode
1951
as Appleby
MovieWells Fargo Gunmaster
1951
as Charlie Lannon
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Major Dort
MovieThe Capture
1950
as Herb Tolin, Bolsa Grande Oil
MovieYou Gotta Stay Happy
1948
as Dick Hebert
MovieNight Wind
1948
as Capt. Kingston
MovieRomance on the High Seas
1948
as Dudley (Travel Agent)
MovieSo This Is New York
1948
as Hotel Clerk
MovieArthur Takes Over
1948
as Lawrence White
MovieKing of the Bandits
1947
as Captain Frank Mason
MovieMessenger of Peace
1947
as Pastor Willie von Adel
MovieThe Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
1947
as Winters
MovieThe Trespasser
1947
as Bruce Coleman
MovieThe Farmer's Daughter
1947
as Windor
MovieThe Fabulous Dorseys
1947
as Eddie
MovieJungle Terror
1946
as Tom Branning
MovieHop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways
1946
as Hop Harrigan
MovieYanks Ahoy
1943
as Ens. Crosby (uncredited)
MovieKing of the Mounties
1942
as Cpl. Hall Ross
MovieThe Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
1942
as Hugh Pleasant
MovieThe Postman Didn't Ring
1942
as Robert Harwood Jr.
MovieI Live on Danger
1942
as Mac
MovieThe Dawn Express
1942
as Tom Fielding
MovieDr. Kildare's Victory
1942
as Mr. Hubbell
MovieSeven Sinners
1940
as Ensign
MovieThe Saint Takes Over
1940
as Shipboard Card Player
MovieBeyond Tomorrow
1940
as David Chadwick
MovieGone with the Wind
1939
as Mounted Officer
MovieHotel Imperial
1939
as Cadet (uncredited)
MovieZenobia
1939
as Townsman at Zeke's Recitation
MovieKing of the Turf
1939
as Intern
MovieThe Duke of West Point
1938
as Honor Committee Spokesman
MovieThe Higgins Family
1938
as Eddie Davis
MovieExiled to Shanghai
1937
as Andrew
MovieTrapped by G-Men
1937
as Dick Withers
MovieJungle Menace
1937
as Tom Banning
MovieDangerous Holiday
1937
as Tom Connor
MovieMile a Minute Love
1937
as Bob
MovieQuality Street
1937
as Lieutenant Spicer
MovieSea Spoilers
1936
as Lieut. Commander Mays
MovieLady Luck
1936
as Dave Haines
MovieHappiness C.O.D.
1935
as Ken Sherridan
MovieTogether We Live
1935
as Billy
MovieStrangers All
1935
as Dick Carter
MovieOn Probation
1935
as Bill Coleman
MovieLaddie
1935
as Robert Pryor
MovieSons of Steel
1934
as Roland Chadburne
MovieCrimson Romance
1934
as Adolph
MovieThe Curtain Falls
1934
as Barry Graham
MovieThe Party's Over
1934
as Clay
MovieStraight Is the Way
1934
as Dr. Wilkes
MovieGreen Eyes
1934
as Cliff Miller
MovieSpeed Wings
1934
as Jerry
MovieThe Quitter
1934
as Russell Tilford
MovieYou Can't Buy Everything
1934
as Don Bell (adult)
MovieStraightaway
1933
as Billy Dawson
MovieA Man of Sentiment
1933
as John Russell
MovieThree Cornered Moon
1933
as Douglas Rimplegar
MovieLucky Devils
1933
as Slugger Jones
MovieBack Street
1932
as Richard Saxel
MovieWhile Paris Sleeps
1932
as Paul Renoir
MovieCheaters at Play
1932
as Maurice Perry
MovieThe Spirit of Notre Dame
1931
as Jim Stewart
MovieGuilty Hands
1931
as Tommy Osgood
MovieA Woman of Experience
1931
as Count Karl Runyi
MovieDaybreak
1931
as Otto
MoviePolitics
1931
as Benny Emerson
MovieDance, Fools, Dance
1931
as Rodney Jordan
MovieReducing
1931
as Tommy Haverly
MoviePaid
1930
as Carney
MovieThe Bat Whispers
1930
as Brook
MovieAll Quiet on the Western Front
1930
as Albert Kropp
MoviePlaying Around
1930
as Jack
MovieThe Show of Shows
1929
as Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
MovieGold Diggers of Broadway
1929
as Wally Saunders
MovieOn With the Show!
1929
as Jimmy
MovieHot Stuff
1929
as Mack Moran
MovieThe Iron Mask
1929
as Louis XIV / Twin Brother
MovieLady of the Pavements
1929
as A Pianist
MovieAnnapolis
1928
as Skippy
MovieThe Battle of the Sexes
1928
as The Son
MovieHarold Teen
1928
as Percival
MovieThe Devil's Trademark
1928
as Tom Benton
MovieThe Latest from Paris
1928
as Bud Dolan
MovieWest Point
1928
as 'Tex' McNeil
MovieThe Shield of Honor
1927
as Jerry MacDowell
MovieMother
1927
as Jerry Ellis
MovieThe Heart Thief
1927
MovieBertha the Sewing Machine Girl
1926
as Salesman
MovieOld Ironsides
1926
as Young Philadelphian (uncredited)
MovieWhispering Wires
1926
MovieThe Last Edition
1925
as 'Ink' Donovan
