Bill Williams
Born
May 21, 1915
Died
September 21, 1992 (77 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York, USA
William Herman Katt (born Herman August Wilhelm Katt; May 15, 1915 – September 21, 1992), known as Bill Williams, was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his starring role in the early television series The Adventures of Kit Carson, which aired in syndication from 1951 to 1955. Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrant parents. He attended the Pratt Institute, and became a professional swimmer, performing in underwater shows. He landed a walk-on role as a theater usher in King Kong (1933). He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, but was discharged before the end and became an actor. His credited debut was in The Blue Room in 1944, using the professional name Bill Williams. His first starring role was opposite Susan Hayward in Deadline at Dawn (1946).
Williams appeared in ten films before he landed the lead role in television's The Adventures of Kit Carson, which ran for 105 episodes. When the series ended, Williams' star power faded. It was revived in 1957 when he co-starred with Betty White on television in Date with the Angels. Williams portrayed Federal agent Martin Flaherty in The Scarface Mob (1959), the pilot for ABC's The Untouchables. However, when the series was accepted, the role went to Jerry Paris. Williams turned down the lead in Sea Hunt in 1958, believing that an underwater show would not work on television. Lloyd Bridges accepted the part and turned it into a hit. Williams did star as a former Navy frogman in Assignment: Underwater, which ran for just one season. He played a variety of roles on Perry Mason, in which his wife Barbara Hale co-starred as Raymond Burr's secretary Della Street. In a 1962 episode, "The Case of the Crippled Cougar," he played defendant Mike Preston. In 1963, he was murder victim Floyd Grant in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast." In 1965 Williams played murderer Charles Shaw in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid," and was murderer Burt Payne in "The Case of the 12th Wildcat". Williams appeared with his son in a final season episode of Ironside, bringing him together again with Raymond Burr. He also made numerous guest appearances on television and worked in low-budget science fiction films until his retirement.
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
Cowboy Bob
1981
240-Robert
(1 episode)
1979
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
1979
B. J. and the Bear
(1 episode)
1979
A Fire in the Sky
Dale Turner
1978
69 Minutes
1976
The Flight of the Grey Wolf
The Sheriff
1976
The Giant Spider Invasion
Dutch
1975
125 Rooms of Comfort
1974
Police Woman
(2 episodes)
1974
The Streets of San Francisco
(1 episode)
1972
The Rookies
(3 episodes)
1972
Emergency!
(1 episode)
1972
Primus
(1 episode)
1971
Scandalous John
Sheriff Hart
1971
Rio Lobo
Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
1970
Adam-12
William Taylor · (1 episode)
1968
Adam-12
Fred Wheeler · (1 episode)
1968
Buckskin
Frank Cody
1968
Ironside
(1 episode)
1967
Batman
Multimillionaire · (2 episodes)
1966
The F.B.I.
David Warren · (1 episode)
1965
The F.B.I.
Crawford · (1 episode)
1965
The Wild Wild West
(1 episode)
1965
Spaceflight IC-1
Capt. Mead Ralston
1965
Tickle Me
Deputy Sturdivant
1965
The Hallelujah Trail
Lt. Brady (uncredited)
1965
A Letter to Nancy
George Reed
1965
Daniel Boone
Caleb Trevor · (1 episode)
1964
Law of the Lawless
Silas Miller
1964
The Sergeant Was a Lady
Col. House
1961
Assignment: Underwater
Bill Greer · (38 episodes)
1960
Hell to Eternity
Leonard
1960
Oklahoma Territory
Temple Houston
1960
A Dog's Best Friend
Wesley 'Wes' Thurman
1959
Men Into Space
(1 episode)
1959
Laramie
(1 episode)
1959
The Scarface Mob
Martin Flaherty
1959
Alaska Passage
Al Graham
1959
Rawhide
Tom Bickle · (1 episode)
1959
77 Sunset Strip
(2 episodes)
1958
Yancy Derringer
Duke Winslow · (1 episode)
1958
Legion of the Doomed
1958
Space Master X-7
John Hand
1958
Slim Carter
Frank Hanneman
1957
Perry Mason
Mike Preston · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Floyd Grant · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Charles Shaw · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Burt Payne · (1 episode)
1957
M Squad
Jerry Langdon · (1 episode)
1957
Pawnee
Matt Delaney
1957
Date with the Angels
(60 episodes)
1957
The Storm Rider
Sheriff Colton
1957
The Halliday Brand
Clay Halliday
1957
The Broken Star
Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry
1956
The Wild Dakotas
Jim Henry
1956
Hell's Horizon
Paul Jenkins
1955
Gunsmoke
Red · (1 episode)
1955
Apache Ambush
James Kingston
1955
Wiretapper
James Arthur Vaus, Jr.
1955
The Millionaire
Donald Abbott · (1 episode)
1955
The Millionaire
Clint Halloran · (1 episode)
1955
The Outlaw's Daughter
Jess Raidley aka Big Red
1954
Lassie
(2 episodes)
1954
Lassie
Jed Bingham · (1 episode)
1954
Torpedo Alley
Tom Graham
1953
Music at the Meadowbrook
(1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Stewart Davidson · (1 episode)
1953
Son of Paleface
Kirk
1952
The Pace That Thrills
Richard L. 'Dusty' Weston
1952
Rose of Cimarron
George Newcomb
1952
Dragnet
(1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Ed Sawyer · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
(1 episode)
1951
Havana Rose
Tex Thompson
1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson
(103 episodes)
1951
The Last Outpost
Sgt. Tucker
1951
The Great Missouri Raid
Jim Younger
1951
Blue Blood
Bill Manning
1951
California Passage
Bob Martin
1950
The Cariboo Trail
Mike Evans
1950
The Flame and the Arrow
Outlaw (uncredited)
1950
Operation Haylift
Bill Masters
1950
Blue Grass of Kentucky
Lin McIvor
1950
A Dangerous Profession
Claude Brackett
1949
Fighting Man of the Plains
Marshall Johnny Tancred
1949
The Stratton Story
Eddie Dibson
1949
The Clay Pigeon
Jim Fletcher
1949
Adventures In Jazz
(22 episodes)
1949
A Woman's Secret
Lee Crenshaw
1949
A Likely Story
Bill
1947
Till the End of Time
Perry Kincheloe
1946
Deadline at Dawn
Alex Winkler
1946
Johnny Angel
Big Sailor (uncredited)
1945
West of the Pecos
Tex Evans
1945
Those Endearing Young Charms
Jerry
1945
Back to Bataan
(uncredited)
1945
The Body Snatcher
Survis, Medical Student
1945
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Bud Felton
1944
Murder in the Blue Room
Larry (as Bill MacWilliams)
1944
King Kong
Theatre Usher (uncredited)
1933