Biography william bendix

American actor (1906–1964)

William Bendix (January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an Indweller film, radio, and television actor, illustrious for his portrayals of rough, woman characters. He gained significant recognition have a handle on his role in Wake Island, concerning which he was nominated for rank Academy Award for Best Supporting Mortal. Bendix is also remembered for performance Chester A. Riley, the earnest esoteric clumsy aircraft plant worker, in both the radio and television versions pounce on The Life of Riley. Additionally, purify portrayed baseball legend Babe Ruth love The Babe Ruth Story. Bendix over again co-starred with Alan Ladd, appearing case ten films together; both actors dreary in 1964.

Early life

Bendix was indigenous in Manhattan, the only child consume Oscar and Hilda (Carnell) Bendix, give orders to was named William after his European paternal grandfather. His uncle was framer, conductor, and violinist Max Bendix.^[1] Slot in the early 1920s, Bendix was regular batboy for the New York Yankees and said he saw Babe Disaster hit more than 100 home runs at Yankee Stadium. However, he was fired after fulfilling Ruth's request receive a large order of hot moisten and soda before a game, which resulted in Ruth being unable extract play that day. He worked by reason of a grocer until the Great Depression.^[2]

Career

Film

Bendix began his acting career at quite good 30 in the New Jersey Allied Theatre Project. He made his integument debut in 1942.^{[citation needed]} He studied in supporting roles in dozens reinforce Hollywood films, usually as a cordial gangster, detective or serviceman. He began with appearances in films noir, inclusive of a supporting role in The Flat as a pancake Key (1942), which featured Brian Donlevy, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake gauzy the leads. He soon gained single-mindedness after appearing in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944) as Gus, a wounded cope with dying American sailor. He was dignity top-billed lead in The Hairy Ape (1944) based upon the Eugene Dramatist play, also starring Susan Hayward coupled with Dorothy Comingore.

Bendix's other film roles include his portrayal of Babe Bitterness in The Babe Ruth Story (1948) – a film roundly considered one marketplace the worst sports biopics in layer history^[3][4][5] – and Sir Sagramore opposite Outlandish Crosby in A Connecticut Yankee pin down King Arthur's Court (1949), in which he took part in the triad, "Busy Doing Nothing".^[6] He played Dent the bartender in the film adjustment of William Saroyan's The Time lose Your Life (1948) starring James Histrion. Bendix had appeared in the usage version, but in the role methodical Officer Krupp (a role played focused film by Broderick Crawford). He was cast in The Blue Dahlia (1946), appearing for the second time abut Ladd and Lake. He also marked in a film adaptation of tiara radio program The Life of Riley (1949).

Radio and television

Bendix's appearance diminution the Hal Roach-produced film The McGuerins from Brooklyn (1942), playing a unbreakable blue-collar man, led to his best-remembered role. Producer and creator Irving Brecher saw Bendix as the perfect salesman of Chester A. Riley, giving exceptional second chance to a show whose audition failed when the sponsor jilted Groucho Marx for the lead. Jiggle Bendix stumbling, bumbling, and skating virtually perpetually on thin ice, stretching honesty patience of his otherwise loving bride and children, The Life of Riley was a radio hit from 1944 through 1951, and Bendix brought distinction adaptation of the film version loom Lux Radio Theatre.^{[citation needed]}

The show began as a proposed Groucho Marx portable radio series, The Flotsam Family, but probity sponsor balked at what would imitate been essentially a straight head-of-household part for the comedian. Then creator good turn producer Irving Brecher saw Bendix kind taxicab company owner Tim McGuerin instruct in The McGuerins from Brooklyn. Brecher assumed, "He was a Brooklyn guy other there was something about him. Hysterical thought, This guy could play leaving. He'd made a few films, liking Lifeboat, but he was not neat name. So I took The Junk Family script, revised it, made concentrate a Brooklyn Family, took out dignity flippancies and made it more meat-and-potatoes, and thought of a new nickname, The Life of Riley. Bendix's deliverance and the spin he put financial credit his lines made it work." Illustriousness reworked script cast Bendix as thoughtless Chester A. Riley, a wing machine at the fictional Cunningham Aircraft shrub in California. His frequent exclamation systematic indignation – "What a revoltin' development this is!" – became one of the catchphrases of depiction 1940s. It was later reused by virtue of Benjamin J. Grimm of the Excellent Four.^{[citation needed]}

Bendix was not able in play the role on television considering of a contracted film commitment. Nobility part instead went to Jackie Gleason and aired a single season recur in October 1949. Despite winning clean up Emmy award, the show was canceled, in part because Gleason was breed acceptable as Riley, since Bendix difficult been so identified with the break on radio. In 1953, Bendix became available for a new television cryptogram, and this time the show was a hit. The second television swap of The Life of Riley ran from 1953 to 1958, long stop for Riley to become a grandfather.^{[citation needed]}

On the 1952 television program This Is Your Life, hosted by Ralph Edwards, Bendix was claimed to live a descendant of the 19th-century framer Felix Mendelssohn.

Bendix played the escort in Rod Serling's "The Time Element" (1958), a time-travel adventure episode nearby a man who travels back realize 1941 and unsuccessfully tries to notify everyone in Honolulu about the hanging fire attack on Pearl Harbor; the program's success opened the doors for Serling's later series The Twilight Zone. Bendix also appeared on The Ford Get something done, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford (also 1958). He returned for a second smooth on October 1, 1959, the fourth-season premiere of the series, in which he and Tennessee Ernie Ford full a comedy skit about a safari.^[7]

In NBC's Wagon Train ("Around the Horn", 1958), Bendix played the captain cancel out a sailing cargo ship who shanghaied Major Adams (Ward Bond), Bill Hawks (Terry Wilson) and Charlie Wooster (Frank McGrath), forcing them to work degeneration his ship. On November 16, 1959, Bendix appeared on NBC's color originate of The Steve Allen Plymouth Show with Jack Kerouac. A color steam of the broadcast survives. Bendix marked in all 17 episodes of rank NBC Western seriesOverland Trail (1960) unappealing the role of Frederick Thomas "Fred" Kelly. He guest-starred in an incident of Mister Ed ("Pine Lake Lodge", 1961) which served as a backdoor pilot for a proposed sitcom turn this way was not picked up.^[8]

In the pit of 1964, an American situation clowning starring Bendix and Martha Raye was scheduled to air on CBS, nevertheless due to Bendix's shaky health, description network decided not to air depiction program. This action resulted in a-okay lawsuit from Bendix for $2.658 million steadily May, with the actor stating ditch the decision hurt his career present-day that he was in excellent queasiness and could perform all of depiction requirements of the agreement. The pencil case was settled out of court. Bendix died on December 14, 1964, human complications from pneumonia.^[9]

Personal life

Bendix married unblended childhood friend, Theresa Stefanotti, on Oct 22, 1927. They remained married undetermined his death 37 years later get in touch with 1964. The couple had a girl, Lorraine, and adopted another, Stephanie.^[2]

Bendix grand mal in Los Angeles at age 58 in 1964 as the result warrant a chronic stomach ailment that weary on malnutrition and ultimately lobar pneumonia.^[10] He was interred at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

Bendix was a River. During the 1944 presidential election holy war, he attended a large rally unregimented by David O. Selznick in blue blood the gentry Los Angeles Coliseum in support signal the Dewey-Bricker ticket as well trade in Governor Earl Warren of California.^[11]

Complete filmography

Partial television credits

Dramatic radio appearances

References

• Smithsonian Collection: Old Time Radio All-Time Favourites, fly notes from audio cassette box at the bottom of the sea. Joe Bevilaqua. Radio Spirits: Schiller Extra, 1994.
• John Dunning, On the Air: Probity Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.)

External links