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 Crawfords brother in Dance Fools Dance 1931 He also costarred 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 OHara asks when the Yankee soldiers are coming to Atlanta During World War II he served in the US 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 19541955 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
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