Bill Williams
Known for Acting · 99 credits
- Born
- 1915-05-21
- Died
- 1992-09-21
- Place of birth
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Willie · William Herman Katt
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (33)
Ironside
1967
Perry Mason
1957
as Mike Preston / Floyd Grant / Charles Shaw / Burt Payne
Lassie
1954
as Jed Bingham
Emergency!
1972
The Wild Wild West
1965
Batman
1966
as Multimillionaire
Adam-12
1968
as William Taylor / Fred Wheeler
Daniel Boone
1964
as Caleb Trevor
Dragnet
1951
The F.B.I.
1965
as David Warren / Crawford
Gunsmoke
1955
as Red
Rawhide
1959
as Tom Bickle
Police Woman
1974
The Millionaire
1955
as Donald Abbott / Clint Halloran
The Rookies
1972
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Henry Cook
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Laramie
1959
M Squad
1957
as Jerry Langdon
The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951
Yancy Derringer
1958
as Duke Winslow
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
as Martin Flaherty
B. J. and the Bear
1979
Men Into Space
1959
The Investigators
1961
Primus
1971
Date with the Angels
1957
240-Robert
1979
Assignment: Underwater
1960
as Bill Greer
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Ed Sawyer
General Electric Theater
1953
as Stewart Davidson
Adventures In Jazz
1949
Music at the Meadowbrook
1953
Movies (66)
King Kong
1933
as Theatre Usher (uncredited)
The Alamo
1960
as Tennessean (uncredited)
Rio Lobo
1970
as Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
Tickle Me
1965
as Deputy Sturdivant
Havana Rose
1951
as Tex Thompson
Buckskin
1968
as Frank Cody
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
1944
as Bud Felton
The Hallelujah Trail
1965
as Lt. Brady (uncredited)
Back to Bataan
1945
as (uncredited)
A Dangerous Profession
1949
as Claude Brackett
The Giant Spider Invasion
1975
as Dutch
West of the Pecos
1945
as Tex Evans
The Body Snatcher
1945
as Survis - Medical Student (uncredited)
Torpedo Alley
1953
as Tom Graham
The Flight of the Grey Wolf
1976
as The Sheriff
The Broken Star
1956
as Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry
Till the End of Time
1946
as Perry Kincheloe
A Woman's Secret
1949
as Lee Crenshaw
The Last Outpost
1951
as Sgt. Tucker
The Pace That Thrills
1952
as Richard L. 'Dusty' Weston
Rookie Fireman
1950
as Joe Blake
Stampede at Bitter Creek
1962
as Paul Forbes
Racing Blood
1954
as Tex
Blue Grass of Kentucky
1950
as Lin McIvor
Scandalous John
1971
as Sheriff Hart
Son of Paleface
1952
as Kirk
Legion of the Doomed
1958
The Clay Pigeon
1949
as Jim Fletcher
A Fire in the Sky
1978
as Dale Turner
Wiretapper
1955
as James Arthur Vaus, Jr.
Law of the Lawless
1964
as Silas Miller
Hell to Eternity
1960
as Leonard
The Cariboo Trail
1950
as Mike Evans
Sing Your Way Home
1945
as Officer (uncredited)
The Halliday Brand
1957
as Clay Halliday
The Stratton Story
1949
as Eddie Dibson
Space Master X-7
1958
as John Hand
Pawnee
1957
as Matt Delaney
The Sergeant Was a Lady
1961
as Col. House
Murder in the Blue Room
1944
as Larry (as Bill MacWilliams)
Oklahoma Territory
1960
as Temple Houston
California Passage
1950
as Bob Martin
The Scarface Mob
1959
as Martin Flaherty
Operation Haylift
1950
as Bill Masters
The Great Missouri Raid
1951
as Jim Younger
Fighting Man of the Plains
1949
as Marshall Johnny Tancred
Johnny Angel
1945
as Big Sailor (uncredited)
125 Rooms of Comfort
1974
Rose of Cimarron
1952
as George Newcomb
Alaska Passage
1959
as Al Graham
A Dog's Best Friend
1959
as Wesley 'Wes' Thurman
Apache Ambush
1955
as James Kingston
The Outlaw's Daughter
1954
as Jess Raidley aka Big Red
Spaceflight IC-1
1965
as Capt. Mead Ralston
Blue Blood
1951
as Bill Manning
Hell's Horizon
1955
as Paul Jenkins
Those Endearing Young Charms
1945
as Jerry
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979
as Self
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
1981
as Cowboy Bob
The Wild Dakotas
1956
as Jim Henry
Deadline at Dawn
1946
as Alex Winkler
The Storm Rider
1957
as Sheriff Colton
A Likely Story
1947
as Bill
A Letter to Nancy
1965
as George Reed
Slim Carter
1957
as Frank Hanneman
69 Minutes
1976
About Bill Williams
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… With 99 credits spanning from 1933 to 1981, Bill Williams has appeared in 66 films and 33 TV shows.
Fans searching for Bill Williams movies, Bill Williams filmography, or the latest projects starring Bill Williams can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Bill Williams Movies
- King Kong (1933) — as Theatre Usher (uncredited)
- The Alamo (1960) — as Tennessean (uncredited)
- Rio Lobo (1970) — as Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
- Tickle Me (1965) — as Deputy Sturdivant
- Havana Rose (1951) — as Tex Thompson
Where to Watch Bill Williams Films
Most Bill Williams movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Bill Williams, check our movies catalogue and browse page.