Job Film, radio, television actor
Years active 1936-64
Top Roles 'Pinkie' Peters, 'Frenchy' Shapiro, Buddy of Roscoe Karns, Wechsberg, Sir Sagramore
Top GenresDrama, Comedy, Film Noir, War, Crime, Thriller/Suspense
Top TopicsWorld War II, Book-Based, Baseball
Top Collaborators , (Director), (Producer), (Producer)
Shares birthday with Bebe Daniels, Hal Roach, Harold Russell  see more..

William Bendix Overview:

Legendary character actor, William Bendix, was born on Jan 14, 1906 in New York City, NY. Bendix died at the age of 58 on Dec 14, 1964 in Los Angeles, CA and was laid to rest in San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, CA.

MINI BIO:

Likeable American character star, with fair, wavy hair and soft, Brooklynese voice, built like a barrel, and often cast as amiable, dimwitted thugs. Appeared in a memorable series of Paramount thrillers in the forties, but his later success in comedy meant his virtual loss to TV from 1953 on. Died from lobar pneumonia. Oscar nominee for Wake Island.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Bendix was nominated for one Oscar, he never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1942Best Supporting ActorWake Island (1942)Smacksie RandallNominated
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He was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the categories of Radio and Television.

BlogHub Articles:

Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and in “The Blue Dahlia”

By Stephen Reginald on Aug 5, 2025 From Classic Movie Man

Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and in “The Blue Dahlia” The Blue Dahlia is a 1946 film noir, directed by George Marshall, about Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd), a decorated naval aviator who returns home from the war to find his wife, Helen (Doris Dowling), has been unfaithful... Read full article


Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, and star in “Detective Story”

By Stephen Reginald on Apr 18, 2025 From Classic Movie Man

Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, and star in “Detective Story” Detective Story (1951) is an American drama directed by William Wyler and starring Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, and . The supporting cast includes Cathy O’Donnell, George Macready, Lee Gr... Read full article


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William Bendix Quotes:

Sir Sagramore: If there were aught I could say, aught I could do to save thee...
Hank Martin: Well, ain't there aught?
Sir Sagramore: Naught.


Stauffer, alias Fred Foss: It didn't work. It was a busto crusto.
Hardy Cathcart: [Cathcart is at a total loss as to what this means] A what?
Stauffer, alias Fred Foss: A flop.


Hardy Cathcart: [whispering] Tell him you need two hundred dollars to leave town.
Stauffer, alias Fred Foss: [on the phone to Galt] I need two yards, powder money.


read more quotes from William Bendix...



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William Bendix Facts
Once a member of the Henry Street Players on New York's Lower East side.

As a child he played the son of actress Lillian Walker in a silent film in 1911 (age 5).

Portraying Chester Riley on the popular "The Life of Riley" radio program from 1944-1952, Bendix was initially prevented from recreating his role for TV due to contractual restrictions. Jackie Gleason played the role when the program first aired, but Bendix subsequently took over the part after the show failed to get decent ratings. Gleason's role as Riley lasted one season ("The Life of Riley" (1949)). Bendix, who starred in the rarely aired big-screen version The Life of Riley (1949), would finally assume the TV role on NBC's "The Life of Riley" (1953) four years later. The show became a huge success and ran another five seasons. In a similar turn, Bendix replaced Gleason in the Broadway musical "Take Me Along" in 1960.

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