Job Film, radio, television actor
Years active 1936-64
Top Roles Det. Lou Brody, Sheriff Larry Best, 'Frenchy' Shapiro, 'Pinkie' Peters, Buddy of Roscoe Karns
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:

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:

Victor O'Brien: Ooh, ooh! That guy gives me a terrible headache! Joe, Joe, get me an aspirin. Here put it on a slice of bread. I'm hungry too!


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.


The 'wolf' at bar: Hey, you, that's my seat!
Buzz Wanchek: [with contempt] Go pick yourself an orchid!


read more quotes from William Bendix...



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William Bendix Facts
Screen, stage, radio, and television actor.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 41-42. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

Chester A. Riley, Bendix's character on "The Life of Riley" (1953), was ranked #30 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].

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