Bill Williams
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Perry Mason
Mike Preston
1957
Series
Perry Mason
Floyd Grant
1957
Series
Perry Mason
Charles Shaw
1957
Series
Perry Mason
Burt Payne
1957
Series
Lassie
1954
Series
Lassie
Jed Bingham
1954
Series
Ironside
1967
Series
Adam-12
William Taylor
1968
Series
Adam-12
Fred Wheeler
1968
Series
Dragnet
1951
Series
Batman
Multimillionaire
1966
Series
Emergency!
1972
Series
Rawhide
Tom Bickle
1959
Series
Daniel Boone
Caleb Trevor
1964
Series
The F.B.I.
David Warren
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Crawford
1965
Series
The Wild Wild West
1965
Series
Police Woman
1974
Series
The Rookies
1972
Series
Gunsmoke
Red
1955
Series
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Series
77 Sunset Strip
Henry Cook
1958
Series
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Series
The Millionaire
Donald Abbott
1955
Series
The Millionaire
Clint Halloran
1955
Series
Laramie
1959
Series
M Squad
Jerry Langdon
1957
Series
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Martin Flaherty
1958
Series
B. J. and the Bear
1979
Series
The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951
Series
Yancy Derringer
Duke Winslow
1958
Series
Men Into Space
1959
Film
King Kong
Theatre Usher (uncredited)
1933
Series
240-Robert
1979
Film
Rio Lobo
Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
1970
Series
The Investigators
1961
Film
The Alamo
Tennessean (uncredited)
1960
Series
Date with the Angels
1957
Series
Primus
1971
Series
General Electric Theater
Stewart Davidson
1953
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Ed Sawyer
1951
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Assignment: Underwater
Bill Greer
1960
Film
Deadline at Dawn
Alex Winkler
1946
Film
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Bud Felton
1944
Film
The Hallelujah Trail
Lt. Brady (uncredited)
1965
Film
Back to Bataan
(uncredited)
1945
Film
The Flame and the Arrow
Outlaw (uncredited)
1950
Film
Johnny Angel
Big Sailor (uncredited)
1945
Film
A Dangerous Profession
Claude Brackett
1949
Film
Tickle Me
Deputy Sturdivant
1965
Film
A Fire in the Sky
Dale Turner
1978
Film
Buckskin
Frank Cody
1968
Film
Till the End of Time
Perry Kincheloe
1946
Film
The Giant Spider Invasion
Dutch
1975
Film
The Body Snatcher
Survis - Medical Student (uncredited)
1945
Film
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
1979
Film
Law of the Lawless
Silas Miller
1964
Film
Havana Rose
Tex Thompson
1951
Film
The Cariboo Trail
Mike Evans
1950
Film
The Last Outpost
Sgt. Tucker
1951
Film
Wiretapper
James Arthur Vaus, Jr.
1955
Film
Hell to Eternity
Leonard
1960
Film
A Woman's Secret
Lee Crenshaw
1949
Film
California Passage
Bob Martin
1950
Film
The Stratton Story
Eddie Dibson
1949
Film
Son of Paleface
Kirk
1952
Film
Space Master X-7
John Hand
1958
Film
A Likely Story
Bill
1947
Film
Scandalous John
Sheriff Hart
1971
Film
Apache Ambush
James Kingston
1955
Film
Fighting Man of the Plains
Marshall Johnny Tancred
1949
Film
West of the Pecos
Tex Evans
1945
Film
The Clay Pigeon
Jim Fletcher
1949
Film
Blue Grass of Kentucky
Lin McIvor
1950
Film
Slim Carter
Frank Hanneman
1957
Adventures In Jazz
1949
Film
Pawnee
Matt Delaney
1957
Film
The Halliday Brand
Clay Halliday
1957
Film
Rose of Cimarron
George Newcomb
1952
Film
The Scarface Mob
Martin Flaherty
1959
Film
The Broken Star
Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry
1956
Film
Oklahoma Territory
Temple Houston
1960
Film
Torpedo Alley
Tom Graham
1953
Film
The Wild Dakotas
Jim Henry
1956
Film
Blue Blood
Bill Manning
1951
Film
The Great Missouri Raid
Jim Younger
1951
Film
The Pace That Thrills
Richard L. 'Dusty' Weston
1952
Film
Murder in the Blue Room
Larry (as Bill MacWilliams)
1944
Film
Operation Haylift
Bill Masters
1950
Film
Alaska Passage
Al Graham
1959
Film
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood
Cowboy Bob
1981
Music at the Meadowbrook
1953
Film
The Outlaw's Daughter
Jess Raidley aka Big Red
1954
Film
The Storm Rider
Sheriff Colton
1957
Film
The Flight of the Grey Wolf
The Sheriff
1976
Film
125 Rooms of Comfort
1974
Film
Hell's Horizon
Paul Jenkins
1955
Film
Spaceflight IC-1
Capt. Mead Ralston
1965
Film
Those Endearing Young Charms
Jerry
1945
Film
The Sergeant Was a Lady
Col. House
1961
Film
A Dog's Best Friend
Wesley 'Wes' Thurman
1959
Film
Rookie Fireman
Joe Blake
1950
Film
Stampede at Bitter Creek
Paul Forbes
1962
Film
69 Minutes
1976
Film
A Letter to Nancy
George Reed
1965
Film
Legion of the Doomed
1958
Film
Racing Blood
Tex
1954