William Bendix
American actor (1906-1964) · United States · On the map · Actors · Died at 58
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, known for his portrayals of rough, blue-collar characters. He gained significant recognition for his role in Wake Island, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
William Bendix is read about 219 times a day, in 22 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
Burke's LawSeries, Fred Hopke
For Love or MoneyFilm, 1963Joe Fogel1962
Boys' Night OutFilm, Slattery1961
Mister EdSeries, Bill Parker1959
RiverboatSeries, Vance Muldoon
The Rough and the SmoothFilm, 1959Reg Barker1958
Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseSeries
The Deep SixFilm, 1958'Frenchy' Shapiro1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy ShowSeries1955
Screen Director's PlayhouseSeries, Joe Redman
CrashoutFilm, 1955Van Morgan Duff1952
The Ford Television TheatreSeries, Carl Ledbetter
Blackbeard, the PirateFilm, 1952Ben Worley1951
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSeries, USAF Crew Chief
Detective StoryFilm, 1951Det. Lou Brody1949
Lights OutSeries
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtFilm, 1949Sir Sagramore1948
The Ed Sullivan ShowSeries1947
The WebFilm, Lt. Damico1946
CalcuttaFilm, Pedro Blake1944
Greenwich VillageFilm, Danny O'Mara1943
ChinaFilm, Johnny Sparrow1940
They Drive by NightFilm, Driver Watching Pinball Game (uncredited)1906Born14 January 1906Known for
View all 40 titles
Lifeboat 1944
Detective Story 1951
Woman of the Year 1942
They Drive by Night 1940
The Blue Dahlia 1946
People around William
Close ties
John Farrow Directed Wake Island and Calcutta- Victor Young Wrote Detective Story and The Blue Dahlia
Kurt Neumann Directed Brooklyn Orchid (1942)
Alan Ladd Also in The Blue Dahlia (1946)- Michael Gordon Directed The Web and Boys' Night Out
Frank Faylen Also in The Blue Dahlia and Wake Island
Buddy DeSylva Produced The Crystal Ball and My Favorite Blonde- Frank Butler Directed My Favorite Blonde (1942)
A. C. Lyles Produced Law of the Lawless (1964)
Hal Roach Produced Brooklyn Orchid (1942)
Walter Lang Directed Greenwich Village (1944)
Irwin Allen Produced Dangerous Mission (1954)
Macdonald Carey Also in Variety Girl and Star Spangled Rhythm
Tay Garnett Directed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)
Bryan Foy Produced Guadalcanal Diary and Battle Stations
Frank Tuttle Directed Don Juan Quilligan and Hostages
Sidney Lanfield Directed My Favorite Blonde (1942)
Seton I. Miller Produced Calcutta and Two Years Before the Mast
Lewis Seiler Directed Guadalcanal Diary and Battle Stations
David Buttolph Wrote Wake Island and Submarine Command
James Millican Also in The Blue Dahlia and Wake Island
Fred Guiol Produced The McGuerins from Brooklyn (1942)
Fred Kohlmar Produced The Glass Key and The Dark Corner
Mary Field Also in Wake Island (1942)
Filmography 40
98 credits on file
Television 24
Media & music
Awards
About this person
Bendix is also remembered for playing Chester A. Riley, the earnest and clumsy aircraft plant worker, in both the radio and television versions of The Life of Riley. Additionally, he portrayed baseball legend Babe Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story. Bendix frequently co-starred with Alan Ladd, appearing in ten films together; both actors died in 1964.
