John Williams (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Williams
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Williams in the 1954 film Dial M for Murder
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| Born | 15 April 1903 Chalfont St Giles, England
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| Died | 5 May 1983 (aged 80) San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1924–1979 |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Williams |
John Williams (born April 15, 1903 – died May 5, 1983) was a talented actor from Britain. He was famous for his roles in plays, movies, and TV shows. Many people remember him as Chief Inspector Hubbard in the movie Dial M for Murder by Alfred Hitchcock. He also played the chauffeur in Sabrina and Mr. Brogan-Moore in Witness for the Prosecution. On TV, he was known as the second "Mr. French" in the first season of Family Affair.
Contents
John Williams: A Life on Stage and Screen
Early Life and Starting as an Actor
John Williams was born in 1903 in a place called Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, England. He went to school at Lancing College. John started acting on stage in England when he was just 13 years old, in 1916. One of his first plays was Peter Pan.
In 1924, John moved to New York in the United States. There, he quickly found success in many Broadway plays. Over the next 40 years, he acted in more than 30 Broadway shows. He worked with famous actors like Helen Hayes and Gertrude Lawrence.
Winning Awards and Moving to Movies
In 1953, John Williams won a special award called a Tony Award. He won it for his amazing performance as Chief Inspector Hubbard in the play Dial M for Murder on Broadway.
The very next year, a famous director named Alfred Hitchcock decided to make Dial M for Murder into a movie. Because John Williams was so good in the play, Hitchcock chose him to play the same role in the film!
A Career in Hollywood Films
John Williams' first movie in Hollywood was a short film called The Chumps in 1930. He ended up acting in over 40 movies! He worked with Alfred Hitchcock again in two other films. In The Paradine Case (1947), he had a small part. But in To Catch a Thief (1955), he played a much bigger role as an insurance representative.
In the 1960 movie Midnight Lace, John Williams played a London police inspector. This was a lot like his famous role in Dial M for Murder.
Famous TV Appearances
John Williams also appeared in more than 40 different TV shows. He was in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Some of these episodes, like "Back for Christmas" and "Banquo’s Chair", were even directed by Hitchcock himself.
He played William Shakespeare in an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Bard" in 1963. That same year, he was a guest star on the TV comedy My Three Sons. He played a very proper English butler, and he didn't have his usual mustache for that role! Later, he was part of the main cast of the family show Family Affair in 1967.
One of John Williams' last acting jobs was in 1979. He appeared in a two-part episode of Battlestar Galactica called "War of the Gods".
Working with Billy Wilder
Besides his work with Alfred Hitchcock, John Williams also appeared in three movies directed by Billy Wilder. These included Sabrina (1954) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). He was also in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). However, many of his scenes in Holmes were cut from the movie before it was released.
Later Life and Passing
John Williams passed away on May 5, 1983, in La Jolla, San Diego, California. He was 80 years old. Reports at the time said he had been sick with a heart problem.
Images for kids
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Burt Reynolds and John Williams in "The Bard", a 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone
