William Dozier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Dozier
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| Born | February 13, 1908 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
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| Died | April 23, 1991 (aged 83) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1944–1982 |
| Spouse(s) |
Katharine Foley
(m. 1929; div. 1946) |
| Children | 2 |
William Dozier was an American film and television producer, writer, and actor. He is best known for creating two very popular TV shows: Batman and The Green Hornet. He was born on February 13, 1908, and passed away on April 23, 1991.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Dozier was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended Creighton University and finished his studies there in 1929.
Career in Entertainment
William Dozier started his career as a writer for television. Later, he moved into producing shows and movies.
Early Producing Work
With his second wife, actress Joan Fontaine, he started a company called Rampart Productions. They made the movie Letter from an Unknown Woman in 1948. Dozier also produced the movie Harriet Craig in 1950.
In the early 1950s, he worked as an executive producer for drama shows at CBS television. Some of these shows included You Are There and Suspense. In 1959, Dozier left CBS-TV and became a vice-president at Screen Gems, a production company.
Creating Iconic TV Shows
In 1964, William Dozier started his own company, Greenway Productions. This company became famous for developing the Batman television series, which aired from 1966 to 1968. Dozier was the executive producer for Batman. He also secretly narrated the show, but he was not given credit for it.
He also worked as the executive producer and narrator for The Green Hornet TV show. This show starred Van Williams and Bruce Lee. The narration for The Green Hornet was mainly for the opening, previews for the next episode, and summaries of past events.
The Green Hornet was very important because it gave Bruce Lee his first acting role in an American TV show. It also introduced Asian martial arts to a wide American audience for the very first time.
Dozier even appeared on screen in two Batman episodes. In one, he played a maître d' (a restaurant host), and in another, he played a character named 'Millionaire William Dozier'.
Other Projects
In 1967, Dozier worked on a test episode for a Wonder Woman TV show, but it was never made into a full series. He also produced a pilot episode for a Dick Tracy show that same year, which was also not picked up.
During his time as the executive producer of Batman, he helped create the character Barbara Gordon. She became a very important character in the Batman comic books and the TV series.
Personal Life
William Dozier was married three times.
- His first marriage was to Katherine Foley from 1929 to 1946. They had one son named Robert.
- Then, he married actress Joan Fontaine in 1946. They divorced in 1951 and had one daughter named Deborah.
- Lastly, Dozier married Ann Rutherford in 1953. They remained married until his death in 1991.
Later Years and Passing
William Dozier passed away in Santa Monica, California, in 1991 at the age of 83. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
