William James Burrud (January 12, 1925 – July 12, 1990) was a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

and a television host and producer best known for his travel programs.

Biography

Born in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, Burrud was a son of Leland Burrud, who had produced one of the earliest known travel films in 1913. Burrud made his first film appearance at the age of 7 in ''Music in the Air''. He also appeared in ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

'' with

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and in several films starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

. Burrud served in the U.S. Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, then graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

.Burrud biodata
In 1950 Burrud turned his attention to television. He coined the word "traventure" to describe the programs he intended to produce. The following year station

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outle ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

purchased his series ''The Open Road''. In 1954 he founded Bill Burrud Productions, which would produce programs that included ''True Adventure'', ''Vagabond'', ''Wanderlust'', '' Animal World'', ''Islands in the Sun'', ''Wonderful World of Women'', ''Safari to Adventure'', ''

Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

'', and ''Natural Wonders''. His company also produced numerous television specials.

Death

Burrud died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in Sunset Beach,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1990 at the age of 65. He was buried at

Riverside National Cemetery Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. His son John Burrud now heads the company.

Legacy

For his many contributions to television entertainment, Burrud received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

in 1977. Burrud's star is next to

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's.

Filmography

Music in the Air ''Music in the Air'' is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book) and Jerome Kern (music). It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star". The musical premiered on ...

) (1934) (Boy, uncredited) *(

His Night Out ''His Night Out'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and written by Harry Clork and Doris Malloy. The film stars Edward Everett Horton, Irene Hervey, Jack La Rue, Robert McWade, Lola Lane and Willard Robertson. The film was ...

) (1935) (Jimmie, as Billy Burrud) *(''

Three Kids and a Queen ''Three Kids and a Queen'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig, written by Samuel Ornitz and Barry Trivers, and starring May Robson, Henry Armetta, Herman Bing, Frankie Darro, Bill Burrud and William "Billy" Benedict. It was r ...

'') (1935) (Doc, as Billy Burrud) *(

Pride of the Marines (1936 film) ''Pride of the Marines'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Plot summary Cast * Charles Bickford as Steve Riley * Florence Rice as Molly Malone * Robert Allen as Larry Allen * Thurston Hall as Col. Gage * Ward Bon ...

) (Ulysses Simpson Smith, as Billy Burrud) *(

Devil's Squadron ''Devil's Squadron'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Richard Dix, Karen Morley and Lloyd Nolan. The following written prologue appears after the opening credits: "This picture is dedicated to the test pilots. ...

) (1936) (Butch, as Billy Burrud) *( The Cowboy and the Kid) (1936) (Jimmy Thomas, as Billy Burrud) *(

Postal Inspector Postal inspector may refer to: * The United States Postal Inspection Service (or USPIS), the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service * ''Postal Inspector'', a 1936 American film directed by Otto Brower See also * The Inspectors (TV ...

) (1936) (Billy, as Billy Burrud) *(

Two in a Crowd ''Two in a Crowd'' is a 1936 romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea. It was released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Lewis R. Foster, Doris Malloy, and Earle Snell, based ...

) (1936) (Chet, as Billy Burrud) *( The Magnificent Brute) (1936) (Pete Finney, as Billy Burrud) *(

Girl Overboard (1937 film) Girl Overboard is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Sidney Salkow from a screenplay by Tristram Tupper based on a story by Sara Elizabeth Rodger. The film stars Gloria Stuart, Walter Pidgeon, and Billy Burrud, and was released on Febru ...

) (Bobby Stacey, as Billy Burrud) *(

Fair Warning (1937 film) ''Fair Warning'' is a 1937 American mystery film written and directed by Norman Foster. The film stars J. Edward Bromberg, Betty Furness, John Payne, Victor Kilian, Bill Burrud and Gavin Muir. The film was released on March 5, 1937, by 20th Cen ...

) (Malcom Berkhardt, as Billy Burrud) *(

Captains Courageous (1937 film) ''Captains Courageous'' is a 1937 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adventure film. Based on the 1897 novel of the same name by Rudyard Kipling, the film had its world premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. It was produced by Louis D. Lighton ...

) (Charles, as Billy Burrud) *(

The Man in Blue (1937 film) ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

) (Young Frankie, as Billy Burrud) *(

It Happened in Hollywood ''It Happened in Hollywood'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Richard Dix, Fay Wray and Victor Kilian. The arrival of sound wrecks the career of a leading western actor while his leading lady rises to new heig ...

) (1937) (

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

, as Billy Burrud) *(

Idol of the Crowds ''Idol of the Crowds'' is a 1937 American drama sport film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring John Wayne as an ice hockey player. It was one of a series of non-Westerns Wayne made for Universal. The film was originally called ''Hell on Ice'' ...

) (1937) (Bobby, as Billy Burrud) *(

The Night Hawk (1938 film) ''The Night Hawk'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by Sidney Salkow and written by Earl Felton. The film stars Robert Livingston, June Travis, Robert Armstrong, Ben Welden, Lucien Littlefield and Joe Downing. The film was released on Oc ...

) (Bobby McCormick, as Billy Burrud) *(

Hitler's Children (1943 film) ''Hitler's Children'' is a 1943 American black-and-white propaganda film made by RKO Radio Pictures. The film stars Tim Holt, Bonita Granville and Kent Smith and was directed by Edward Dmytryk from an adaptation by Emmet Lavery of Gregor Ziemer's ...

) (Prof. Nichol's Student, uncredited) *(

Treasure (1958 TV series) ''Treasure'' is a syndicated American television series created in 1958 by Bill Burrud Productions. The series originally aired on KCOP-TV. It filmed documentaries on buried treasure, lost cities, shipwrecks, and ghost towns. The crew included ...

) (Host) *(Flight to Adventure) (1960) (Host) *(Thrill Hunters) (1967) (Host) *(The Challenging Sea) (1969) (Host) *(Safari to Adventure) (1969-1975) (Host) *(The World of Reptiles) (1971) (Host/Narrator)

References

External links