Willard "Bill" Kennedy (June 27, 1908 – January 27, 1997) was an American actor, voice artist, and host of the long-running

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

-based television show, ''Bill Kennedy at the Movies.'' He began his career as a staff announcer in radio; Kennedy's voice narrates the opening of the television series '' Adventures of Superman.''

Career

Kennedy was born June 27, 1908, in

Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th larges ...

. He began his media career as a staff announcer at '' WWJ, The Detroit News.'' In 1941, he became a

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

contract player, appearing in dozens of Hollywood movies from 1941 through 1955. He was often cast as a police officer or detective. He played Thierache, the Executioner, who sets fire to Joan (played by

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...

) in ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

'' (1948), but recounted that after the picture previewed in a neighborhood popular with gays, his one line – "We need more fagots" (a term referring to a bundle of sticks used to burn someone at the stake) – generated loud laughter from the audience during the execution scene. He also played opposite

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

in ''

Destination Tokyo ''Destination Tokyo'' is a 1943 black and white American submarine war film. The film was directed by Delmer Daves in his directorial debut,McGee, Scott"Articles: 'Destination Tokyo' (1944)."'' TCM.com'', 2019. Retrieved: August 15, 2019. and t ...

''. For the ''Superman'' TV series, he was the announcer during its several year run. He appeared off-screen (uncredited) as the wrestling announcer in the 1952 episode, "No Holds Barred;" and on-screen, as one of the radio announcers (uncredited) in the 1953 episode, "Crime Wave"; and as the racetrack announcer in the 1955 episode "Joey". He is believed to have provided the voice on the phone for the 1954 episode, "Beware the Wrecker".

Denver Pyle Denver Dell Pyle (May 11, 1920 – December 25, 1997) was an American film and television actor and director. He was well known for a number of TV roles from the 1960s through the 1980s, including his portrayal of Briscoe Darling Jr. in se ...

played the part on-screen and had a couple of spoken lines. Kennedy also appeared as a guest star in numerous series, such as ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

,'' ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

,'' ''

The Gene Autry Show ''The Gene Autry Show'' is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum. Overview Series star Gene Autry had alr ...

,'' and ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

.'' In 1956 Kennedy returned from California to the Detroit area as host of ''Bill Kennedy's Showtime'' at CKLW-TV, based directly across the

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively refe ...

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

. The musical standard, " Just in Time" was his theme song. In 1969 he moved to

WKBD WKBD-TV (channel 50) is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS owned-and-operated station WWJ-TV (channel 62). Both stations share studios o ...

and continued hosting the show. Initially using the same name as at CKLW-TV, ''Bill Kennedy's Showtime'', the WKBD program would be renamed ''Bill Kennedy at the Movies'' by the start of 1972. Kennedy would host films for WKBD until retiring to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in 1983. On his afternoon TV program, he showed old movies and provided anecdotes about the actors and the production of the movies. These came in large part from his own Hollywood experience. He had a deadpan, sardonic style which many found refreshing, somewhat similar to that of

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

. He expressed his opinion of the movies, making comments such as "We have a moderately good picture for you today". He introduced the featured film, '' Dragonwyck'' (1946), by saying, "Today we have one of the most boring movies ever made." He took on-air calls from viewers, which was a highlight of his daily shows. When Kennedy showed a film in which he had a part, he would talk at every break about the role, but always with a wink and good humor. Kennedy would also interview stars of some of the movies that he would host when those stars would be visiting the Detroit area and include it with that day's film broadcast. He died January 27, 1997, in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

, of

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

Selected filmography

* ''Highway West'' (1941) – Cop in Car-Crash (uncredited) * ''

Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

'' (1942) – Manhattan News Radio Announcer (uncredited) * ''

Secret Enemies ''Secret Enemies'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Craig Stevens, Faye Emerson, John Ridgely, Charles Lang, Robert Warwick, and Frank Reicher. The film was released b ...

'' (1942) – Radio Broadcaster (voice, uncredited) * ''

Busses Roar ''Busses Roar'' is a 1942 film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Richard Travis and Julie Bishop. Plot A bungling saboteur attempts to place a bomb on board a bus so that it will explode as the bus passes by some oil wells.Pryor, Thoma ...

'' (1942) – The Moocher * ''

You Can't Escape Forever ''You Can't Escape Forever'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Jo Graham and written by Fred Niblo, Jr. and Hector Chevigny. The film stars George Brent, Brenda Marshall, Gene Lockhart, Roscoe Karns, Eduardo Ciannelli and Paul Harvey. Th ...

'' (1942) – Reporter at Execution (uncredited) * ''

Now, Voyager ''Now, Voyager'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty. Prouty ...

'' (1942) – Hamilton Hunneker (uncredited) * '' The Hard Way'' (1943) – Radio Announcer (uncredited) * ''

Truck Busters ''Truck Busters'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by B. Reeves Eason, written by Robert E. Kent and Raymond L. Schrock, and starring Richard Travis, Virginia Christine, Charles Lang, Ruth Ford, Richard Fraser, Tod Andrews and Frank Wi ...

'' (1943) – Tim Shaughnessy * ''

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

'' (1943) – Marine (uncredited) * ''

Mission to Moscow ''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies. The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...

'' (1943) – American Newsman (uncredited) * ''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical comedy film produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from a wartime stage musical with the same name, designed to boost morale in the U.S. duri ...

'' (1943) – News Commentator (uncredited) * ''

Murder on the Waterfront ''Murder on the Waterfront'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by B. Reeves Eason and written by Robert E. Kent. The film stars Warren Douglas, Joan Winfield, John Loder, Ruth Ford, Bill Crago and Bill Kennedy. The film was released by ...

'' (1943) – First Officer Barnes * ''

Princess O'Rourke ''Princess O'Rourke'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Norman Krasna (in Krasna's directorial debut), and starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn. Krasna won the 1944 Oscar for Best Origina ...

'' (1943) – Second Airline Dispatcher (uncredited) * ''

Northern Pursuit ''Northern Pursuit'' is a 1943 American World War II film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who tries to uncover a Nazi plot against the Allied war effort. The film was set in ...

'' (1943) – Mountie (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) – Torpedo Gunnery Officer * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) – Townsman (uncredited) * '' Mr. Skeffington'' (1944) – Bill Thatcher * ''

Make Your Own Bed ''Make Your Own Bed'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Peter Godfrey and written by Francis Swann, Edmund Joseph and Richard Weil. The film stars Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Irene Manning, Alan Hale, Sr., George Tobias and Robert S ...

'' (1944) – FBI Agent (uncredited) * ''

The Doughgirls ''The Doughgirls'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by James V. Kern based on the 1942 hit Broadway play written by Joseph Fields. The film works around three newlywed couples, focusing on the Halstead couple, played by Jane Wyman and ...

'' (1944) – Tall Guy who Punches Drake (uncredited) * ''

Crime by Night ''Crime by Night '' is a 1944 crime film directed by William Clemens, starring Jane Wyman and Jerome Cowan. It tells the story of Sam Campbell (Jerome Cowan) and his secretary Robbie Vance (Jane Wyman), who take a vacation and uncover a murder. ...

'' (1944) – Hospital Attendant (uncredited) * '' The Last Ride'' (1944) – Correlli (uncredited) * ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...

'' (1944) – Busboy (uncredited) * '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945) – Hank Albright * ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' (1945) – Herbert Stone * ''

The Royal Mounted Rides Again ''The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' is a 1945 Universal film serial. Adventure serials of this type were popular in the early days of cinema. The serial, often called cliffhangers, would show one episode per week, with an ending that would hide t ...

'' (1945, Serial) – Corporal J. Wayne Decker * ''The People's Choice'' (1946) – Abner Snell * ''

Don't Gamble with Strangers ''Don't Gamble with Strangers'' is a 1946 film about two card sharks, pretending to be brother and sister, who clean out a small-town banker, then take over a crooked gambling joint. Cast *Kane Richmond as Mike Sarno *Bernadene Hayes as Fay Be ...

'' (1946) – Harry Amold * ''

Of Human Bondage ''Of Human Bondage'' is a 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in i ...

'' (1946) – Flanagan * ''

The Bachelor's Daughters ''The Bachelor's Daughters'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Andrew L. Stone and written by Stone and Frederick J. Jackson. It stars Gail Russell, Claire Trevor, Ann Dvorak, Adolphe Menjou, Billie Burke, Jane Wyatt and Eugene List. The ...

'' (1946) – Mr. Stapp * ''

That Brennan Girl ''That Brennan Girl'', also known as ''Tough Girl'', is a 1946 Melodrama#Film, melodrama film produced and directed by Alfred Santell and starring James Dunn (actor), James Dunn, Mona Freeman, William Marshall (bandleader), William Marshall, and J ...

'' (1946) – Arthur, Helen's Husband * ''

Seven Were Saved ''Seven Were Saved'' (also known as ''S.O.S. Rescue'') is a 1947 American film directed by William H. Pine and starring Richard Denning, Catherine Craig and Russell Hayden. The film's opening title says: "This film is dedicated to the men of t ...

'' (1947) – Colonel (uncredited) * ''

Fun on a Weekend ''Fun on a Weekend'' is a 1947 American comedy film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. The film stars Eddie Bracken, Priscilla Lane, Tom Conway, Allen Jenkins, Arthur Treacher, Clarence Kolb and Fritz Feld. The film was released on May 15, ...

'' (1947) – Bill Davis (uncredited) * ''

Web of Danger ''Web of Danger'' is a 1947 American action film directed by Philip Ford, written by David Lang and Milton Raison, and starring Adele Mara, Bill Kennedy, Damian O'Flynn, Richard Loo, Victor Sen Yung and Roy Barcroft. It was released on June 10 ...

'' (1947) – Ernie Reardon * ''

News Hounds ''News Hounds'' is a 1947 film directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the seventh film in the series. Plot Slip is a copy boy for a newspaper, but dreams of having his own byline. Sach is an aspiring ...

'' (1947) – Mark Morgan * ''Louisiana'' (1947) * '' The Gangster'' (1947) – Thug (uncredited) * '' Overland Trails'' (1948) – Carter Morgan * ''

Assigned to Danger ''Assigned to Danger'' is a 1948 American crime film noir directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Gene Raymond, Noreen Nash and Robert Bice. The film's sets designed by the art director Edward L. Ilou. It was distributed by Eagle-Lion Films. Plo ...

'' (1948) – Assistant District Attorney (uncredited) * '' Raw Deal'' (1948) – Drunk (uncredited) * '' I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes'' (1948) – 2nd Detective * '' Triggerman'' (1948) – Kirby * ''

A Southern Yankee ''A Southern Yankee'' is a 1948 American comedy western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Red Skelton, Brian Donlevy and Arlene Dahl. The film is loosely based on Buster Keaton's '' The General'' (1926). Skelton plays a Union soldi ...

'' (1948) – Lt. Sheve (uncredited) * '' In This Corner'' (1948) – Al Barton * ''

The Sheriff of Medicine Bow ''The Sheriff of Medicine Bow'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Max Terhune, Evelyn Finley, Bill Kennedy and George J. Lewis. ...

'' (1948) – Barry Stuart * ''

'' (1948) – Thierache (Joan's executioner) * ''

Belle Starr's Daughter ''Belle Starr's Daughter'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring George Montgomery, Rod Cameron and Ruth Roman. Plot After the town marshal of Antioch is shot by Bob Yauntis, the newly appointed Tom Jacks ...

'' (1948) – Kiowa Marshal (uncredited) * ''

Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

'' (1949) – Construction Worker (uncredited) * ''

Shadows of the West ''Shadows of the West'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and written by Adele Buffington. The film stars Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, Riley Hill, Reno Browne, Bill Kennedy and Pierce Lyden. The film was released on January ...

'' (1949) – Banker Ward * ''

Law of the West ''Law of the West'' is a 1985 graphic adventure set in the American Old West developed by Accolade for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and Nintendo Entertainment System. It was one of the company's launch titles and the only game from Accolade ...

'' (1949) – Dan Nixon – Land Agent * '' Forgotten Women'' (1949) – Bill Dunning * ''

Trail of the Yukon ''Trail of the Yukon'' is a 1949 American Northern film directed by William Beaudine and starring Kirby Grant, Suzanne Dalbert and Bill Edwards. It was based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood about a North-West Mounted Police officer and his ...

'' (1949) – Constable * '' Malaya'' (1949) – Intern (uncredited) * '' Chain Lightning'' (1950) – Radio Man at Test Flight (uncredited) * ''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewr ...

'' (1950) – Ace Larabee * '' Storm Over Wyoming'' (1950) – Jess Rawlins * '' Peggy'' (1950) – Reporter (uncredited) * ''

I Shot Billy the Kid ''I Shot Billy the Kid'' is a 1950 American Western (genre), Western film directed by William Berke for Lippert Pictures. Robert L. Lippert had enjoyed tremendous success with ''I Shot Jesse James'' (1948) leading to this follow up with ''I Sho ...

'' (1950) – Deputy John Poe * '' Train to Tombstone'' (1950) – Rev. Jared Greeley (uncredited) * '' Border Rangers'' (1950) – Sgt. Carlson * ''

Gunslingers Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

'' (1950) - Ace Larabee * '' Two Lost Worlds'' (1951) – Martin Shannon * ''

Abilene Trail The Abilene Trail was a cattle trail leading from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Its exact route is disputed owing to its many offshoots, but it crossed the Red River just east of Henrietta, Texas, and continued north across the Indian Territory to Cald ...

'' (1951) – Rancher Colter * '' Cry Danger'' (1951) – Cop at Trailer Park (uncredited) * '' Silver City Bonanza'' (1951) – Monk Monroe * ''

Canyon Raiders ''Canyon Raiders'' is a 1951 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Whip Wilson, Fuzzy Knight and Phyllis Coates. Cast *Whip Wilson as Whip Wilson *Fuzzy Knight as Texas Milburn *Jim Bannon as Jim Banno ...

'' (1951) – Hemingway (uncredited) * ''

Nevada Badmen ''Nevada Badmen'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars Whip Wilson, Fuzzy Knight, Jim Bannon, I. Stanford Jolley, Phyllis Coates and Marshall Reed. The film was released ...

'' (1951) – Jensen – Banker * ''

Red Planet Mars ''Red Planet Mars'' is a 1952 American science fiction film released by United Artists starring Peter Graves and Andrea King. It is based on a 1932 play ''Red Planet'' written by John L. Balderston and John Hoare and was directed by art director ...

'' (1952) – News Commentator #1 (uncredited) * ''

Born to the Saddle ''Born to the Saddle'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Beaudine. Plot Bent on revenge for the death of his father and the theft of their ranch, young Bill Walton rides into town seeking the aid of his uncle. As he rides in ...

'' (1953) – Jeff (uncredited) * '' Unchained'' (1955) – Sanders (uncredited) * ''

Lucy Gallant ''Lucy Gallant'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film wa ...

'' (1955) – Newspaper Reporter at Fashion Show (uncredited) * '' I Died a Thousand Times'' (1955) – Sheriff * ''Male and Female Since Adam and Eve'' (1961) – Adam * ''

Don't Make Waves ''Don't Make Waves'' is a 1967 American sex comedy (with elements of the beach party genre) starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendric ...

'' (1967) – Reporter (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Bill 1908 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American television personalities Male television personalities Male actors from Ohio People from Cleveland Heights, Ohio Radio personalities from Detroit Television personalities from Detroit Warner Bros. contract players