Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 – December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man under contract to

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

in the 1940s and starred in the TV series ''

Tales of the Texas Rangers ''Tales of the Texas Rangers'' is a 20th century Western old-time radio and television police procedural drama which originally aired on NBC Radio from 1950 to 1952 and later on CBS Television from 1955 to 1958. Film star Joel McCrea voiced the ...

'' (1955–58).

Biography

Parker was born in New York City. Some sources reports his birth name as Worcester. He was a meter reader and a tennis pro. While working as the latter in Hollywood he was spotted by Zeppo Marx, then working as an agent. Marx arranged a screen test and he signed a contract with Warner Bros. He changed his name to "Willard Parker".

Warner Bros

Parker signed to Warner Bros in the late 1930s. He made his debut with an uncredited bit in the

Dick Foran John Nicholas "Dick" Foran (June 18, 1910 – August 10, 1979) was an American actor, known for his performances in Western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. Early years Foran was born in Flemington, New Je ...

Western, '' The Devil's Saddle Legion'' (1937). He had small parts in '' That Certain Woman'' (1937) with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

; '' Back in Circulation'' (1937) with

Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien may refer to: Politicians * Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician) (born 1948), member of the Canadian House of Commons * Pat O'Brien (Irish politician) (c. 1847–1917), Irish Nationalist MP in the United Kingdom Parliament Others * Pat O' ...

; '' The Radio Murder Mystery'' (1937) with Ronald Reagan; ''

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a Alcatraz Island Lighthouse, lighthouse, a military fortif ...

'' (1937) with

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. B ...

; '' Over the Goal'' (1937) with June Travis; '' The Adventurous Blonde'' (1937) with

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadw ...

; '' Missing Witness'' (1937) with Litel; and '' The Invisible Menace'' (1938) with

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

. Parker's first notable film role was in '' A Slight Case of Murder'' (1938) with Edward G. Robinson. He followed it with '' Accidents Will Happen'' (1938) with Reagan, but then left the studio. Parker went to Republic Pictures for '' The Zero Hour'' (1939). At Paramount he had a minor role in '' The Magnificent Fraud'' (1939).

Broadway

Parker decided to go to the stage to hone his acting skills. He worked for a stock company then tried Broadway, where he had a role in a hit play '' Johnny Belinda'' (1940) by

Elmer Rice Elmer Rice (born Elmer Leopold Reizenstein, September 28, 1892 – May 8, 1967) was an American playwright. He is best known for his plays ''The Adding Machine'' (1923) and his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of New York tenement life, ''Street Sce ...

. He then replaced

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), ''My Darling ...

in the cast of the musical ''

Lady in the Dark ''Lady in the Dark'' is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fictional fashion magazine w ...

'' (1941) opposite

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End Theatre, West End of London and on Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York. ...

. He went with the show when it toured on the road in 1943. This brought him to the attention of executives at

who signed him to a long-term contract.

Columbia

Parker was the second male lead in ''

What a Woman! ''What a Woman!'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne. The screenplay concerns a literary agent Carol Ainsley's trying to transform her star client, Michael Cobb, i ...

'' (1943), a romantic comedy with

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

and

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...

. His career was interrupted by service with the US Marines. Then when he returned Columbia promoted him to leading man status in the swashbuckler ''

The Fighting Guardsman ''The Fighting Guardsman'' is a 1946 American adventure film directed by Henry Levin. It was a swashbuckler starring Willard Parker based on a novel by Alexander Dumas. Plot A French baron ( Willard Parker) leads rebels like a Robin Hood, stea ...

'' (1946). Then they starred him in a comedy '' One Way to Love'' (1946); and a Western, '' Renegades'' (1946). These films were not particularly successful and Parker went back to being the third lead in '' Relentless'' (1948), a Western, and in '' The Mating of Millie'' (1948), he was billed after

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-offic ...

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film '' Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...

and

Ron Randell Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

. Columbia tried him in the lead of a drama, ''

The Wreck of the Hesperus "The Wreck of the Hesperus" is a narrative poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in ''Ballads and Other Poems'' in 1842. It is a story that presents the tragic consequences of a skipper's pride. On an ill-fated voyag ...

'' (1948). Universal borrowed him for a support role in ''

You Gotta Stay Happy ''You Gotta Stay Happy'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by H.C. Potter and starring Joan Fontaine, James Stewart and Eddie Albert. It was distributed by Universal-International and produced by Karl Tunberg. The film was writte ...

'' (1948) with

Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the " Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...

and James Stewart. Back at Columbia he supported

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which l ...

and

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...

in the musical ''

Slightly French ''Slightly French'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Dorothy Lamour, Don Ameche and Janis Carter.Stern p.59 The screenplay concerns a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood director who recruits an Amer ...

'' (1949). Universal borrowed him for another support part, this time in the

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

Western '' Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'' (1949). Columbia gave him the lead in some "B"s, '' Bodyhold'' (1949), as a wrestler, with

Lola Albright Lola Jean Albright (July 20, 1924 – March 23, 2017) was an American singer and actress, best known for playing the sultry singer Edie Hart, the girlfriend of private eye Peter Gunn, on all three seasons of the TV series ''Peter Gunn''. Early ...

; and ''

David Harding, Counterspy ''David Harding, Counterspy'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Willard Parker. It was based on the radio series '' Counterspy''. Plot An American spy is killed under suspicious circumstances. His frie ...

'' (1950), playing the title role. He played the third lead in the comedy '' Emergency Wedding'' (1950), supporting

Larry Parks Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and film actor. His career arced from bit player and supporting roles to top billing, before it was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been ...

and

Barbara Hale Barbara Hale (April 18, 1922 – January 26, 2017) was an American actress who portrayed legal secretary Della Street in the dramatic television series ''Perry Mason'' (1957–1966), earning her a 1959 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actr ...

. Parker went to Lippert Pictures to make '' Bandit Queen'' (1950), co-starring with Barbara Britton. For RKO he did '' Hunt the Man Down'' (1951) then he made another for Columbia, '' My True Story'' (1951), playing the male lead under the direction of

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

. Universal used Parker as the third lead in the Western '' Apache Drums'' (1951). He had support roles in three films for

Pine-Thomas Productions Pine-Thomas Productions was a prolific B-picture unit of Paramount Pictures from 1940–1957, producing 81 films. Co-producers William H. Pine (February 15, 1896 – April 29, 1955) and William C. Thomas (August 11, 1903 – April 2, 1984) were kn ...

, '' Caribbean Gold'' (1952), ''

Sangaree Sangaree may refer to: *Sangaree, a cocktail with etymology related to the wine beverage sangria *Sangaree, a common name of Sri Lankan Tamil National Alliance leader Veerasingham Anandasangaree Veerasingham Anandasangaree ( ta, வீரசி� ...

'' (1953) and '' The Vanquished'' (1953). He guest-starred on TV in '' The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' (1952). Parker returned to leads with the role of

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained s ...

in ''

The Great Jesse James Raid ''The Great Jesse James Raid'' is a 1953 American Ansco Color Western film directed by Reginald LeBorg and starring Willard Parker, Barbara Payton, and Tom Neal. This was the only film for Tom Neal and Barbara Payton to co-star together, as ...

'' (1953) for Lippert Pictures. He had a small role in '' Kiss Me Kate'' (1953)at MGM.

Television

Parker and his wife Virginia Field appeared in "Mr. And Mrs. Trubble" for ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhous ...

'' (1952). That show invited him back for "Twenty-two Sycamore Road" (1953, with

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in Ne ...

), "Little War at San Dede" (1954), and "Visitor in the Night" (1955). He also guest-starred on ''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often ba ...

'' in "A Mother's Duty" (1954) and "No Time for Susan" (1955, with his wife), and '' The Ford Television Theatre'' in "Kiss and Forget" (1953, with his wife), and "The Mumbys" (1955, with his wife). Parker was cast as Ranger Jace Pearson in the 52-episode CBS television series, ''

,'' which aired from 1955 to 1958. His co-star was

Harry Lauter Herman Arthur "Harry" Lauter (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990) was an American character actor. Early years Lauter was born in White Plains, New York. He worked as a model for a professional photographer and was a rodeo rider before ...

as Ranger Clay Morgan. The series was rerun thereafter on ABC. Parker starred in a low budget Western for Fox, '' Naked Gun'' (1956), and ''

Lure of the Swamp ''Lure of the Swamp'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Hubert Cornfield and written by William George, based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Gil Brewer. The film stars Marshall Thompson, Willard Parker, Joan Vohs, Jack Elam ...

'' (1957). He guest-starred in

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

, ''

M Squad ''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the progra ...

'' (1958) then starred in some low budget Westerns, '' Lone Texan'' (1959), '' Young Jesse James'' (1960) and '' Walk Tall'' (1960). He did "Dr Kate" for ''

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former le ...

'' (1960). ''Walk Tall'' was directed by

Maury Dexter Maury Dexter (born Morris Gene Poindexter; June 12, 1927 – May 28, 2017) was an American producer and director of film and TV. He worked several times for Robert Lippert and American International Pictures. Life and career Dexter was born in P ...

who used Parker in ''

The High Powered Rifle ''The High Powered Rifle'' is a 1960 American action film produced and directed by Maury Dexter and written by Joseph Fritz. The film stars Willard Parker, Allison Hayes, Dan Simmons, John Holland, Shirley O'Hara and Terrea Lea. The film was re ...

'' (1961) and ''

Air Patrol Air Patrol may refer to: Films *Air Patrol (film), a 1962 American drama film *The Air Patrol, a 1928 American drama film Military * Combat air patrol, a type of military flying mission * Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary for the Unit ...

'' (1962).

Later career

He guest-starred in ABC's religion drama series, ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ta ...

'', starring Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll as

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

priests in New York City. Parker was cast as Msgr. Joe Giblin in the 1962 episode, "The Crooked Angel." He had the lead in the British film '' The Earth Dies Screaming'' (1964) and was one of many names in ''

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

'' (1966). His last film role was in '' The Great Waltz'' (1972).

Personal life

Parker was married to Marion Pierce from 1939 to 1951. They had one child. They were divorced and Parker was married to Virginia Field from 1951 until her death in 1992. Parker died of 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 m ...

at the age of eighty-four in Rancho Mirage in

Riverside County, California Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Uni ...

Partial filmography

*'' The Devil's Saddle Legion'' (1937) - Hub Ordley *'' That Certain Woman'' (1937) - Reporter (uncredited) *'' Back in Circulation'' (1937) - Ben (uncredited) *''

Love Is on the Air ''Love is on the Air'' is a 1937 American film directed by Nick Grinde, and starring Ronald Reagan (in his film debut), June Travis, Eddie Acuff, Robert Barrat, Raymond Hatton and Willard Parker. It was the first of three remakes of the 1933 ...

'' (1937) - Les Quimby *''

'' (1937) - Reporter (uncredited) *'' Over the Goal'' (1937) - Duke Davis *'' The Adventurous Blonde'' (1937) - Clerk (uncredited) *'' Missing Witnesses'' (1937) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) *'' The Invisible Menace'' (1938) - Pvt. Booker (uncredited) *'' A Slight Case of Murder'' (1938) - Dick Whitewood *'' Accidents Will Happen'' (1938) - Gas Station Attendant (uncredited) *'' The Zero Hour'' (1939) - Lansdowne *'' The Magnificent Fraud'' (1939) - Airline Steward (uncredited) *''

'' (1943) - Michael Cobb *''

'' (1946) - Baron Francois de St.-Hermain, alias Roland the Bandit *'' One Way to Love'' (1946) - Mitchell Raymond *'' Renegades'' (1946) - Dr. Sam Martin *''

'' (1948) - John Macready *'' Relentless'' (1948) - Jeff Moyer *'' The Mating of Millie'' (1948) - Phil Gowan *''

'' (1948) - Henry Benson *''

'' (1949) - Douglas Hyde *'' Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'' (1949) - Sheriff William 'Will' Egan *'' Bodyhold'' (1949) - Tommy Jones *'' The Secret Fury'' (1950) - Smith (uncredited) *''

'' (1950) - Lt. Comdr. Jerry A. Baldwin *'' Emergency Wedding'' (1950) - Vandemer *'' The Bandit Queen'' (1950) - Dan Hinsdale *'' Hunt the Man Down'' (1950) - Burnell 'Brick' Appleby *'' My True Story'' (1951) - Bill Phillips *'' Apache Drums'' (1951) - Mayor Joe Madden *'' Caribbean'' (1952) - Shively, MacAllister's Overseer *''

'' (1953) - Gabriel Thatch *'' The Vanquished'' (1953) - Captain Kirby *''

'' (1953) - Jesse James *'' Kiss Me Kate'' (1953) - Tex Callaway *'' Naked Gun'' (1956) - Breen Mathews *''

'' (1957) - James Lister *'' Lone Texan'' (1959) - Clint Banister *'' Young Jesse James'' (1960) - Cole Younger *'' Walk Tall'' (1960) - Captain Ed Trask *''

'' (1960) - Stephen Dancer *''

'' (1962) - Lt. Vern Taylor *'' The Earth Dies Screaming'' (1964) - Jeff Nolan *''

'' (1966) - Pete Jenner (final film role)

References

* ''Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'', published by Harper-Collins, * ''The Film Encyclopedia'' by Ephraim Katz, published by Collins,

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Willard 1912 births 1996 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City Male actors from Los Angeles People from Rancho Mirage, California 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors