William Alland (March 4, 1916 – November 11, 1997) was an American actor, film producer and writer, mainly of

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and science-fiction/monster films, including ''

This Island Earth ''This Island Earth'' is a 1955 American science fiction film from Universal-International, produced by William Alland, directed by Joseph M. Newman and Jack Arnold, starring Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue and Rex Reason. It is based on the 195 ...

'', ''

It Came From Outer Space ''It Came from Outer Space'' is a 1953 American science fiction horror film, the first in the 3D process from Universal-International. It was produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold. The film stars Richard Carlson and Barbara ...

'', ''

Tarantula! ''Tarantula!'' is a 1955 American science-fiction monster film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold. It stars John Agar, Mara Corday, and Leo G. Carroll. The film is about a scientist developing a miracle nutrient to feed a ra ...

'', ''

The Deadly Mantis ''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1957 American science fiction monster film produced by William Alland for Universal-International. The film was directed by Nathan Juran from a screenplay by Martin Berkeley based on a story by producer William Allan ...

'', ''

The Mole People ''The Mole People'' is a 1956 American science fiction adventure film distributed by Universal International, which was produced by William Alland, directed by Virgil W. Vogel, and stars John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Cynthia Patrick. The st ...

'', '' The Colossus of New York'', ''

The Space Children ''The Space Children'' is a 1958 independently made American science-fiction film, produced by William Alland, directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Michel Ray, Jackie Coogan, Russell Johnson, Johnny Crawford, Johnny Washbrook and Richard Shan ...

'', and the three ''

Creature from the Black Lagoon ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars ...

'' films. He worked frequently with director Jack Arnold. Alland is also remembered for his acting role as reporter Thompson, who investigates the meaning of "Rosebud" in

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

's ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...

'' (1941).

Biography

Alland was born in

Delmar, Delaware Delmar is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States, on the Maryland border along the Transpeninsular Line. Its motto is "The Little Town Too Big for One State." The population was 1,597 at the 2010 census, an increase of 13.5% over t ...

. Alland entered films as an actor, perhaps best remembered as the reporter Jerry Thompson, who investigates the life of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane in

's ''

'' (1941). He also directed the film ''

Look in Any Window ''Look in Any Window'' is a 1961 American drama film starring Paul Anka, Gigi Perreau, and, in his film debut, Jack Cassidy. The film was directed by William Alland and released by Allied Artists. Plot A teenager is brought up by uncaring, dysf ...

''. In his early 20s, Alland arrived in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and took courses at the

Henry Street Settlement The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founde ...

House, where he met

. He lent his voice to Welles's ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

''. Alland won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

as producer of '' Doorway to Life''. Citizen-Kane-Alland-Stewart

Alland's role as reporter Jerry Thompson in ''

'' (1941) is unusual because the camera never closes up on his face; in fact, for the majority of his scenes in the film, he shows his back to the camera, and whenever his face can be seen, it is always in long-shot and almost always clouded in shadow. As noted by film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

on the DVD commentary of ''Citizen Kane'', Alland once reportedly told an audience that they would probably recognize him if he were to show his back to them. In addition to his role as Thompson in ''Citizen Kane'', Alland announces the "News on the March" newsreel segment, a spoof of the then-popular ''

March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945. The "voice" of both series was Westbrook Van Voorhis. Pr ...

'' newsreels. In later years, Alland twice provided voiceovers for pastiches of this ''News on the March'' segment: once for the 1974 Orson Welles film ''

F for Fake ''F for Fake'' (french: link=no, Vérités et mensonges, es, link=no, Fraude, "Truths and lies") is a 1973 docudrama film co-written, directed by, and starring Orson Welles who worked on the film alongside François Reichenbach, Oja Kodar, and G ...

'' and again for a 1991 ''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

'' documentary for the BBC titled ''The Complete Citizen Kane''. In 1953, Alland appeared before a meeting of the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...

in Los Angeles, acknowledging that he had been a member of the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

and naming other people who were involved with the party. The meeting was held behind closed doors, but Alland talked with reporters after his appearance. He said that he was a party member from 1946 to 1949. Alland was a decorated combat pilot in the Air Force, flying 56 missions in the Pacific. On radio, Alland wrote for ''Doorway to Life'' and acted on ''

The Mercury Theatre on the Air ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' is a radio series of live radio dramas created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with mus ...

''. He died of complications of heart disease.

Filmography

*'' The Green Goddess'' (1939) – (uncredited); short film by Orson Welles *''

'' (1941) – Jerry Thompson (credited); Voice of "News on the March" Newsreel Announcer (uncredited) *'' Tom Dick and Harry'' (1941) – voice of Newsreel Announcer (uncredited) *''

The Devil and Daniel Webster "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1936) is a short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. He tells of a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is later defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the noted 19th-c ...

'' (1941) – Guide (uncredited, scenes deleted) *''

The Falcon Takes Over ''The Falcon Takes Over'' (also known as ''The Falcon Steps Out''), is a 1942 black-and-white mystery film directed by Irving Reis. The B film was the third, following ''The Gay Falcon'' and '' A Date with the Falcon'' (1941), to star George Sand ...

'' (1942) – Reporter (uncredited) *'' Riff-Raff'' (1947) – Trumpy, Man in Cell (uncredited) *''

The Lady from Shanghai ''The Lady from Shanghai'' is a 1947 American film noir directed by Orson Welles (uncredited) and starring Welles, his estranged wife Rita Hayworth, and Everett Sloane. It is based on the novel ''If I Die Before I Wake'' by Sherwood King. Altho ...

'' (1947) – Reporter (uncredited) *''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (1948) – Second Murderer *''

Love Happy ''Love Happy'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film, released by United Artists, directed by David Miller and starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx and Chico Marx) in their 13th and final feature film, as well as a memorable wa ...

'' (1949) – one of several Story Contributors (uncredited) *''

Cave of Outlaws ''Cave of Outlaws'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring Macdonald Carey and Alexis Smith. It was also known as ''The Cave''. Plot In 1880, Pete Carver is part of a gang that robs a train of gold. They flee ...

'' (1951) – Associate Producer *''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'' (1952) – Producer *'' The Raiders'' (1952) – Producer *''

The Treasure of Lost Canyon ''The Treasure of Lost Canyon'' is a 1952 American Technicolor adventure Western film directed by Ted Tetzlaff and starring William Powell, Julie Adams, Charles Drake, Tommy Ivo and Rosemary DeCamp.Bryant p.172 It was based on Robert Louis S ...

'' (1952) – Associate Producer *''

Flesh and Fury ''Flesh and Fury'' is a 1952 American film noir drama sport film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, Jan Sterling and Mona Freeman.The Stand at Apache River ''The Stand at Apache River'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Stephen McNally, Julie Adams and Hugh Marlowe.Blottner p.262 Plot Cast * Stephen McNally as Lane Dakota * Julie Adams as Valerie Kendrick ...

'' (1953) – Producer *''

It Came from Outer Space ''It Came from Outer Space'' is a 1953 American science fiction horror film, the first in the 3D process from Universal-International. It was produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold. The film stars Richard Carlson and Barbara ...

'' (1953) – Producer *''

The Lawless Breed ''The Lawless Breed'' is a 1953 American Technicolor Western biographical film produced and distributed by Universal-International, directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Rock Hudson and Julie Adams. The film is a romanticized story based on the ...

'' (1953) – Producer *''

The Stand at Apache River ''The Stand at Apache River'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Stephen McNally, Julie Adams and Hugh Marlowe.Blottner p.262 Plot Cast * Stephen McNally as Lane Dakota * Julie Adams as Valerie Kendrick ...

'' (1953) – Producer *''

'' (1953) – Original Story *''

'' (1954) – Producer, Story Idea (uncredited) *''

Johnny Dark Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Varian ...

'' (1954) – Producer *'' Four Guns to the Border'' (1954) – Producer *''

Dawn at Socorro ''Dawn at Socorro'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Rory Calhoun and Piper Laurie. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is set mostly in Lordsburg, New Mexico, and the spoken in ...

'' (1954) – Producer *''

'' (1955) – Producer *''

Revenge of the Creature ''Revenge of the Creature'' ( ''Return of the Creature'' and ''Return of the Creature from the Black Lagoon'') is the first of two Universal-International sequels to '' Creature from the Black Lagoon''. It was the only 3D film released in 1955 ...

'' (1955) – Producer, Original Story *''

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

'' (1955) – Producer *''

Chief Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by w ...

'' (1955) – Producer *''

The Creature Walks Among Us ''The Creature Walks Among Us'' is a 1956 American monster horror film and the third and final installment of the ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' series from Universal Pictures, following the previous year's ''Revenge of the Creature''. The f ...

'' (1956) – Producer *''

'' (1957) – Producer; Original story *''

The Land Unknown ''The Land Unknown'' is a 1957 science fiction CinemaScope adventure film about a naval expedition trapped in an Antarctic jungle. The story was allegedly inspired by the discovery of unusually warm water in Antarctica in 1947. It stars Jock M ...

'' (1957) – Producer *''

Gun for a Coward ''Gun for a Coward'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Abner Biberman and starring Fred MacMurray, Jeffrey Hunter and Janice Rule. The film also stars Josephine Hutchinson as MacMurray's mother, despite being less than five ...

'' (1957) – Producer *'' The Colossus of New York'' (1958) – Producer *''

'' (1958) – Producer *'' The Lady Takes a Flyer'' (1958) – Producer *'' Raw Wind in Eden'' (1958) – Producer *''

As Young as We Are ''As Young as We Are'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Bernard Girard and written by Meyer Dolinsky. The film stars Robert Harland, Pippa Scott, Majel Barrett, Ty Hardin, Barry Atwater and Carla Hoffman. The film was released in Septem ...

'' (1958) – Producer; Original Story *''

The Party Crashers ''The Party Crashers'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Bernard Girard and written by Bernard Girard and Dan Lundberg. The film stars Mark Damon, Bobby Driscoll (in his last feature film role), Connie Stevens, Frances Farmer (in her las ...

'' (1958) – Producer; Original Story *''

'' (1961) – Director *''

The Lively Set ''The Lively Set'' is a 1964 American color action drama sport film directed by Jack Arnold and starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Doug McClure and Joanie Sommers. Plot Casey Owens, a young mechanic, has developed a design for a turbine car e ...

'' (1964) – Producer *''

The Rare Breed ''The Rare Breed'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith in Panavision. Loosely based on the life of rancher Col. John William Burgess, the film follows Ma ...

'' (1966) – Producer

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alland, William 1916 births 1997 deaths American male film actors American film producers People from Sussex County, Delaware 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American businesspeople Male actors from Delaware Film directors from Delaware American male radio actors American radio writers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers