William Paxton Bishop (July 16, 1918 – October 3, 1959) was an American television and movie actor from

Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...

Early life

Bishop was the son of Edward T. Bishop and Helen MacArthur Bishop. He had a brother, Robert. His elementary and secondary schooling came in New York and New Jersey. He went to

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...

where he wanted to study law but left to enter theater. While he was at WVU, Bishop "won laurels as a football player and in other athletics." His uncle was playwright

Charles MacArthur Charles Gordon MacArthur (November 5, 1895 – April 21, 1956) was an American playwright, screenwriter and 1935 winner of the Academy Award for Best Story. Life and career MacArthur was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the sixth of seven chil ...

, making him the nephew of stage and screen legend

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...

and the cousin of actor

James MacArthur James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television. MacArthur's early work was predominantly in supporting roles in films. Later, he had a starring role as ...

Military service

Bishop served in the South Pacific with a Signal Battalion of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during World War II.

Stage

Bishop's early experiences in acting came on the stage. After some work in little theaters in New York, he appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in ''

Tobacco Road Tobacco Road may refer to: Prose * ''Tobacco Road'' (novel) (1932), by Erskine Caldwell ** ''Tobacco Road'' (play) (1933), by Jack Kirkland ** ''Tobacco Road'' (film) (1941), directed by John Ford Music * "Tobacco Road" (song) (1960s), by John D. ...

''. He was also a charter member of Orson Welles'

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury also ...

Television and film

Bishop was best known for his role as Steve Connors on the 1950s

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

comedy series '' It's a Great Life'' He was also seen in other programs, including ''

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ''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 Playhouse ...

'' and ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...

''. He had roles in films including ''

Harriet Craig ''Harriet Craig'' is a 1950 American drama (film and television), drama film starring Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Anne Froelick and James Gunn (screenwriter, born 1920), James Gunn was based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1925 play ''Craig's ...

'', ''

The Killer That Stalked New York ''The Killer That Stalked New York'' (also known as ''Frightened City'') is a 1950 American film noir directed by Earl McEvoy and starring Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin and William Bishop. The film, shot on location and in a semi-documentary styl ...

'' and '' The Basketball Fix'', plus numerous westerns such as ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an a ...

'', ''

The Tougher They Come ''The Tougher They Come'' is a 1950 American lumberjack drama film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by George Bricker. The film stars Wayne Morris, Preston Foster, Kay Buckley, William Bishop, Frank McHugh and Gloria Henry. The film was rele ...

'', ''

Gun Belt A police duty belt (sometimes referred to as a gun belt, "duty rig" and/or kit belt) is a belt, typically constructed of nylon or leather used by police, prison and security officers to carry equipment easily in a series of pouches attached t ...

'', '' Cripple Creek'' and ''

Wyoming Renegades ''Wyoming Renegades'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Philip Carey, Gene Evans and Martha Hyer.p.149 England, Jerry ''Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas'' Lulu.com, 01/06/2008 Plot The film opens with th ...

''.

Personal life

In 1956, Bishop married Shirley Mohr "in a small Nevada town after being marooned ... by blizzard."

Death

Bishop died in

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...

of cancer on October 3, 1959, at age 41.

Selected filmography

*'' Pilot No. 5'' (1943) - Cadet (uncredited) *''

Young Ideas ''Young Ideas'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Susan Peters, Herbert Marshall and Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American ...

'' (1943) - French Lieutenant (uncredited) *''

Salute to the Marines ''Salute to the Marines'' is a 1943 World War II propaganda war film drama in Technicolor from MGM, produced by John W. Considine Jr., directed by S. Sylvan Simon, and starring Wallace Beery. The film co-stars Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen, Ray Co ...

'' (1943) - Cpl. Anderson (uncredited) *''

Swing Shift Maisie ''Swing Shift Maisie'' (also known as ''Swing It, Maisie'') is a 1943 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It is the seventh in a series of 10 films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie, preceded by ''Maisie Gets Her Man'' (1942) and fol ...

'' (1943) - Young Pilot (uncredited) *''

I Dood It ''I Dood It'' (UK title ''By Hook or by Crook'') is a 1943 American musical-comedy film starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell, directed by Vincente Minnelli, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay is by Fred Saidy and Sig Herzig ...

'' (1943) - Detective (uncredited) *''Soldier with Autograph Book (uncredited) *'' Cry 'Havoc''' (1943) - Soldier (uncredited) *'' Swing Fever'' (1943) - Radio Man (uncredited) *'' Lost Angel'' (1943) - Reporter (uncredited) *''

A Guy Named Joe ''A Guy Named Joe'' is a 1943 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Victor Fleming. The film was produced by Everett Riskin, and starred Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, and Van Johnson. The screenplay, written by Dalton Trumbo and Freder ...

'' (1943) - Ray - Transport Pilot (uncredited) *''

Whistling in Brooklyn ''Whistling in Brooklyn'' is a 1943 film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, and Jean Rogers. It is the third and last film starring Skelton as radio personality and amateur detective Wally "The Fox" Benton, foll ...

'' (1943) - Psychiatrist (uncredited) *''

The Beginning or the End ''The Beginning or the End'' is a 1947 American docudrama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, and Tom Drake, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. T ...

'' (1947) - 2nd Lieutenant - Electronics Officer, Enola Gay (uncredited) *''

The Romance of Rosy Ridge ''The Romance of Rosy Ridge'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Roy Rowland, about a rural community bitterly divided during the aftermath of the American Civil War. It stars Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, and Janet Leigh in her film d ...

'' (1947) - Ad Buchanan *''

Song of the Thin Man ''Song of the Thin Man'' is a 1947 murder mystery-comedy directed by Edward Buzzell. The sixth and final film in MGM's '' Thin Man'' series, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, characters created by Dashiell Hammett ...

'' (1947) - Al Amboy *''

Devil Ship Devil Ship is a 1947 American crime film directed by Lew Landers and starring Richard Lane, Louise Campbell and William Bishop. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Plot Cast *Richard Lane as Bill Brown *Louise Campbell ...

'' (1947) - Sanderson *''

Adventures in Silverado ''Adventures in Silverado'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Phil Karlson and written by Kenneth Gamet, Tom Kilpatrick and Jo Pagano. The film stars William Bishop, Gloria Henry, Edgar Buchanan, Forrest Tucker, Edgar Barrier and I ...

'' (1948) - Bill Foss *''

Port Said Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...

'' (1948) - Leslie Sears *''

Coroner Creek ''Coroner Creek'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Randolph Scott and Marguerite Chapman. It was based on the novel of the same name by Luke Short. Plot After his fiancée is abducted from a stagecoach and ...

'' (1948) - Leach Conover * '' Thunderhoof'' (1948) - The Kid *''

Black Eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

'' (1948) - Jason Bond *''

The Untamed Breed '' The Untamed Breed'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Sonny Tufts, Barbara Britton and George 'Gabby' Hayes.

'' (1948) - Larch Keegan *''

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 Hollywood director who recruits an American singer. Plot After cla ...

'' (1949) - J.B. (voice, uncredited) *''

The Walking Hills ''The Walking Hills'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John Sturges and starring Randolph Scott and Ella Raines. The film's plot has film noir elements in its story of a search for an old treasure by nine men including a detective ...

'' (1949) - Dave 'Shep' Wilson *'' Anna Lucasta'' (1949) - Rudolf Strobel *''

Mr. Soft Touch ''Mr. Soft Touch'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Gordon Douglas and Henry Levin and starring Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes. The film is also known as ''House of Settlement''. Plot Polish American Joe Miracle (Mirakowski) re ...

'' (1949) - Radio Broadcaster (voice, uncredited) *''

'' (1950) - Dr. Ben Wood *''

'' (1950) - Wes Miller *''

'' (1950) - Gus Williams *''

The Frogmen ''The Frogmen'' is a 1951 American black-and-white World War II drama film from Twentieth Century Fox, produced by Samuel G. Engel, directed by Lloyd Bacon, that stars Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, and Gary Merrill. The film's storyline is base ...

'' (1951) - Ferrino (uncredited) *''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly ar ...

'' (1951) - Carver Doone *'' The Texas Rangers'' (1951) - Sam Bass *'' The Basketball Fix'' (1951) - Mike Taft *''

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

'' (1952) - Opening Off-Screen Narrator (uncredited) *'' Cripple Creek'' (1952) - Silver Kirby *''

Breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...

'' (1952) - Terry Williams *'' The Raiders'' (1952) - Marshal William Henderson *''

The Redhead from Wyoming ''The Redhead from Wyoming'' is a 1953 American Western film produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by Lee Sholem. It stars Maureen O'Hara as a saloon proprietress who becomes embroiled in a range war and Alex Nicol as the sheriff who tries ...

'' (1953) - Jim Averell *''

'' (1953) - Ike Clinton *''

Overland Pacific ''Overland Pacific'' is a 1954 American color Western (genre), Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Jock Mahoney, Peggie Castle and Adele Jergens. Plot Ross Granger practices sending telegraphs noisily while sharing a stagecoach ...

'' (1954) - Del Stewart *''

'' (1955) - Sundance *''

'' (1955) - Canby Judd *'' The Boss'' (1956) - Bob Herrick *''

The White Squaw ''The White Squaw'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring David Brian, May Wynn and William Bishop. Plot A Swedish settler ( David Brian) starts a war when he tries to drive Dakotas off their Wyoming reservation ...

'' (1956) - Bob Garth *''

The Phantom Stagecoach ''The Phantom Stagecoach'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring William Bishop, Kathleen Crowley, Richard Webb, Hugh Sanders, John Doucette, and Frank Ferguson. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on Ap ...

'' (1957) - Glen Hayden *''

Short Cut to Hell ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a 1957 American film noir, filmed in black-and-white VistaVision, starring Robert Ivers and Georgann Johnson.. The film is the only directorial effort by famous actor James Cagney. ''Short Cut to Hell'' is a remake of ...

'' (1957) - Sgt. Stan Lowery *'' The Oregon Trail'' (1959) - Capt. George Wayne

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop, William 1918 births 1959 deaths Male actors from Illinois American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Deaths from cancer in California West Virginia University alumni Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica