William Brooks Ching (October 2, 1913 – July 1, 1989) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

who appeared in numerous films and on television during the later 1940s and 1950s. Ching may be best known for his supporting role in

Rudolph Maté Rudolph Maté (born Rudolf Mayer; 21 January 1898 – 27 October 1964) was a Polish-Hungarian-American cinematographer, film director and film producer who worked as cameraman and cinematographer in Hungary, Austria, Germany, France and the Unite ...

's 1950

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

, ''

D.O.A. DOA may refer to: * Dead on arrival * Dead or Alive (disambiguation) Film * ''D.O.A.'' (1949 film), a ''film noir'' * ''D.O.A.'' (1988 film), a remake of the 1949 film * '' D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage'' (1980 film), a documentary on the gene ...

'' along with his role as the overbearing boyfriend of

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

's character in

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...

's 1952 comedy ''

Pat and Mike ''Pat and Mike'' is a 1952 American romantic comedy film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The movie was written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, and directed by George Cukor. Cukor directed '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940) with He ...

''.

Early years

Ching was born in St. Louis and raised in New Orleans. During World War II, he served in the Coast Guard.

Career

Ching began his career as a professional singer, starring in a summer series at the Memphis Open Air Theater. He appeared in

musical comedies Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

such as

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...

's ''

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

'' (1947). His first film role was in 1946. He signed with

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

in 1947, and for the next dozen years, acted mostly in Westerns and dramas. Ching declined to change his name at the time of his move to films, though it might give the mistaken impression that he was of Asian descent. William Ching in DOA

He appeared in the

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

Western ''

Tall Man Riding ''Tall Man Riding'' is a 1955 American Western (genre), Western Warnercolor film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, and Peggie Castle. Based on the novel ''Tall Man Riding'', by Norman A. Fox, the film is ab ...

'' (1955). The same year, Ching was cast as Clint Allbright on CBS's ''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became one of the medi ...

''. In 1958, he played murderer Glenn McKay in the ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'' episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse". His last major acting credit was in a 1959 episode of the television series ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television Private investigator#PIs in fiction, private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith (actor), Roger Smith, Richard Long (actor), Richard Long (fr ...

''.

Death

In 1989, at age 75, Ching died of congestive heart failure. He is buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

Partial filmography

*'' The Mysterious Mr. M'' (1946, Serial) - Jim Farrell hs. 1-3*''

I'll Be Yours ''I'll Be Yours'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin. Based on the play '' A jó tündér'' by Ferenc Molnár, the film is about a small-town girl who tells a fib to a wealthy business ...

'' (1947) - Stage Door Johnny (uncredited) *''

The Michigan Kid ''The Michigan Kid'' is a 1947 American Cinecolor Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring Jon Hall, Victor McLaglen, Rita Johnson, and Andy Devine. It was Hall's first film after getting out of the army and filming began 15 April 1 ...

'' (1947) - Steve Randolph Prescott *''

Song of Scheherazade ''Song of Scheherazade'' is a 1947 American musical film directed by Walter Reisch. It tells the story of an imaginary episode in the life of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Jean-Pierre Aumont), in 1865, when he was a young naval ...

'' (1947) - Midshipman (uncredited) *''

Buck Privates Come Home ''Buck Privates Come Home'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring the team of Abbott and Costello. It was released by Universal-International and is a sequel to their earlier film ''Buck Privates'' (1941). This ...

'' (1947) - 2nd Lieutenant, Mess Officer (uncredited) *''

Something in the Wind ''Something in the Wind'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Deanna Durbin, Donald O'Connor, and John Dall. Durbin's third husband Charles David said she "hated" making her last three films and that she ...

'' (1947) - Joe (uncredited) *''

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap ''The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap'' is a 1947 black-and-white comedy Western film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was released on October 8 and distributed by Universal-International. Plot Ches ...

'' (1947) - Jim Simpson *''Life of St. Paul Series'' (1949) - Jailer *''

'' (1950) - Halliday *''

In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation o ...

'' (1950) - Ted Barton *'' The Showdown'' (1950) - Mike Shattay *''

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

'' (1950) - John Beauregard Hale *'' Belle Le Grand'' (1951) - Bill Shanks *''

Oh! Susanna "Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all tim ...

'' (1951) - Corporal Donlin *''

The Sea Hornet ''The Sea Hornet'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Joseph Kane and written by Gerald Drayson Adams. The film stars Rod Cameron, Adele Mara, Lorna Gray, Chill Wills, Jim Davis and Richard Jaeckel. The film was released on November ...

'' (1951) - Sprowl *''

The Wild Blue Yonder ''The Wild Blue Yonder'' is a 2005 science fiction fantasy film by German director Werner Herzog. It was presented at the 62nd Venice Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Award. It was screened in competition at the Mar del Plata Internati ...

'' (1951) - Lt. Ted Cranshaw *'' Bal Tabarin'' (1952) - Don Barlow *''

'' (1952) - Collier Weld *'' Never Wave at a WAC'' (1953) - Lt. Col. Schuyler 'Sky' Fairchild *'' Scared Stiff'' (1953) - Tony Warren *''

The Moonlighter ''The Moonlighter'' is a 1953 American 3D Western film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Distributed by Warner Bros., it premiered alongside the 1953 Looney Tunes 3-D Bugs Bunny cartoon, '' Lumber Ja ...

'' (1953) - Tom Anderson *''

Give a Girl a Break ''Give a Girl a Break'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, starring Debbie Reynolds and the dance team of Marge and Gower Champion. A young Bob Fosse has a featured role. As Martin Gottfried wrote in his b ...

'' (1953) - Anson Prichett *''

The Magnificent Matador ''The Magnificent Matador'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Budd Boetticher and written by Budd Boetticher and Charles Lang. The film stars Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn, Manuel Rojas, Richard Denning, Thomas Gomez, Lola Albright, Wi ...

'' (1955) - Jody Wilton *''

'' (1955) - Rex Willard *''

Terror in the Haunted House ''Terror in the Haunted House'' (originally titled ''My World Dies Screaming'') is a 1958 American horror film produced by William S. Edwards and directed by Harold Daniels. The movie stars Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching, and John Qua ...

'' (1958) - Mark Snell *''

Escort West ''Escort West'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Francis D. Lyon, and starring Victor Mature, Faith Domergue, and Elaine Stewart. The movie is set after the U.S. Civil War, when a former Confederate officer, played by Victor Mature, a ...

'' (1959) - Capt. Howard Poole

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ching, William 1913 births 1989 deaths American male musical theatre actors American male film actors American male television actors Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from St. Louis 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers