William Franklin Finley (September 20, 1940 – April 14, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in the films ''

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'', ''

Silent Rage ''Silent Rage'' is a 1982 American action crime science fiction film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man (Brian Libby) who goes on a rampage after being granted near-indestructibility i ...

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Phantom of the Paradise ''Phantom of the Paradise'' is a 1974 American rock musical comedy horror film written and directed by Brian De Palma and scored by and starring Paul Williams. In the film, a naïve young singer-songwriter (played by William Finley) is tricked ...

'', ''

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'' and '' The Wedding Party''. Finley had a long-running friendship and collaboration with director

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

, beginning with the student films ''Woton's Wake'' (1962), ''The Wedding Party'' (1966) and '' Murder à la Mod'' (1968). He also had roles in three films by

Tobe Hooper Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work in the horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror fi ...

: ''

Eaten Alive ''Eaten Alive'' (known under various alternate titles, including ''Death Trap'', ''Horror Hotel'', and ''Starlight Slaughter'', and stylized on the poster as ''Eaten Alive!'') is a 1976 American horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written ...

'', ''

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'' and ''

Night Terrors Night terror, also called sleep terror, is a sleep disorder causing feelings of panic or dread and typically occurring during the first hours of stage 3–4 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and lasting for 1 to 10 minutes. It can last long ...

''. Under the name W. Franklin Finley, he wrote the screenplay for the film ''The First Time'' (1983). He was also the co-author of the book ''Racewalking'' (1985).

Personal life

Finley graduated from Columbia University in 1963. He married Susan Weiser in 1975; the couple had one son, Dashiell. The family resided in New York City.

Death

Finley was diagnosed with an inflamed colon on April 6, 2012. He underwent surgery three days after his admission. He appeared to be doing well after the surgery, but on the morning of April 14, 2012, Finley died aged 71 in New York City.

Filmography

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Finley, William 1940 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male television actors Columbia University alumni Sarah Lawrence College alumni