William Albert Henry (November 10, 1914 – August 10, 1982) was an American actor who worked in both films and television.

Biography

William Henry-Virginia Gilmore in Jennie

Born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, California, Henry started as a child actor, then was a hero in B-movies (mainly

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

), and ended his career as a

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 ...

. He appeared in various roles on episodes of many television series. He was a member of the

John Ford Stock Company The John Ford Stock Company is the name given to the large collection of actors used repeatedly in the films of American director John Ford. Most famous among these was John Wayne, who appeared in twenty-four films and three television episodes fo ...

and appeared twelve times for Ford. He also appeared in John Wayne's '' The Alamo'' (1960); in this version of the famous siege, Henry's character, Dr. Sutherland, is the last of the defenders to be killed. Henry was active with the

Pasadena Community Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

. In 1952, Henry was cast as the San Francisco lawyer Lew Barry in the episode, "Self Made Man," of the

syndicated television Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...

, ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the progra ...

'', hosted by

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program '' Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the firs ...

. Bill guest starred twice in Gene Barry's TV Western ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', once in 1958 as crooked "Sheriff Griff Hanley" (S1E7's "A Noose Fits Anyone") and again in 1960 as stalwart "Sheriff Brady" (S2E23's "The Snare"). Henry's brother was the character actor

Thomas Browne Henry Thomas Browne Henry (November 7, 1907 – June 30, 1980) was an American character actor known for many guest appearances on television and in films. He was active with the Pasadena Community Playhouse and was the older brother of actor ...

. Henry was married and twice divorced. His first marriage was to Grace Durkin, with whom he had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Michele. He and his second wife, Barbara Knudson, were the parents of William "Bill" Henry, Jr. (b. 1958).

Selected filmography

* ''

Lord Jim ''Lord Jim'' is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in ''Blackwood's Magazine'' from October 1899 to November 1900. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, i ...

'' (1925) - Street Urchin (uncredited) * '' Adorable'' (1933) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Best of Enemies'' (1933) - College Student (uncredited) * ''

Coming Out Party ''Coming Out Party'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code drama film directed by John G. Blystone starring Frances Dee, Gene Raymond, Alison Skipworth and Nigel Bruce. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. Synopsis Joy Stanhope, ...

'' (1934) - Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

The Thin Man ''The Thin Man'' (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in a condensed version in the December 1933 issue of ''Redbook''. It appeared in book form the following month. A film series followed, featuring the main ch ...

'' (1934) - Gilbert Wynant * ''

Operator 13 ''Operator 13'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romance film directed by Richard Boleslawski and starring Marion Davies, Gary Cooper, and Jean Parker. Based on stories written by Robert W. Chambers, the film is about a Union spy who impersonate ...

'' (1934) - Young Lieutenant Kissing Blonde (uncredited) * '' A Wicked Woman'' (1934) - Curtis * '' China Seas'' (1935) - Rockwell * ''

Society Doctor ''Society Doctor'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Robert Taylor, Chester Morris, and Virginia Bruce. It was produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was inspired by an unproduced play by Theodo ...

'' (1935) - Frank Snowden * ''The Perfect Tribute'' (1935) - Wounded soldier (uncredited) * '' Exclusive Story'' (1936) - James Witherspoon Jr. * ''

Tarzan Escapes ''Tarzan Escapes'' is a 1936 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the third in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ''Tarzan'' series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes". Previous films were '' Tarzan ...

'' (1936) - Eric Parker * ''

Double or Nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...

'' (1937) - Egbert Clark * ''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen twelve times over sixty-five ...

'' (1937) - Hugh Fariman Jr. * ''

Mama Runs Wild ''Mama Runs Wild'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Ralph Staub and written by Gordon Kahn and Hal Yates. The film stars Mary Boland, Ernest Truex, William "Bill" Henry, Lynne Roberts, Max Terhune and Joseph Crehan. The film was relea ...

'' (1937) - Paul Fowler * ''

Four Men and a Prayer ''Four Men and a Prayer'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by John Ford and starring Loretta Young, Richard Greene and George Sanders. Plot After Loring Leigh ( C. Aubrey Smith), a British Army Officer, is cashiered in India followi ...

'' (1938) - Rodney Leigh * ''

Yellow Jack The yellow jack (''Carangoides bartholomaei''), also known as coolihoo, is a species of marine fish in the jack family, Carangidae. It is one of only two representatives of its genus present in the Atlantic Ocean, inhabiting waters off the east ...

'' (1938) - Breen * ''

Campus Confessions ''Campus Confessions'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by George Archainbaud, featuring Betty Grable in her first starring role, and American basketball player Hank Luisetti in his only film appearance. Plot Wayne Atterbury Sr. is pr ...

'' (1938) - Wayne Atterbury, Jr. * ''

A Man to Remember ''A Man to Remember'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Garson Kanin, his first film credit as a director. The picture was based on the short story ''Failure'', written by Katharine Haviland-Taylor, and the screenplay was penned by Dalton ...

'' (1938) - Howard Sykes * ''

Ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactics, military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbru ...

'' (1939) - Charlie Hartman * ''

Persons in Hiding ''Persons in Hiding'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Louis King and written by William R. Lipman and Horace McCoy. The film stars Lynne Overman, Patricia Morison, J. Carrol Naish, William "Bill" Henry, Helen Twelvetrees and William Fr ...

'' (1939) - Agent Dan Waldron * ''

The Arizona Wildcat ''The Arizona Wildcat'' is a 1939 American comedy Western film directed by Herbert I. Leeds and starring Leo Carrillo and Jane Withers. Plot The orphaned Mary Jane Patterson (Jane Withers) is under the guardianship of Manuel Hernandez ( Leo ...

'' (1939) - Donald Clark * '' I'm from Missouri'' (1939) - Joel Streight * ''

Television Spy ''Television Spy'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring William Henry. Plot A scientist invents a television called the Iconoscope, which thieves try to steal. Cast * William Henry as Douglas Cameron * Judith ...

'' (1939) - Douglas Cameron * ''

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...

'' (1939) - Lt. John Steele, Jr. * '' Emergency Squad'' (1940) - Peter Barton * '' Parole Fixer'' (1940) - Scott Britton * ''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of th ...

'' (1940) - Paul Kriza Jr. * ''

Queen of the Mob ''Queen of the Mob'' is a 1940 American film (also known as ''The Woman from Hell''), directed by James P. Hogan. The source material here was a book attributed to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover entitled ''Persons in ...

'' (1940) - Bert Webster * ''

Cherokee Strip The Cherokee Outlet, or Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was a 60-mile-wide (97 km) parcel of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between 96 and 100°W. The Cherokee Outlet wa ...

'' (1940) - Tom Cross * '' Jennie'' (1940) - George Schermer * ''

Blossoms in the Dust ''Blossoms in the Dust'' is a 1941 American biographical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, Fay Holden and Samuel S. Hinds. It tells the true story of Edna Gladney, who help ...

'' (1941) - Allan Keats * ''

Dance Hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and cities i ...

'' (1941) - Joe Brooks * ''

Scattergood Meets Broadway ''Scattergood Meets Broadway'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Christy Cabanne and written by Michael L. Simmons and Ethel B. Stone. It is the sequel to the 1941 film '' Scattergood Pulls the Strings''. The film stars Guy Kibbee, Mild ...

'' (1941) - David Drew * ''

Pardon My Stripes ''Pardon My Stripes'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by John H. Auer and written by Lawrence Kimble and Stuart Palmer. The film stars William "Bill" Henry, Sheila Ryan, Edgar Kennedy, Harold Huber, Paul Hurst and Cliff Nazarro. The fi ...

'' (1942) - Henry Platt * '' Klondike Fury'' (1942) - Jim Armstrong * '' A Gentleman After Dark'' (1942) - Paul Rutherford * '' Stardust on the Sage'' (1942) - Jeff Drew * ''

There's One Born Every Minute ''There's One Born Every Minute'', also known as ''Man or Mouse'', is a 1942 American Universal Pictures comedy film directed by Harold Young. It was Elizabeth Taylor's first film and one of her only films with Universal Studios. The film is ...

'' (1942) - Lester Cadwalader Jr. * '' Rubber Racketeers'' (1942) - Bill Barry * ''

Sweater Girl The term "sweater girl" was made popular in the 1940s and 1950s to describe Hollywood actors like Lana Turner, Jayne Mansfield, and Jane Russell, who adopted the popular fashion of wearing tight, form-fitting sweaters that emphasized the wom ...

'' (1942) - Happy Dudley * '' Calaboose'' (1943) - Tom Pendergrast * '' I Escaped from the Gestapo'' (1943) - Gordon - Gestapo Agent * ''

Sarong Girl ''Sarong Girl'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and written by Charles R. Marion, Arthur Hoerl and Tim Ryan. The film stars Ann Corio, Tim Ryan, Irene Ryan, Mantan Moreland, William Henry, Damian O'Flynn and Jo ...

'' (1943) - Jeff Baxter * '' False Faces'' (1943) - Don Westcott * ''

Alaska Highway