William Post Jr. (February 19, 1901 – September 26, 1989) was an American actor and drama instructor. He was sometimes billed without the use of "Jr." following his surname.

Early life

Post was born February 19, 1901, in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...

. He was educated at the Phillips-Exeter Academy and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. After graduating from Yale, he studied acting at the

American Laboratory Theatre The American Laboratory Theatre was an American drama school and theatrical company located in New York City that existed during the 1920s and 1930s. It was a publicly subsidized, student-subscription organization that held fund-raising campaigns ...

Career

In the 1930s and 1940s, Post appeared in motion pictures and Broadway productions in supporting roles of varied prominence, but was notable as one of the six actors to portray the character of John Perry on the radio soap opera, ''

John's Other Wife ''John's Other Wife'' is an American old-time radio soap opera. It was broadcast on NBC-Red from September 14, 1936, until March 1940. In that month it moved to NBC-Blue, where it ran until March 20, 1942. Overview ''John's Other Wife'' center ...

''. His acting career from the early 1950s onward, however, was spent exclusively and extensively in television. He portrayed Harry Henderson on the TV version of '' Beulah'' and Harley Naughton on the TV version of '' Claudia''. On March 6, 1949, he had the title role in a '' Studio One'' production of ''Julius Caesar''. His appearances on ''

Broadway Television Theatre ''Broadway Television Theatre'' is a one-hour syndicated television anthology series produced by WOR-TV in New York City. The series premiered April 14, 1952 and ran through January 25, 1954. Overview ''Broadway Television Theatre'' featured a ne ...

'' included productions of "The Night Cap", "The Fortune Hunter", "Three Cornered Moon". "The Letter", "The Enchanged Cottage", "Smilin' Through", and "Reflected Glory". On Broadway, Post appeared in ''Richard III'' (1953), ''Love Goes to Press'' (1947), ''Calico Wedding'' (1945), ''My Sister Eileen'' (1940), ''Boyd's Daughter'' (1940), ''Madame Capet'' (1938), ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' (1938), ''Many Mansions'' (1937), ''King Richard II'' (1937), ''Three Wise Fools'' (1936), ''A Touch of Brimstone'' (1935), ''The Eldest'' (1935), ''Strangers at Home'' (1934), ''Ah, Wilderness!'' (1933), ''When the Bough Breaks'' (1932), ''A Glass of Water'' (1930), ''Seventh Heaven'' (1922), and ''Thank You'' (1921). Post additionally served for 25 years as the head of the drama department at

Finch College Finch College was an undergraduate women's college in Manhattan, New York City. The Finch School opened as a private secondary school for girls in 1900 and became a liberal arts college in 1952. It closed in 1976. Founding Finch was founded in ...

, a women's college in Manhattan.

Personal life

On September 11, 1941, Post married actress Joan Castle. He married his second wife, Doris ?, in ?

Death

A resident of

Granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, in his later years, Post died at the age of 88 at the Presbyterian Hospital in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

. He was survived by his second wife, Doris, and his brother, Robert.

Selected filmography

Film

*''

The Black Camel ''The Black Camel'' (1929) is the fourth of the Charlie Chan novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Plot summary It tells the story of a Hollywood star (Shelah Fane), who is stopping in Hawaii after she finished shooting a film on location in Tahiti. ...

'' (1931) - Alan Jaynes *''

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...

'' (1931) - Lieutenant Henry Dumont *''Birth of a Baby'' (1938) - John Burgess *''

Babes on Broadway ''Babes on Broadway'' is a 1941 American musical film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, with Vincente Minnelli directing Garland's big solo numbers. The film, which features Fay Bainter and Virginia Weidler ...

'' (1941) - Announcer *''

Mr. and Mrs. North ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple was featured in a series of 26 Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television s ...

'' (1942) - Gerald P. North *''

Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical-comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...

'' (1942) - H. U. Bennet *''

Pacific Rendezvous ''Pacific Rendezvous'' is a 1942 American mystery film directed by George Sidney. It stars Lee Bowman and Jean Rogers. The previous film version was the 1935 film '' Rendezvous'', starring William Powell and Rosalind Russell, directed by William ...

'' (1942) - Lanny *''

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) is the fourth in the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of 14 Sherlock Holmes films which updated the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the then p ...

'' (1942) - Dr. Franz Tobel *

The Moon is Down ''The Moon Is Down'' is a novel by American writer John Steinbeck. Fashioned for adaptation for the theatre and for which Steinbeck received the Norwegian King Haakon VII Freedom Cross, it was published by Viking Press in March 1942. The story ...

(1943) - Alex Morden *''

Roger Touhy, Gangster ''Roger Touhy, Gangster'' is a 1944 American gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy, directed by film noir specialist Robert Florey. Parts of the film were shot at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinois, ...

'' (1944) - Joseph P. Sutton *''

Bride by Mistake ''Bride by Mistake'' (1944) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day. The screenplay is by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, based on a story by Norman Krasna, and is a remake of ...

'' (1944) - Donald *''

Experiment Perilous ''Experiment Perilous'' is a 1944 melodrama set at the turn of the 20th century. The film is based on a 1943 novel of the same name by Margaret Carpenter, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Albert S. D'Agostino, Jack Okey, Darrell Silvera, and Cl ...

'' (1944) - District Attorney *''

The House on 92nd Street ''The House on 92nd Street'' is a 1945 black-and-white American spy film directed by Henry Hathaway. The movie, shot mostly in New York City, was released shortly after the end of World War II. ''The House on 92nd Street'' was made with the full c ...

'' (1945) - Walker

Television

*''The Borden Show'' (1947); 1 ep. "The Dangerous Man" *''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Septem ...

'' (1947); 1 ep. "Julius Caesar" - Julius Caesar *''

NBC Presents ''NBC Presents'' is a live merican anthology series produced by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). A total of thirty-six episodes aired on NBC from January 3, 1949 to October 10, 1949. Guest stars included Cloris Leachman, John Forsythe, To ...

'' (1949); 1 ep. "My Wife is a Liar" *'' The Clock'' (1949); 1 ep. "Mark Wade, D.A." *''Lights Out'' (1951); 1 ep. "Promise" *''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

'' (1949); 3 eps. "The Queen Bee," "For Love or Money," "Romeo and Juliet" - Capulet *''

Colgate Theatre ''Colgate Theatre'' is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC during 1949 and 1958 for a total of 50 episodes in two different formats. The first edition, a live television anthology, was telecast on Monday nights from ...

'' (1950); 3 eps. "South Wind," "Blackmail," "Two for a Penny" *''

The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre ''The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre'' is an American anthology series that aired live on NBC Mondays at 8 pm EST from September 27, 1948 to June 26, 1950. The program presented both news headlines and live dramatic performances of either original plays ...

'' (1950); 1 ep. "The Brave Man with a Cord" *'' Masterpiece Playhouse'' (1950); 1 ep. "Richard III" *''

Cameo Theatre ''Cameo Theatre'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955. Television in the round The live series, produced by Albert McCleery, introduced to television the concept of theater-in- ...

'' (1950); 1 ep. "A Point of View" *''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...

'' (1950); 1 ep. "The Letter" - Geoffrey Hammond *''

'' (1951); 1 ep. "Parnassus on Wheels" *''Lights Out'' (1951); 1 ep. "Dead Man's Coat" - Francis *''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

'' (1952); 1 ep. "Prelude" - Roberts *''Line of Duty'' (1952); TV Movie *''

'' (1952); 2 eps. "Three Cornered Moon" - Dr. Alan Stevens, "The Fortune Hunter" - Charles Trowbridge *'' Beulah'' (1950-1952); Recurring role in 6 eps. - Harry Henderson *''

'' (1953); 1 ep. "Appointment in Samarra" *''

'' (1954); 1 ep. "Reflected Glory" *''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that networ ...

'' (1964) - Mr. Hull *''West Point'' (1957); 1 ep. "Ambush" *''

Harbormaster A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...

'' (1958); 1 ep. "Experiment with a Traitor" - Commander Gilmer *''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, ...

'' (1958); 2 eps. "Twelve Cases of Murder," "Thirty Days to Reconsider" - Stephen James *'' Young Dr. Malone'' (1961-1963); Recurring role - Harold Cranston *''

Sunday Showcase ''Sunday Showcase'' is a Canadian radio show, which airs Sunday nights on CBC Radio One. The program, hosted by Damiano Pietropaolo, is an anthology of radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio ...

'' (1959); Role in two-part episode "What Makes Sammy Run?" - Lucky Westover *''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1959); TV Movie - Mr. Gimbel *''

'' (1959); 1 ep. "The Jailbreak" *'' Naked City'' (1960); 1 ep. "A Succession of Heartbeats" - Meredith Linus *''Everglades!'' (1962); 1 ep. "Hideout" - Dan Erickson *''

'' (1962); 1 ep. "Journey to Oblivion" - Nick Logan *''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'' (1963); 1 ep. "Where Are the Sounds of Celli Brahms?" - Mr. Savel *'' Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' (1968-1971); Recurring role - Chandler Garrison #2 *'' You Are There'' (1971); 1 ep. "The Mystery of Amelia Earhart" - Putnam *'' Where the Heart Is'' (1971-1973); Recurring role - Dr. Joe Prescott *''

'' (1974-1975); Recurring role - Walter LePage *''First Ladies Diaries: Edith Wilson'' (1976); TV movie - Senator Hitchcock

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Post Jr., William 1901 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American soap opera actors Male actors from New Jersey People from Montclair, New Jersey Yale University alumni