William Anton Gittinger (March 28, 1888 – February 13, 1966), best known as William Steele, was an American actor of small roles in Westerns, particularly those of
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
.
Biography
Although his screen credits and many records indicate a wide variety of names and spellings, Steele's own signatures on his military documents indicate that he was born William Anton Gittinger on March 28, 1888 (not 1889, as some sources have it) in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Little is known of his life prior to his arrival 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 world' ...
around 1910. As the film industry in Hollywood was just blossoming, and as he apparently had great experience with horses, Steele easily obtained work in quickie Westerns. He fought in Europe in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, then returned to Hollywood. While he was extremely inconsistent in the names he used, he worked consistently in Westerns throughout the silent era and up until the 1950s. His final appearance was as the wounded posse member Nesby in Ford's ''
The Searchers
''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John Wa ...
'' in 1956, his tenth film for Ford. He died ten years later, not quite 78 years old. He was survived by his wife Josephine, an actress. He is buried under his birth name at
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of 2014, had over 144,000 interme ...
in San Antonio, Texas.National Cemetery Administration. U.S. Veterans Grave sites, ca.1775-2006
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1 ...
, Short) - The Cattle Rustler
* ''
A Knight of the Range
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
Blood Money
Blood money may refer to:
* Blood money (restitution), money paid to the family of a murder victim
Films
* Blood Money (1917 film), ''Blood Money'' (1917 film), a film starring Harry Carey
* Blood Money (1921 film), ''Blood Money'' (1921 film ...
Her Own People
''Her Own People'' is a 1917 American drama silent film directed by Scott Sidney and written by Gardner Hunting and Julia Crawford Ivers. The film stars Lenore Ulric, Colin Chase, Howard Davies, Adelaide Woods, Jack Stark and Gail Brooks. The film ...
'' (1917) -Polsa Kar
* ''
The Outlaw and the Lady
''The Outlaw and the Lady'' is a 1917 film featuring Harry Carey (actor born 1878), Harry Carey and released by Universal Pictures.
Cast
* Harry Carey (actor born 1878), Harry Carey
* Louise Lovely
* Jack Richardson (actor), Jack Richardson
* ...
'' (1917, Short) - The Sheriff
* ''
Goin' Straight
''Goin' Straight'' is a 1917 American silent film featuring Harry Carey and released by Universal Pictures.
Cast
* Harry Carey - Cheyenne Harry
* Priscilla Dean - Mary Carter
* Vester Pegg
Vester Pegg (May 23, 1889 – February 19, 195 ...
'' (1917, Short) - Sheriff Dan Bekham
* '' The Fighting Gringo'' (1917) - Jim
* ''
Hair-Trigger Burke
''Hair-Trigger Burke'' is a 1917 American silent Western film starring Harry Carey.
Cast
* Harry Carey
* Ted Brooks
* Claire Du Brey
* Vester Pegg
* William Steele (as William Gettinger)
See also
* Harry Carey filmography
This is a list ...
'' (1917, Short) - The Sheriff
* ''
A 44-Calibre Mystery
''A 44-Calibre Mystery'' is a 1917 American short film, short Western (genre), Western film, featuring Harry Carey (actor born 1878), Harry Carey. Carey plays the role of Sheriff Cheyenne Harry. He saves Kitty Flanders from Pete McGuire and take ...
'' (1917, Short) - Deputy Sheriff Horton
* ''
The Mysterious Outlaw
''The Mysterious Outlaw'' is a 1917 American short silent Western film featuring Harry Carey and released by Universal Pictures.
Cast
* Harry Carey - Buck Lessen, the Outlaw
* William Steele - Henry Martin (as William Gettinger)
* Jane Ber ...
'' (1917, Short) - Henry Martin
* '' The Golden Bullet'' (1917, Short) - Crazy Creek Sheriff
* ''
The Wrong Man
''The Wrong Man'' is a 1956 American docudrama film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book ''The True St ...
'' (1917, Short) - Larry Malone
* ''
Six-Shooter Justice
''Six-Shooter Justice'' is a 1917 American Western (genre), Western film featuring Harry Carey (actor born 1878), Harry Carey.
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, John Gregg (Witting) and his daughter Mary (Du Brey) become lost and acc ...
'' (1917, Short) - Mike Hernandez
* ''
The Soul Herder
''The Soul Herder'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by John Ford, and featuring Harry Carey. The film is presumed to be lost. The film was premiered in Dayton, Ohio, on August 3, 1917.
Cast
* Harry Carey
* Molly Malone
* Hoot G ...
'' (1917, Short) - Bill Young
* '' Cheyenne's Pal'' (1917, Short) - Cowboy
* ''
The Texas Sphinx
}
''The Texas Sphinx'' is a 1917 American silent Western film, featuring Harry Carey and released by Universal Pictures.
Cast
* Harry Carey
* Hoot Gibson
* Ed Jones
* Alice Lake
* William Steele credited as William Gettinger
* Vester Pegg
...
'' (1917, Short) - Dick Lonagan
* ''
The Secret Man
''The Secret Man'' is a 1917 American silent Western film, directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. Two of the five reels of the film survive at the Library of Congress film archive.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, Cheyenne Harr ...
'' (1917) - The Foreman
* ''
A Marked Man
''A Marked Man'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. It is considered to be a lost film.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, Cheyenne Harry (Carey), in his search for food, breaks into the ...
The Phantom Riders
''The Phantom Riders'' is a 1918 silent American Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. The film is considered to be lost.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, Dave Bland (Steele), head of a band of cattle rustlers op ...
The Misfit Wife
''The Misfit Wife'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edmund Mortimer and starring Alice Lake, Forrest Stanley and William Steele.Goble p.220 It is based on the 1916 play ''The Outsider'' by Julie Herne.
Cast
* Alice Lake as K ...
'' ( 1920) - Duff Simpson
* '' The Stranger'' (1920) - Dr. Tyke
* ''
The Avenging Arrow
''The Avenging Arrow'' is a 1921 American silent Western film serial directed by William J. Bowman and W. S. Van Dyke. Its 15 episodes are now considered to be lost.
Episodes
Fifteen episodes of ''The Avenging Arrow'' were released weekly f ...
'' (
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
) - Don Carlos Martinez
* ''
The Wallop
''The Wallop'' is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by John Ford and starring Harry Carey. The film is considered to be lost.
Plot
As described in a film publication, John Wesley Pringle (Carey), an adventurer, returns to Gadsden ...
'' (1921) - Christopher Foy
* ''Riding with Death'' (1921) - Chick Dillon
* ''Pardon My Nerve!'' (
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
) - Nebraska Jones
* '' The Fast Mail'' (1922) - Pierre La Fitte
* ''
Bells of San Juan
''Bells of San Juan'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Scott Dunlap and starring Buck Jones. It was based on the Jackson Gregory novel ''The Bells of San Juan''. It was the first of five films where Claude Payton was cast a ...
'' (1922) - Kid Rickard
* '' Single Handed'' ( 1923) - Windy Smith
* ''
Dead Game
''Dead Game'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and featuring Hoot Gibson.
Cast
* Hoot Gibson as "Katy" Didd (credited as Ed "Hoot" Gibson)
* Robert McKim (actor), Robert McKim as P ...
'' (1923) - Sam Antone
* ''
Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande
''Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande'' is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by George E. Marshall and written by George Hively. The film stars Jack Hoxie, Emmett King, Elinor Field, Fred C. Jones, William Steele, and Bob McKenzie. I ...
'' (1923) - Bill Barton
* ''
Shootin' for Love
''Shootin' for Love'' is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and featuring Hoot Gibson.Hit and Run
In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions.
Additional obligation
In many jurisdictions, there may be a ...
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
''The Ridin' Kid from Powder River'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Hoot Gibson. It was based on a novel by Henry Herbert Knibbs and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.
Plot
As des ...
'' (1924) - 'Lightnin' Bill Smith
* ''
The Hurricane Kid
''The Hurricane Kid'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and released by Universal Pictures.
Plot
As described in a review in a film magazine, the Hurricane Kid (Gibso ...
'' (
1925
Events January
* January 1
** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...
) - Lafe Baxter
* '' The Saddle Hawk'' (1925) - Steve Kern
* ''
Let 'er Buck
''Let 'er Buck'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Hoot Gibson.
Plot
As described in a review in a film magazine, Bob Carson (Gibson), working on Col. Jeff McCall's (French) ranch, is admired by ...
'' (1925) - Kent Crosby
* ''Don Dare Devil'' (1925) - Benito Menocal
* '' The Sagebrush Lady'' (1925) - Sheriff Martin
* ''
Ace of Spades
The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game.
Design
The orn ...
The Flaming Frontier
''The Flaming Frontier'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, General Custer, who i ...
'' (1926) - Penfield
* ''
The Fighting Peacemaker
''The Fighting Peacemaker'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Jack Hoxie, Lola Todd and Ted Oliver.
Cast
* Jack Hoxie as 'Peace River' Parker
* Lola Todd
Lola may refer to:
Places
* Lolá, a o ...
The Ridin' Rascal
''The Ridin' Rascal'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith based upon the novel ''Mavericks'' by William MacLeod Raine. The film stars Art Acord, Olive Hasbrouck, and Buck Connors.
Plot
As described in a film maga ...
'' (1926)
* ''
The Runaway Express
''The Runaway Express'' is a 1926 American silent action film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Jack Dougherty, Blanche Mehaffey, and Tom O'Brien.Rough and Ready'' ( 1927) - Morris Manning
* ''
Loco Luck
''Loco Luck'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and written by Doris Malloy and Isadore Bernstein. The film stars Art Acord, Fay Wray, Aggie Herring, William Steele, Al Jennings and George F. Marion. The fi ...
'' (1927) - Frank Lambert
* '' The Valley of Hell'' (1927) - James Brady
* ''
Whispering Sage
''Whispering Sage'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and written by Harold Shumate. It is based on the 1922 novel ''Whispering Sage'' by Harry Sinclair Drago and Joseph Noel. The film stars Buck Jones, Natal ...
'' (1927) - Tom Kildare
* '' Range Courage'' (1927) - Tex Lucas
* ''
Hoof Marks
''Hoof Marks'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Tenny Wright and starring Jack Donovan, Ed Brady and Edward Cecil.
Cast
* Jack Donovan as Cal Wagner
* Ed Brady as Rawhide Smith
* Edward Cecil as Harold Cole
* Willia ...
'' (1927) - Sam Trapp
* ''The Fearless Rider'' (
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...
) - Dr. Lucifer Blade
* ''
The Call of the Heart
''The Call of the Heart'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Francis Ford and written by Basil Dickey and Gardner Bradford. The film stars Dynamite the Dog, Joan Alden, Edmund Cobb, William Steele, Maurice Murphy and George Pl ...
1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
) - First Deputy
* ''
Doughboys
Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American Infantry, infantryman World War I#Entry of the United States, during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples inclu ...
'' (1930) - Lieutenant Randolph
* ''
Flaming Guns
''Flaming Guns'' is a 1932 American Western film directed by Arthur Rosson and written by Jack Cunningham. The film stars Tom Mix, William Farnum, Ruth Hall, Clarence Wilson, George Hackathorne and Duke R. Lee. The film was released on Decem ...
King of the Arena
''King of the Arena'' is a 1933 American pre-Code
Western film written and directed by Alan James. The film stars Ken Maynard, Lucile Browne, John St. Polis, Bob Kortman, Michael Visaroff and James A. Marcus. The film was released on June 1, ...
'' (1933) - (uncredited)
* ''
Gordon of Ghost City
''Gordon of Ghost City'' is a 1933 Pre-Code Hollywood, Pre-Code Universal Pictures, Universal Serial (film), movie serial based on the novel ''Oh, Promise Me!'' by Peter B. Kyne, directed by Ray Taylor (director), Ray Taylor and starring Buck J ...
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
) - Guide (uncredited)
* ''
The Vanishing Shadow
''The Vanishing Shadow'' is a 1934 Universal science fiction film serial directed by Lew Landers. It features what is believed to be the first appearance of a hand-held ray gun in film. (apart from '' The Death Ray''). Many science fiction gadget ...
'' (1934, Serial) - Henchman (uncredited)
* ''
The Red Rider
''The Red Rider'' is a 1934 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures and starring Buck Jones. It has 15 chapters based on the short story "The Redhead from Sun Dog" by W. C. Tuttle, and is a remake of Buck Jones' earlier 1931 film '' ...
'' (1934, Serial) - Townsman (uncredited)
* ''
Rocky Rhodes
''Rocky Rhodes'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Alfred Raboch and written by Edward Churchill. The film stars Buck Jones, Sheila Terry, Stanley Fields, Walter Miller, Alfred P. James and Paul Fix. The film was released on Septem ...
'' (1934) - Cowhand (uncredited)
* ''
When a Man Sees Red
''When a Man Sees Red'' is a 1917 American silent drama film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by Frank Lloyd. William Farnum stars in this now lost film. It was remade in 1934 as ''Pursued''.
This was the debut ...
'' (1934) - Henchman Speck
* ''For the Service'' (
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
) - Henchman (uncredited)
* ''
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...
'' (
1938
Events
January
* January 1
** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
The Outlaw
''The Outlaw'' is a 1943 American Western film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell, and Walter Huston. Hughes also produced the film, while Howard Hawks served as an uncredited co-director. Th ...
'' (
1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 – ...
) - Deputy (uncredited)
* ''
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
'' (
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
Januar ...
) - Roper (uncredited)
* ''
Two Guys from Texas
''Two Guys from Texas'' is a 1948 American comedy musical western film directed by David Butler and starring Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, and Dorothy Malone. The film was written by Allen Boretz and I.A.L. Diamond, produced by Alex Gottlieb, ...
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
''She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' is a 1949 American Technicolor Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. It is the second film in Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy", along with '' Fort Apache'' (1948) and ''Rio Grande'' (1950). With a budg ...
Copper Canyon
Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barrancas del Cobre) is a group of six distinct canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in northwestern Mexico that is in size. The canyons were formed by six rivers tha ...
'' (1950) - Roper (uncredited)
* ''
The Searchers
''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John Wa ...