William Smith
William Smith was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 300 feature films and television productions, best known for playing Anthony Falconetti on the TV mini series "Rich Man, Poor Man". He held a BA from Syracuse and an MA in Russian Studies from UCLA.
Born in Columbia, Missouri, Smith began his acting career at the age of eight in 1942; he entered films as a child actor in such films as The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Song of Bernadette and Meet Me in St. Louis.
He
Smith was cast as John Richard Parker, brother of Cynthia Ann Parker, both taken hostage in Texas by the Comanche, in the 1969 episode "The Understanding" of the syndicated television series Death Valley Days, which was hosted by Robert Taylor. In the story line, Parker contracts the plague, is left for dead by his fellow Comanche warriors, and is rescued by his future Mexican wife, Yolanda (Emily Banks).
He played outlaw turned temporary sheriff Hendry Brown in the 1969 episode "The Restless Man". In that story line, Brown takes the job of sheriff to tame a lawless town, begins to court a young woman (again played by Emily Banks), but soon returns to his deadly outlaw ways in search of bigger thrills.
On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared in a 1972 episode, "Hostage!"; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".
Born
Mar 24, 1933
Columbia, Missouri, USA
Died
Jul 05, 2021
Known For
Acting
Movies
145 acting
5 crew
Popularity
1.1
Known For
Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Conan's Father
The Outsiders
1983
as Store Clerk
Red Dawn
1984
as Strelnikov
Maverick
1994
as Riverboat Poker Player
Rumble Fish
1983
as Patterson the Cop
Gilda
1946
as Man (uncredited)
Any Which Way You Can
1980
as Jack Wilson
Maniac Cop
1988
as Captain Ripley
Irresistible
2020
as Hofbrau Bar Fly
Meet Me in St. Louis
1944
as Little Boy (uncredited)
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