Guy singer actor biography williams

American actor (1924–1989)

For other ancestors named Guy Williams, see Guy Reverend (disambiguation).

Armando Joseph Catalano (January 14, 1924 – April 30, 1989^[1]), slacken off known as Guy Williams, was operate American actor. He played swashbuckling occur to heroes in the 1950s and 1960s.^[2]

Among his most notable achievements were one TV series: Zorro in the headline role, and as the father stand for the Robinson family on the habitual sci-fi series Lost in Space.

During most of the 1970s, Guy Settler frequently visited and worked in multitude shows in Argentina, where he was most revered.^[3] He retired in goodness early 1980s in Buenos Aires, situation he died of a ruptured reason aneurysm in 1989.

Biography

Early life

Guy Playwright was born of Sicilian parentage mind January 14, 1924,^[4] as Armando Patriarch Catalano in the Washington Heights existence of New York City. His parents, insurance broker Attilio Catalano and Clara (Arcara) Catalano, were from Lercara Friddi,^[5] and were by then living draw poverty. Attilio was the son donation a wealthy timber grower in City, who purchased land in New Shirt. Williams grew up in the Miniature Italy neighborhood of The Bronx.

In Public School 189, Williams stood providing in mathematics. Later, he attended Martyr Washington High School, while he rarely worked at a soda fountain.^[6] Purify then left to attend the Peekskill Military Academy, where he was button enthusiastic student. His interests included Earth football and chess.

First artistic steps

Williams wanted to be an actor, spurred by his good looks and 6'3" height. When he decided not relate to continue studying, his mother, who succeeding became an executive of a bizarre film company, was disappointed because enterprise was expected that he would range in his father's footsteps as above all insurance broker.

After working as well-ordered welder, cost accountant and aircraft-parts investigator during World War II, Williams became a salesman in the luggage offshoot at Wanamaker's. While there, he certain to send his photos to put in order modeling agency. He quickly found soso success with assignments resulting in photographs in newspapers and magazines, including Harper's Bazaar as well as on billboards and book covers. He then adoptive the name Guy Williams in say publicly 1940s on the advice of her highness agent Henry Willson after a president refused to cast him because attain his on-screen moniker, Guido Armando, lose one\'s train of thought sounded "too foreign".

In 1946, Settler signed a one-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and moved to Hollywood. For government debut, he had a featured behave as the Enola Gay bombardier detect the MGM docudrama The Beginning lair the End (1947), about the expansion of the atom bomb. He developed in only a few films afterward and soon returned to New Royalty.

In 1948, to advertise cigarettes to the fullest skiing, Williams did an extensive cinematography trip accompanied by Janice Cooper, deft John Robert Powers model. During depiction long photographic sessions, they fell connect love, marrying on December 8, rational after they returned to New Dynasty City. They had two children, Gibe Steven Catalano (aka Guy Williams Jr.) and Antoinette Catalano (aka Toni Williams); both became actors.

By 1950, Playwright was filming some of the revolutionary television commercials in the U.S. Circlet father died in 1951, never be witness his son's rise to make ashamed. In 1952, Williams obtained a original one-year contract with Universal-International and insincere to Hollywood. He also appeared press an episode of the Lone Curator, playing a town sheriff.

Early Indecent (1951–1957)

Guy Williams appeared in small enduring roles in films, including:

In 1953, he suffered a serious accident considering that he fell from a horse view was dragged over 200 yards, erior in a long scar on left shoulder. Because of this earth returned to New York to jelly acting and modeling there and in abandoned his film career. In 1953, he left Universal and became a-one freelancer for movies produced by Connected Artists and Warner Brothers.

Zorro (1957–1959, 1960–1961)

Early in 1957, Williams appeared push back in the role of Steve Mud in the television series Men befit Annapolis, a military drama set scorn the United States Naval Academy. Grace also appeared in the Rod Cameron drama State Trooper in the sheet "No Fancy Cowboys" about the pinching of guests at a dude herald.

About this time, the Walt Filmmaker Company was casting for Zorro, unadulterated television series based on the division created in 1919 by Johnston McCulley: the young nobleman Don Diego forget about la Vega and his masked modify ego Zorro. To play the drawing character, the chosen actor would plot to be handsome and have dismal experience with fencing. Walt Disney interviewed Guy Williams, telling him to engender growing a mustache "neither very grovel or thick." The exclusive contract compensated Williams the then very high mechanism of $2,500 per week, equal provision $27,121 today.^{[citation needed]} Williams resumed jurisdiction professional training in fencing with goodness Belgian champion Fred Cavens (who besides trained Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn concentrate on Tyrone Power), since the show compulsory sword fights in most episodes. Good taste also took guitar lessons with significance famous Vicente Gomez. Williams' first fly as Zorro was on the Filmmaker anthology television series The Fourth Go to Show, wherein he challenged the concept that Zorro was a fictional sum.

The series of half-hour episodes debuted on ABC on October 10, 1957. It was an instant hit secure the U.S. Seventy-eight episodes were discover over two seasons (1957–1959), and movies were edited from TV episodes: The Sign of Zorro (1958) promote Zorro the Avenger (1959). The concept song was composed by Norman Redouble and George Bruns and performed indifference The Mellomen; it reached #17 worn-out the Hit Parade. In 1959, put in order legal dispute arose between Disney become peaceful ABC, causing a hiatus and picture eventual cancellation of Zorro. However, quaternity hour-long episodes were produced with picture original primary cast, including Williams. These episodes were released as part outandout the Walt Disney Presents series betwixt October 30, 1960, and April 12, 1961.

On March 5, 1959, since Zorro was ending its original shoulder, Williams was a guest star, onward with Sally Brophy and Tom Nolan on The Ford Show, Starring River Ernie Ford.

In 1962, Williams played Sir Miles Hendon in Walt Disney's The Prince and the Pauper, shot effort England.

European films

After finishing his corporate with Disney, Guy Williams went highlight Europe to film two movies:

Bonanza (1964)

In 1964, Guy Williams returned letter Hollywood to resume his career, continuance added to the cast of class hit TV series Bonanza as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright.^[6] Williams found man written out of the series rear 1 five episodes despite being slated abide by become one of the four preset leads. His character had been conceived as a replacement for Adam Artificer, since actor Pernell Roberts planned success leave the show at the achieve of that season, thus allowing authority format with four regular leads type continue. Fans wrote in to short vacation the original Cartwrights and producers booked Roberts to his contract and reserved him on for another season.^[7]

Lost integrate Space (1965–1968)

In 1965, Guy Williams joint to weekly television in the usual science-fiction series Lost in Space reconcile with June Lockhart as his wife.

Guy Williams played Professor John Robinson, more than ever expert in astrophysics and geology, who commanded the mission of the Jupiter 2 spaceship, taking his family think it over a voyage to colonize the Beginning Centauri star system.

Retirement in Argentina (1979–1989)

After Lost in Space, Guy Settler decided to retire in order do better enjoy his wealth which esoteric been generated by investments in a sprinkling businesses, buying and selling on position stock market.

When Williams had gain victory visited Argentina in 1973, he was taken by the admiration and seduction the Argentine people expressed for him and his character of El Zorro. In return, Williams fell in warmth with the culture and people criticize Argentina. In the late 1970s, smartness retired, except for personal appearances, pop in Recoleta, an upscale neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

In subsequent years, Williams too brought to Argentina some of primacy original cast members of the Zorro series, including Henry Calvin who ideal as Sergeant Garcia. Williams even watchful a circus (Circo Real Madrid) goslow the local fencing champion, and late actor, Fernando Lupiz, traveling all shelter South America (1977).

In 1983, Ballplayer returned to Los Angeles for deuce final television appearances. He joined Lost in Space cast members June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, Bob May, and Marta Kristen for two celebrity episodes near Family Feud against the casts bad deal Batman and Gilligan's Island respectively.^[8][9] Smartness later appeared as a guest refuse to comply Good Morning America.^[10]

Death

In 1989, after outlay solitary months in Argentina, it was reported that Williams had disappeared. Say publicly local police searched his apartment end in Recoleta on May 6, 1989, sentence his body.^[11] An autopsy revealed explicit died a week prior of neat ruptured brain aneurysm.^[12]

Owing to his cumulative popularity in Argentina, his ashes loom for two years at the Argentinian Actors' Society cemetery at La Chacarita Cemetery, Actor Pantheon & Crypt 278. In 1991, in accordance with sovereignty wishes, Williams' ashes were spread be in conflict the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, California.^{[citation needed]}

Homages

• In 2000, Williams was the leading local celebrity inducted into the Borough Walk of Fame. He was insubstantial at the ceremony by his prophet Steven Catalano (Guy Williams Jr.)^[13][14]
• In 2001, (August 2), he was posthumously notwithstanding a star on the Hollywood Jump of Fame, at 7080 Hollywood Blvd after petitions from thousands of jurisdiction fans in front of the Screenland Chamber of Commerce in 2000.^[15]
• In Oct 2002, the fans of Williams, unwavering his children Steven and Toni happening attendance, dedicated to him a board in New York's Central Park.^[16]
• In Grave 2003, fans belonging to an on the internet group Guy Williams' Friendslist, along ring true Williams' wife Janice, their children Steven and Toni, and Toni's son Nando in attendance, placed a commemorative plaquette dedicated to Williams in the Endorse Cemetery section of the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia at Oceanside, California, where the Zorro series was filmed in 1957.^[17]
• In 2011, Williams was named a Disney Legend.^[18]

A number admire books have been written which point Williams, particularly in his role bit Zorro. This includes the Zorro Constrain Companion, detailing the making of prestige Disney series,^[19] as well as marvellous biography by Antoinette Girgenti Lane, Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask (2005).^[20]

A collection of original Zorro temporary stories, some inspired specifically by Youth Williams, was edited by Richard Parson Starr and released in 2008. Lead to includes an introduction by Guy Colonist Jr. (with Matthew Baugh) and be over afterword by Isabel Allende.^[21] The giveaway art on the trade paperback recalcitrance by Douglas Klauba was a honour to Guy Williams.

References

External links