William Eythe
William Eythe (born April 7, 1918 in Mars , Pennsylvania , † January 26, 1957 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American actor .
life and career
William Eythe developed an interest in acting and theater as a teenager. During his studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh , for example, he performed several musicals, some of which included songs he wrote himself. As early as 1941 he produced the successful piece Lend and Ear , which was later performed with himself in the lead role on Broadway . After completing his studies, Eythe moved to New York, where he worked, among other things, for radio stations as a radio play speaker and presenter. A role in the Broadway play The Moon Is Down brought him the attention of Hollywood agents in 1942 who signed him there. In 1943 Eythe made his film debut as the sensitive son of a sadistic officer in William A. Wellman's western classic Ritt zum Ox-Bow with Henry Fonda . In contrast to many Hollywood colleagues of the same age, Eythe was released from service in World War II because of his poor hearing, which is one of the reasons why Eythe was quickly offered important roles and was traded as a potential star. He made a major appearance in Henry King's biography The Song of Bernadette (1943) about the life of Saint Bernadette . Director King used Eythe again in 1944 in his five Oscar-winning biopic Wilson, about the life of US President Woodrow Wilson . In 1945 Eythe starred as a double agent in Henry Hathaway's spy film The House on 92nd Street .
Soon afterwards, however, the quality of his films decreased noticeably. Although Eythe was considered a talented actor, he was not particularly successful as a star at the box office and also had a few arguments with his superiors, the powerful studio bosses. In addition, there was his homosexuality: Although he was married between 1947 and 1949 in a kind of sham marriage with the actress Buff Cobb (1927-2010) - a granddaughter of the writer Irvin S. Cobb -, in truth he had a long-term relationship with fellow actor Lon McCallister . In 1950 Eythe made his last of a total of 13 films. He then had some engagements as an actor on television and on Broadway before he worked as a theater producer in the last years of his life. In 1959, William Eythe died at the age of only 38 from acute hepatitis , probably partly caused by depression and alcohol problems.
Filmography
- 1943: Ride to the Ox-Bow (The Ox-Bow Incident)
- 1943: The Song of Bernadette (The Song of Bernadette)
- 1944: The Eve of St. Mark
- 1944: Wilson
- 1944: Mission in the Pacific (Wing and a Prayer)
- 1945: Scandal at court (A Royal Scandal)
- 1945: The House on 92nd Street (The House on 92nd Street)
- 1946: Colonel Effingham's Raid
- 1946: Centennial Summer
- 1947: The Last Duel (Meet Me at Dawn)
- 1948: Mr. Reckless
- 1949: Special Agent
- 1949: The Philco Television Playhouse (TV series, 4 episodes)
- 1950: Customs Agent
- 1950–1951: Lights Out (TV series, 2 episodes)
- 1951: Faith Baldwin Romance Theater (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1951: Studio One (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1951: Armstrong Circle Theater (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1951: Lux Video Theater (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1951: Tales of Tomorrow (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1952: Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1952: Hollywood Opening Night (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1954: The Ford Television Theater (TV series, 1 episode)
Web links
- William Eythe in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Eythe, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-American actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 7, 1918 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mars , Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 26, 1957 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles , California , USA |