William Lundigan
William Lundigan | |
---|---|
Lundigan in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) | |
Born |
Syracuse, New York, U.S. | June 12, 1914
Died |
December 20, 1975 61) Duarte, California, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | heart congestion |
Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1937–1971 |
Spouse(s) | Rena Morgan (1945-1975; his death) 1 child |
William Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films[1] include Dodge City (1939), The Fighting 69th (1940), The Sea Hawk (1940), Santa Fe Trail (1940), Dishonored Lady (1947), Pinky (1949), Love Nest (1951) with Marilyn Monroe, The House on Telegraph Hill (1951), I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) and Inferno (1953).
Biography
Growing up in Syracuse, New York,[2] Lundigan was the oldest of four sons. His father, Michael F. Lundigan,[3] owned a shoe store (at which Lundigan worked)[4] in the same building as a local radio station, WFBL.[2] Becoming fascinated by radio, he was playing child roles on radio and producing radio plays at 16.
A graduate of Nottingham High School, Lundigan studied law at Syracuse University, earning money as a radio announcer at WFBL. He graduated and passed the bar examination before events changed his career path.[5] A Universal Pictures production chief heard Lundigan's voice, met him, arranged a screen test and signed him to a motion picture contract in 1937.[1]
Moving over to MGM, Lundigan's last film before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II was Salute to the Marines. He served as a combat cameraman in the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa returning at war's end as a Corporal.[6]
Television
Lundigan was host for Climax! and Shower of Stars.[1] From September 30, 1959, to September 7, 1960, Lundigan portrayed Col. Edward McCauley in the CBS television series, Men into Space.
Politics
In 1963 and 1964, Lundigan joined fellow actors Walter Brennan, Chill Wills, and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., in making appearances on behalf of U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the campaign against U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.[7]
He once had an unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the City Council of Los Angeles, California.[4]
Family
Lundigan married Rena Morgan. They had a daughter, Anastasia.[2]
Death
Lundigan died of apparent heart failure on December 20, 1975, at Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California.[1] He was survived by his wife and daughter.[8]
Radio appearances
- 1951 Screen Guild Players ("Apartment for Peggy")[9]
- 1952 Stars in the Air ("Deep Waters")[10]
Filmography
- 1971 Marcus Welby, M.D.
- 1971 Medical Center
- 1968 Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
- 1967 The Way West
- 1966 Run for Your Life
- 1963 Dick Powell Theatre
- 1962 The Underwater City
- 1961 Death Valley Days
- 1959-1960 Men Into Space
- 1958 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
- 1954-1958 Climax!
- 1958 Playhouse 90
- 1955 Science Fiction Theatre
- 1955 The Star and the Story
- 1955 Fireside Theatre
- 1954 Shower of Stars
- 1954 Dangerous Voyage, AKA Terror Ship, USA
- 1953-1954 The Ford Television Theatre
- 1954 G.E. True Theater
- 1954 Schlitz Playhouse
- 1954 Riders to the Stars
- 1954 The White Orchid
- 1953 Inferno
- 1953 Lux Video Theatre
- 1953 Serpent of the Nile
- 1953 Down Among the Sheltering Palms
- 1951 Elopement
- 1951 Love Nest
- 1951 The House on Telegraph Hill
- 1951 I'd Climb the Highest Mountain
- 1950 I'll Get By
- 1950 Mother Didn't Tell Me
- 1949 Pinky
- 1949 Follow Me Quietly
- 1949 State Department: File 649
- 1948 Mystery in Mexico
- 1948 The Inside Story
- 1947 Dishonored Lady
- 1947 The Fabulous Dorseys
- 1943 Headin' for God's Country
- 1943 Salute to the Marines
- 1943 Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
- 1942 Andy Hardy's Double Life
- 1942 Northwest Rangers
- 1942 Apache Trail
- 1942 Sunday Punch
- 1942 The Courtship of Andy Hardy
- 1942 The Bugle Sounds
- 1941 Sailors on Leave
- 1941 International Squadron
- 1941 Highway West
- 1941 A Shot in the Dark
- 1941 The Great Mr. Nobody
- 1941 The Case of the Black Parrot
- 1940 Santa Fe Trail
- 1940 East of the River
- 1940 Service with the Colors
- 1940 Young America Flies
- 1940 The Sea Hawk
- 1940 The Man Who Talked Too Much
- 1940 Three Cheers for the Irish
- 1940 The Fighting 69th
- 1939 Legion of Lost Flyers
- 1939 The Old Maid
- 1939 The Forgotten Woman
- 1939 They Asked for It
- 1939 Dodge City
- 1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
- 1938 Freshman Year
- 1938 The Missing Guest
- 1938 Letter of Introduction
- 1938 Danger on the Air
- 1938 Wives Under Suspicion
- 1938 Sinners in Paradise
- 1938 State Police
- 1938 The Crime of Doctor Hallet
- 1938 Reckless Living
- 1938 The Black Doll
- 1938 The Jury's Secret
- 1937 Prescription for Romance
- 1937 A Girl with Ideas
- 1937 That's My Story!
- 1937 The Lady Fights Back
- 1937 West Bound Limited
- 1937 Armored Car
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Bill Lundigan, TV, Film Star, Dies at 61". The Kansas City Times,. December 22, 1975. p. 27. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 "Home Town Gives Bill Hollywood Welcome". The Post-Standard. June 1, 1957. p. 7. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bill Lundigan's Success Recipe". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 29, 1942. p. 38. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Actor Bill Lundigan dies at 61". The Times Standard. December 22, 1975. p. 3. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "In Hollywood". The Courier-Gazette. June 14, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ pp.117-119 Wise, James E. & Rehill, Anne Collier Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines Naval Institute Press, 1999
- ↑ "The Impact of the Draft Goldwater Committee on the Republican Party". ashbrook.org(archive.org). Archived from the original on March 3, 2001. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ↑ "Veteran Actor Lundigan Dies". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 22, 1975. p. 14. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Your Radio Today". Tucson Daily Citizen. May 31, 1951. p. 24. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Kirby, Walter (April 20, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 46. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Lundigan. |
- William Lundigan at the Internet Movie Database
- William Lundigan at the TCM Movie Database
- William Lundigan at Find a Grave