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He enlisted in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] for World War II and served as a combat cameraman in the [[Battle of Peleliu]] and the [[Battle of Okinawa]], returning at war's end as a Corporal.<ref>pp. 117-119 Wise, James E. & Rehill, Anne Collier ''Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines'' Naval Institute Press, 1999</ref>
He enlisted in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] for World War II and served as a combat cameraman in the [[Battle of Peleliu]] and the [[Battle of Okinawa]], returning at war's end as a Corporal.<ref>pp. 117-119 Wise, James E. & Rehill, Anne Collier ''Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines'' Naval Institute Press, 1999</ref>


==Television==
===Post War===
Lundigan retured to films with support roles in some independent movies, ''[[The Fabulous Dorseys]]'' (1947) and ''[[Dishonored Lady]]'' (1947). He was the leading man in Republic's ''[[The Inside Story]]'' (1948) and was top billed in ''[[Mystery in Mexico]]'' (1948), ''[[State Department: File 649]]'' (1948) and ''[[Follow Me Quietly]]'' (1949).
===20th Century Fox===
Lundigan signed a contract with 20th Century Fox who cast him as a leading man for [[Jeanne Crain]] in ''[[Pinky]]'' (1949), [[June Havoc]] in ''[[Mother Didn't Tell Me]]'' (1950), [[June Haver]] in ''[[I'll Get By]]'' (1950) and ''[[Love Nest]]'' (1951), [[Susan Hayward]] in ''[[I'd Climb the Highest Mountain]]'' (1951). He was also in ''[[The House on Telegraph Hill]]'' (1951) and ''[[Elopement (film)|Elopement]]'' (1951), and was the male lead in ''[[Down Among the Sheltering Palms]]'' (1952) and ''[[Serpent of the Nile]]'' (1953). He had a good part in ''[[Inferno (film)|Inferno]]'' (1953).
===Television===
[[File:Lucille Ball Aldo Ray, William Lundigan Desilu Playhouse 1958.JPG|thumb|right|In an episode of ''[[Desilu Playhouse]]'', "K.O. Kitty", L-R: William Lundigan, [[Aldo Ray]], and [[Lucille Ball]] (1958).]]
[[File:Lucille Ball Aldo Ray, William Lundigan Desilu Playhouse 1958.JPG|thumb|right|In an episode of ''[[Desilu Playhouse]]'', "K.O. Kitty", L-R: William Lundigan, [[Aldo Ray]], and [[Lucille Ball]] (1958).]]
Lundigan was host for ''[[Climax!]]'' and ''[[Shower of Stars]]''.<ref name=kct/> From September 30, 1959, to September 7, 1960, Lundigan portrayed Col. Edward McCauley in the [[CBS]] [[television series]], ''[[Men into Space]]''.
Lundigan began appearing on TV shows like ''[[Lux Video Theatre]]'', ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]'', ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]'', and ''[[The Star and the Story]]'' and was host for ''[[Climax!]]'' and ''[[Shower of Stars]]''.<ref name=kct/>

He had the lead in some low budget films like ''[[Riders to the Stars]]'' (1954) and ''[[Terror Ship]]'' (1954) and ''[[The White Orchid]]'' (1954) but mostly worked on television now, such as episodes of ''[[Science Fiction Theatre]]'', ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' and ''[[Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse]]''.

From September 30, 1959, to September 7, 1960, Lundigan portrayed Col. Edward McCauley in the [[CBS]] [[television series]], ''[[Men into Space]]''.


In 1961, Lundigan was cast as Nathaniel Norgate in the episode, "Dangerous Crossing", on the [[Syndicated television|syndicated]] [[anthology series]], ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', hosted by [[Stanley Andrews]]. The story focuses on religious settlers who encounter outlaws operating an illegal tollgate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0556585/?ref_=ttep_ep10|title=Dangerous Crossing on ''Death Valley Days''|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|accessdate=December 30, 2018}}</ref>
In 1961, Lundigan was cast as Nathaniel Norgate in the episode, "Dangerous Crossing", on the [[Syndicated television|syndicated]] [[anthology series]], ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', hosted by [[Stanley Andrews]]. The story focuses on religious settlers who encounter outlaws operating an illegal tollgate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0556585/?ref_=ttep_ep10|title=Dangerous Crossing on ''Death Valley Days''|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|accessdate=December 30, 2018}}</ref>

He had the lead in ''[[The Underwater City]]'' (1962) and guest starred on ''[[The Dick Powell Theatre ]]'', ''[[Run for Your Life]]'', ''[[Medical Center]]'' and ''[[Marcus Welby, M.D.]]''. His last film was ''[[The Way West]]'' (1967).


==Politics==
==Politics==

Revision as of 05:00, 6 November 2019

William Lundigan
Lundigan in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947)
Born(1914-06-12)June 12, 1914
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 1975(1975-12-20) (aged 61)
Duarte, California, U.S.
Resting placeHoly Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California
OccupationActor
Years active1937–1971
SpouseRena 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]

Universal

He was in Armored Car (1937) billed as "Larry Parker". Then his name was changed to "William Lundigan" for West Bound Limited (1937).

Lundigan was billed third in The Lady Fights Back (1937) then promoted to male lead for That's My Story! (1937). He was back down the cast list for The Black Doll (1938) and Reckless Living (1938) but was the male lead for State Police (1938). He had support parts in Wives Under Suspicion (1938) directed by James Whale, Danger on the Air (1938), The Missing Guest (1938), and Freshman Year (1938).

Lundigan was one of the romantic leads in Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939). He was borrowed by Warners for a support part in Dodge City (1939).

Lundigan was top billed in They Asked for It (1939) then was Sigrid Gurie's leading man in The Forgotten Woman (1939). He supported in Legion of Lost Flyers (1939).

Warner Bros

Lundigan signed with Warner Bros, where he had support roles in The Old Maid (film)|The Old Maid (1939), The Fighting 69th (1940), 3 Cheers for the Irish (1940), The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940), Young America Flies (1940, a short), The Sea Hawk (1940), Service with the Colors (1940, a short), East of the River (1940), and Santa Fe Trail (1940).

Warners promoted him to the lead of some "B"s, The Case of the Black Parrot (1941) and A Shot in the Dark (1941); he was support in The Great Mr. Nobody (1941), Highway West (1941) and International Squadron (1941).

Lundigan then had a lead in Sailors on Leave (1941) for Republic Pictures.

MGM

Lundigan went to MGM where he had support roles in The Bugle Sounds (1942) and The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942). He was promoted to the lead of a "B", Sunday Punch (1942) and had the second lead in Apache Trail (1942) and Northwest Rangers (1942). He reprised his role from the Andy Hardy series in Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942) and supported in Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943) and Salute to the Marines (1943). Republic asked him back to play the lead in Headin' for God's Country (1943).

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps for World War II and served as a combat cameraman in the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa, returning at war's end as a Corporal.[6]

Post War

Lundigan retured to films with support roles in some independent movies, The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) and Dishonored Lady (1947). He was the leading man in Republic's The Inside Story (1948) and was top billed in Mystery in Mexico (1948), State Department: File 649 (1948) and Follow Me Quietly (1949).

20th Century Fox

Lundigan signed a contract with 20th Century Fox who cast him as a leading man for Jeanne Crain in Pinky (1949), June Havoc in Mother Didn't Tell Me (1950), June Haver in I'll Get By (1950) and Love Nest (1951), Susan Hayward in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951). He was also in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) and Elopement (1951), and was the male lead in Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1952) and Serpent of the Nile (1953). He had a good part in Inferno (1953).

Television

In an episode of Desilu Playhouse, "K.O. Kitty", L-R: William Lundigan, Aldo Ray, and Lucille Ball (1958).

Lundigan began appearing on TV shows like Lux Video Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse, General Electric Theater, The Ford Television Theatre, and The Star and the Story and was host for Climax! and Shower of Stars.[1]

He had the lead in some low budget films like Riders to the Stars (1954) and Terror Ship (1954) and The White Orchid (1954) but mostly worked on television now, such as episodes of Science Fiction Theatre, Playhouse 90 and Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse.

From September 30, 1959, to September 7, 1960, Lundigan portrayed Col. Edward McCauley in the CBS television series, Men into Space.

In 1961, Lundigan was cast as Nathaniel Norgate in the episode, "Dangerous Crossing", on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. The story focuses on religious settlers who encounter outlaws operating an illegal tollgate.[7]

He had the lead in The Underwater City (1962) and guest starred on The Dick Powell Theatre , Run for Your Life, Medical Center and Marcus Welby, M.D.. His last film was The Way West (1967).

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.[8]

Lundigan himself waged an unsuccessful campaign for a nominally non-partisan seat on the Los Angeles City Council.[4]

Family

Lundigan married Rena Morgan, and they had a daughter, Anastasia.[2]

Death

Lundigan died at the age of sixty-one of apparent heart failure at Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California.[1][9]

Radio appearances

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Bill Lundigan, TV, Film Star, Dies at 61". The Kansas City Times,. December 22, 1975. p. 27. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c "Home Town Gives Bill Hollywood Welcome". The Post-Standard. June 1, 1957. p. 7. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Bill Lundigan's Success Recipe". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 29, 1942. p. 38. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b "Actor Bill Lundigan dies at 61". The Times Standard. December 22, 1975. p. 3. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "In Hollywood". The Courier-Gazette. June 14, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ pp. 117-119 Wise, James E. & Rehill, Anne Collier Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines Naval Institute Press, 1999
  7. ^ "Dangerous Crossing on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Veteran Actor Lundigan Dies". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 22, 1975. p. 14. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "Your Radio Today". Tucson Daily Citizen. May 31, 1951. p. 24. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ Kirby, Walter (April 20, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 46. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Lundigan.
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