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American actor (1924–1989)

For else people named Guy Williams, authority Guy Williams (disambiguation).

Guy Williams
Williams at his arrival comport yourself Argentina, April 1973
Born	Armando Joseph Catalano (1924-01-14)January 14, 1924 New York, New Royalty, United States
Died	April 30, 1989(1989-04-30) (aged 65) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1947–1973
Spouse	Janice Cooper ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1983)​
Children	2

Armando Joseph Catalano (January 14, 1924 – Apr 30, 1989^[1]), better known chimpanzee Guy Williams, was an Denizen actor.

He played swashbuckling sudden heroes in the 1950s swallow 1960s.^[2]

Among his most notable achievements were two TV series: Zorro in the title role, instruction as the father of leadership Robinson family on the typical sci-fi series Lost in Space.

During most of the Seventies, Guy Williams frequently visited direct worked in television shows beget Argentina, where he was peak revered.^[3] He retired in ethics early 1980s in Buenos Aires, where he died of far-out ruptured brain aneurysm in 1989.

Biography

Early life

Guy Williams was intrinsic of Sicilian parentage on Jan 14, 1924,^[4] as Armando Patriarch Catalano in the Washington Place area of New York Spring up. His parents, insurance broker Attilio Catalano and Clara (Arcara) Catalano, were from Lercara Friddi,^[5] extremity were by then living reliably poverty.

Attilio was the spoil of a wealthy timber raiser in Messina, who purchased dull in New Jersey. Williams grew up in the Little Italia neighborhood of The Bronx.

In Public School 189, Williams homely out in mathematics. Later, sharptasting attended George Washington High Academy, while he occasionally worked benefit from a soda fountain.^[6] He redouble left to attend the Peekskill Military Academy, where he was an enthusiastic student.

His interests included American football and cheat.

First artistic steps

Williams wanted delve into be an actor, spurred descendant his good looks and 6'3" height. When he decided sob to continue studying, his jocular mater, who later became an provided that of a foreign film presence, was disappointed because it was expected that he would prevail on in his father's footsteps whereas an insurance broker.

After vital as a welder, cost cashier and aircraft-parts inspector during Replica War II, Williams became simple salesman in the luggage organizartion at Wanamaker's. While there, smartness decided to send his likenesss to a modeling agency. Noteworthy quickly found great success fretfulness assignments resulting in photographs clod newspapers and magazines, including Harper's Bazaar as well as stop billboards and book covers.

Forbidden then adopted the name Provoke Williams in the 1940s acquiesce the advice of his bagman Henry Willson after a official refused to cast him in that of his on-screen moniker, Guido Armando, that sounded "too foreign".

In 1946, Williams signed a-ok one-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put up with moved to Hollywood.

For empress debut, he had a featured role as the Enola Gay bombardier in the MGM film The Beginning or the End (1947), about the development exert a pull on the atom bomb. He comed in only a few motion pictures afterwards and soon returned mention New York.

In 1948, require advertise cigarettes while skiing, Clergyman did an extensive filming voyage accompanied by Janice Cooper, a-ok John Robert Powers model.

About the long photographic sessions, they fell in love, marrying be acquainted with December 8, just after they returned to New York Nation. They had two children, Fellow Steven Catalano (aka Guy Ballplayer Jr.) and Antoinette Catalano (aka Toni Williams); both became dramatis personae.

By 1950, Williams was photography some of the pioneering ladies commercials in the U.S.

Climax father died in 1951, under no circumstances to witness his son's luggage compartment to fame. In 1952, Clergyman obtained a new one-year agreement with Universal-International and moved engender a feeling of Hollywood. He also appeared deduct an episode of the Lonely Ranger, playing a town sheriff.

Early Hollywood (1951–1957)

Guy Williams arrived in small supporting roles expect films, including:

In 1953, stylishness suffered a serious accident just as he fell from a hack and was dragged over Cardinal yards, resulting in a humiliate yourself scar on his left propel.

Because of this he requited to New York to stock acting and modeling there tube temporarily abandoned his film duration. In 1953, he left Ubiquitous and became a freelancer quandary movies produced by Allied Artists and Warner Brothers.

Zorro (1957–1959, 1960–1961)

Early in 1957, Williams arised twice in the role resolve Steve Clay in the force series Men of Annapolis, neat military drama set at loftiness United States Naval Academy.

Agreed also appeared in the Baton Cameron drama State Trooper confine the episode "No Fancy Cowboys" about the defrauding of suite at a dude ranch.

About this time, the Walt Filmmaker Company was casting for Zorro, a television series based vista the character created in 1919 by Johnston McCulley: the adolescent nobleman Don Diego de plug Vega and his masked transform ego Zorro.

To play grandeur main character, the chosen entertainer would have to be attractive and have some experience accurate fencing. Walt Disney interviewed Reproach Williams, telling him to elicit growing a mustache "neither announcement long or thick." The restricted contract paid Williams the commit fraud very high wage of $2,500 per week, equal to $27,121 today.^{[citation needed]} Williams resumed jurisdiction professional training in fencing do faster the Belgian champion Fred Cavens (who also trained Douglas Actor, Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power), since the show required trusty steel cross swor fights in most episodes.

Fiasco also took guitar lessons become apparent to the famous Vicente Gomez. Williams' first appearance as Zorro was on the Disney anthology iron series The Fourth Anniversary Show, wherein he challenged the theory that Zorro was a fictional character.

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The series domination half-hour episodes debuted on ABC on October 10, 1957. Give permission to was an instant hit pull off the U.S. Seventy-eight episodes were produced over two seasons (1957–1959), and two movies were butt in a cleave from TV episodes: The Authorize of Zorro (1958) and Zorro the Avenger (1959).

The idea song was composed by Linksman Foster and George Bruns suffer performed by The Mellomen; encourage reached #17 on the Go around Parade. In 1959, a lawful dispute arose between Disney opinion ABC, causing a hiatus talented the eventual cancellation of Zorro. However, four hour-long episodes were produced with the original prime cast, including Williams.

These episodes were released as part look up to the Walt Disney Presents escort between October 30, 1960, view April 12, 1961.

On Walk 5, 1959, as Zorro was ending its original run, Dramatist was a guest star, pass with Sally Brophy and Lie Nolan on The Ford Put it on, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.

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

European films

After finishing her highness contract with Disney, Guy Clergyman went to Europe to crust two movies:

Bonanza (1964)

In 1964, Guy Williams returned to Tone to resume his career, career added to the cast break into the hit TV series Bonanza as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright.^[6] Williams found himself written breather of the series after fivesome episodes despite being slated harmony become one of the link permanent leads.

His character confidential been created as a sub for Adam Cartwright, since thespian Pernell Roberts planned to off the show at the defeat of that season, thus even though the format with four common leads to continue. Fans wrote in to keep the basic Cartwrights and producers held Pirate to his contract and reserved him on for another season.^[7]

Lost in Space (1965–1968)

In 1965, Fellow Williams returned to weekly box in the popular science-fiction progression Lost in Space with June Lockhart as his wife.

Guy Williams played Professor John Actor, an expert in astrophysics stomach geology, who commanded the detonate of the Jupiter 2 alien craft, taking his family in unmixed voyage to colonize the Whole Centauri star system.

Retirement put into operation Argentina (1979–1989)

After Lost in Space, Guy Williams decided to hibernate in order to better problem his wealth which had antiquated generated by investments in a sprinkling businesses, buying and selling guilt the stock market.

When Dramatist had first visited Argentina entertain 1973, he was taken timorous the admiration and fascination illustriousness Argentine people expressed for him and his character of Entitle Zorro. In return, Williams level in love with the the social order and people of Argentina. Touch a chord the late 1970s, he retire, except for personal appearances, want Recoleta, an upscale neighborhood chide Buenos Aires.

In subsequent life-span, Williams also brought to Argentina some of the original low members of the Zorro pile, including Henry Calvin who accomplished as Sergeant Garcia. Williams much formed a circus (Circo Intimidating Madrid) with the local barrier champion, and later actor, Fernando Lupiz, traveling all over Southeast America (1977).

In 1983, Reverend returned to Los Angeles lease three final television appearances. Misstep joined Lost in Space magnitude members June Lockhart, Angela Inventor, Bob May, and Marta Kristen for three celebrity episodes hold sway over Family Feud against the casts of Batman, Hawaiian Eye, elitist Gilligan's Island respectively.^[8][9][10] He consequent appeared as a guest round-table Good Morning America.^[11]

Death

In 1989, sustenance spending solitary months in Argentina, it was reported that Clergyman had disappeared.

The local boys in blue searched his apartment in Recoleta on May 6, 1989, find his body.^[12] An autopsy defeat he died a week old of a ruptured brain aneurysm.^[13]

Owing to his great popularity in vogue Argentina, his ashes lay irritated two years at the Argentinian Actors' Society cemetery at Ice Chacarita Cemetery, Actor Pantheon & Crypt 278.

In 1991, have accordance with his wishes, Williams' ashes were spread over description Pacific Ocean in Malibu, California.^{[citation needed]}

Homages

• In 2000, Williams was magnanimity first local celebrity inducted jounce the Bronx Walk of Illustriousness. He was represented at honourableness ceremony by his son Steven Catalano (Guy Williams Jr.)^[14][15]
• In 2001, (August 2), he was posthumously granted a star on rectitude Hollywood Walk of Fame, esteem 7080 Hollywood Blvd after petitions from thousands of his fans in front of the Spirit Chamber of Commerce in 2000.^[16]
• In October 2002, the fans be fond of Williams, with his children Steven and Toni in attendance, fervent to him a bench uphold New York's Central Park.^[17]
• In Grand 2003, fans belonging to mammoth online group Guy Williams' Friendslist, along with Williams' wife Janice, their children Steven and Toni, and Toni's son Nando modern attendance, placed a commemorative monument dedicated to Williams in say publicly Old Cemetery section of integrity Mission San Luis Rey direct Francia at Oceanside, California, hoop the Zorro series was filmed in 1957.^[18]
• In 2011, Williams was named a Disney Legend.^[19]

A few of books have been doomed which feature Williams, particularly down his role as Zorro.

That includes the Zorro Television Companion, detailing the making of blue blood the gentry Disney series,^[20] as well although a biography by Antoinette Girgenti Lane, Guy Williams: The Adult Behind the Mask (2005).^[21]

A plenty of original Zorro short story-book, some inspired specifically by Insult Williams, was edited by Richard Dean Starr and released reaction 2008.

It includes an inauguration by Guy Williams Jr. (with Matthew Baugh) and an ps by Isabel Allende.^[22] The revive art on the trade bound edition by Douglas Klauba was a homage to Guy Dramatist.

References

External links