Pittsburgh-born actor William Tracy was born on December 1, 1917, and
began performing professionally as a youth. Trained at the American
Academy of Dramatic Art, he appeared in musical and comedy roles until
his big break arrived in 1937 at age 19 when he took over the role of
fidgety military school "plebe" Misto Bottome in the hit Broadway show
"Brother Rat." The following year he recreated the role in the film
version of
Brother Rat (1938) that
had him in good standing company alongside up-and-coming Warner Bros.
actors
Wayne Morris,
Priscilla Lane,
Eddie Albert (also from the Broadway show)
and both
Ronald Reagan and
Jane Wyman, who would marry a short time
later. William's second film assignment for Warners was playing 'Pat
O'Brien' (I)'s as a young adult in the classic yarn
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938).
Hal Roach saw promise in the tousle-haired,
innocent-looking youth with the slightly squealy voice and signed him
up for a some WWII comedy programmers teamed up with actor
Joe Sawyer. He and the tough-looking Sawyer
played Sgts. "Dodo" Doubleday and William Ames, respectively, in the
flimsy but amusing misadventures of two soldiers at odds with each
other. Tracy's character has a photographic memory which steers him
into all sorts of unexpected trouble. Audiences took to the harmless
escapism and Roach obliged by churning out more of these lowbudgets,
recreating the characters in
About Face (1942),
Hay Foot (1942),
Fall In (1942) and
Yanks Ahoy (1943).
Tracy is best remembered for playing the lead role in the
film adaptation of the popular comic strip
Terry and the Pirates (1940).
Featured roles in such classics as
The Shop Around the Corner (1940),
Tobacco Road (1941),
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) and
George Washington Slept Here (1942)
also endeared him to the public usually enacting an amiable but
somewhat dull-witted fellow. Offers started drying up in post war
years, however, and an attempt to re-team Tracy and Sawyer's sergeant
characters with
As You Were (1951)
and
Mr. Walkie Talkie (1952)
fell flat.
Tracy went on to appear on TV and was featured in the series cast of
Terry and the Pirates (1952),
not as the lead this time but in the role of Hotshot Charlie. From
there he faded away into relative obscurity. He died in 1967 at age 49
in Los Angeles.
Perry Mason(1957)as Man, Motel Manager, Photographer
The Danny Thomas Show(1953)as Man In Dream, Songwriter Customer
The Alaskans(1959)as Bartender, Mason
-30-(1959)as Unnamed Writer
December Bride(1954)
Tobacco Road(1941)
Strike Up the Band(1940)
