William Smith
Biography
William Smith was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 300 feature films and television productions, best known for playing Anthony Falconetti on the TV mini series "Rich Man, Poor Man". He held a BA from Syracuse and an MA in Russian Studies from UCLA. Born in Columbia, Missouri, Smith began his acting career at the age of eight in 1942; he entered films as a child actor in such films as The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Song of Bernadette and Meet Me in St. Louis. He was a regular on the 1961 ABC television series The Asphalt Jungle, portraying police Sergeant Danny Keller. One of his earliest leading roles was as Joe Riley, a Texas Ranger on the NBC western series Laredo. In 1967, Smith guest starred as Jude Bonner on James Arness's long-lived western Gunsmoke. Smith was cast as John Richard Parker, brother of Cynthia Ann Parker, both taken hostage in Texas by the Comanche, in the 1969 episode "The Understanding" of the syndicated television series Death Valley Days, which was hosted by Robert Taylor. In the story line, Parker contracts the plague, is left for dead by his fellow Comanche warriors, and is rescued by his future Mexican wife, Yolanda (Emily Banks). He played outlaw turned temporary sheriff Hendry Brown in the 1969 episode "The Restless Man". In that story line, Brown takes the job of sheriff to tame a lawless town, begins to court a young woman (again played by Emily Banks), but soon returns to his deadly outlaw ways in search of bigger thrills. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared in a 1972 episode, "Hostage!"; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".
Known For
Store Clerk
The Outsiders
Patterson the Cop
Rumble Fish
Boy (uncredited)
The Ghost of Frankenstein
Clyde
Neon Signs
Strelnikov
Red Dawn
Capt. Joe Wilkes
L.A. Vice
Eagle's Law
Captain Devlin / Count Sodom
Hell Comes to Frogtown
Carrot
The Ultimate Warrior
Jed Clayton
Boss Nigger
Neil Agar
Invasion of the Bee Girls
Lord Zombie
Zombiegeddon
Riverboat Poker Player
Maverick
Sheriff Taggart
Deadly Memories
Conan's Father
Conan the Barbarian
Blade
Eye of the Tiger
Major
Uncle Sam
Dr. Chambers
The Phantom Empire
Johnny
The Vampire Hunters Club
Det. George Bordelli
Feast
James Eastman
Grave of the Vampire
Sheriff
Rapturious
Hysterical Condemned Man
The Thing with Two Heads
Harry
The Swinging Barmaids
Captain of the Guard
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Burt
Moon in Scorpio
Lester Jiggs
Voices from the Graves
The Man
Big Sister 2000
Rinaldi
Hollywood Cops
Rafe Stoker
Hollywood Man
Tim
Angels Die Hard
Panama Hat
Fever Pitch
Lonnie 'Lucky Man' Johnson
Fast Company
Martelli
East L.A. Warriors
Matt Diggs
The Frisco Kid
Jack Wilson
Any Which Way You Can
Terry
Darker Than Amber
Sam
Inner Rage
Andy Mayfield (as Bill Smith)
Blackjack
T.J.
Chrome and Hot Leather
Moon
C.C. and Company
Tolar
The Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes
Johnny Nappa
Black Samson
Brenner
Hammer
Maj. Galashkin
The Final Sanction
Angel
Run, Angel, Run!
Hoxey
Twilight's Last Gleaming
Gen. Mintz
Memorial Valley Massacre
Martelli
Sweet Jesus, Preacherman
Conover
Action U.S.A.
Caribe
Piranha
Pharoah
The Roller Blade Seven
Drew
Seven
Carl Henrich
Scorchy
Normad
GetEven
Link Thomas
The Losers
Lucas
Empire of Ash III
Conan's Father (archive footage)
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
Cal
Y.M.I.
Texas Ranger Joe Riley (archive footage)
Backtrack!
President
Terror In Beverly Hills
Schoolboy
The Deadly Trackers
Colonel Peck
Cybernator
Butch Wischnewski
The Sex Symbol
Pharoah
Legend of The Roller Blade Seven
Lank
Mail Order Bride
Man (uncredited)
Girls Town
Gus Dolan
Dr. Minx
General Mitchell
Jungle Assault
Hatchett
Spirit of the Eagle
Lucifer
God Has a Rap Sheet
Kyle Kingman
The Last American Hero
Morgan Denny
Commando Squad
Dan O'Neil
Blood & Guts
Reed Weller
Evil Altar
Rinaldi (archive footage)
Rock n' Roll Cops Lite
Russian Major
Bulletproof
Pop
Instant Karma
Pharoah
Return of the Roller Blade Seven
Karate Instructor
Policewomen
Texas Ranger Joe Riley
Three Guns for Texas
Tom
Win, Place or Steal
Theo Maxwell
The Colony
Captain Ripley
Maniac Cop
Jerry Krants
The Shooter
Emil Brax
Hell to Pay
MP Officer #1
Never So Few
Colonel Meredith
Hell on the Battleground
General Gregori Zelenkov
Forgotten Heroes
Frank
Runaway, Runaway
Deacon
American Me
Man (uncredited)
Gilda
L.E.
Taken Alive
Guy (uncredited)
36 Hours
John Waverly
The Rebels
Hammer
The Last Riders
Little Boy (uncredited)
Meet Me in St. Louis
Choir Member (uncredited)
Going My Way
Rinaldi
The Rock 'n Roll Cops
Captain
Deadly Breed
Clel Bocock
The Man Hunter
Bo
Broken Vessels
Det. Murdoch
Kiss and Be Killed
Mason
Cartel
Victor Fortunetti
Merchant of Evil
Man with Machine Gun
Fall Guy: The John Stewart Story
Dr. Farley
B.O.R.N.
Barney
The Mating Game
Major Flynn
Platoon Leader
Young Boy (uncredited)
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
Monty
Killer Story
Count Dracula
The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula
Phillip
Red Nights
Debbie Does Damnation
Eric Brunner
Shadow of the Dragon
Fitz
Emperor of the Bronx
Blood of His Own
Albert O'Shaughnessy
The Mean Season
Badd
The Badd One
Moon
Wasteland Justice
Spooky Harlow
Vice
Lee Clayton
Never Look Back
Mario Verelli
Heat of Las Vegas
Neil Agar ("A Dose of Bee Stings" segment) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Doses of Horror
Suicide
The Jerk, Too
Sam Stompkins
Raw Energy
Monk Hardwick
Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang
Boy (uncredited)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Sheriff Todd
Manosaurus
Bill, the First Director (segment "Her Morbid Desires")
The Boneyard Collection
Robert
Dark Secrets
Shaman Jim Elkhorn
Crackle of Death
L. E.
Doublecross on Costa's Island
Hofbrau Bar Fly
Irresistible
Camper John Allen
Camper John
Antonio Scarpelli
Slow Burn
Boy (uncredited)
The Boy with Green Hair
Amos (as Bill Smith)
The Over the Hill Gang
A Mission to Kill
Patrolman Hayes
Crowhaven Farm
Jerry Grimes
The Rockford Files: Backlash of the Hunter
Hard Time Romance
Actor Who Trips Over Camera (uncredited)
The Gazebo
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
143
Gender
Male
Birthday
1933-03-24
Place of Birth
Columbia, Missouri, USA
Also Known As
William E. Smith