
William Smith
Department: Acting
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

The Outsiders
1983

Rumble Fish
1983

The Ghost of Frankenstein
1942

Neon Signs
1996

Red Dawn
1984

L.A. Vice
1989

Eagle's Law
1988

Hell Comes to Frogtown
1988

The Ultimate Warrior
1975

Boss Nigger
1975

Invasion of the Bee Girls
1973

Zombiegeddon
2003

Deadly Memories
2002

Maverick
1994

Conan the Barbarian
1982

Uncle Sam
1996

Eye of the Tiger
1986

The Phantom Empire
1987

The Vampire Hunters Club
2001

Feast
1992

Grave of the Vampire
1972

Rapturious
2007

The Thing with Two Heads
1972

The Swinging Barmaids
1975

Atlantis: The Lost Continent
1961

Moon in Scorpio
1987

Voices from the Graves
2006

Big Sister 2000
1995

Hollywood Cops
1997

Hollywood Man
1976

Angels Die Hard
1970

Fever Pitch
1985

Fast Company
1979

East L.A. Warriors
1989

The Frisco Kid
1979

Any Which Way You Can
1980

Darker Than Amber
1970

Inner Rage
2006

Blackjack
1978

Chrome and Hot Leather
1971

C.C. and Company
1970

The Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes
1980

Black Samson
1974

Hammer
1972

The Final Sanction
1990

Run, Angel, Run!
1969

Twilight's Last Gleaming
1977

Memorial Valley Massacre
1988

Sweet Jesus, Preacherman
1973

Action U.S.A.
1989

Piranha
1972

The Roller Blade Seven
1991

Seven
1979

Scorchy
1976

GetEven
1993

The Losers
1970

Empire of Ash III
1990

Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
2000

Y.M.I.
2004

Backtrack!
1969

Terror in Beverly Hills
1989

The Deadly Trackers
1973

Cybernator
1991

The Sex Symbol
1974

Legend of The Roller Blade Seven
1993

Mail Order Bride
1964

Girls Town
1959

Dr. Minx
1975

Jungle Assault
1989

Spirit of the Eagle
1991

God Has a Rap Sheet
2003

The Last American Hero
1973

Commando Squad
1987

Blood & Guts
1978

Evil Altar
1988

Rock n' Roll Cops Lite
2014

Bulletproof
1988

Instant Karma
1990

Return of the Roller Blade Seven
1993

Policewomen
1974

Three Guns for Texas
1968

Win, Place or Steal
1975

The Colony
1996

Maniac Cop
1988

The Shooter
1997

Hell to Pay
2005

Never So Few
1959

Hell on the Battleground
1987

Forgotten Heroes
1990

Runaway, Runaway
1971

American Me
1992

Gilda
1946

Taken Alive
1994

36 Hours
1964

The Last Riders
1992

Meet Me in St. Louis
1944

Going My Way
1944

The Rock 'n Roll Cops
2003

Deadly Breed
1989

The Man Hunter
1972

Broken Vessels
1998

Kiss and Be Killed
1991

Cartel
1990

Merchant of Evil
1991

Fall Guy: The John Stewart Story
2007

The Mating Game
1959

B.O.R.N.
1989

Platoon Leader
1988

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
1947

Killer Story
2004

The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula
2001

Red Nights
1988

Debbie Does Damnation
1999

Shadow of the Dragon
1992

Emperor of the Bronx
1990

Blood of His Own
1998

The Mean Season
1985

The Badd One
1987

Wasteland Justice
1999

Vice
2000

Heat of Las Vegas
1998

Never Look Back
2000

Doses of Horror
2018

The Jerk, Too
1984

Raw Energy
1996

Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang
1982

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945

Manosaurus
1994

The Boneyard Collection
2008

Dark Secrets
1992

Crackle of Death
1976

Doublecross on Costa's Island
1997

Irresistible
2020

Prologue to Wounded Knee
1973

Slow Burn
1989

The Boy with Green Hair
1948

The Over the Hill Gang
1969

A Mission to Kill
2003

Crowhaven Farm
1970

The Rockford Files: Backlash of the Hunter
1974

Hard Time Romance
1991

The Gazebo
1960

Death Among Friends
1975

A Taste of Hell
1973

Ask Any Girl
1959

Planet of the Apes
1974

Murder, She Wrote
1984

Movin' On
1974

Hardcastle and McCormick
1983

CHiPs
1977

B. J. and the Bear
1979

Trapper John, M.D.
1979

T. J. Hooker
1982

Due South
1994

Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963

Mr. Lucky
1959

Benson
1979

Batman
1966

Simon & Simon
1981

The Twilight Zone
1985

Airwolf
1984

Hawaii Five-O
1968

Knight Rider
1982

Highway to Heaven
1984

Alias Smith and Jones
1971

Walker, Texas Ranger
1993

Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983

The Mod Squad
1968

Perry Mason
1957

Gunsmoke
1955

Combat!
1962

Mission: Impossible
1966

Lassie
1954

Hunter
1984

Ironside
1967

The Fall Guy
1981

Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974

Laredo
1965

Felony Squad
1966

Vega$
1978

The Yellow Rose
1983

Police Woman
1974

Daniel Boone
1964

Julia
1968

The Virginian
1962

Search
1972

City of Angels
1976

Matt Houston
1982

Here Come the Brides
1968

Supercarrier
1988

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

Wildside
1985

Custer
1967

The Oregon Trail
1977

Shades of L.A.
1990

The Asphalt Jungle
1961

Bronk
1975

Logan's Run
1977

Justice League
2001

Masquerade
1983

The A-Team
1983

Columbo
1971

Hunter
1984

The Ed Wynn Show
1958

Combat!
1962

The Virginian
1962

The Virginian
1962

The Virginian
1962

Gunsmoke
1955

Code Red
1981

Zero One
1962

Daniel Boone
1964

Daniel Boone
1964

Daniel Boone
1964

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II
1976

The Mod Squad
1968

Rich Man, Poor Man
1976

Airwolf
1984

Mission: Impossible
1966

The A-Team
1983

Wagon Train
1957

Vinnie & Bobby
1992

Kung Fu
1972

Death Valley Days
1952

Ironside
1967

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
1997

The Six Million Dollar Man
1974

The Virginian
1962

Mission: Impossible
1966

Death Valley Days
1952

I Dream of Jeannie
1965

Simon & Simon
1981

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962

Fantasy Island
1978

Stoney Burke
1962

The Wonderful World of Disney
1954

The Streets of San Francisco
1972

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

The Second Hundred Years
1967

The Master
1984

Nash Bridges
1996

Police Story
1973

The Rebels
1979