William Lundigan

William Paul Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films Lundigan was the oldest of four sons. His father, Michael F. Lundigan, owned a shoe store (at which Lundigan worked) in the same building as a local radio station, WFBL.

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. Charles Rogers, 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.

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) and 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). Warners borrowed him 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). He said "nothing much happened" of his time at Universal and left the studio.

Warner Bros Lundigan signed with Warner Bros, where he had support roles in 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).

Lundigan later described this period as "I was always turning up as Olivia de Havilland's weak brother. Well, I got in a rut - that old bugaboo, type casting - and made one quickie after another."

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).

World War II He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during 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. He was wounded on Okinawa.

20th Century Fox Lundigan's career revived when he successfully auditioned for the role of Jeanne Crain's romantic interest in Pinky (1949) at 20th Century Fox, initially directed by Ford (Elia Kazan took over). The movie was a huge hit and the studio signed him to a long-term contract. He went on to be leading man to Dorothy McGuire 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). The New York Times called him "the male counterpart to the girl next door".

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. He mostly worked on television now, such as episodes of Science Fiction Theatre, Playhouse 90 and Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, and travelled the country extensively selling automobiles, including, in 1955, making a commercial for the Chrysler turbine engine.

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

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.

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

Radio appearances 1951 Screen Guild Players ("Apartment for Peggy") 1952 Stars in the Air ("Deep Waters")

Filmography

1937: Armored Car as Henry Hutchins 1937: West Bound Limited as Dispatcher 1937: The Lady Fights Back as Doug McKenzie 1937: That's My Story as Howard Field 1937: A Girl with Ideas as Herman (uncredited) 1937: Prescription for Romance as Officer (uncredited) 1938: The Jury's Secret as Announcer (uncredited) 1938: The Black Doll as Rex Leland 1938: Reckless Living as Stanley Shaw 1938: The Crime of Doctor Hallet as Party Guest (uncredited) 1938: State Police as Pvt. Smith / Bill Clarke 1938: Sinners in Paradise as Radio Announcer (voice, uncredited) 1938: Wives Under Suspicion as Phil 1938: Danger on the Air as Dave Chapman 1938: Letter of Introduction as Minor Role (uncredited) 1938: The Missing Guest as Larry Dearden 1938: Freshman Year as Bob Potter 1939: Three Smart Girls Grow Up as Richard Watkins 1939: Dodge City as Lee Irving 1939: They Asked for It as Steve Lewis 1939: The Forgotten Woman as Terence Kennedy 1939: The Old Maid as Lanning Halsey 1939: Legion of Lost Flyers as Ralph Perry 1940: The Fighting 69th as Timmy Wynn 1940: Three Cheers for the Irish as Michael Flaherty 1940: The Man Who Talked Too Much as John L. Forbes 1940: Young America Flies (Short) as Bill Brown 1940: The Sea Hawk as Danny Logan 1940: Service with the Colors (Short) as Thomas Stanton 1940: East of the River as Nicholas Antonio 'Nick' Lorenzo 1940: Santa Fe Trail as Bob Holliday 1941: The Case of the Black Parrot as Jim Moore 1941: The Great Mr. Nobody as Richard Amesworth 1941: A Shot in the Dark as Peter Kennedy 1941: Highway West as Dave Warren 1941: International Squadron as Lt. Rog Wilkins 1941: Sailors on Leave as Chuck Stephens 1942: The Bugle Sounds as Joe 'Joey' Hanson 1942: The Courtship of Andy Hardy as Jeff Willis 1942: Sunday Punch as Ken Burke 1942: Apache Trail as Tom Folliard 1942: Northwest Rangers as James Kevin Gardiner 1942: Andy Hardy's Double Life as Jeff Willis 1943: Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case as Alvin F. Peterson 1943: Salute to the Marines as Rufus Cleveland 1943: Headin' for God's Country as Michael Banyan 1947: The Fabulous Dorseys as Bob Burton 1947: Dishonored Lady as Jack Garet 1948: The Inside Story as Waldo 'Bill' Williams 1948: Mystery in Mexico as Steve Hastings 1949: State Department: File 649 as Ken Seely 1949: Follow Me Quietly as Police Lt. Harry Grant 1949: Pinky as Dr. Thomas Adams 1950: Mother Didn't Tell Me as Dr. William Wright 1950: I'll Get By as William Spencer 1951: I'd Climb the Highest Mountain as Rev. William Asbury Thompson 1951: The House on Telegraph Hill as Major Marc Bennett 1951: Love Nest as Jim Scott 1951: Elopement as Matt Reagan 1953: Down Among the Sheltering Palms as Capt. W.W. 'Bill' Willoby 1953: Serpent of the Nile as Lucilius 1953: Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) as Jim 1953: Inferno as Joseph Duncan 1953–1954: Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) as Nels Wolcott / Bart Sayer 1954: Riders to the Stars as Dr. Richard Stanton 1954: Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) as Jack Fuller 1954: General Electric Theater (TV Series) as Charlie 1954: Dangerous Voyage as Peter Duncan 1954: Shower of Stars (TV Series) as Host 1954: The White Orchid as Robert Burton 1954–1958: Climax! (TV Series) as Himself - Host 1955: Fireside Theatre (TV Series) as Sam Weston 1955: The Star and the Story (TV Series) as Edward Mansell 1955: Science Fiction Theatre (TV Series) as Maj. Fred Gunderman 1958: Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as Ben Gammon 1958: Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (TV Series) as David Pierce 1959–1960: Men Into Space (TV Series) as Col. Edward McCauley 1961: Death Valley Days (TV Series) as Nathaniel Norgate 1962: The Underwater City as Bob Gage 1963: The Dick Powell Theatre (TV Series) as Frank Jeffers 1966: Run for Your Life (TV Series) as David Phillips 1967: The Way West as Michael Moynihan 1968: Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows as Mr. Clancy (uncredited) 1971: Medical Center (TV Series) as Willoughby 1971: Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) as Jack Crowley (final appearance)