William Redfield (actor)
Encyclopedia
William Redfield was an American actor
and author who appeared in numerous theatrical, film, radio, and television roles.
, Redfield appeared in the original 1938 Broadway
production of Our Town
. Additional theatre credits include A Man for All Seasons
, Hamlet
, You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running
, and Dude
. He also danced the starring role of Mercury in Cole Porter's "Out of This World," and had the distinction of having an Off Broadway theatre named in his honor.
Redfield's film credits included Such Good Friends
, Fantastic Voyage
, A New Leaf
, For Pete's Sake
, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
.
On television, Redfield played the title role in the DuMont
series Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
(1953), and appeared in The Philco Television Playhouse
, Lux Video Theatre
, The United States Steel Hour
, Studio One, As the World Turns
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, Naked City
, Maude
, and The Bob Newhart Show
.He is best known as Felix Unger'sv9Tony Randall
) brother Flloyd in the Odd Couple
, starring Richard Burton
and directed by Sir John Gielgud
. The scope of his book went beyond mere backstage gossip, drawing on Redfield's rich body of experience in the theatre, and his concise thoughts on the arts of stage and film performance.
. It was during the filming of the Oscar-winning movie that Redfield was diagnosed with leukemia
. He died on August 17, 1976 at age 49, less than a year after the film was released.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and author who appeared in numerous theatrical, film, radio, and television roles.
Acting career
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Redfield appeared in the original 1938 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
. Additional theatre credits include A Man for All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954, and a one-hour live television version starring Bernard Hepton was produced in 1957 by the BBC, but after Bolt's success with The Flowering Cherry, he reworked it for the stage.It was...
, Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running
You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running
You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running is a collection of four unrelated one-act comedy plays by Robert Anderson.In The Shock of Recognition, playwright Jack Barnstable auditions Richard Pawling for a role that requires nudity and discovers the overeager actor is more than willing to...
, and Dude
Dude (musical)
Dude is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. It is an allegory about good and evil, the conflict between mankind's creative and destructive urges, the power of love, and the joy to be found in simple pleasures...
. He also danced the starring role of Mercury in Cole Porter's "Out of This World," and had the distinction of having an Off Broadway theatre named in his honor.
Redfield's film credits included Such Good Friends
Such Good Friends
Such Good Friends is a 1971 American comedy-drama film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Esther Dale is based on the novel of the same title by Lois Gould.-Plot:...
, Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
, A New Leaf
A New Leaf
A New Leaf is a dark comedy film based on the short story The Green Heart by Jack Ritchie, starring Elaine May, Walter Matthau, George Rose and James Coco. Better known for her collaboration as a stage comedienne with The Graduate director Mike Nichols, May also wrote and directed . For this film...
, For Pete's Sake
For Pete's Sake (film)
For Pete's Sake is a 1974 American screwball comedy film directed by Peter Yates. The screenplay by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin chronicles the misadventures of a Brooklyn housewife...
, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
.
On television, Redfield played the title role in the DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
series Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop is an American crime show that aired on the DuMont Television Network from May 8 to July 3, 1953. The show starred William Redfield, later Conrad Janis, in the title role of Jimmy Hughes...
(1953), and appeared in The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse, a live television anthology series sponsored by Philco, was telecast from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the NBC series was seen on Sundays from 9:00pm to 10:00pm...
, Lux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre, is a weekly television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays....
, The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation....
, Studio One, As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
, Naked City
Naked City (TV series)
Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format....
, Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, and The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
.He is best known as Felix Unger'sv9Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
) brother Flloyd in the Odd Couple
Odd Couple
Odd Couple is a 1979 Hong Kong film directed by Lau Kar Wing , who also stars, alongside Sammo Hung. It was the first film to be released by Gar Bo Motion Picture Company , an independent production company set up by Hung, Lau and producer Karl Maka.The movie is a showcase for the different...
Author
In his book "Letters from an Actor", Redfield published a colorful and personal recollection of his work in the renowned 1964 international stage production of HamletHamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, starring Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
and directed by Sir John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
. The scope of his book went beyond mere backstage gossip, drawing on Redfield's rich body of experience in the theatre, and his concise thoughts on the arts of stage and film performance.
Death
Redfield's best known appearance was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
. It was during the filming of the Oscar-winning movie that Redfield was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. He died on August 17, 1976 at age 49, less than a year after the film was released.