WILLIAM NEWELL

January 6, 1894

William M. Newell was born in Millville, New Jersey.  He is the brother of actress Elsa Newell. During his screen career he amassed more than three hundred appearances on films and television shows. Newell was familiar to fans of the Our Gang short subjects as Alfalfa’s father.  

His first film was a Warner Brothers short titled “Then and Now” in January 1930 which was quickly followed by his first feature film Bombshell (aka Blonde Bombshell) playing Jean Harlow’s chauffeur. 

In 1945 he was seen as a soldier (uncredited) in the Lucille Ball film Without Love starring Tracy and Hepburn. 

In 1950, it was ‘blink and you’ll miss ‘em’ appearances for both Newell and Ball in A Woman of Distinction. Lucy did a cameo as herself and Newell played a bartender (uncredited). 

Newell’s first television appearance was in a July 1952 episode of “My Little Margie” co-starring Roy Roberts and Hillary Brooke. 

In 1955, he made an appearance on “Our Miss Brooks” (above right as Mike) co-starring Jack Kruschen (left) as his brother Dan. Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, Richard Crenna, and Gloria MacMillan were also featured in the episode, which aired on CBS and was filmed by Desilu.   

In 1959, Newell finally came face to face with Lucille Ball as the hotel desk clerk in “Lucy Goes To Alaska” an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” featuring Red Skelton. 

The following year Newell did an episode of Desilu’s hit gangster series “The Untouchables” titled “The Tommy Karpeles Story.”

In 1963, he was seen as a hobo in an episode of Desilu’s “The Real McCoys” reunited with Richard Crenna, who also directed. 

In April 1964 he was back at Desilu to play Mayberry’s jeweler Fred Sterling in an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show”.  The episode featured Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, which leads to his final screen appearance, also at Desilu.

Newell played a bailiff in “Gomer, the Star Witness” (November 1965) on “Gomer Pyle USMC.”  A year later, Jim Nabors did a cameo on “The Lucy Show” playing Gomer Pyle, bringing the Desilu world full circle. 

William Newell died on February 21, 1967 at age 73.