JOHN WILLIAMS

April 15, 1903

John Williams was born in Chalfont St. Giles in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1903.  Williams was educated at Lancing College and began his acting career on the English stage in 1916. He won Broadway’s 1953 Tony Award as Best Supporting Actor for Dial M for Murder, a role that he recreated in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film version. He is also remembered for his role as the chauffeur in Billy Wilder’s Sabrina (1954), and as the second Mr. French on TV’s “Family Affair” in its first season (1967),

taking over for Sebastian Cabot when he was having health problems.

Although credited with a Max Sennett short in 1930, his film career began in earnest in 1942. His television career began in February 1951 with “Valley Forge,” an episode of “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse”. 

In 1959, he worked for Desi Arnaz in “Perilous”, an episode of “The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” starring Joan Fontaine. 

In April 1963 he played the title role in “Bub’s Butler” on “My Three Sons,” filmed at Desilu Studios. William Frawley played Bub and Williams was the butler.  

His only time appearing with Lucille Ball was in “Lucy and the Great Bank Robbery” (TLS S3;E5) on October 19, 1964. 

Lloyd Corrigan (left) plays Gordon Bentley, his partner in crime. Lucy rents out Viv’s room to two gentlemen visiting for the World’s Fair, they turn out to be bank robbers who stash the loot in Viv’s mattress. Williams plays Carter Harrison. 

Name Game! On “Here’s Lucy,” Gale Gordon played a character named Harrison Carter!  In the end credits, John Williams is listed as playing Bentley and Lloyd Corrigan as Harrison. When the characters introduce themselves to Lucy, they say the reverse.

Bentley calls Harrison the “Bard of the bandits” because he writes his robbery notes in poetry form. Only a few months before this, John Williams (Harrison), had played William Shakespeare, ‘the bard of Stratford-upon-Avon,’ on “The Twilight Zone,” a series first developed by Desilu. 

Williams did an episode of “Mission: Impossible” filmed at Paramount, formerly Desilu Studios, where the series was developed. 

His final screen appearance was a two-part “Battlestar Galactica” in January 1979.  He died on May 5, 1983 at age 80.