William Tracy | |
---|---|
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
December 1, 1917
Died | July 18, 1967 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
(aged 49)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1925–1964 |
William Tracy (December 1, 1917 – July 18, 1967) was an American character actor.
Tracy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He is perhaps best known for the role of Pepi Katona, the delivery boy, in The Shop Around the Corner (1940). He starred in the John Ford film Tobacco Road (1941), and appeared in Brother Rat (1938) and Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941).
In 1940, Tracy began a recurring role as Sgt. Dorian "Dodo" Doubleday in a string of Hal Roach's Streamliners service comedies, the first of which was Tanks a Million. Surprisingly, this B-movie comedy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Musical Score. The series continued for a total of eight films, the last one — Mr. Walkie Talkie — being set during the Korean War.
In the 1950s, Tracy primarily did television work, where his most notable role was "Hotshot Charlie" in the 1953 series Terry and the Pirates. He previously played the lead role of Terry Lee in the 1940 serial with the same title.
Tracy died in Hollywood, California, at the age of 49.