William John Challee (April 6, 1904 – March 11, 1989) was an American actor.

Biography

Challee was born in Chicago and was a student at Lake View High School. Challee appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

by 1926 and by 1931 in early Group Theatre productions. He married actress Ruth Nelson on August 2, 1931; they divorced on August 13, 1937. The two appeared in the 1947 film '' The Sea of Grass'', in supporting roles, after they were divorced. In 1937 Challee staged a suite of one-act plays at the Lafayette Theatre in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

, under the heading ''Plays of the Sea''. The suite consisted of the

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

plays ''Bound East for Cardiff'', ''In the Zone'', ''The Long Voyage Home'' and ''Moon of the Caribbees''. They were produced by the

Federal Theatre Project The Federal Theatre Project (FTP; 1935–1939) was a theatre program established during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal to fund live artistic performances and entertainment programs in the United States. It was one of five Federal Pro ...

of the WPA, running for 68 performances from October 29, 1937. Challee was living in Chicago by 1940. By the middle 1940s, Challee was working in films in California, mainly in supporting and uncredited roles. Challee married dancer Ella Franklin Crawford on April 19, 1944 in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...

. Challee appeared in episodes of numerous television series, including a 1953 episode (" Stage for Mademoiselle") of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' and a 1957 episode (" The Case of the Runaway Corpse") of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

''. In 1960 Challee appeared as Saunders on '' Laramie'' in the episode titled "Duel at Parkinson Town." In 1961 he appeared as Eli in the series finale of '' The Investigators'', "The Dead End Man.", as well as the 1961 S3E27 episode "Meeting at the Mimbres" in the western series ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

''. In 1962 Challee appeared (uncredited) as a prisoner on the TV western '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "The Brazen Bell." Challee played the incapacitated family patriarch in the 1970 film ''

Five Easy Pieces ''Five Easy Pieces'' is a 1970 American drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) and Rafelson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tells the s ...

'', whose illness brings his son (

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

) home to the family estate. In 1984 he married his long-time partner Joan Wheeler Ankrum. Together, in 1960, they opened the Ankrum Gallery on

La Cienega Boulevard La Cienega Boulevard is a major north–south arterial road that runs between El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California on the south and the Sunset Strip/ Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood to the north. It was named for Rancho Las Cienega ...

in Los Angeles. Challee was buried in

Alta Mesa Memorial Park Alta Mesa Memorial Park is a non-denominational burial ground located in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. It was established in 1904 as a 72-acre cemetery. It includes traditional burial plots, a mausoleum and a columbarium. Notable b ...

in Palo Alto.

Broadway roles

* ''Grand Street Follies

927 Year 927 ( CMXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May 27 – Simeon I, emperor ('' tsar'') of the Bulgarian Empire, dies of heart fai ...

' (1927) (

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

) * ''Red Rust'' (1929) as Lenov * ''

House of Connelly ''The House of Connelly'' is a 1931 Broadway two-act drama written by Paul Green, produced by the Group Theatre in association with The Theatre Guild and staged by Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford. It ran for 91 performances from September 28 ...

'' (1931) as Jody and as a Serenader * '' Night Over Taos'' (1932) as second trapper * '' Success Story'' (1932) as Jeffery Haliburton * '' Men in White'' (1933) as Dr. Michaelson * '' Gold Eagle Guy'' (1934) as Pearly and as Ah Kee * ''

Till the Day I Die ''Till the Day I Die'' is a play by Clifford Odets performed on Broadway in 1935. Description The play is a seven-scene drama written by Clifford Odets. It was originally written as a piece to accompany ''Waiting for Lefty''. Productions It w ...

'' (1935) as Edsel Peltz * '' Waiting For Lefty'' (1935) as Actor * ''

Key Largo Key Largo ( es, Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected by ...

'' (1935) as Osceola Horn * ''Paradise Lost'' (1935) as homeless man * ''Case of Clyde Griffiths'' (1936) as working man * '' Johnny Johnson'' (1936) as Private Fairfax and as Doctor * ''Rocket to the Moon'' (1938) as a salesman * '' Awake and Sing!'' (1939) as Schlosser

Selected filmography

* '' ...One Third of a Nation...'' (1939) as Reporter (uncredited) * '' Destination Tokyo'' (1943) as Rocky the quartermaster (uncredited) * ''

The Story of Dr. Wassell ''The Story of Dr. Wassell'' is a 1944 American World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on a book of the same name by ...

'' (1944) as Radio Man (uncredited) * '' Days of Glory'' (1944) as Ducrenko (uncredited) * ''

The Seventh Cross ''The Seventh Cross'' (german: Das siebte Kreuz) is a novel by Anna Seghers, one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was first published in Mexico by ''El Libro Libre'' In 1942. The English translation came ...

'' (1944) as Fischer (uncredited) * '' None but the Lonely Heart'' (1944) as Knocker Jones (uncredited) * ''

A Song to Remember ''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde. Plot Freder ...

'' (1945) as Titus (uncredited) * '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945) as Joe (uncredited) * ''

Counter-Attack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

'' (1945) as Paratrooper (uncredited) * '' Miss Susie Slagle's'' (1946) as Interne (uncredited) * ''

Tokyo Rose Tokyo Rose (alternative spelling Tokio Rose) was a name given by Allied troops in the South Pacific during World War II to all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. The programs were broadcast in the South Pacific ...

'' (1946) as Mike Kovac * '' Deadline at Dawn'' (1946) as Ray – Newsstand Proprietor (uncredited) * '' From This Day Forward'' (1946) as Pawnbroker (uncredited) * ''

Without Reservations ''Without Reservations'' is a 1946 RKO Radio Pictures American comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Claudette Colbert, John Wayne and Don DeFore. The film was adapted by Andrew Solt from the novel ''Thanks, God! I'll Take It From H ...

'' (1946) as Corporal (uncredited) * ''

Swamp Fire A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

'' (1946) as barfly (uncredited) * '' Nocturne'' (1946) as police photographer Olsen (uncredited) * ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

'' (1947) as Whitney – Harvey's Assistant (uncredited) * '' The Sea of Grass'' (1947) as deputy sheriff (uncredited) * ''

The Guilt of Janet Ames ''The Guilt of Janet Ames'' is a 1947 American sentimental film noir directed by Henry Levin, based on a story by Lenore Coffee, and starring Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas. Plot War widow Janet Ames (Rosalind Russell) is stricken unconsc ...

'' (1947) as Ambulance Surgeon (uncredited) * '' Desperate'' (1947) as Reynolds * ''

Another Part of the Forest ''Another Part of the Forest'' is a 1946 play by Lillian Hellman, a prequel to her 1939 drama '' The Little Foxes''. Plot synopsis Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innate ...

'' (1948) as Passenger on the Train (uncredited) * ''

Tap Roots ''Tap Roots'' is a 1948 Technicolor Western war film set during the American Civil War. It is very loosely based on the true life story of Newton Knight, a farm owner who attempted to secede Jones County from Mississippi.Stephen Jacobs, ''Bor ...

'' (1948) as Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Beyond Glory ''Beyond Glory'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by John Farrow and starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed. Written by William Wister Haines, Jonathan Latimer, and Charles Marquis Warren, the film is about a former soldier who thinks he may have ...

'' (1948) as Sergeant at Depot (uncredited) * ''

Force of Evil ''Force of Evil'' is a 1948 American crime film noir starring John Garfield and directed by Abraham Polonsky. It was adapted by Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel ''Tucker's People''. Polonsky had been a screenwriter for the boxing ...

'' (1948) as Gunman #1 (uncredited) * ''

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...

'' (1949) as Bourdon (uncredited) * '' Port of New York'' (1949) as Leo Stasser * '' Outrage'' (1950) as Lee Wilkins * '' Gambling House'' (1950) as Parking Attendant (uncredited) * '' The Whip Hand'' (1951) as Guard (uncredited) * '' On Dangerous Ground'' (1951) as thug (uncredited) * '' The Big Trees'' (1952) as Brother Williams (uncredited) * ''

This Woman Is Dangerous ''This Woman Is Dangerous'' is a 1952 American film noir crime drama by Warner Bros. starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Dennis Morgan in a story about a gun moll's romances with two different men. The screenplay by Geoffrey Homes and ...

'' (1952) as Ned Shaw (uncredited) * '' The Glenn Miller Story'' (1954) as dispatch desk Sergeant (uncredited) * '' Man Without a Star'' (1955) as Brick Gooder (uncredited) * ''

'' (1955, TV Series) as Bad-Eye * '' Chicago Syndicate'' (1955) as Dolan * ''

The Desperados Are in Town ''The Desperados Are in Town'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Robert Arthur and Kathleen Nolan. It was a B movie made for the bottom half of double bills. It was known as ''The Outlaws are in Town''. K ...

'' (1956) as Tom Kesh * ''

Calypso Heat Wave ''Calypso Heat Wave'' is a 1957 American drama musical film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Johnny Desmond, Merry Anders and Meg Myles. It was an attempt by producer Sam Katzman to repeat the success of ''Rock Around the Clock'' with caly ...

'' (1957) as Second Thug * '' Raintree County'' (1957) as spectator (uncredited) * ''

Official Detective ''Official Detective'' is an American anthology television series which aired in syndication from 1957 to March 19, 1958. The series was hosted by veteran film actor Everett Sloane.McNeil, Alex (1996). ''Total Television'' (4th ed.). New York: P ...

'' (1957, TV Series) as Hatch * ''

Saddle the Wind Saddle the Wind is a 1958 American Western film directed by Robert Parrish, written by Rod Serling, produced by Armand Deutsch, and starring Robert Taylor, Julie London and John Cassavetes. The picture was filmed in Metrocolor and CinemaScope. ...

'' (1958) as barfly (uncredited) * ''

Twilight for the Gods ''Twilight for the Gods'' is a 1958 American Eastmancolor adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Rock Hudson and Cyd Charisse. The story is based on the novel ''Twilight for the Gods'' by Ernest K. Gann (though the opening credits ...

'' (1958) as Sweeney * ''

The Sound and the Fury ''The Sound and the Fury'' is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It employs several narrative styles, including stream of consciousness. Published in 1929, ''The Sound and the Fury'' was Faulkner's fourth novel, and was not immedi ...

'' (1959) as roustabout (uncredited) * '' The Story on Page One'' (1959) as Lemke (uncredited) * ''

Toby Tyler ''Toby Tyler or 10 Weeks with a Circus'', also known simply as ''Toby Tyler'', is a 1960 American drama film directed by Charles Barton and starring Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, and Richard Eastham. It was produced by Walt Disney ...

'' (1960) as Jailbird (uncredited) * ''

Noose for a Gunman ''Noose for a Gunman'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Jim Davis and Barton MacLane. It was later remade as ''The Quick Gun''.NOOSE FOR A GUNMAN (United Artists). Carrington, Shirley. Picture Show; Londo ...

'' (1960) as Gorse * '' One Foot in Hell'' (1960) as Pete's Friend (uncredited) * '' The Plunderers'' (1960) as first citizen * '' Cimarron'' (1960) as barber (uncredited) * '' All Fall Down'' (1962) as third bum (uncredited) * ''

War Hunt ''War Hunt'' is a 1962 war film directed by Denis Sanders and starring John Saxon, Robert Redford and Charles Aidman. Produced by Terry Sanders for T-D Enterprises, and released by United Artists, the film features the film debuts of Sydney Polla ...

'' (1962) as Lt. Colonel * " The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' episode "The Star Juror" (1963) * ''

The Hook The Hook, or The Hookman, is an urban legend about a killer with a pirate-like hook for a hand attacking a couple in a parked car. In many versions of the story, the killer is typically portrayed as a faceless, silhouetted old man wearing a rai ...

'' (1963) as Schmidt * ''

Seven Days in May ''Seven Days in May'' is a 1964 American political thriller film about a military-political cabal's planned takeover of the United States government in reaction to the president's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The ...

'' (1964) as General Riley (uncredited) * ''

Nightmare in the Sun ''Nightmare in the Sun'' is a 1965 film drama directed by Marc Lawrence, and written by George Fass and Fanya Foss, about a murderous affair. Derek starred along with Ursula Andress and Aldo Ray. Smaller roles in the film featured Sammy Davis, ...

'' (1965) as old coot in a bar * '' Joy in the Morning'' (1965) as an old derelict (uncredited) * ''

The Cincinnati Kid ''The Cincinnati Kid'' is a 1965 American drama film directed by Norman Jewison. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to cha ...

'' (1965) as an old man (uncredited) * ''

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula ''Billy the Kid Versus Dracula'' is a 1966 American horror Western film directed by William Beaudine. The film is about Billy the Kid ( Chuck Courtney) trying to save his fiancée from Dracula (John Carradine). The film was originally released ...

'' (1966) as Tom – Station Agent * ''

'' (1970) as Nicholas Dupea * '' Zachariah'' (1971) as "The Old Man" * ''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The ...

'' (1972) as oldtimer (uncredited) * ''Irish Whiskey Rebellion'' (1972) as Timothy * '' Moonchild'' (1974) as Alchemist * '' From Noon till Three'' (1976) as piano player (uncredited) (final film role)

References

Sources

Los Angeles Times obituary – William Challee

Answers.com -William Challee

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Challee, William 1904 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors Male actors from Illinois Federal Theatre Project people