'', The actor, whose original name was William Franklin Beedle Jr., was born April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Ill. His father was a chemist and his mother a teacher. By then, the veteran actors had become screen legends: Barbara, in blockbusters like Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve and Stella Dallas; Bill, with acclaimed performances in Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17 and The Bridge on the River Kwai.. That night, Stanwyck and Holden approached the . Title Role in 'Golden Boy', It was also in 1939 that he had his first major role - and the title role - in ''Golden Boy,'' opposite Barbara Stanwyck. Being born on 17 April 1918, William Holden was 63 years old at the time of his death. Holden costarred with Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1954) and with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in The Country Girl (1954), based on a play by Clifford Odets. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 1651 Vine Street. The Shorecliff Towers. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). The role in ''Stalag 17'' for which he won the Oscar was that of a cynical, hard-bitten prisoner of war who inevitably becomes a hero. The will also bequeathed $50,000 to ex-girlfriend Capucine Lefebre, the Swiss-born actress, and the same amount to another friend, Patricia Stauffer. While attending Pasadena Junior College, he acted in local radio plays and became involved with the Pasadena Playhouse. Following this breakthrough film, his career quickly grew in stature as he played a series of roles that combined good looks with cynical detachment. He most recently appeared in S.O.B., a movie poking fun at Hollywood that was released earlier this year. Updates? After returning to Hollywood, he alternated between Paramount and Columbia Pictures studio projects before his career was reborn when he was cast in "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. 'I'm Not a Classic Actor'. He knows the Geneva Convention by heart. He was also praised for his Oscar-nominated leading performance in Sidney Lumets classic Network (1976), a prescient examination of the media written by Paddy Chayefsky, playing an older version of the character type he had become iconic for in the 1950s, only now more jaded and aware of his own mortality. We sell our bodies to the highest Next, he starred with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in the Warner Bros. gangster epic Invisible Stripes later the same year. In the fall of 1981, the television actor Stefanie Powers, who was dating William Holden, was in Hawaii filming the ABC show "Hart to Hart" when Holden stopped answering his phone. What do you say about a longtime friend - a sense of personal loss, a fine man. He remained conscious for at least half an hour after the accident but did not realize the severity of his injury and did not make the phone call that would surely have saved his life. William Holden - Stalag 17 William Holden Died Drunk and Alone William Holden began working in Hollywood as a piece of beefcake. In that movie, he was a perfect foil to Sir Alec Guinness, who played the very correct British army officer who helped the Japanese build an important bridge in Thailand. He played a similar hard-bitten character in the role in Stalag 17 that won him an Oscar. Santa Monica police said Holden was discovered on the floor of his bedroom by his apartment manager and that he may have been dead several days. His performance in 1976 movie Network brought him an Oscar nomination too. He was voted the 63rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Evidence suggests he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. He moved to Switzerland for tax reasons in 1959, and did not return to live in Hollywood until 1967. (He may be the same as the Joseph Holden, son of William, baptized at Lindsey on 16 July 1609, or he may be an older, unrecorded son.) He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. About Us. He did great work with his African Reserve and it seemed like his life was coming together before his tragic death. It would be three more months before they would have a real honeymoon (one mishap after another postponed it including the TWO of them having to undergo emergency appendectomies)! But like so many of the female actors of the era, Holden soon realized it was his physical attributes and not his acting ability that the studio cared about. ''I'm a pretty fair interpreter of a certain kind of contemporary character,'' he said in an interview in The Times in 1976. 1971) . William Holden, whose real name is William Franklin Beedle, Jr., was born on 17thof April 1918 in OFallon, Illinois, the U.S. to parents, Mary Blanche Beedle (formerly, Ball, 18981990) and William Franklin Beedle (18911967). There was an error deleting this problem. It was 4pm Sunday before another preacher could be found to perform the wedding. This is a carousel with slides. A Congregationalist Church service was planned in Las Vegas. Subscribe to the Podcast No the man I knew could[], Subscribe to the Podcast All right, Mr. DeMille, Im ready[], Subscribe to the Podcast Judas, howd you wind up in[]. Made two films with Audrey Hepburn: Sabrina (1954) and Paris When It Sizzles (1964). The apartment block manager claimed 'he he did not want to be disturbed'. A system error has occurred. In fact, William Holden wasn't even in New York City when he died. Holden was born William Franklin Beedle, Jr., on April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Illinois, son of Mary Blanche Beedle (ne Ball), a schoolteacher, and her husband William Franklin Beedle, an industrial chemist. Year should not be greater than current year. April 28 (UPI) -- Animal services officers in South Carolina responded to a home where a resident was shocked to find an alligator in his garage. The movie was released last July. If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Also known as: William Franklin Beedle, Jr. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Mr. Holden also became a much more private person, refusing in interviews to talk about his politics, his family, or why he lived abroad when he did. Holden appeared among the top ten box office stars six times, as ranked by Quigley Publications' annual poll of movie exhibitors, The Top Ten Money-Making Stars, the definitive list of movie stars' pull at the box office. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. William Holden would be 104 years old if he was alive today. He also starred in the television mini-series ''The Blue Knight,'' about police officers, and in a television movie, ''21 Hours at Munich.'' He started when he was ten years old, working as an apprentice at the Hillsborough Recorder. Then he made a comeback in 1969 with The Wild Bunch and was praised for his work in Network in 1976. based on information from your browser. Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. At 63 years old, William Holden height A registered Republican, he rarely involved himself in political campaigns. But instead, he likely died of blood loss within about 15 minutes of his accident. companion. Disillusioned with Hollywood, he spent much of his time and money supporting conservation efforts in Africa. We were close friends for many years. hilltop home in Palm Springs featured antique Asian art. . NOTHING LIKE HAVING A DRINK IN YOUR LATE 80S. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. In fact,Bob Thomas, Holden's biographer, said that the actor's addiction counselor predicted his demise. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. He had 4 children Scott Porter Holden, Virginia Holden, Peter Westfield Holden, Arlene Holden. IVE SEEN EVERYTHING HE MADE,HIS LOVE SCENE WITH NANCY OLSON IN FORCE OF ARMS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC,HIS STYLE,HIS WALK,TALK,AND GOOG LOOKS, ITS A SIN HE DIED.AT 63.IM 87 AND STILL WANT TO LIVE IN SPITE OF MY PAIN.AT LEAST DUKE LASTED TILL THE SEVENTIES,PALADIN MADE IT TO 63 ALSO,ANOTHER SHAME,THE LADDER TO SUCCESS DOES NOT TAKE YOU IN THE DIRECTION U ALWAYS WANT TO GO.MITCHUM MADE IT TO ALMOST 80.LANCASTER 81. 2019. Holden passed away on November 12, 1981, at the age of 63. Average Age & Life Expectancy William J Holden lived 14 years shorter than the average Holden family member when he died at the age of 56. A sort of wholesome charm was his trademark, but in later years his roles - such as that of Pike Bishop, an outlaw, in the violent film ''The Wild Bunch'' - acquired a new, hard-bitten dimension. Holden, a suicidal alcoholic like Peckinpah, was a former gymnast who occasionally walked on his hands on hotel ledges while drunk. That being said, I am a big fan of Mr. Holdens film work. It didn't look like this, however. The film, however, was a critical and commercial failure, with no profits to be shared in the end. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! Actor William Holden, 63, who overcame the handicap of extreme good looks and went on to play tough, cynical and enormously appealing versions of the All-American male, was found dead yesterday. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Over the next few years, he starred in the movies, Arizona (1940), I Wanted Wings (1941), The Remarkable Andrew (1942), and Young and Willing (1943). Born William Franklin Beedle Jr. in O'Fallon, Illinois and raised in South Pasadena, California, he initially followed in his . I need to go back and watch some of The Blue Knight. This article . William Holden, the film star who won an Oscar in 1953 for his role in ''Stalag 17'' and who represented the manly, straightforward, romantic figure during a career of more than 40 years, was found dead yesterday in his apartment in Santa Monica, Calif. Mr. Holden, who was 63 years old, was found by an apartment manager. memorial page for Peter Westfield "West" Holden (17 Nov 1943-Jun 2014), Find a Grave Memorial ID 154329083; Cremated, Ashes scattered . Though his career lagged for . He desperately tried gripping the shower curtain as he fell, but the fabric ripped. There was a problem getting your location. In 1947, he joined the Committee for the First Amendment to oppose blacklisting in Hollywood. in my life - to see how far I could lean without falling, how fast I We have set your language to He came from a wealthy family (the Beedles) that moved to Pasadena, California, when he was three. He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? William Holden was one of my favorite actors and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing was shown the year I graduated from high school. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? William Holden's death "on November 12, 1981, after lacerating his forehead from slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. In 1955, he was ranked #4, then hit #1 for the first and only time in 1956, and then dropped to #7 in 1957 before rebounding slightly to #6 in 1958. Holden actually served during World War II, although he never saw action. The roles that do stand out from his later careerthose of Pike Bishop in Sam Peckinpahs The Wild Bunch (1969), TV executive Max Schumacher in Network (1976; his last Oscar nomination), and hard-drinking film producer Tim Culley in Blake Edwardss S.O.B. Before he died, he suggested that Judge Holden was actually the mountain man and guide Joseph Walker. The actor got up and tried to staunch the blood pouring from his forehead but never called 911, which might have saved his life, per the biography. But when he got the role of Joe Gillis opposite Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd(1950) the world found out he not only looked good, he could act. Beverly Hills police were dispatched to Ford's home about 4 p.m. and found him dead inside. Holden left his gun collection to his two sons and all other art and collections to the Desert Museum of Palm Springs. Bill Holden. Before he escapes from the prison camp, he spends most of his time figuring out ways to get out of working for the Japanese. Try again. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of William Holden (1890)? He became bitter about the throwaway roles Hollywood kept giving him. His service included acting in training films. GREAT NEWS! No foul play was suspected. His first starring role was in the movie "Golden Boy" (1939). ''For me, acting is not an all-consuming thing, except for the moment when I am actually doing it. Mr. Holden was separated in 1963 from his wife, with whom he had two sons, Peter and Scott; they were later divorced. Thank you for sharing it with us. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The actor was best man at the 1952 wedding of President and Mrs. Reagan and remained friends with them over the years. Many of us leave behind loved ones but when you think clearly about it..dying is what we all do alone. The post The Horse Soldiers (1959) Classic Movie Review 126 appeared first on ClassicMovieRev.com. Most actors have a specific corridor, and within the limits of that corridor they travel the course of their career. In 1981, Holden died tragically at the age of only 63 after a night of drinking led to a fatal head injury while he was alone in his apartment. On the night of November 12, 1981, Holden consumed somewhere between eight and 10 drinks in a short amount of time, according to "William Holden: A Biography."