William Fawcett
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William "Bill" Fawcett (September 8, 1894 – January 25, 1974)[1] was a character actor in Hollywood B-films and in television. His career extended from 1946 until the early 1970s. He is probably best remembered for his role as the cantankerous, rusty-voiced Pete Wilkey of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the NBC series Fury, co-starring Peter Graves, Bobby Diamond, and Roger Mobley. He was one of the few actors to have earned a Ph.D. degree.
In 1942, he left Michigan State to audition in Hollywood as an actor himself.[5] He sought a part as a college professor but was turned down on the false grounds that he did not fit the part. Fawcett was a thin, wiry man and filled the bill for the ornery, cantankerous, but fiercely loyal, old coot. Fawcett adopted his stage name when he found that there were several other actors already using the name "William Thompson".
His first film credit came at the age of fifty-two, when in 1946, he portrayed Judge Smith in Stars Over Texas. In 1947, he starred as Nat in Green Dophin Street and as Andre the beachcomber in The Sea Hound. That same year, he was Uncle Bob in Pioneer Justice. In 1948, Fawcett portrayed Judge Hammond in Check Your Guns and as a news hawker in Superman.
Fawcett's roles continued in 1949 as Professor (He got to portray his previous occupational role.) Hammond, a scientist and inventor, in Batman and Robin and as Merlin the Magician in Adventures of Sir Galahad. He played Ezra Fielding that same year in Barbary Pirate and a judge in Ride, Ryder, Ride!
