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Bill Williams

Bill Williams

Actor · Died September 21, 1992, aged 77 · Brooklyn, New York, USA

William Herman Katt (born Herman August Wilhelm Katt; May 15, 1915 – September 21, 1992), known as Bill Williams, was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his starring role in the early television series The Adventures of Kit Carson, which aired in syndication from 1951 to 1955. Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrant parents. He attended the Pratt Institute, and became a professional swimmer, performing in underwater shows. He landed a walk-on role as a theater usher in King Kong (1933). He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, but was discharged before the end and became an actor. His credited debut was in The Blue Room in 1944, using the professional name Bill Williams. His first starring role was opposite Susan Hayward in Deadline at Dawn (1946). Williams appeared in ten films before he landed the lead role in television's The Adventures of Kit Carson, which ran for 105 episodes. When the series ended, Williams' star power faded. It was revived in 1957 when he co-starred with Betty White on television in Date with the Angels. Williams portrayed Federal agent Martin Flaherty in The Scarface Mob (1959), the pilot for ABC's The Untouchables. However, when the series was accepted, the role went to Jerry Paris. Williams turned down the lead in Sea Hunt in 1958, believing that an underwater show would not work on television. Lloyd Bridges accepted the part and turned it into a hit. Williams did star as a former Navy frogman in Assignment: Underwater, which ran for just one season. He played a variety of roles on Perry Mason, in which his wife Barbara Hale co-starred as Raymond Burr's secretary Della Street. In a 1962 episode, "The Case of the Crippled Cougar," he played defendant Mike Preston. In 1963, he was murder victim Floyd Grant in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast." In 1965 Williams played murderer Charles Shaw in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid," and was murderer Burt Payne in "The Case of the 12th Wildcat". Williams appeared with his son in a final season episode of Ironside, bringing him together again with Raymond Burr. He also made numerous guest appearances on television and worked in low-budget science fiction films until his retirement.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 21, 1915
Died
September 21, 1992 (aged 77)
From
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 99 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are Bill Williams' films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
28%
Morality
27%
Self
17%
Society
11%
Survival
10%
Power
6%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 17 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 5 of 14 analyzed roles.

Hero
5 of 14
Ally
4 of 14
Threshold guardian
2 of 14
Shadow
2 of 14
Shapeshifter
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
10
Thrilling
6
Hopeful
8
Warm
5
Other
20

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy17
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bill Williams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bill Williams' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

99 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood(1981)

    as Cowboy Bob

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • 240-Robert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • B. J. and the Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Fire in the Sky(1978)

    as Dale Turner

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • 69 Minutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • The Flight of the Grey Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as The Sheriff

  • The Giant Spider Invasion(1975)

    as Dutch

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • 125 Rooms of Comfort (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Emergency!(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Pete

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Primus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Scandalous John(1971)

    as Sheriff Hart

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Rio Lobo(1970)

    as Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Wheeler · as William Taylor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Buckskin(1968)

    as Frank Cody

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Eight on the Lam(1967)

    as Cop at Roadblock (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Dacker

  • Batman(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · as Multimillionaire

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Crawford · as David Warren

  • The Wild Wild West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Spaceflight IC-1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Capt. Mead Ralston

  • Tickle Me(1965)

    as Deputy Sturdivant

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Hallelujah Trail(1965)

    Stunts · as Lt. Brady (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • A Letter to Nancy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as George Reed

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Caleb Trevor

  • Law of the Lawless(1964)

    as Silas Miller

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Stampede at Bitter Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Paul Forbes

  • The Investigators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Sergeant Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Col. House

  • The Alamo(1960)

    Stunts

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Assignment: Underwater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 38 episodes · as Bill Greer

  • Hell to Eternity(1960)

    as Leonard

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Oklahoma Territory(1960)

    as Temple Houston

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Scarface Mob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Martin Flaherty

  • A Dog's Best Friend(1959)

    as Wesley 'Wes' Thurman

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Men Into Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alaska Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Al Graham

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Bickle

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Cook

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Martin Flaherty

  • Yancy Derringer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Duke Winslow

  • Legion of the Doomed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Space Master X-7(1958)

    as John Hand

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Slim Carter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Frank Hanneman

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Burt Payne · as Charles Shaw · as Floyd Grant · as Mike Preston

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • M Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry Langdon

  • Pawnee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Matt Delaney

  • Date with the Angels(1957)

    Show 60 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • The Storm Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Sheriff Colton

  • The Halliday Brand(1957)

    as Clay Halliday

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Broken Star(1956)

    as Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Dakotas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Jim Henry

  • Hell's Horizon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Paul Jenkins

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Red

  • Apache Ambush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as James Kingston

  • Wiretapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as James Arthur Vaus, Jr.

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Clint Halloran · as Donald Abbott

  • The Outlaw's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Jess Raidley aka Big Red

  • Lassie(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jed Bingham

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Racing Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Tex

  • Torpedo Alley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Tom Graham

  • Music at the Meadowbrook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Stewart Davidson

  • Son of Paleface(1952)

    as Kirk

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Pace That Thrills(1952)

    as Richard L. 'Dusty' Weston

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Rose of Cimarron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as George Newcomb

  • Dragnet(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Sawyer

  • Havana Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Tex Thompson

  • The Adventures of Kit Carson(1951)

    Show 103 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Outpost(1951)

    as Sgt. Tucker

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Great Missouri Raid(1951)

    as Jim Younger

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Blue Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Bill Manning

  • California Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bob Martin

  • Rookie Fireman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Joe Blake

  • The Cariboo Trail(1950)

    as Mike Evans

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Operation Haylift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bill Masters

  • Blue Grass of Kentucky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Lin McIvor

  • A Dangerous Profession(1949)

    as Claude Brackett

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Fighting Man of the Plains(1949)

    as Marshall Johnny Tancred

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Stratton Story(1949)

    as Eddie Dibson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Clay Pigeon(1949)

    as Jim Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Adventures In Jazz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 22 episodes · Actor

  • A Woman's Secret(1949)

    as Lee Crenshaw

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • A Likely Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Bill

  • Till the End of Time(1946)

    as Perry Kincheloe

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Deadline at Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Alex Winkler

  • Sing Your Way Home(1945)

    as Officer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Big Sailor (uncredited)

  • West of the Pecos(1945)

    as Tex Evans

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Those Endearing Young Charms(1945)

    as Jerry

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Back to Bataan(1945)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Body Snatcher(1945)

    as Survis - Medical Student (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo(1944)

    as Bud Felton

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Murder in the Blue Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Larry (as Bill MacWilliams)

  • King Kong(1933)

    as Theatre Usher (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 89th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 99 titles from 1933 to 1981; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

$293K worldwide

Highest rated

The Stratton Story (1949)

Midcredits 84th

Most popular right now

The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951)

Film career

19331981

Peak 1965 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1933Screen debut· King Kong

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting98 of 99: 97 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score43rdOther crew2 of 99: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1930s1 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s46 · acting1960s20 · 19 acting · 2 crew1970s14 · acting1980s1 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Bill Williams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 35; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood (1981)

93rd percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

King Kong (1933)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Bill Williams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bill Williams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Paul Sawtell shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles