2021-03-05

I remember Billy De Wolfe

    Billy De Wolfe
When I was a kid there was a comedic character actor named Billy De Wolfe who I encountered on shows such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, The Debbie Reynolds Show, The Doris Day Show, and of course ... Love American Style as well as a number of movies on television and other appearances and fluff pieces common to that era.

The guy was rather like John Wayne in the regard that he was pretty much the same character projecting similar mannerisms throughout his appearances and the funny part was that schtick and how recognizable it all became. He kind of grew on me over time and the older he got the more endearing he was to me personally.

William Andrew Jones aka Billy De Wolfe was an American character actor who worked from the mid 1940s through the mid 1970s. He was born on February 18, 1907 and died March 5, 1974 and was professionally engaged in films until his death.

A Massachusetts native, he was the son of a Welsh bookbinder who encouraged him to become a Baptist minister. He became interested in the theatre and found work as an usher before becoming a dancer with the Jimmy O'Connor Band.

At this point in his career he changed his last name to De Wolfe in honor of the manager of that Massachusetts theatre where he worked. He went on to tour Europe with a dance team and performed in a London revue called "Revels in Rhythm".

He was said to be a closeted homosexual by Sir John Gielgud, author David Kaufman, and The Advocate but in my mind all I recall is his art and flamboyance in those productions I watched and he was pretty entertaining. I mean just how significant is someone's sexuality when they keep their private lives to themselves anyway?

During the second World War he did a hitch in the US Navy and was discharged for medical reasons in 1944.

Billy De Wolfe died just after his 67th birthday from lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brief hospitalization.

All in all he was literally quite the character.

Rest in peace.