Willard Lewis Waterman (August 29, 1914 – February 2, 1995)Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. . was an American character actor in films, TV and on radio, remembered best for replacing Harold Peary as the title character of The Great Gildersleeve at the height of that show's popularity.

Early years In the mid-1930s, Waterman attended the University of Wisconsin, where he joined Theta Chi, acted in student plays, and was a friend of Uta Hagen. His growing interest in theater put an end to his original plan to be an engineer, and he gained experience in radio at the university's station, WHA.

Radio Waterman began his radio career at WIBA in Madison, singing in a quartet that performed "musical interludes between programs," and came to NBC in Chicago in early 1936.Press release on Willard Waterman from NBC Chicago, dated November 9, 1936.

Waterman replaced Harold Peary on The Great Gildersleeve in 1950, after Peary was unable to convince sponsor and show owner Kraft Cheese to allow him an ownership stake in the show. Impressed with better capital-gains deals CBS was willing to offer performers in the high-tax late 1940s, he decided to move from NBC to CBS during the latter's famous talent raids. Kraft, however, refused to move the show to CBS and hired Waterman to replace Peary as the stentorian Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve.

Peary and Waterman already knew each other from earlier radio jobs. Not only did the two men become longtime friends, but Waterman—who looked as though he could have been Peary's sibling and whose voice was a near-match for Peary's—refused to appropriate the half-leering, half-embarrassed laugh Peary had made a Gildersleeve trademark. He stayed with The Great Gildersleeve from 1950 to 1957 on radioDunning, op. cit., "The Great Gildersleeve" pp. 293-296 and in a short-lived television series syndicated in 1955.

At the same time he was heard as Gildersleeve, Waterman had a recurring role as Mr. Merriweather in the short-lived but respected radio comedy vehicle for Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume, The Halls of Ivy. Waterman's pre-Gildersleeve radio career had included at least one starring vehicle, a short-lived situation comedy, Those Websters, that premiered in 1945.

He had radio roles between the mid-1930s and 1950 on such shows as Chicago Theater of the Air (variety) and Harold Teen (comedy), plus four soap operas: Girl Alone, The Guiding Light, Lonely Women,Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950. The Viking Press; (pp. 144-45). The Road of Life and Kay Fairchild, Stepmother.

Film Waterman is remembered for his role as Claude Upson in the 1958 film Auntie Mame. He was also seen in Riding High, Three Coins in the Fountain, and The Apartment.

Stage Waterman was in two Broadway productions of the musical Mame (the 1966 original and the 1983 revival) and the 1973 Broadway revival of The Pajama Game. He also toured in the national companies of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Television

Waterman's later career included a variety of film and TV supporting roles on such shows as a short-lived television adaptation of The Great Gildersleeve, Vacation Playhouse, Lawman, My Favorite Martian, Bat Masterson, The Eve Arden Show (four episodes from 1957 to 1958 as Carl Foster), 77 Sunset Strip, Bonanza, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Guestward Ho!, F Troop, and Dennis the Menace, in which he played the lovable grocer, Mr. Quigley. Between 1957 and 1959, he appeared five times as Mac Maginnis in the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys starring Walter Brennan.

Waterman was all but retired from acting after 1973, although in 1980 he appeared in the "Boss and Peterson" radio commercial for Sony, for which he received a Clio Award.Clio Award website, clioawards.com; retrieved on July 15, 2007.

Labor activities In 1937, Waterman was a founding member of the radio union known as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. One obituary noted, "He was believed to be the only person to have served as a member of the union's board of directors in four different locales: Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York."

Personal life and death

In 1937, Waterman married Mary Anna Theleen, a secretary to the president of Nash Motors in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Waterman lived in Chicago, and New York City.

In 1945, Waterman moved his family to the San Fernando Valley in Southern California.

After 1980, Waterman lived in Burlingame, California, near a daughter.

Waterman died of bone marrow disease on February 2, 1995, at his home in Burlingame, California.

Recognition Waterman has a star in the Radio section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1949 Flaming Fury Dutch Uncredited1949 Flame of Youth Steve Miller 1949 Free for All Commander H.C. Christie 1950 No Man of Her Own Jack Olsen Uncredited1950 Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town J.J. Schumacher Uncredited1950 Riding High Arthur Winslow 1950 Father of the Bride Vincent Dixon - Engagement Party Guest Uncredited1950 Louisa Dick Stewart 1950 The Lawless Pawling Uncredited1950 Mystery Street A Mortician 1950 Three Secrets Max Uncredited1950 Hit Parade of 1951 Oilman Uncredited1950 Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone Mr. Ogle 1950 Watch the Birdie Mayor Uncredited1951 Fourteen Hours Mr. Harris Uncredited1951 Francis Goes to the Races Exerciser Uncredited1951 Darling, How Could You! Theatre Manager 1951 Rhubarb Orlando Dill 1951 Sunny Side of the Street John 'J.R.' Stevens 1952 Has Anybody Seen My Gal Dr. Wallace Uncredited1953 It Happens Every Thursday Myron Trout 1953 Half a Hero Charles McEstway 1954 Three Coins in the Fountain Mr. Hoyt Uncredited1955 Three for the Show TV show Moderator Uncredited1955 How to Be Very, Very Popular Speaker 1956 Hollywood or Bust Manager Neville Uncredited; final Martin & Lewis film1958 Auntie Mame Claude Upson 1959 Bat Masterson Bank Manager 1960 The Apartment Mr. Vanderhoff 1962 The Joey Bishop Show Johnathan Flint. 1 episode1962 Mister Ed Mr. Douglas Episode- Ed's New Neighbors1962 Mister Ed Mr. Halsted Episode 69 - Unemployment Show1962 Walk on the Wild Side Man Listening to Speech Uncredited1963 My Favorite Martian Mr. Trimble Episode- There is No Cure for the Common Martian1963 Dennis the Menace Mr. Quigley Episode - The Big Basketball Game1964 Get Yourself a College Girl Senator Hubert Morrison 1972 Hail Vice President (final film role)

Radio appearances Year Program Episode/source 1948 Screen Guild Players Up in Central Park 1949 Escape Red Wine

References

External links

Obituary: The New York Times Willard Waterman at Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce