Willard Waterman

Willard Lewis Waterman (August 29, 1914 – February 2, 1995)[1] 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.

Willard Waterman
Willard Waterman in Wagon Train, 1961
Born	Willard Lewis Waterman (1914-08-29)August 29, 1914 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	February 2, 1995(1995-02-02) (aged 80) Burlingame, California, U.S.
Resting place	Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, California
Years active	1949–1973
Spouse(s)	Mary Anna Theleen (1937-1995; his death); 2 children

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.[2]

Radio

Waterman replaced Harold Peary, on "The Great Gildersleeve," radio program 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.

He also began his radio career at WIBA in Madison, singing in a quartet that performed "musical interludes between programs,"[2] and came to NBC in Chicago in early 1936.[3]

There he met and replaced Peary on The Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters. Not only did the two men become longtime friends, but Waterman—who actually 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 radio and in a short-lived television series syndicated in 1955.[4]

During World War II, Waterman worked in war production in the Nash-Kelvinator plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

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, in addition to Tom Mix, had included at least one starring vehicle, a short-lived situation comedy, Those Websters,[5] 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,[6] The Guiding Light, Lonely Women,[7] The Road of Life and Kay Fairchild, Stepmother.

Film

Waterman is remembered for his role as Claude Upson in the 1958 film Auntie Mame.[8] He was also seen in Riding High, Three Coins in the Fountain, and The Apartment.[9][4]

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.[9]

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, The Eve Arden Show (four episodes from 1957-1958 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.[4]

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.[10]

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."[11]

Death

Waterman died of bone marrow disease February 2, 1995, at his home in Burlingame, California,[9] and is interred at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, California. He was survived by his wife, Mary Anna (née Theleen), two daughters, three granddaughters, and a great-granddaughter.[9]

Recognition

Waterman has a star in the Radio section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[12]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1949	Flaming Fury	Dutch	Uncredited
1949	Flame of Youth	Steve Miller
1949	Free for All	Commander H.C. Christie
1950	No Man of Her Own	Jack Olsen	Uncredited
1950	Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town	J.J. Schumacher	Uncredited
1950	Riding High	Arthur Winslow
1950	Father of the Bride	Vincent Dixon - Engagement Party Guest	Uncredited
1950	Louisa	Dick Stewart
1950	The Lawless	Pawling	Uncredited
1950	Mystery Street	A Mortician
1950	Three Secrets	Max	Uncredited
1950	Hit Parade of 1951	Oilman	Uncredited
1950	Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone	Mr. Ogle
1950	Watch the Birdie	Mayor	Uncredited
1951	Fourteen Hours	Mr. Harris	Uncredited
1951	Francis Goes to the Races	Exerciser	Uncredited
1951	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	Uncredited
1953	It Happens Every Thursday	Myron Trout
1953	Half a Hero	Charles McEstway
1954	Three Coins in the Fountain	Mr. Hoyt	Uncredited
1955	Three for the Show	TV Show Moderator	Uncredited
1955	How to Be Very, Very Popular	Speaker
1956	Hollywood or Bust	Manager Neville	Uncredited; final Martin & Lewis film
1958	Auntie Mame	Claude Upson
1960	The Apartment	Mr. Vanderhoff
1962	The Joey Bishop Show	Johnathan Flint.	1 episode
1962	Walk on the Wild Side	Man Listening to Speech	Uncredited
1963	My Favorite Martian	Mr. Trimble	Episode- There is No Cure for the Common Martian
1964	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[13]
1949	Escape	Red Wine[14]

References

1. Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3848-8.
2. Leadabrand, Russ (September 22, 1963). "A Pro in Evoking Stitches". Independent Star-News. p. 58. Retrieved June 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Press release on Willard Waterman from NBC Chicago, dated November 9, 1936.
4. Willard Waterman on IMDb
5. "(photo caption)". Pampa Daily News. March 8, 1946. p. 7. Retrieved June 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Fairfax, Arthur (December 28, 1940). "Mr. Fairfax Replies" (PDF). Movie Radio Guide. 10 (12): 43. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
7. Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950. The Viking Press; ISBN 0-670-16240-X (pp. 144-45).
8. "(photo caption)". The Zanesville Signal. May 31, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved June 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Willard Waterman, An Actor on Radio And TV, Dies at 80". New York Times. February 8, 1995. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
10. Clio Award website, clioawards.com; retrieved on July 15, 2007.
11. Folkart, Burt A. (February 4, 1995). "Willard Waterman; Actor on Radio, Screen and Stage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
12. Folkart, Burt A. (February 4, 1995). "Willard Waterman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
13. "Those Were The Days". Nostalgia Digest. 40 (1): 32–39. Winter 2014.
14. "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 39 (1): 32–41. Winter 2013.

External links

• Willard Waterman on IMDb
• Willard Waterman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Obituary: The New York Times
• Willard Waterman at Find a Grave