William Holden

William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor who was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for the film Stalag 17 (1953), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for the television film The Blue Knight (1973). Holden starred in some of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed films, including Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Bunch, Picnic, and Network. He was named one of the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" six times (1954–1958, 1961), and appeared as 25th on the American Film Institute's list of 25 greatest male stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

For other uses, see William Holden (disambiguation).

William Holden
Holden in a publicity photo, 1950
Born	William Franklin Beedle Jr. (1918-04-17)April 17, 1918 O'Fallon, Illinois, United States
Died	November 12, 1981(1981-11-12) (aged 63) Santa Monica, California, United States
Cause of death	Exsanguination
Resting place	Ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean
Nationality	American
Alma mater	South Pasadena High School
Occupation	Actor, wildlife conservationist
Years active	1938–1981
Home town	South Pasadena, California, United States
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Brenda Marshall ​ ( m. 1941; div. 1971)
Partner(s)	Stefanie Powers (1972–1981; his death)
Children	3
Awards	Academy Award for Best Actor (1953) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor (1974)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1942–45
Rank	First lieutenant[1]
Unit	First Motion Picture Unit (USAAF)
Battles/wars	World War II

Early life and education

With Lee J. Cobb (right) in Holden's first starring role in a film, Golden Boy (1939)

Holden was born William Franklin Beedle, Jr., on April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Illinois, son of Mary Blanche Beedle (née Ball, 1898–1990), a schoolteacher, and her husband William Franklin Beedle (1891–1967), an industrial chemist.[2] He had two younger brothers, Robert Westfield Beedle (1921–1944) and Richard P. Beedle (1924–1964). One of his father's grandmothers, Rebecca Westfield, was born in England in 1817, while some of his mother's ancestors settled in Virginia's Lancaster County after emigrating from England in the 17th century.[2] His younger brother, Robert W. "Bobbie" Beedle, became a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and was killed in action in World War II, over New Ireland, a Japanese-occupied island in the South Pacific, on January 5, 1944.

His family moved to South Pasadena when he was three. After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Holden attended Pasadena Junior College, where he became involved in local radio plays.

Career

Paramount

Holden appeared uncredited in Prison Farm (1939) and Million Dollar Legs (1939) at Paramount.

A version of how he obtained his stage name "Holden" is based on a statement by George Ross of Billboard: "William Holden, the lad just signed for the coveted lead in Golden Boy, used to be Bill Beadle. [sic] And here is how he obtained his new movie tag. On the Columbia lot is an assistant director and scout named Harold Winston. Not long ago, he was divorced from the actress, Gloria Holden, but carried the torch after the marital rift. Winston was one of those who discovered the Golden Boy newcomer and who renamed him—in honor of his former spouse!"[3]

Golden Boy

Holden's first starring role was in Golden Boy (1939), costarring Barbara Stanwyck, in which he played a violinist-turned-boxer.[4] The film was made for Columbia, which negotiated a sharing agreement with Paramount for Holden's services.

Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. She liked Holden and went out of her way to help him succeed, devoting her personal time to coaching and encouraging him, which made them into lifelong friends. When she received her Honorary Oscar at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony, Holden had died in an accident just a few months prior. At the end of her acceptance speech, she paid him a personal tribute: "I loved him very much, and I miss him. He always wished that I would get an Oscar. And so tonight, my golden boy, you got your wish".[5][6]

Next he starred with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in the Warner Bros. gangster epic Invisible Stripes (1939).[7]

Back at Paramount, he starred with Bonita Granville in Those Were the Days! (1940) followed by the role of George Gibbs in the film adaptation of Our Town (1940), done for Sol Lesser at United Artists.[8]

Columbia put Holden in a Western with Jean Arthur, Arizona (1940), then at Paramount he was in a hugely popular war film, I Wanted Wings (1941) with Ray Milland and Veronica Lake.

He did another Western at Columbia, Texas (1941) with Glenn Ford, and a musical comedy at Paramount, The Fleet's In (1942) with Eddie Bracken, Dorothy Lamour, and Betty Hutton.[9]

He stayed at Paramount for The Remarkable Andrew (1942) with Brian Donlevy, then made Meet the Stewarts (1943) at Columbia. Paramount reunited Bracken and him in Young and Willing (1943).

World War Two

Holden served as a second and then a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Force during World War II, where he acted in training films for the First Motion Picture Unit, including Reconnaissance Pilot (1943).

Post War

Holden's first film back from the services was Blaze of Noon (1947), an aviator picture at Paramount directed by John Farrow. He followed it with a romantic comedy, Dear Ruth (1947) and he was one of many cameos in Variety Girl (1947).[10] RKO borrowed him for Rachel and the Stranger (1948) with Robert Mitchum and Loretta Young, then he went over to 20th Century Fox for Apartment for Peggy (1948).

At Columbia he did a film noir, The Dark Past (1948) and a Western with Ford, The Man from Colorado (1949). At Paramount, he did another Western, Streets of Laredo (1949). Columbia teamed him with Lucille Ball for Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), then he did a sequel to Dear Ruth, Dear Wife (1949). He did a comedy at Columbia Father Is a Bachelor (1950).

Sunset Boulevard

With Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)

His career took off again in 1950 when Billy Wilder tapped him to play a role in Sunset Boulevard, in which he played a down-at-heel screenwriter taken in by a faded silent-screen star, played by Gloria Swanson. Holden earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination with the part.[11]

Getting the part was a lucky break for Holden, as the role was initially cast with Montgomery Clift, who backed out of his contract.[12] Swanson later said, "Bill Holden was a man I could have fallen in love with. He was perfection on- and off-screen."[13] And Wilder commented "Bill was a complex guy, a totally honorable friend. He was a genuine star. Every woman was in love with him."[13] Paramount reunited him with Nancy Olson, one of his Sunset Boulevard costars, in Union Station (1950).

Holden had another good break when cast as Judy Holliday's love interest in the big-screen adaptation of Born Yesterday (1950). He made two more films with Olson: Force of Arms (1951) at Warners and Submarine Command (1951) at Paramount. Holden did a sports film at Columbia, Boots Malone (1952), then returned to Paramount for The Turning Point (1952).

Stalag 17 and peak of stardom

Holden was reunited with Wilder in Stalag 17 (1953), for which Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor. This ushered in the peak years of Holden's stardom.[4] He made a sex comedy with David Niven for Otto Preminger, The Moon Is Blue (1953), which was a huge hit, in part due to controversy over its content. At Paramount, he was in a comedy with Ginger Rogers that was not particularly popular, Forever Female (1953). A Western at MGM, Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) did much better, and the all-star Executive Suite (1954) was a notable success.[14]

Sabrina

With Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1954)

Holden made a third film with Wilder, Sabrina (1954), billed beneath Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.[15] Holden and Hepburn became romantically involved during the filming, unbeknownst to Wilder: "People on the set told me later that Bill and Audrey were having an affair, and everybody knew. Well, not everybody! I didn't know."[13]^:174 The interactions between Bogart, Hepburn, and Holden made shooting less than pleasant, as Bogart had wanted his wife, Lauren Bacall, to play Sabrina. Bogart was not especially friendly toward Hepburn, who had little Hollywood experience, while Holden's reaction was the opposite, wrote biographer Michelangelo Capua.[16] Holden recalls their romance:

Before I even met her, I had a crush on her, and after I met her, just a day later, I felt as if we were old friends, and I was rather fiercely protective of her, though not in a possessive way.[17]

Their relationship did not last much beyond the completion of the film. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me."[18] Rumors at the time had it that Hepburn wanted a family, but when Holden told her that he had had a vasectomy and having children was impossible, she moved on. (A few months later, Hepburn met Mel Ferrer, whom she later married and with whom she had a son Sean Hepburn Ferrer.)[19]

He took third billing for The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, directed by George Seaton from a play by Clifford Odets. It was a big hit, as was The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), a Korean War drama with Kelly.[20][21]

In 1954, Holden was featured on the cover of Life. On February 7, 1955, Holden appeared as a guest star on I Love Lucy as himself.[22] The golden run at the box office continued with Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), from a best-selling novel, with Jennifer Jones, and Picnic (1955), as a drifter, in an adaptation of the William Inge play with Kim Novak.[23][24] Picnic was his last film under the contract with Columbia.

A second film with Seaton did not do as well, The Proud and Profane (1956), where Holden played the role with a moustache. Neither did Toward the Unknown (1957), the one film Holden produced himself.

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Holden had his most widely recognized role as an ill-fated prisoner in David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with Alec Guinness,[25] a huge commercial success.

He made another war film for a British director, The Key (1958) with Trevor Howard and Sophia Loren for director Carol Reed.[26] He played an American Civil War military surgeon in John Ford's The Horse Soldiers (1959) opposite John Wayne, which was a box-office disappointment.[27] Columbia would not meet Holden's asking price of $750,000 and 10% of the gross for The Guns of Navarone (1961); the amount of money Holden asked exceeding the combined salaries of the stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn.[28]

Holden had another hit with The World of Suzie Wong (1960) with Nancy Kwan which was shot in Hong Kong. Less popular was Satan Never Sleeps (1961), the last film of Clifton Webb and Leo McCarey; The Counterfeit Traitor (1962), this third film with Seaton; or The Lion (1962), with Trevor Howard and Capucine. The latter was shot in Africa and sparked a fascination with the continent that was to last until the end of Holden's life.

Holden's films continued to struggle at the box office, however, Paris When It Sizzles (1964) with Hepburn that was shot in 1962 but given a much delayed release, The 7th Dawn (1964) with Capucine and Susannah York, a romantic adventure set during the Malayan Emergency produced by Charles K. Feldman, Alvarez Kelly (1966), a Western, and The Devil's Brigade (1968). He was also one of many names in Feldman's Casino Royale (1967).

The Wild Bunch

Holden in The Revengers (1972)

In 1969, Holden made a comeback when he starred in director Sam Peckinpah's graphically violent Western The Wild Bunch,[4] winning much acclaim. Also in 1969, Holden starred in director Terence Young's family film L'Arbre de Noël, co-starring Italian actress Virna Lisi and French actor Bourvil, based on the novel of the same name by Michel Bataille. This film was originally released in the United States as The Christmas Tree and on home video as When Wolves Cry.[29] Holden made a Western with Ryan O'Neal and Blake Edwards, Wild Rovers (1971). It was not particularly successful. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western.

For television roles in 1974, Holden won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his portrayal of a cynical, tough veteran LAPD street cop in the television film The Blue Knight, based upon the best-selling Joseph Wambaugh novel of the same name.[30][4]

In 1973, Holden starred with Kay Lenz in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood called Breezy, which was considered a box-office flop.[31] Also in 1974, Holden starred with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in the critically acclaimed disaster film The Towering Inferno,[32] which became a box-office smash and one of the highest-grossing films of Holden's career.

Two years later, he was praised for his Oscar-nominated leading performance in Sidney Lumet's classic Network (1976),[33] an examination of the media written by Paddy Chayefsky, playing an older version of the character type for which he had become iconic in the 1950s, only now more jaded and aware of his own mortality. Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976).

Final films

Holden made a fourth and final film for Wilder with Fedora (1978). He followed it with Damien: Omen II (1978) and had a cameo in Escape to Athena (1978). Holden had a supporting role in Ashanti (1979) and was third-billed in another disaster movie with Paul Newman for Irwin Allen, When Time Ran Out... (1980), which was a flop.[34]

In 1980, Holden appeared in The Earthling with popular child actor Ricky Schroder,[35] playing a loner dying of cancer who goes to the Australian outback to end his days, meets a young boy whose parents have been killed in an accident, and teaches him how to survive. After making S.O.B. (1981) for Blake Edwards, Holden refused to star in Jason Miller's film That Championship Season.[36]

Personal life

Matron of honor Brenda Marshall (left) and best man William Holden, sole guests at Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan's wedding in 1952

Holden was best man at the wedding of his friend Ronald Reagan to Nancy Davis in 1952; although a registered Republican, he never involved himself in politics.

While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter.[37]

Holden maintained a home in Switzerland and also spent much of his time working for wildlife conservation as a managing partner in an animal preserve in Africa. His Mount Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki (founded 1959) was popular with the international jet set.[38] On a trip to Africa, he fell in love with the wildlife and became increasingly concerned with the animal species that were beginning to decrease in population. With the help of his partners, he created the Mount Kenya Game Ranch and inspired the creation of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation.[39] The Mount Kenya Game Ranch works to assist in Kenya with the wildlife education of its youth.[40] Within the Mount Kenya Game Ranch is the Mount Kenya Conservancy, which runs an animal orphanage as well as the Bongo Rehabilitation Program in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service. The orphanage provides shelter and care for orphans, injured and neglected animals found in the wild, with the aim of releasing these animals back into the wild whenever possible. The conservancy is home to the critically endangered East African mountain bongo, and aims to prevent its extinction by breeding.[41][42]

Marriage and relationships

Holden was married to actress Ardis Ankerson (stage name Brenda Marshall) from 1941 until their divorce 30 years later, in 1971.[4] They had two sons, Peter Westfield "West" Holden (1943–2014)[43] and Scott Porter Holden. He adopted his wife's daughter, Virginia, from her first marriage with actor Richard Gaines. While filming Sabrina (1954), costar Audrey Hepburn and he had a brief, passionate affair. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. The two starred in the films The Lion (1962) and The 7th Dawn (1964). They reportedly began a two-year affair, which is alleged to have ended owing to Holden's alcoholism.[44] Capucine and Holden remained friends until his death in 1981.

In 1972, Holden began a nine-year relationship with actress Stefanie Powers, and sparked her interest in animal welfare.[45] After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden's Mount Kenya Game Ranch.[46]

Death

According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's autopsy report, Holden bled to death in his apartment in Santa Monica, California, on November 12, 1981, after lacerating his forehead from slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. Forensic evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall. The causes of death were given as "exsanguination" and "blunt laceration of scalp."[47] Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden himself had denied at a 1980 press conference. His death certificate makes no mention of cancer.[38][47] He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted.[48]

President Ronald Reagan released a statement, saying, "I have a great feeling of grief. We were close friends for many years. What do you say about a longtime friend – a sense of personal loss, a fine man. Our friendship never waned." [4] For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street.[49] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[50] His death was noted by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose 1987 song "Tom's Diner" (about a sequence of events one morning in 1981) included a mention of reading a newspaper article about "an actor who had died while he was drinking". Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.[51]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1938	Prison Farm	Prisoner	Film debut uncredited
1939	Million Dollar Legs	Graduate who says 'Thank You'	uncredited
1939	Golden Boy	Joe Bonaparte
1939	Invisible Stripes	Tim Taylor
1940	Those Were the Days!	P.J. "Petey" Simmons
1940	Our Town	George Gibbs
1940	Arizona	Peter Muncie
1941	I Wanted Wings	Al Ludlow
1941	Texas	Dan Thomas
1942	The Fleet's In	Casey Kirby
1942	The Remarkable Andrew	Andrew Long
1942	Meet the Stewarts	Michael Stewart
1943	Young and Willing	Norman Reese
1947	Blaze of Noon	Colin McDonald
1947	Dear Ruth	Lt. William Seacroft
1947	Variety Girl	himself
1948	Rachel and the Stranger	Big Davey
1948	Apartment for Peggy	Jason Taylor
1948	The Dark Past	Al Walker
1949	The Man from Colorado	Del Stewart
1949	Streets of Laredo	Jim Dawkins
1949	Miss Grant Takes Richmond	Dick Richmond
1949	Dear Wife	Bill Seacroft
1950	Father Is a Bachelor	Johnny Rutledge
1950	Sunset Boulevard	Joe Gillis	nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor
1950	Union Station	Lt. William Calhoun
1950	Born Yesterday	Paul Verrall
1951	Force of Arms	Sgt. Joe "Pete" Peterson
1951	Submarine Command	LCDR Ken White
1952	Boots Malone	Boots Malone
1952	The Turning Point	Jerry McKibbon
1953	Stalag 17	Sgt. J.J. Sefton	Academy Award for Best Actor nominated – New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
1953	The Moon Is Blue	Donald Gresham
1953	Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach	Tourist	uncredited
1953	Forever Female	Stanley Krown
1953	Escape from Fort Bravo	Capt. Roper
1954	Executive Suite	McDonald Walling	Venice Film Festival Special Award for Ensemble Acting
1954	Sabrina	David Larrabee
1954	The Bridges at Toko-Ri	LT Harry Brubaker, USNR
1954	The Country Girl	Bernie Dodd
1955	Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing	Mark Elliott
1955	Picnic	Hal Carter	nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor
1956	The Proud and Profane	Lt. Col. Colin Black
1956	Toward the Unknown	Maj. Lincoln Bond
1957	The Bridge on the River Kwai	Cmdr. Shears
1958	The Key	Capt. David Ross
1959	The Horse Soldiers	Major Henry Kendall
1960	The World of Suzie Wong	Robert Lomax	nominated – Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance
1962	Satan Never Sleeps	Father O'Banion
1962	The Counterfeit Traitor	Eric Erickson
1962	The Lion	Robert Hayward
1964	Paris When It Sizzles	Richard Benson / Rick	shot in 1962, given delayed release
1964	The 7th Dawn	Major Ferris
1966	Alvarez Kelly	Alvarez Kelly
1967	Casino Royale	Ransome	cameo role
1968	The Devil's Brigade	Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick
1969	The Wild Bunch	Pike Bishop
1969	The Christmas Tree	Laurent Ségur
1971	Wild Rovers	Ross Bodine
1972	The Revengers	John Benedict
1973	Breezy	Frank Harmon
1974	Open Season	Hal Wolkowski	cameo role
1974	The Towering Inferno	Jim Duncan
1976	Network	Max Schumacher	nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role nominated – National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
1978	Fedora	Barry "Dutch" Detweiler
1978	Damien: Omen II	Richard Thorn
1979	Escape to Athena	Prisoner smoking a cigar in prison camp	uncredited
1979	Ashanti	Jim Sandell
1980	When Time Ran Out	Shelby Gilmore
1980	The Earthling	Patrick Foley
1981	S.O.B.	Tim Culley	final film role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1955	Lux Video Theatre	Intermission Guest	episode: "Love Letters"
1955	I Love Lucy	Himself	episode: "L.A. at Last!"
1956	The Jack Benny Program	Himself	episode: "William Holden/Frances Bergen Show"
1973	The Blue Knight	Bumper Morgan	Television film Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
1976	21 Hours at Munich	Chief of Police Manfred Schreiber	Television film

Radio

Year	Program	Episode/source
1940	Lux Radio Theatre	Our Town
1942	Lux Radio Theatre	I Wanted Wings
1945	Lux Radio Theatre	Christmas Holiday
1946	Lux Radio Theatre	Miss Susie Slagle's[52]
1948	Lux Radio Theatre	Dear Ruth
1949	Lux Radio Theatre	Apartment for Peggy
1949	Lux Radio Theatre	Dear Ruth
1951	Lux Radio Theatre	Dear Wife
1951	Lux Radio Theatre	Love Letters
1951	Lux Radio Theatre	Sunset Boulevard
1951	Lux Radio Theatre	The Men
1952	Lux Radio Theatre	Union Station
1952	Lux Radio Theatre	Submarine Command[53]
1952	Hollywood Star Playhouse	The Joyful Beggar[53]
1953	Lux Radio Theatre	Appointment with Danger[54]
1953	Lux Summer Theatre	High Tor[55]

Box-office ranking

For a number of years, exhibitors voted Holden among the most popular stars in the country:

• 1954 – 7th (US)
• 1955 – 4th (US)
• 1956 – 1st (US)
• 1957 – 7th (US)
• 1958 – 6th (US), 6th (UK)
• 1959 – 12th (US)
• 1960 – 14th (US)
• 1961 – 8th (US)
• 1962 – 15th (US)

References

Notes

1. "Holden, William, 1st Lt". www.airforce.togetherweserved.com. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
2. "Ancestry of William Holden" Archived 2008-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Genealogy.com; retrieved November 13, 2011.
3. Ross, George. "Broadway: Golden Boy", The Pittsburgh Press, April 12, 1939, p. 23.
4. Charlton, Linda (17 November 1981). "William Holden Dead at 63; Won Oscar for 'Stalag 17'". The New York Times.
5. video: "Barbara Stanwyck's Honorary Award: 1982 Oscars", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences via Youtube.com; accessed November 12, 2016.
6. Robert Osborne, "TCM – Golden Boy" via Youtube.com; accessed November 12, 2016.
7. Nigent, Frank S. (January 13, 1940). "The Screen ... Strand Shows 'Invisible Stripes'". The New York Times. p. 16. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
8. Capua 2010, pp. 16–17.
9. "101 Pix Gross in Millions" Variety, January 6, 1943 p 58
10. Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016
11. Capua 2010, pp. 54–55.
12. Monush, Barry. The Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors, Applause (2003) pp. 335–336
13. Chandler, Charlotte. Nobody's Perfect: Billy Wilder: a Personal Biography, Simon & Schuster (2002) p. 147
14. "Forever Female (1954) – Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
15. "30 Days, 30 Classics – Day 17: Sabrina (1954) starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart". Writer Loves Movies. October 19, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
16. Capua 2010, p. 78
17. Capua 2010 p. 79
18. Capua 2010 p. 77
19. Capua 2010 p. 82
20. Crowther, Bosley (December 16, 1954). "Screen: Crosby Acts in 'Country Girl'; Film Based on Odets Drama Makes Bow". The New York Times. p. 51. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
21. Crowther, Bosley (January 21, 1955). "The Screen in Review; 'Bridges at Toko-ri' Is Fine Film of War". The New York Times. p. 20. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
22. Hernandez, Greg (May 4, 2012). ""I Love Lucy" Friday: When Lucy comes face-to-face with William Holden at the Brown Derby". Greg in Hollywood.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
23. Shaffer, Bill (Spring 2005). "The Summer of Picninc" (PDF). Kansas Heritage: 6–12. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
24. Woo, Elaine (11 November 2012). "Han Suyin dies at 95; wrote 'Many-Splendored Thing'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
25. "13 Fascinating Facts About 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'". Mental Floss. 2016-07-07. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
26. "Detail view of Movies Page". www.afi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
27. Longley York, Neil (May 2001). Fiction as Fact: "The Horse Soldiers" and Popular Memory. The Kent State University Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0873386883. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
28. p. 120 Capua, Michelangelo William Holden: A Biography McFarland (2016)
29. Capua 2010, pp. 135–36, 141.
30. "Nominations Search". Television Academy. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
31. "'Breezy' (1973): Clint Eastwood's little-known romance". The Same Cinema Every Night. May 24, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
32. Ebert, Roger. "The Towering Inferno Movie Review (1974)". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
33. Ebert, Roger. "Network Movie Review & Film Summary (1976)". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
34. "William Holden Gave His All Even "When Time Ran Out..."". hillplace.blogspot.ca. 2013-04-18. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
35. Canby, Vincent (February 8, 1981). "Screen: A Final Journey In 'Earthling'". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
36. Capua 2010, pp. 162–63.
37. Brown, Andrew M. "When Alcoholics drink themselves to death", The Daily Telegraph, London, April 7, 2011.
38. Bennett, Bruce. "William Holden's Unscripted Fall From Grace", The New York Sun, July 2, 2008.
39. The William Holden Wildlife Education Center, Mount Kenya Wilderness Conservancy, 2015; retrieved January 24, 2015.
40. "WHWF History." Archived 2014-12-01 at the Wayback Machine William Holden Wildlife Foundation, 2010; retrieved January 24, 2015.
41. Mulli, Thorn (May 2, 2016). "Date with the mountain bongo". The Standard. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
42. "Game Ranch Lifestyles". Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
43. Fessier, Bruce (September 29, 2014). "West Holden: More than just the son of William Holden". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California.
44. Osborne, Robert (host). "The Lion", Turner Classic Movies, November 4, 2012.
45. Capua 2010, p. 165.
46. Bacon, Doris Klein. "For Love of Bill", People, Vol. 17, No. 21, May 31, 1982.
47. Death Certificate of William Holden, autopsyfiles.org; accessed September 28, 2016.
48. Capua 2010, p. 164
49. "Hollywood Star Walk: William Holden", Los Angeles Times, March 26, 2013.
50. "St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees", St. Louis Walk of Fame; retrieved January 24, 2015.
51. Suzanne Vega, Tom's Essay, The New York Times, September 23, 2008; retrieved September 27, 2016.
52. "Lux Star". Harrisburg Telegraph. October 19, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved September 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
53. Kirby, Walter (November 23, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
54. Kirby, Walter (January 18, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 20, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
55. Kirby, Walter (May 31, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

Bibliography

• Capua, Michelangelo (2010). William Holden: A Biography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-4440-3.
• Gaines, Virginia Holden; Prcic, Mike (2007). Growing Up with William Holden: A Memoir. Mehmed Prcic. ISBN 978-0-9741304-5-3..
• Heymann, C. David (July 14, 2009). Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4001-6422-6..
• Phillips, Gene D. (2010). Some Like It Wilder: The Life and Controversial Films of Billy Wilder. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2570-1..
• Quirk, Lawrence J. (1986). The Complete Films of William Holden. Sacramento, California: Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-0998-3..
• Quirk, Lawrence J. (1973). The Films of William Holden. Sacramento, California: Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-0375-2..
• Strodder, Chris (2000). Swingin' Chicks Of the Sixties. San Rafael, California: Cedco Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7683-2232-3..
• Thomas, Bob (1983). Golden Boy: The Untold Story of William Holden. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-33697-4..

External links

• William Holden on IMDb
• William Holden at the TCM Movie Database
• In Loving Memory Of William Holden
• Profile @ Turner Classic Movies
• William Holden Wildlife Foundation
• William Holden at Find a Grave
• Image of William Holden and Brenda Marshall, Academy Awards, Los Angeles, 1951. Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.