Willis Bouchey

Willis Ben Bouchey (May 24, 1907 – September 27, 1977) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 150 films and television shows. He was born in Vernon, Michigan, but raised by his mother and stepfather in Washington state.

Willis Bouchey
Bouchey in Suddenly (1954)
Born
Willis Ben Bouchey

(1907-05-24)May 24, 1907
Vernon, Michigan, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 1977(1977-09-27) (aged 70)
Burbank, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1951–1972

Bouchey may be best known for his movie appearances in The Horse Soldiers, The Long Gray Line, Sergeant Rutledge, Two Rode Together, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Big Heat, Pickup on South Street, No Name on the Bullet, and Suddenly. He also made uncredited appearances in From Here to Eternity, How the West Was Won, Them!, Executive Suite, and A Star is Born, and appears briefly in Frank Capra's cameo-filled comedy Pocketful of Miracles.

Radio

On old-time radio, Bouchey played the title role in Captain Midnight,[1] Charles Williams in Kitty Keene, Inc.,[1]: 190  Stanley Bartlett in Midstream,[1]: 229  and Pa Barton in The Story of Bud Barton.[1]: 317  He was also a member of the ensemble cast of Your Parlor Playhouse.[1]: 362 

Television

Bouchey projected a sober, dignified demeanor that served him well in character roles. He was a member of Jack Webb's Dragnet stock company, billed variously as "Willis Bouchey", "William Bouchey", "Willis Buchet," or "Bill Bouchey." He appeared as a sheep trader in the title 1958 episode "Cash Robertson" of the NBC children's western series, Buckskin. In 1960 to 1961, he was cast twice in the ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son, and four times in the role of Springer in the CBS sitcom, Pete and Gladys.

He guest-starred on CBS's Dennis the Menace and played a judge in 23 episodes of that same network's Perry Mason, "one of the more frequent judges on the bench" in that program.[2] He played Judge Neilson in "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" S1 E4 "I Saw the Whole Thing" which aired 10/10/1962. Also on CBS, on Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, Willis Bouchey appeared as Dr. Samuel Thorne in the episode The Masks, which premiered March 20, 1964.

Also in 1964, he appeared on Petticoat Junction. He was Dr. John Rhone in the episode "Kate Flat on Her Back".

He also worked again with Perry Mason title star Raymond Burr in an episode of NBC's Ironside. He made guest appearances on The Sheriff of Cochise (1957), Have Gun Will Travel, Crossroads; Richard Diamond, Private Detective; Johnny Ringo, Stoney Burke, Going My Way, The Dakotas, Hazel (5 episodes), The Munsters (2 episodes), McHale's Navy (3 episodes), The Andy Griffith Show, and Get Smart.

On ABC's Colt .45 television series, Bouchey played Lew Wallace, the governor of New Mexico Territory, in the episode "Amnesty". Wallace offered a pardon to the bandit Billy the Kid, played on Colt .45 by Robert Conrad.

Throughout his career, Bouchey worked in twelve different productions for director John Ford and was one of the more frequently-used members of Ford's stock company. In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, he delivered the final line, "Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance."

Selected filmography

References
  1. Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  2. Cox, Stephen; DeCarlo, Yvonne; Patrick, Butch (2006). The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane. Watson-Guptill Publications, Incorporated. p. 196. ISBN 9780823078943. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
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