Actor William Windom 1923-2012 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 08-19-2012, 12:50 AM

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William Windom, who won an Emmy Award playing an Everyman drawn from the pages of James Thurber but who may be best remembered for his roles on “Star Trek” and “Murder, She Wrote,” died on Thursday at his home in Woodacre, Calif., north of San Francisco. He was 88.

The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Patricia.

Mr. Windom won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy series in 1970 for his performance in “My World and Welcome to It,” a whimsical program based on James Thurber’s humorous essays and fantastic cartoons. He subsequently toured the country with a solo show based on Thurber’s works.

But filmgoers and television viewers may be more likely to associate him with roles that, though also fanciful, had a distinctly darker tone. He teamed up with Rod Serling on episodes of both “The Twilight Zone” (“Five Characters in Search of an Exit” in 1961 and “Miniature” in 1963) and “Night Gallery;” played the president in “Escape From the Planet of the Apes;” and had a memorable role in an early episode of “Star Trek.” He was also a guest star on dozens of other television shows.

It was not until 1985 that Mr. Windom found another role that drew upon his avuncular side with such success: He appeared in more than 50 episodes of “Murder, She Wrote” as the leading physician of Cabot Cove, Me., and a close friend of Jessica Fletcher, the lead character played by Angela Lansbury.

William Windom was born on Sept. 28, 1923, in Manhattan to Paul Windom, an architect, and the former Isobel Wells Peckham. He was named after his great-grandfather William Windom, a congressman from Minnesota who also served as the secretary of the Treasury under Presidents James A. Garfield and Benjamin Harrison.

Mr. Windom attended Williams College in Massachusetts. Before becoming an Army paratrooper in World War II, he joined the Army Specialized Training Program, under whose auspices he studied at The Citadel, Antioch College and the University of Kentucky.

While stationed in Frankfurt, West Germany, during the postwar Allied occupation, he enrolled in the new Biarritz American University in France. “To be honest, I signed up because I thought it would be an easy touch,” he told The New York Times in an interview for this obituary in 2009, “and we had heard that actresses had round heels.”

It was in Biarritz that he did his first bit of acting, playing the title role in “Richard III,” and when he returned to the United States, he continued to perform at Fordham University — his sixth institution of higher education. “I figure it all adds up to about two years’ worth of education,” he said.

Mr. Windom found work in the New York theater as well as in radio and on television, making numerous appearances on live dramas in the early 1950s. He ultimately appeared in more than a dozen Broadway plays, including a four-show season with the American Repertory Theater and a 1956 revival of Noel Coward’s “Fallen Angels.” He also performed for several seasons in summer stock in places like Bucks County, Pa., and the Southbury Playhouse in Connecticut, and he later toured the United States and other countries with one-man shows about Thurber and the World War II journalist Ernie Pyle.

Mr. Windom made his first film appearance as the prosecuting attorney in the 1962 drama “To Kill a Mockingbird,” sparring with Gregory Peck’s defense lawyer. His subsequent movies included Arthur Hiller’s “The Americanization of Emily” in 1964, Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” in 1970 and the John Hughes comedy “She’s Having a Baby” in 1988.

Another notable television role was as the male lead in the “The Farmer’s Daughter,” a situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1966. His character, a Minnesota congressman (like Mr. Windom’s grandfather), is a widower who hires a Swedish-American governess (Inger Stevens) to care for his sons.

Mr. Windom, who was also a tournament chess player, was married five times. Besides his wife of 37 years, Patricia, he is survived by four children, Rachel, Heather, Hope and Rebel; and four grandchildren.

Mr. Windom’s biggest critical success was “My World and Welcome to It,” which was broadcast for only one season, 1969-70. But in certain circles, he is probably better known for the “Doomsday Machine” episode of “Star Trek.” He played Commodore Matt Decker, the sole survivor of a spacecraft who, along with the crew of the Enterprise, tries to neutralize a planet-destroying robot ship.

Despite the fame that television brought him, it was a stage role that Mr. Windom remembered most fondly.

“A lot of people today think the first thing they saw is the first thing that ever happened, and that means ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ” he told The Times. “But the thing I’m most proud of is playing ‘Richard III’ in Biarritz.”

Zoneboy · 08-19-2012, 01:55 AM

Mr. Television · 08-19-2012, 11:48 AM

So sad. He was good in everything he was in. I would love to see The Farmer's Daughter and My World and Welcome to it .It's too bad that those shows are largely forgotten.

R.I.P. Bill.

Vahan · 08-19-2012, 12:21 PM

Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard he was the great grandson of the Secretary of Treasury of the same name, according to wikipedia.

Anyways, R.I.P.

Zoneboy · 08-19-2012, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vahan

Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard he was the great grandson of the Secretary of Treasury of the same name, according to wikipedia.

Anyways, R.I.P.

It's true.

UMFaninMD · 08-19-2012, 01:25 PM

He was one of those guys you could always count on for a good performance. I first saw him in Murder, She Wrote and then after it went off the air I found out how extensive his career was.

Retro4Life · 08-19-2012, 01:44 PM

Always liked Windom. I remember him particularly from his roles as Commodore Decker in the Star Trek OS episode "The Doomsday Machine" and also from his great turn in the original Twilight Zone's "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar."

Zoneboy · 08-19-2012, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Always liked Windom. I remember him particularly from his roles as Commodore Decker in the Star Trek OS episode "The Doomsday Machine" and also from his great turn in the original Twilight Zone's "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar."

Close, "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" was a Night Gallery episode.

Retro4Life · 08-19-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Close, "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" was a Night Gallery episode.

You are correct, sir!

old grouch · 08-19-2012, 03:34 PM

RIP William Windom...

Jude The Obscure · 08-19-2012, 06:46 PM

RIP.....besides "The Farmer's Daughter" and "Murder, She Wrote"...I also remember two guest spots on "The Donna Reed Show" and a memorable one as Mrs G's catering rival on "The Facts of Life".

Marvo301 · 08-19-2012, 08:03 PM

William Windom

Milkamplifier · 08-20-2012, 07:08 AM

William Windom, who played the male lead Congressman Glen Morley on ABC's "The Farmer's Daughter," has passed away at 88.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/ar...ead-at-88.html

AB · 08-20-2012, 04:05 PM

Rest in peace.

TV Knowledge Fan · 08-20-2012, 05:31 PM

...and I'm also disgusted with SONY Pictures Telvision for "dragging its feet", and STILL unwilling to remaster the series for DVD/cable/syndicated release. What's several million dollars to spend on remastering those episodes, compared to the money SONY spent on their most recent box office "disasters"? Honor Mr. Windom's memory, and get on the ball!!!!

Thank you.

08-19-2012, 12:50 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	Actor William Windom 1923-2012 Link William Windom, who won an Emmy Award playing an Everyman drawn from the pages of James Thurber but who may be best remembered for his roles on “Star Trek” and “Murder, She Wrote,” died on Thursday at his home in Woodacre, Calif., north of San Francisco. He was 88. The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Patricia. Mr. Windom won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy series in 1970 for his performance in “My World and Welcome to It,” a whimsical program based on James Thurber’s humorous essays and fantastic cartoons. He subsequently toured the country with a solo show based on Thurber’s works. But filmgoers and television viewers may be more likely to associate him with roles that, though also fanciful, had a distinctly darker tone. He teamed up with Rod Serling on episodes of both “The Twilight Zone” (“Five Characters in Search of an Exit” in 1961 and “Miniature” in 1963) and “Night Gallery;” played the president in “Escape From the Planet of the Apes;” and had a memorable role in an early episode of “Star Trek.” He was also a guest star on dozens of other television shows. It was not until 1985 that Mr. Windom found another role that drew upon his avuncular side with such success: He appeared in more than 50 episodes of “Murder, She Wrote” as the leading physician of Cabot Cove, Me., and a close friend of Jessica Fletcher, the lead character played by Angela Lansbury. William Windom was born on Sept. 28, 1923, in Manhattan to Paul Windom, an architect, and the former Isobel Wells Peckham. He was named after his great-grandfather William Windom, a congressman from Minnesota who also served as the secretary of the Treasury under Presidents James A. Garfield and Benjamin Harrison. Mr. Windom attended Williams College in Massachusetts. Before becoming an Army paratrooper in World War II, he joined the Army Specialized Training Program, under whose auspices he studied at The Citadel, Antioch College and the University of Kentucky. While stationed in Frankfurt, West Germany, during the postwar Allied occupation, he enrolled in the new Biarritz American University in France. “To be honest, I signed up because I thought it would be an easy touch,” he told The New York Times in an interview for this obituary in 2009, “and we had heard that actresses had round heels.” It was in Biarritz that he did his first bit of acting, playing the title role in “Richard III,” and when he returned to the United States, he continued to perform at Fordham University — his sixth institution of higher education. “I figure it all adds up to about two years’ worth of education,” he said. Mr. Windom found work in the New York theater as well as in radio and on television, making numerous appearances on live dramas in the early 1950s. He ultimately appeared in more than a dozen Broadway plays, including a four-show season with the American Repertory Theater and a 1956 revival of Noel Coward’s “Fallen Angels.” He also performed for several seasons in summer stock in places like Bucks County, Pa., and the Southbury Playhouse in Connecticut, and he later toured the United States and other countries with one-man shows about Thurber and the World War II journalist Ernie Pyle. Mr. Windom made his first film appearance as the prosecuting attorney in the 1962 drama “To Kill a Mockingbird,” sparring with Gregory Peck’s defense lawyer. His subsequent movies included Arthur Hiller’s “The Americanization of Emily” in 1964, Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” in 1970 and the John Hughes comedy “She’s Having a Baby” in 1988. Another notable television role was as the male lead in the “The Farmer’s Daughter,” a situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1966. His character, a Minnesota congressman (like Mr. Windom’s grandfather), is a widower who hires a Swedish-American governess (Inger Stevens) to care for his sons. Mr. Windom, who was also a tournament chess player, was married five times. Besides his wife of 37 years, Patricia, he is survived by four children, Rachel, Heather, Hope and Rebel; and four grandchildren. Mr. Windom’s biggest critical success was “My World and Welcome to It,” which was broadcast for only one season, 1969-70. But in certain circles, he is probably better known for the “Doomsday Machine” episode of “Star Trek.” He played Commodore Matt Decker, the sole survivor of a spacecraft who, along with the crew of the Enterprise, tries to neutralize a planet-destroying robot ship. Despite the fame that television brought him, it was a stage role that Mr. Windom remembered most fondly. “A lot of people today think the first thing they saw is the first thing that ever happened, and that means ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ” he told The Times. “But the thing I’m most proud of is playing ‘Richard III’ in Biarritz.”
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

08-19-2012, 11:48 AM	#3
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	So sad. He was good in everything he was in. I would love to see The Farmer's Daughter and My World and Welcome to it .It's too bad that those shows are largely forgotten. R.I.P. Bill.
	__________________ Sonny

08-19-2012, 01:44 PM	#7
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,706	Always liked Windom. I remember him particularly from his roles as Commodore Decker in the Star Trek OS episode "The Doomsday Machine" and also from his great turn in the original Twilight Zone's "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar."
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

08-19-2012, 08:03 PM	#12
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,450	William Windom
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

08-20-2012, 07:08 AM	#13
Milkamplifier Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 08, 2012 Posts: 62	William Windom Dies William Windom, who played the male lead Congressman Glen Morley on ABC's "The Farmer's Daughter," has passed away at 88. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/ar...ead-at-88.html

08-19-2012, 01:55 AM	#2
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338

08-19-2012, 12:21 PM	#4
Vahan Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 14, 2008 Posts: 2,712	Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard he was the great grandson of the Secretary of Treasury of the same name, according to wikipedia. Anyways, R.I.P.

08-19-2012, 01:25 PM	#6
UMFaninMD I love a mystery Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,287	He was one of those guys you could always count on for a good performance. I first saw him in Murder, She Wrote and then after it went off the air I found out how extensive his career was.

08-19-2012, 03:34 PM	#10
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	RIP William Windom...

08-19-2012, 06:46 PM	#11
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	RIP.....besides "The Farmer's Daughter" and "Murder, She Wrote"...I also remember two guest spots on "The Donna Reed Show" and a memorable one as Mrs G's catering rival on "The Facts of Life".

08-20-2012, 04:05 PM	#14
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	Rest in peace.

08-20-2012, 05:31 PM	#15
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	I'm sorry to hear about this... ...and I'm also disgusted with SONY Pictures Telvision for "dragging its feet", and STILL unwilling to remaster the series for DVD/cable/syndicated release. What's several million dollars to spend on remastering those episodes, compared to the money SONY spent on their most recent box office "disasters"? Honor Mr. Windom's memory, and get on the ball!!!! Thank you.