| Starring: William Holden (1918 - 1981) |
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| William Franklin Beedle jr. was born on April 17, 1918 in O'Fallon, Illinois, USA. His father was an industrial chemist and his mother a teacher. The family was wealthy and moved to Pasadena , California when he was three years old. He entered the Pasadena Junior College studying Chemistry, and took up acting as a lark. He was spotted by a talent scout and signed to a film contract by Paramount in 1937. After appearing in a small part in two minor films, he was chosen to star in Columbia's "Golden Boy" opposite Barbara Stanwyck, as a young man torn between the violin and boxing. It was a difficult role for the inexperienced young actor. He found himself working a seventeen-hour day: working on the set,training in a gym for the scenes in the boxing ring, and studying the violin so that he could finger the strings expertly in close-ups. The producer,Harry Cohn was not satisfied and was ready to replace him,when Stanwyck, stepped in and took young Bill Holden under her wings. First she confronted and convinced Cohn to give the boy a chance, then tutored him every evening,after the day filming,preparing the next day's scenes |
| During the filming,Stanwyck even went so far as to let takes get printed if they were more flattering to him. They both gave sterling performances. "Golden Boy" launched Bill's career in style. The world had lost a chemist but gained a great actor. He and Barbara became close friends and throughout his forty-years career he always credited her with his success. To him she was "Queen" and each year he never failed to show his appreciation sending her two dozen red roses and a white gardenia on April 1st, the anniversary of the fil's starting date. From then on he was type-cast as the boy next-door. In 1941 he married actress Brenda Marshall. It was his first marriage, her second. He adopted her daughter as his own. The marriage lasted 30 years and they had two sons, Peter Wesfield (known as West) born in 1944 and Scott born in 1946. The marriage ended in divorce in 1971. Holden career continued with a series of minor films until 1950 when he got cast as the writer -gigolo in "Sunset Boulevard" and as the tutor in "Born Yesterday" For the next ten years he was one of the most loved and successful leading men of Hollywood. |
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| William Holden and wife Brenda Marshall at the 1954 Oscars ceremony. |
| A shrude deal he had negotiated in 1957, when he starred in "The bridge on the river Kwai" made him a millionaire and he began traveling abroad a lot and became interested and was very instrumental in Wildlife preservation in Africa. In the '70s he purchased a large acreage of land with his own money in Kenya and began an Animal Sanctuary. His love for wild animals was shared with his then companion , actress Stefanie Powers. He spent much of his later time as co-owner of the Mount Kenya Safary Club, dividing his time between Africa,Switzerland and Hollywood where he appeared in films and TV. |
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| In spite of his success and wealth, Holden was not a happy man and had become an heavy drinker. He died on November 16,1981 from a laceration to his forehead which was caused by falling and hitting his head during a bout of heavy drinking alone in his Santa Monica house. He apparently remained conscious for half an hour or so after the injury but never realized he was bleeding to death and should phone for help. Had he done so, he would surely have lived. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean |
| in 1995 in Empire magazine's list of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history, William Holden ranked #57 |