Warren William Biography

Fast Facts

• Studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
• Though his wife was 17 years older than him, he died a few months before her of multiple myeloma
• Enlisted in the U․S․ Army during World War I, training men at various bases and entering the war in France in 1918
• Frequented the opera house that was built in his town, which inspired his interest in performing
• Joined a theatrical troupe touring Army camps after serving in the Army
• Found success playing suave, sinister characters, especially ruthless businessmen
• A leading man in many early 1930s films, he earned the nickname "the King of Pre-Code․"
• Held the patent for the first lawn vacuum and dabbled in other amateur inventions
• Involved in sports as a teenager, he continued his interest in athletics as an adult
• His biography, "Warren William: Magnificent Scoundrel of Pre-Code Hollywood," was written by John Stangeland and published in 2011