William Bendix
Birth Name:
William Bendix
Birth Place:
New York City, New York, United States
Profession
Actor, Soundtrack

Fast Facts
- The residents of Aurora East, Ohio named their town park the William Bendix Paark, and the actor made a personal appearance to dedicate it
- Was descended from composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
- Held a job as a grocer until the Great Depression
- Was a batboy for the New York Giants in 1922 when he was 15 years old
- Appeared in a number of film noir movies, including "The Glass Key․"
- Best known for playing the beleaguered Chester A․ Riley on "The Life of Riley․"
- Had a rare starring role in "The Hairy Ape" in 1944
- Often played warm-hearted marines, gangsters or detectives in his films
- Babe Ruth often asked him to shine his shoes and run his errands when he was a batboy for a team that shared the Polo Grounds with the Yankees, and he later grew up to portray the baseball legend in 1948's "The Babe Ruth Story․"
- Built a mansion on Encino Avenue in Encino, Calif․, in the early 1940s that was framed by two half-century-old oak trees, and Marie McDonald and Jack Webb went on to live at the address
Awards
- 1943Oscar - Best Actor in a Supporting Role:Nominated
- 1943Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (June):Winner
- 1946Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (December):Winner
- 1947Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (April):Winner
- 1947Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (September):Winner
- 1948Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (August):Winner
- 1949Gold Medal - Most Popular Male Star:Nominated