Tripti Joshi (Editor)

William Steele (actor)

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Occupation
  
Actor

Years active
  
1912–1956


Name
  
William Steele

Role
  
Actor

Full Name
  
William Anton Gittinger

Born
  
March 28, 1888 (
1888-03-28
)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Died
  
February 13, 1966, Los Angeles, California, United States

Movies
  
Bucking Broadway, The Searchers, Doughboys, The Immortal Alamo, The Valley of Hell

Similar People
  
Cleto Rodriguez, Lucian Adams, Henry Terrell - Jr, Louis R Rocco, Cecil H Bolton

William Anton Gittinger (March 28, 1888 – February 13, 1966), best known as William Steele, was an American actor of small roles in Westerns, particularly those of John Ford.

Contents

Although his screen credits and many records indicate a wide variety of names and spellings, Steele's own signatures on his military documents indicate that he was born William Anton Gittinger on March 28, 1888 (not 1889, as some sources have it) in San Antonio, Texas. Little is known of his life prior to his arrival in Los Angeles around 1910. As the film industry in Hollywood was just blossoming, and as he apparently had great experience with horses, Steele easily obtained work in quickie Westerns. He fought in Europe in World War I, then returned to Hollywood. While he was extremely inconsistent in the names he used, he worked consistently in Westerns throughout the silent era and up until the 1950s. His final appearance was as the wounded posse member Nesby in Ford's The Searchers in 1956, his tenth film for Ford. He died ten years later, not quite 78 years old. He was survived by his wife Josephine, an actress. He is buried under his birth name at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Stage names

  • Billy Gettinger
  • Bill Gettinger
  • William Gettinger
  • William Gittenger
  • Bill Steele
  • Robert Steele
  • W.A. Steele
  • William A. Steele
  • William Steuer
  • William Steele
  • Filmography

    Actor
    1962
    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1956
    The Searchers as
    Nesby (uncredited)
    1955
    Tall Man Riding as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1954
    The Bounty Hunter as
    Stage Passenger (uncredited)
    1954
    Riding Shotgun as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1954
    The Command as
    Trooper (uncredited)
    1953
    Calamity Jane as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1953
    The Moonlighter as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1953
    The Man Behind the Gun as
    Barfly (uncredited)
    1952
    Springfield Rifle as
    Trooper (uncredited)
    1952
    Bronco Buster as
    Cowboy (uncredited)
    1952
    Bugles in the Afternoon as
    Trooper (uncredited)
    1951
    Fort Worth as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1950
    Dallas as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1950
    The Showdown as
    Terry
    1950
    Colt .45 as
    Henchman (uncredited)
    1950
    West of Wyoming as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1950
    Copper Canyon as
    Roper (uncredited)
    1950
    Montana as
    Cowhand (uncredited)
    1949
    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon as
    Officer (uncredited)
    1949
    South of St. Louis as
    Trooper (uncredited)
    1948
    Two Guys from Texas as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1948
    Return of the Bad Men as
    Outlaw (uncredited)
    1947
    Jesse James Rides Again as
    Barfly (uncredited)
    1947
    California as
    Wagon Train Member (uncredited)
    1945
    San Antonio as
    Roper (uncredited)
    1944
    Nevada as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1944
    Girl Rush as
    Wagon Train Member (uncredited)
    1943
    The Woman of the Town as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1943
    The Outlaw as
    Deputy (uncredited)
    1940
    The Westerner as
    Tex Cole (uncredited)
    1939
    Destry Rides Again as
    Cowboy (uncredited)
    1939
    Dodge City as
    Deputy (uncredited)
    1938
    Marie Antoinette as
    Footman (uncredited)
    1936
    For the Service as
    Henchman (uncredited)
    1934
    When a Man Sees Red as
    Henchman Speck (uncredited)
    1934
    Rocky Rhodes as
    Cowhand (uncredited)
    1934
    The Red Rider as
    Townsman (uncredited)
    1934
    The Vanishing Shadow as
    Henchman (uncredited)
    1934
    Laughing Boy as
    Guide (uncredited)
    1933
    Gordon of Ghost City as
    Bob (uncredited)
    1933
    King of the Arena as
    Henchman (uncredited)
    1933
    The California Trail as
    Pedro (as Robert Steele)
    1932
    Flaming Guns as
    Rustler (uncredited)
    1930
    Doughboys as
    Lieutenant Randolph
    1930
    The Lone Star Ranger as
    First Deputy
    1928
    The Black Ace
    1928
    Thunder Riders as
    Lem Dawson (as William A. Steele)
    1928
    The Call of the Heart as
    Dave Crenshaw (as William A. Steele)
    1928
    The Fearless Rider as
    Dr. Lucifer Blade
    1927
    Hoof Marks as
    Sam Trapp
    1927
    The Battling Buckaroo (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1927
    Range Courage as
    Tex Lucas (as William A. Steele)
    1927
    Whispering Sage as
    Tom Kildare (as William A. Steele)
    1927
    The Valley of Hell as
    James Brady
    1927
    Loco Luck as
    Frank Lambert (as William A. Steele)
    1927
    Rough and Ready as
    Morris Manning (as William A. Steele)
    1926
    The Runaway Express as
    Blackie McPherson (as William A. Steele)
    1926
    The Riding Rascal as
    Bill Healy (as W.A. Steele)
    1926
    The Wild Horse Stampede as
    Charlie Champion
    1926
    The Fighting Peacemaker as
    Clell Danert (as William A. Steele)
    1926
    The Flaming Frontier as
    Penfield
    1926
    A Six Shootin' Romance as
    Currier King (as William A. Steele)
    1926
    Under Western Skies as
    Fleming (as William A. Steele)
    1925
    Two-Fisted Jones as
    Hank Gage
    1925
    The Ace of Spades as
    Jim Heath (as William A. Steele)
    1925
    Sagebrush Lady as
    Sheriff Martin
    1925
    Don Dare Devil as
    Benito Menocal (as William A. Steele)
    1925
    Let 'er Buck as
    Kent Crosby (as William A. Steele)
    1925
    The Saddle Hawk as
    Steve Kern
    1925
    The Hurricane Kid as
    Lafe Baxter (as William A. Steele)
    1924
    The Ridin' Kid from Powder River as
    'Lightnin' Bill Smith (as William A. Steele)
    1924
    The Last Man on Earth as
    Hattie's Father (prologue)
    1924
    The Sunset Trail as
    Brand Williams (as William A. Steele)
    1924
    Hit and Run as
    The Gopher (as William A. Steele)
    1924
    The Boss of Bar 20 (Short)
    1924
    Virginian Outcast as
    Sam Logan
    1923
    Shootin' for Love as
    Dan Hobson
    1923
    Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande as
    Bill Barton (as William A. Steele)
    1923
    Dead Game as
    Sam Antone (as William A. Steele)
    1923
    Single Handed as
    Windy Smith
    1922
    Bells of San Juan as
    Kid Rickard
    1922
    The Fast Mail as
    Pierre La Fitte
    1922
    Pardon My Nerve! as
    Nebraska Jones
    1921
    Riding with Death as
    Chick Dillon
    1921
    Cold Steel as
    Sheriff (as William A. Gettinger)
    1921
    The Wallop as
    Christopher Foy (as William Gettinger)
    1921
    The Avenging Arrow as
    Don Carlos Martinez
    1920
    The Stranger as
    Dr. Tyke (as Billy Gettinger)
    1920
    The Misfit Wife as
    Duff Simpson (as Billy Gettinger)
    1918
    The Phantom Riders as
    Dave Bland (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    Bucking Broadway as
    Buck Hoover (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    A Marked Man as
    Sheriff (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    The Secret Man as
    The Foreman (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    The Texas Sphinx (Short) as
    Dick Lonagan (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    Straight Shooting as
    Sheriff Connors (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    Cheyenne's Pal (Short) as
    Cowboy (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    The Soul Herder (Short) as
    Bill Young (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    Six-Shooter Justice (Short) as
    Mike Hernandez (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    The Wrong Man (Short) as
    Larry Malone (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    The Golden Bullet (Short) as
    Crazy Creek Sheriff (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    The Mysterious Outlaw (Short) as
    Henry Martin (as William Goettinger)
    1917
    A 44-Calibre Mystery (Short) as
    Deputy Sheriff Horton (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    Hair-Trigger Burke (Short) as
    The Sheriff (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    The Fighting Gringo as
    Jim (as Bill Gettinger)
    1917
    Goin' Straight (Short) as
    Sheriff Dan Bekham (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    The Outlaw and the Lady (Short) as
    The Sheriff (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    Her Own People as
    Polsa Kar (as William Gettinger)
    1917
    The Bad Man of Cheyenne (Short) as
    The Sheriff (as William Gittenger)
    1917
    Blood Money (Short) as
    Dan Beckham (as William Gettinger)
    1916
    The Night Riders (Short) as
    The Breed (as William Gettinger)
    1916
    A Knight of the Range as
    Burk (as Bill Gettinger)
    1916
    Across the Rio Grande (Short) as
    Dixon Lee (as William Gettinger)
    1915
    The Ring of Destiny (Short) as
    The Cattle Rustler (as William Gettinger)
    1915
    His Captive (Short) as
    The Gangster (as William Gettinger)
    1914
    The White Wolf (Short) as
    Red Nose (as William Gettinger)
    1914
    Universal Ike Junior Nearly Gets Married (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1914
    Universal Ike Junior in Me, Him, and I (Short) as
    Billy (as William Gettinger)
    1914
    The Lost Arrow (Short) as
    Momboso (as William Gettinger)
    1914
    Universal Ike Junior and the Vampire (Short) as
    First Fool (as William Gettinger)
    1914
    'Cross the Mexican Line (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1914
    Passing of the Beast (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1914
    The Man Within (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1914
    A Gypsy Romance (Short)(as William Gettinger)
    1914
    The Voice of the Viola (Short) as
    The Surgeon (as William Gettinger)
    1913
    His Brand (Short) as
    The Cowboy (as Billy Gettinger)
    1913
    The Lipton Cup: Introducing Sir Thomas Lipton (as Billy Gettinger)
    1912
    An Indian Outcast (Short) as
    Black Wolf (as William Gittenger)
    1912
    The Sheriff's Daughter (Short) as
    Jim - the Sheriff's Son (unconfirmed)
    1912
    Roped In (Short) as
    Big Bill (as Big Bill Goettinger)
    1911
    Her Spoiled Boy (Short) as
    Big Bill (as Bill Giddinger)
    1911
    The Immortal Alamo (Short)(as Big Bill Giddinger)
    1911
    The 'Schoolmarm' of Coyote County (Short) as
    Big Bill (as Bill Giddinger)
    Miscellaneous
    1950
    The Gunfighter (technical advisor - uncredited)

    References

    William Steele (actor) Wikipedia