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.
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.
Billy GettingerBill GettingerWilliam GettingerWilliam GittengerBill SteeleRobert SteeleW.A. SteeleWilliam A. SteeleWilliam SteuerWilliam SteeleActor
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
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
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
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)