Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Sic Transit William Windom


Last week we lost one of the omnipresent talents of 60s and 70s television and film. William Windom died at age 88. Like fellow character actor of that era William Shallert, Windom always had work. Always. And he got choice stuff: The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Murder, She Wrote --  more guest-starring roles than you can count without going to IMDB.

Fans of “To Kill a Mocking Bird:” do you remember which part Windom played in the movie? Yup. It's like I said. He was everywhere.

But for me -- and many fans -- his triumph will always be “My World and Welcome To It,” the 1969 NBC series based on the works of James Thurber. Windom won a much-deserved Emmy for best actor, and NBC cancelled the series after one season.

Peasants.

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I saw Windom on tour, giving a one-man performance of Thurber's writings in the early 1970s. He was wonderful. He had an affable manner that brought the audience in and won them over in a heartbeat.

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