William Phipps
Birthday:
4 February 1922, Vincennes, Indiana, USA
In the early days of 1950s science-fiction, one of the first people to become identified with the genre was actor William Phipps. Aside from furnishing the voice of Prince Charming in Disney's cartoon classic Cinderella (1950), Phipps also hid his boyish face beneath a beard as the star of Arch Oboler's end-of-the-world melodrama Five (19...
Show more »
In the early days of 1950s science-fiction, one of the first people to become identified with the genre was actor William Phipps. Aside from furnishing the voice of Prince Charming in Disney's cartoon classic Cinderella (1950), Phipps also hid his boyish face beneath a beard as the star of Arch Oboler's end-of-the-world melodrama Five (1951); made a token appearance in Oboler's The Twonky (1953); encountered Martians in both Invaders from Mars (1953) and The War of the Worlds (1953); and took on the Abominable Snowman as one of the leads in The Snow Creature (1954). Most notoriously, he even grappled with Moon maidens set on world conquest in the almost indescribable Cat-Women of the Moon (1953). Phipps was born in Vincennes, Indiana, and grew up in St. Francisville, Illinois; he knew from boyhood that he was destined to be an actor and appeared in several plays in grade school and at Eastern Illinois University. Hitchhiking to Hollywood in 1941, he worked on the stage and later in films, beginning with RKO's Crossfire (1947). Over the next 60 years he amassed a long list of film and TV credits; he also did commercials and voiceover work, including the narration for the special 190-minute TV version of David Lynch's Dune (1984). Show less «
[in a 1991 interview] Whatever came along, whether it was Cat-Women of the Moon (1953), The War of the Worlds (1953) or Five (1951), I would...Show more »
[in a 1991 interview] Whatever came along, whether it was Cat-Women of the Moon (1953), The War of the Worlds (1953) or Five (1951), I would stick my toe in the water. If it felt OK, I would do it. I never thought about what any of these would do for my career, never thought ahead to whether it would be a success or what it would do for me. I never had any kind of plan or blueprint, never tried to capitalize on anything. But I kept busy throughout a 40-year career and I'm still busy today. I know I've always been a good actor, I know that I am now, and I know I still get work. And I have the respect of my peers. Hey, what more could you ask for? Show less «
William Phipps's Photos
NEXT PAGE
Quentin
Wash Perry
