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Willard Parker

Willard Parker
Willard Parker
Born: Feb 05, 1912 in New York City, New York
Died: Dec 04, 1996 in Rancho Mirage, California
Occupation: Actor
Active: '30s-'60s
Major Genres: Western, Drama
Career Highlights: Renegades, Bodyhold, A Slight Case of Murder
First Major Screen Credit: The Devil's Saddle Legion (1937)
2 Videos for Willard Parker
Kiss Me Kate (1953) The Great Jesse James Raid (1953)
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Biography:

Anyone born with a name like Worster Van Eps probably had no choice but to become a top tennis pro. But when he entered films in 1937, Van Eps altered his name to the more hero-friendly Willard Parker. A leading man at Columbia in the 1940s, Parker, a handsome hunk in the Sonny Tufts mold (though a far better actor), never quite reached the summit.

His best-remembered performance was as the bombastic, clueless other man in the 1953 musical Kiss Me Kate. From 1955 through 1957, Parker built up a kiddie fan following as co-star (with Harry Lauter) of the TV series Tales of the Texas Rangers. Retiring from acting in the late '60s to become a thriving real estate agent, Willard Parker was married from 1951 to actress Virginia Field, with whom he co-starred in The Earth Dies Screaming (1966) -- the last film for both.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide.