Rhys Williams (Welsh-American actor)

Rhys Williams
in Bonanza (1960)
Born	(1897-12-31)31 December 1897 Clydach, Glamorgan, Wales
Died	Santa Monica, California, USA
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–69
Spouse(s)	Elsie Dvorak (1908-1994), 2 children, Evan and Tudor Williams.

Rhys Williams (31 December 1897 – 28 May 1969) was a Welsh character actor in films and television, whose career spanned several decades.

He made his film debut in How Green Was My Valley (1941). This film takes place in rural Wales with him being the only Welsh actor. The film was actually filmed in Hollywood with mainly English and Irish actors. Williams, the only genuine Welshman in the cast, was originally hired solely to coach the actors in their Welsh accents; ultimately director John Ford gave Williams a role in the film. In 1945, Williams played the role of Dr. McKay in the acclaimed The Bells of St. Mary's, starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman.

He is recognisable to fans of the television series, Adventures of Superman as a sadistic character in an early episode called "The Evil Three" (1952). He made a guest appearance in 1958 as art collector Rufus Varner in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Purple Woman." His other television appearances were on such programmes as the religion anthology series, Crossroads, CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Peter Gunn, with Steve Allen in the 1960 episode "Play Acting", Riverboat and The Lloyd Bridges Show.

His later appearances were on Temple Houston, 77 Sunset Strip, The Wild Wild West, Twelve O'Clock High, The F.B.I., Mission: Impossible, Mannix, The Donna Reed Show, Here Come the Brides and The Andy Griffith Show.

Williams died at the age of 71; his remains are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Partial filmography

• How Green Was My Valley (1941)
• Mrs. Miniver (1942)
• Gentleman Jim (1942)
• Random Harvest (1942)
• Eagle Squadron (1942)
• No Time for Love (1943)
• The Corn Is Green (1945)
• Blood on the Sun (1945)
• The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
• The Spiral Staircase (1945)
• Cross My Heart (1946)
• The Imperfect Lady (1947)
• The Farmer's Daughter (1947)
• Hills of Home (1948)
• Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
• The Black Arrow (1948)
• The Crooked Way (1949)
• Tokyo Joe (1949)
• Fighting Man of the Plains (1949)
• The Inspector General (1949)
• Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
• Devil's Doorway (1950)
• California Passage (1950)
• The Law and the Lady (1951)
• Carbine Williams (1952)
• Les Misérables (1952)
• The World in His Arms (1952)
• Julius Caesar (1953)
• Man in the Attic (1953)
• Johnny Guitar (1954)
• The Black Shield of Falworth (1954)
• Battle Cry (1955)
• The Scarlet Coat (1955)
• The Kentuckian (1955)
• Raintree County (1957)
• Merry Andrew (1958)
• Midnight Lace (1960)
• The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
• Our Man Flint (1966)
• Skullduggery (1970)

References

• Rhys Williams at the Internet Movie Database
• Rhys Williams at the Internet Broadway Database
• Rhys Williams at Find a Grave