Movies
TV Shows
People

William T. Orr

Known For
Production

Known Credits
26

Gender
Male

Birthday
September 27, 1917 (108 years old)

Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA

William T. Orr

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William T. Orr (September 27, 1917 – December 25, 2002) was an American television producer associated with a series of western and detective programs of the 1950s-1970s. On most of his Warner Bros. series, he was billed as "Wm. T. Orr".

Orr began his career as an actor; his film credits include The Mortal Storm, The Gay Sisters, and The Big Street.

As the first head of Warner Bros. Television department, Orr forged a fruitful alliance with ABC, which resulted in the network having a number of prime time hits, such as Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, and F Troop. At the height of this relationship in the early 1960s, Orr had nine programs in prime time simultaneously. Of these, no program was more significant than one of his earliest, Cheyenne. It was a groundbreaking series that was both the first hour-long western and the first series of any kind made by a major Hollywood film studio consisting entirely of content wholly exclusive to television.

A curator at The Paley Center for Media (previously named The Museum of Television and Radio) once encapsulated Orr's importance to Warner Bros. by saying, "Television began as a step-child. But because of Orr, it became equal with film in creating revenue and jobs for the studio." One of the key reforms he made to effect this change was to move Warner's nascent television department from cramped quarters in New York City to Los Angeles studios separate from the film division.

His impact on the genre of western fiction was recognized with a Golden Boot Award upon the announcement of his death.

Known For

Production

1965Hank...Producer
1965Mister Roberts...Producer
1965F Troop...Executive Producer
1964Sex and the Single Girl...Producer
1964Wendy and Me...Producer
1964No Time for Sergeants...Producer
1963The Dakotas...Producer
1962The Gallant Men...Producer
1962Room for One More...Producer
1960The Roaring 20's...Producer
1960Surfside 6...Producer
1959Hawaiian Eye...Producer
1959Bourbon Street Beat...Producer
1959The Alaskans...Producer
195877 Sunset Strip...Producer
1958Lawman...Producer
1958Bronco...Producer
1957Maverick...Producer
1957Sugarfoot...Producer
1956Conflict...Producer
1956The Deadly Riddle...Executive Producer
1955Casablanca...Producer
1955Cheyenne...Producer
1955Kings Row...Producer

Acting

1993Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogulas Self
1985Televisionas
1962The Lucy Showas Mr. Frink
1952This Is Your Lifeas Self
1945P-47 Combat Operationsas voice
1945Land and Live in the Desertas Phil
1943He Hired the Bossas Don Bates
1943Three Cadetsas Young Flier
1942The Big Streetas Decatur Reed
1942The Gay Sistersas Dick Tone
1942Soldiers in Whiteas Johnny Allison
1941Unholy Partnersas Tommy Jarvis
1941Navy Bluesas 'Mac'
1941Those Good Old Daysas Joe La Rue
1941Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1as Self
1941Three Sons o' Gunsas Kenneth Patterson
1941Thieves Fall Outas George Formsby
1941Honeymoon for Threeas Arthur Westlake
1940Meet the Fleetas Kansas Potter
1940Service with the Colorsas Charles Corbin
1940Young America Fliesas Jack
1940My Love Came Backas Paul Malette
1940The Mortal Stormas Erich Von Rohn
1939Invitation to Happinessas Bellboy (uncredited)
1939The Hardys Ride Highas Dick Bannersly
1938Brother Ratas Member of the Guard