Actor William Windom Dead at 88.

[Cooley Hurd]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/arts/television/william-windom-everyman-actor-is-dead-at-88.html?_r=1

William Windom, Emmy Winner and TV Everyman, Dies at 88

By ERIC GRODE

Published: August 19, 2012



William Windom, who won an Emmy Award playing an Everyman drawn from the pages of James Thurber but who may be best remembered for his roles on “Star Trek” and “Murder, She Wrote,” died on Thursday at his home in Woodacre, Calif., north of San Francisco. He was 88.

<snip>

Mr. Windom won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy series in 1970 for his performance in “My World and Welcome to It,” a whimsical program based on James Thurber’s humorous essays and fantastic cartoons. He subsequently toured the country with a solo show based on Thurber’s works.

But filmgoers and television viewers may be more likely to associate him with roles that, though also fanciful, had a distinctly darker tone. He teamed up with Rod Serling on episodes of both “The Twilight Zone” (“Five Characters in Search of an Exit” in 1961 and “Miniature” in 1963) and “Night Gallery;” played the president in “Escape From the Planet of the Apes;” and had a memorable role in an early episode of “Star Trek.” He was also a guest star on dozens of other television shows.

</snip>

My mother met him once. She said he was a very nice fellow and a gentleman. Cross gently, Bill...

[warrior1]

1. Rest in peace.

[hlthe2b]

2. Ahh, I always liked him.. He really did seem like a genuinely decent guy.

RIP, Mr. Windom

[Raine]

3. Sad news, I'll always remember him from the TV series with Inger Stevens

(now wouldn't you know I can't think of the name) she was a Swedish girl who looked after his children and he was a Senator or Congressman. It was on in the late 1960's.

Edited to add: LOL I just remembered, it was "The Farmer's Daughter".

[AngryOldDem]

4. "The Farmer's Daughter"

Me, I'll always remember "My World and Welcome to It." To this day I can't think of James Thurber, or see one of his cartoons, without remembering that show.

[Rowdyboy]

28. When I was 9 in 1963 Inger Stevens was my first crush

I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and fell as hard as a 9 year old can.

[longship]

5. Pass peacefully, Commodore Matt Decker.

"The Doomsday Machine" was one of those wonderful Star Trek episodes. Windom played a crotchety incompetent whose self-sacrifice saves the day, and the Earth.

It is a good morality tail, and Windom pulls it off like a master. (Of course, Scotty switching to a second circuit on the transporter helped, too.)

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Awwwww! I really liked him, too!

I first remember him from "The Farmer's Daughter" on TV, but he was incredibly versatile, appeared on so much on TV, from "All in the Family," to "Love Boat" to "Star Trek..." And he was wonderful as the sensible and crusty Dr. Seth Haslett on "Murder, She Wrote." He even had a major role in the classic film "To Kill a Mockingbird." Godspeed, Mr. Windom. You will be missed.

[kooljerk666]

8. I remember "The Doomsday Machine"...

from when I was 7 years old & ST:TOS was on its first run.

His grief stricken acting while describing the deaths of his whole crew made me cry then & even now,45 years later.

The Farmers Daughter, was one of my favorites growing up, I don't remember it that well but know I used to love it.

And I watch Murder She Wrote a few times a week & he is great as a crotchedy New Englander.

[AnnieBW]

11. That episode always used to freak me out as a kid

Now, it just looks like the Ice Cream Cone of Doom.

[MrScorpio]

15. His acting in that ST episode was dynamite

May he rest in power.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. I don't remember "The Farmer's Daughter" well, either, but I know I watched it.

He was the young and handsome senator who needed a nanny for his kids, assume he was a widower like many single fathers on TV at that time. And I was also a faithful "Murder, She Wrote" watcher, my grandmother's favorite show, and I wrote the descriptions for CBS programming for the TV listings in the newspapers for the run of the show, so that show was one of mine.

[Kolesar]

27. "The Doomsday Machine" was my favorite episode

Especially that theme music by Alexander Courage.
I made up my own lyrics:
Damn it, damn it, double damn it
repeat

[avebury]

7. I loved him on Murder She Wrote. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

9. NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

He hung around so long too and stayed active working, including providing some of his talent to Trek fan films. Was in my favorite TOS - "The Doomsday Machine".

Condolences to the Windom family and R.I.P. Mr. Windom.

[Tom_Foolery]

10. One of the best. Always one of my favorites. RIP n/t

[napkinz]

12. Wasn't he in an episode of "All In The Family"?

He was an old friend paying Archie a visit, and Mike discovered that this friend of Archie had wealth but no relationship with his own son.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Yes, and I remember that one, too

I looked him up on IMDb and his resume is a mile long, seems like he guest starred on half the shows on TV...

[dflprincess]

13. I always liked him & was wondering what had become of him just the other day.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has been running a great series to mark the 150th Anniversay of the Dakota War and, as it happens his great-grandfather also named William was a Congressman from Minnesota (a Secretary of the Treasury). Windom, MN is named after him. I thought of the actor because his great-grandfather came up in the series as one of the Congressman who sponsored the bill that banished the Dakota and Winnebago (who had nothing to do with the war) from Minnesota (this law is still on the books).

Kind of poetic that he played a Minnesota Congressman in "The Farmer's Daughter" - though I liked him so much the Congressman he played must have been a Democrat

This is a picture of Congressman Willam Windom

[HiPointDem]

20. interesting. he was also the 33rd sec of the treasury under garfield (short-lived appointment) &

the 39th sec of treas. under harrison.

[Graybeard]

14. To Kill A Mockingbird

William Windom was a fine actor and he didn't only play the good guy. In 1962's "To Kill A Mockingbird" he took on the unenviable role of the Prosecutor of the man accused of rape. (Who would have wanted to be on the wrong side of Gregory Peck in that case!)

RIP

[Liberal_Dog]

16. Very Sad News

I'm a huge TZ,ST and POTA fan, so I remember those roles very well.

[HiPointDem]

19. I liked The Farmer's Daughter -- it was the first time I'd seen a staircase chair lift & I was

fascinated by that. It seemed very luxurious.

I googled it & it seems I wasn't alone in being taken with the stair lift.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. That stuck in my mind, too!

As a kid, I loved the idea!

[HiPointDem]

23. it's actually the main thing i remember other than that katy holstrum had a swedish accent.

[dflprincess]

25. I found the chair lift fascinating too & I remember Katy's Swedish accent.

I also remember one episode that took place back in Minnesota at the Holstrum farm. Everyone but the Congressman had a Swedish accent and was portrayed as hicks. I also remember very clearly that my parents, native Minnesotans (though we were living in upstate New York at the time) did not find the episode amusing at all. I was too young to get offended, but I did know none of the realatives spoke that way (they don't even sound like Marge in "Fargo".)

[Rowdyboy]

29. For years I pronounced wonderful "oonderbar" (my phonetic spelling of Katie's pronunciation)

I had such a crush (I was 9)

[joeybee12]

22. RIP Mr. Windom

[Auggie]

24. Didn't know he won an Emmy -- glad to hear that

Great actor, especially in tortured roles.

[Kaleva]

26. He was one of those actors who you'd easily recognize but may not remember his name.

R.I.P. William Windom. You did well and richly deserve a final standing ovation.