William Windom’s name in a
TV show’s guest cast instantly raises my attention level. Now, I think, this
episode stands every chance of being worth watching.
Windom had several
prominent film credits, including the attorney opposing Gregory Peck’s Atticus
Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. But
television offered the steadiest work, and a glance at the diversity of his
credits suggests that he was happy to take whatever was offered and make the
most of it. Often that was more than it deserved. But when he got a good part,
he made it better.
He was often described as
an everyman, though that seems like dubious praise. He could indeed elevate a
“regular guy” role with his natural gravitas, but as you’ll see from the ten TV
credits I selected, he played a wide range of whimsical and extreme characters
as well.
The Twilight Zone (1961)
“Clown, hobo, ballet
dancer, bagpiper, and an army major. Five improbable entities stuck together
into a pit of darkness.” Thus begins “Five Characters in Search of an Exit,”
one of the series’ most brilliant and surreal episodes. Windom plays the
soldier, whose “We’re in hell” speech offers one possible explanation for their
plight – but not the correct one.
The Lucy Show (1962)
“Lucy Digs Up a Date,” the series’
second episode, is not a standout moment for Windom or anyone involved, but
it’s interesting in how it reveals Lucille Ball’s newfound command of her set.
Content to let husband Desi call the shots on I Love Lucy, Ball was clearly in charge from here on out, and part
of that was reflected in her guidance of guest stars. She believed broader
comedy had to be played at an exaggerated volume, so here you have William Windom
playing a math teacher, and projecting conversational lines in a way that
borders on the unnatural. It's a chance to see a good actor being directed into a less than polished performance.
The Donna Reed Show (1962)
In “Wide Open Spaces” the
Stones take a trip to the country to visit friends David and Millie Adams
(William Windom and Patricia Breslin), who left the city (against Millie’s wishes)
to fulfill David’s dream of living on a farm. This Green Acres prototype was a back door pilot for a series that would
have replaced The Donna Reed Show,
had Reed followed through on her plans to retire from TV after this season. She
didn’t, so we’re left with what-might-have-been questions on a promising
concept. Fortunately, Windom didn’t have to wait much longer for series stardom.
The Farmer’s Daughter (1963)
William Windom plays
widowed Congressman Glenn Morley. Inger Stevens plays Swedish-American farm
girl Katy Holstrum, who comes to Washington hoping to secure a Peace Corps post, but instead becomes governess to Glenn’s two young
sons.
It’s a mystery to me why
some 1960s shows have been rerun for 50 years while others vanished, rarely to
be seen again. The Farmer’s Daughter
lasted three seasons and just over 100 episodes, more than enough for
syndication. What’s more, it was a warm and uplifting situation comedy with a
sweet romantic chemistry between Windom and Stevens. It deserved a better fate.
The Invaders (1967)
The two-part “Summit
Meeting” finds David Vincent working with defense contractor Michael Tressider
(Windom) to save the world from an alien plot to destroy humanity with elevated
radiation. This was always an intense series, and Windom works well with star
Roy Thinnes in escalating the tension as their characters join forces to
prevent disaster. Great guest cast here – Ford Rainey, Diana Hyland and Michael
Rennie.
Star Trek (1967)
In “The Doomsday Machine”
The Enterprise finds the U.S.S. Constellation adrift, with Commodore Matthew
Decker (Windom) as the only surviving crew member. Windom is masterful as the
Captain Ahab-like Decker, clearly suffering from post-traumatic stress before
that condition was even widely known. It is arguably the single best
performance by a guest actor in the original series.
My World and Welcome to It (1969)
It was billed as a series
“based on stories, inspirational pieces, cartoons, and things that go bump in
the night by James Thurber.”
And it was all that and more…and still got the axe
after one season. Maybe audiences just weren’t ready for a fanciful family
sitcom about a cartoonist who has conversations with his drawings, talks to the
viewers, and drifts in and out of fantasy sequences. As said cartoonist,
William Windom won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. His affinity for
Thurber endured after the show was canceled – he toured the country with a solo
show based on the author’s works.
Night Gallery (1971)
The first time I watched the
Rod Serling-penned “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar,” I didn’t get it. Night Gallery was supposed to be a scary
show. What was frightening about the plight of Randy Lane (Windom), a widowed businessman
pushing 50, who falls into a deep depression when he learns his favorite
watering hole is about to meet the wrecking ball? It took a second viewing to
get over my misplaced expectations and appreciate Serling’s sentimental story,
and yet another amazing performance by William Windom.
The Partridge Family (1973)
In “Bedknobs and
Drumsticks” the family agrees to film a commercial for Uncle Erwin’s Country
Fried Chicken. Erwin (Windom) rejects the classy first attempt and insists on a
second version – with the family wearing chicken suits.
The cast hated this
episode because of those suits but it’s one of the funnier third-season shows.
From a one-note role, Windom manages to create a complete character that you
can easily imagine having a real life beyond his few minutes of screen time.
Murder She Wrote (1985)
For a generation of
‘80s kids forced to watch Murder, She
Wrote with their parents (or because they wanted to – come on, Angela
Lansbury was cool!) William Windom is best known as Jessica Fletcher’s portly,
white-haired friend and chess partner, Dr. Seth Hazlitt. He was a resident of
Cabot Cove for 11 years and appeared in more than 50 episodes.
