Whether
he had his own guiding star or was simply in the right place at the right time, William
Campbell's all-too-brief Western career was certainly spent in the company of stars.
Although he never made a Western with John Wayne, Campbell more than just stayed in the
saddle alongside the likes of William Holden, Kirk Douglas, and even Elvis. He rode pretty
tall, and as many actors will contend, in Hollywood, that's no easy ride.
William Campbell always wanted to be in Westerns, but he grew up a long
way away from the open spaces of the West. Born in Newark, New Jersey the eldest son of a
public sector employee, Campbell didn't suffer through the Depression like many of his
peers. "There was never not food on the table, never not a Christmas tree for the
holidays," he remembers. Being a homemaker, his mother was always there for him and
his younger brother. It was a loving home which gave the young teenager all the confidence
to participate in just about every activity at school he could -- he even became a
cheerleader when he wasn't big enough for football.
In the summer of '42, Campbell graduated from high school and enlisted
for action in World War II. While waiting to embark on his Tour of Duty, Campbell worked
as an office boy at a nearby RCA factory, where he was somewhat professionally introduced
to showbiz by way of making daily announcements over the public address system. Finally
when Campbell did get a piece of the war, he found himself on a minesweeper that took him
all the way to China and beyond, even to Hiroshima and Nagasaki just a month after the
bomb dropped.
Upon returning home, Campbell wasted no time on deciding what he wanted
to be. Seeking out a teacher friend from high school, he was able to secure enrollment at
a prominent drama academy. After two years of hard work and knocking on doors, he ventured
out to Warner Brothers in Burbank, California, in 1950. Through a chance meeting with Jack
Warner's son-in-law..............................
Also included with this article:
"Campbell and the Golden Boot Awards"
"An Awkward Moment with Robert Livingston"
"Campbell the Peacemaker"
"A Couple of Shining Moments"
"Man of Influence"
"Giving Credit Where It's Due"
"Summing Up John Wayne"
"Westernography" |
