In 1939, Hollywood released a movie called “The Wizard of Oz.” In it, Judy Garland’s character is searching for love and acceptance in a world that seems out to get her. Finally, she comes across someone who understands her and helps her find the happiness she’s looking for. That character was named “Scarecrow”, and it was played by a Hollywood legend named Will Williams.
If you’ve never heard of Will Williams, you’re likely to hear of him soon. He recently passed away at the age of 98, and his career spanned nearly 70 years. During that time, he appeared in more than 200 movies and TV shows, and his character came to life in a way that lives long in the memories of people who saw it.
The character Will Williams played in “The Wizard of Oz” was based on a real person. Over the years, Will Williams became known for playing fictional people who were based on real people. He was originally hired to play Martin Denny, a blind singer and guitar player who was inspired by singer-songwriter Hank Lawson. Martin Denny, whose real name was Henry Lee Anthony, was born in 1898 in Texas. He had legally blind blue eyes, and he became blind at the age of three due to measles.
Before he became famous for playing fictional characters, Will Williams became well known for his work in theater. He was best known for his performances in plays by William Inge. Inge, an acclaimed author of American plays, gave Williams his big break. Williams spent three years with Inge and appeared in four of his plays. He also collaborated with Inge on the play “The Picasso Code”, based on the real-life story of Pablo Picasso and his quest to find the woman who would become his wife.
In 1937, Martin Denny released his first album. It was called “Texas Blues”, and it included the song “Blue Sareau”. A year later, he released a second album called “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”, and it included the song “Love Is Strange”. In 1939, Martin Denny went on tour, and during one of the performances in Denver, he met a 13-year-old girl named Ethel Merman. She would later become famous for her song “It’s Only Money”, and she was the first performer to ask Martin Denny to be her date to a War Babies show. Ethel Merman was the daughter of famed composer and producer Alfred Wojtyła. She had a brother named Paul, who became a photographer. Ethel’s aunt was soprano Lea Elia. Lea and Alfred Wojtyła were both devout Catholics, and he made sure that Ethel and her family were always well-dressed and well-fed.
Their families were friends, and Martin Denny would often perform at the Wojtyła’s house. One night, Ethel’s grandmother, Nellie, overheard Martin Denny and Alfred talking about religion. Nellie was a devout Catholic, and she had a particular disdain for Martin Denny’s brand of spiritualism. She didn’t like the way he would sometimes hold “trance” séances with the family and friends who came to visit. As a result, Nellie banned Martin Denny from ever setting foot in her house again.
When Ethel was 13, she met a bandleader named George Pattison. Pattison was impressed with Ethel’s voice, and he asked her to join his band. Ethel didn’t know if she wanted to be a professional singer yet, but she knew she wanted to be a singer. She had always loved to sing, and she especially loved Irish and Italian music. In fact, her parents had often bought her records for her to practice on. Ethel began singing with Pattison’s band, and their voices would harmonize well together. Eventually, she would join another band, whose singer she would later marry.
Tom Hanks Was Inspired By Martin Denny
Tom Hanks recently made a comment about Will Williams that’s been making the rounds on social media. Hanks said, “He will be missed, but his wonderful performance as Martin Denny in ‘The Music Man’ will live on for all eternity.”
It’s no secret that Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all time. He’s won an Oscar, been nominated for another, and has over 60 honorary degrees from some of the most prestigious universities in the country. He’s also one of the most respected and beloved people in Hollywood. On top of that, he’s one of the most generous people in the world. While he was working on his recently released autobiography, “A Special Place: My Adventures In And Out of Hollywood”, he donated millions to charity and became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. While he might not always get the credit he deserves, there’s no question that Will Williams was an influence on a man who’s done so much for the world. In fact, the nickname “Mr. Hanks” was originally given to Williams because of his uncanny ability to play people who were based on real people.
Why Was Will Williams So Good At What He Did?
In addition to his acting career, Will Williams also founded a theater company in New York City. It was there that he established himself as one of the greatest character actors of all time. Williams took on the roles of various famous people, and his uncanny resemblance to them made audiences everywhere believe that he was actually the person he was playing. Williams also collaborated with Orson Welles, and he directed several of Welles’ plays. Welles was one of the most influential people in the history of cinema, and he and Williams worked together for more than 30 years. Welles frequently cast Williams in his movies, and the two became good friends. Welles even considered giving Williams a significant role in his last movie, “The Immortal”, but it wasn’t ready in time for filming.
Williams’ longevity in show business is a testament to his skill as an actor. Even at the age of 98, he was still working. He died a few weeks ago at the age of 98, but his acting career spanned nearly 70 years. It’s been said that he knew so much about so many different characters that it was like having a master of disguise in your kitchen. Williams was able to blend into the background and give the appearance of someone or something else entirely. He was that good.
Tom Hanks said that he wasn’t initially attracted to the role of Martin Denny in “The Music Man” because of Williams. In an interview with the BBC, Hanks said, “I didn’t even know who Will Williams was when I read the script. Then I saw a picture of him, and I was like, ‘Who is that?’ And it wasn’t until later that I found out he was the guy who played Scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’… It wasn’t until I actually started working with him that I was like, ‘Wait a minute, this guy is incredible!’”
Worth Remembering
Will Williams appears in more than 200 movies and TV shows. He was originally hired to play a blues singer named Martin Denny, and his character came to life in a way that lives long in the memories of people who saw it. He’s been called “the best impersonator in the business”, and that’s really not an exaggeration. Even at the age of 98, he was still working, and his acting career spanned nearly 70 years. He was one of the last great character actors, and he’ll be missed but never forgotten by all who knew him.