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Willard Parker
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Willard Parker
Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 - December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He starred in the TV series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955–1958).
Parker was born in New York City. Some sources report his birth name as Worcester. He was a meter reader and a tennis pro. While working as the latter in Hollywood he was spotted by Zeppo Marx, then working as an agent. Marx arranged a screen test and he signed a contract with Warner Bros. He changed his name to "Willard Parker".
Parker signed to Warner Bros in the late 1930s. He made his debut with an uncredited bit in the Dick Foran Western, The Devil's Saddle Legion (1937). He had small parts in That Certain Woman (1937) with Bette Davis; Back in Circulation (1937) with Pat O'Brien; the short subject Love is on the Air (1937) with Ronald Reagan; Alcatraz Island (1937) with John Litel; Over the Goal (1937) with June Travis; The Adventurous Blonde (1937) with Glenda Farrell; Missing Witnesses (1937) with Litel; and The Invisible Menace (1938) with Boris Karloff.
Parker's first notable film role was in A Slight Case of Murder (1938) with Edward G. Robinson. He followed it with Accidents Will Happen (1938) with Reagan, but then left the studio.
Parker went to Republic Pictures for The Zero Hour (1939). At Paramount he had a minor role in The Magnificent Fraud (1939).
Parker decided to go to the stage to hone his acting skills. He worked for a stock company then tried Broadway, where he had a role in a hit play Johnny Belinda (1940) by Elmer Rice. He then replaced Victor Mature in the cast of the musical Lady in the Dark (1941) opposite Gertrude Lawrence. He went with the show when it toured on the road in 1943. This brought him to the attention of executives at Columbia Pictures who signed him to a long-term contract.
Parker was the second male lead in What a Woman! (1943), a romantic comedy with Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne.
His career was interrupted by service with the US Marines. Then when he returned Columbia promoted him to leading man status in the swashbuckler The Fighting Guardsman (1946). Then they starred him in a comedy One Way to Love (1946); and a Western, Renegades (1946).
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Willard Parker
Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 - December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He starred in the TV series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955–1958).
Parker was born in New York City. Some sources report his birth name as Worcester. He was a meter reader and a tennis pro. While working as the latter in Hollywood he was spotted by Zeppo Marx, then working as an agent. Marx arranged a screen test and he signed a contract with Warner Bros. He changed his name to "Willard Parker".
Parker signed to Warner Bros in the late 1930s. He made his debut with an uncredited bit in the Dick Foran Western, The Devil's Saddle Legion (1937). He had small parts in That Certain Woman (1937) with Bette Davis; Back in Circulation (1937) with Pat O'Brien; the short subject Love is on the Air (1937) with Ronald Reagan; Alcatraz Island (1937) with John Litel; Over the Goal (1937) with June Travis; The Adventurous Blonde (1937) with Glenda Farrell; Missing Witnesses (1937) with Litel; and The Invisible Menace (1938) with Boris Karloff.
Parker's first notable film role was in A Slight Case of Murder (1938) with Edward G. Robinson. He followed it with Accidents Will Happen (1938) with Reagan, but then left the studio.
Parker went to Republic Pictures for The Zero Hour (1939). At Paramount he had a minor role in The Magnificent Fraud (1939).
Parker decided to go to the stage to hone his acting skills. He worked for a stock company then tried Broadway, where he had a role in a hit play Johnny Belinda (1940) by Elmer Rice. He then replaced Victor Mature in the cast of the musical Lady in the Dark (1941) opposite Gertrude Lawrence. He went with the show when it toured on the road in 1943. This brought him to the attention of executives at Columbia Pictures who signed him to a long-term contract.
Parker was the second male lead in What a Woman! (1943), a romantic comedy with Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne.
His career was interrupted by service with the US Marines. Then when he returned Columbia promoted him to leading man status in the swashbuckler The Fighting Guardsman (1946). Then they starred him in a comedy One Way to Love (1946); and a Western, Renegades (1946).
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