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Bill Quinn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bill Quinn
Quinn in an episode ofOne Step Beyond(1959)
Born
William Tyrell Quinn

(1912-05-06)May 6, 1912
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 29, 1994(1994-04-29)(aged 81)
OccupationActor
Years active1923–1989
Spouse
Mary Catherine Roden
(m.1939)
Children3
RelativesBob Newhart(son-in-law)

William Tyrell Quinn(May 6, 1912[1]– April 29, 1994) was an Americancharacter actorof film and television.

Early years

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Quinn was born on May 6, 1912, in New York City.[2]His father, Edward Quinn, was a supervisor in the United States Shipping Board's copying department. His mother, Lillian Tyrrell, was an actress in films and a chorus girl on Broadway.[3]He performed with his older brothers in a children's act in vaudeville.[4]

Career

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As a teenager, Quinn worked in films inNew York City.He performed with touring stock theater companies during the 1920s.[3]

Quinn began working on radio around 1934. He starred as a detective onLittle Hermanon ABC in the late 1940s. Other radio programs on which he appeared includedCounterspy,The FBI in Peace and War,Gangbusters,andMr. District Attorney.[5]

A prolific character actor, Quinn appeared in more than 150 roles over seven decades, beginning in silent films during the 1920s and ending withStar Trek V: The Final Frontierin 1989, in which he portrayed the father ofDr. McCoy.On television, he appeared as Mr. Van Ranseleer, the wise, blind bar patron, inArchie Bunker's Place.[4]His other TV roles includeThe Odd Couple,in the recurring role of Felix and Oscar's dour physician, Dr. Melnitz;The Riflemanas Frank Sweeney, the bartender; and Mary's father in three episodes ofThe Mary Tyler Moore Show. From the 1950s through the 1980s, Quinn made guest appearances on several other TV series, includingPerry Mason,Honey West,My Three Sons,Batman,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,Bewitched,I Dream of Jeannie,Ironside,Hawaii Five-O,Adam-12,The Waltons,Quincy, M.E.,The Rockford Files,The Bob Newhart Show,Trapper John, M.D.andThe Golden Girls. His film appearances includeThe Birds(1963),The Reluctant Astronaut(1967),The Shakiest Gun in the West(1968),Hearts of the West(1975),Gable and Lombard(1976),Bustin' Loose(1981), andTwilight Zone: The Movie(1983).

Personal life and death

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Quinn married Mary Catherine Roden in 1939,[6]and they had three daughters.[3]One of those is Virginia "Ginnie" Quinn Newhart, wife of comedianBob Newhart,[4]on whose sitcoms,NewhartandThe Bob Newhart Show,Quinn occasionally appeared in small supporting roles.[7][8][4]

Quinn died on April 29, 1994, at the age of 81 inCamarillo, Californiaof natural causes.[4]He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.[2]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^Leszczak, Bob (August 23, 2014).The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide.McFarland. p. 97.ISBN978-1-4766-1539-4.RetrievedJanuary 1,2023.
  2. ^abEllenberger, Allan R. (May 1, 2001).Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory.McFarland. p. 199.ISBN978-0-7864-0983-9.RetrievedJanuary 1,2023.
  3. ^abcAaker, Everett (May 25, 2017).Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary.McFarland. pp. 346–347.ISBN978-1-4766-6250-3.RetrievedJanuary 1,2023.
  4. ^abcde"TV, Film and Stage Actor Bill Quinn Dead at 81".Associated Press.May 3, 1994. Archived fromthe originalon March 22, 2022.RetrievedMarch 22,2022.
  5. ^"Behind the Radio Dial".The Weekly Kansas City Star.May 25, 1949. p. 12.RetrievedDecember 13,2022– viaNewspapers.
  6. ^New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018
  7. ^"Television Today: Evening".The Atlanta Constitution.November 1, 1982. p. 7B. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  8. ^"Highlights Broadcast".Tampa Bay Times.February 27, 1984. p. 4D. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
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