Actor William Smith

[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:
Does anyone remember this guy? He has been in tons of movies (almost always a villain) and tv shows. He is probably best known as Conan’s father and as Clint Eastwood’s nemesis in “Any Which Way You Can”. One of my favorite roles was the pilot episode of The Rockford Files where he plays a thug/martial artist. He had an awesome physique, good looks and a laundry list of accomplishments…

Appeared in the final episode of Batman (1966).

Lifetime Achievement Award from Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness

Record-holder for reverse-curling his own body weight.

2 Time Arm Wrestling World Champion-200lb class-Petaluma, CA

Served in the Airforce, National Security Agency, during the Korean War.

Graduated UCLA Cum Laude.

He was the Marlboro Man in the final televised Marlboro commercial.

Fluent in English, Russian, German, French, Serbo-Croatian.

Competed as a downhill skier in AAU events at Mammoth Mountain

Competed in motocross events with Steve McQueen and doubled as one of the track riders in C.C. & Company (1970).

Had a 31-1 record as an amateur boxer

Held the Air Force Light-Heavyweight Weightlifting Championship

Performed over 5,100 continuous sit-ups over a five hour period

Played semi-pro football for the Wiesbaden Flyers in Germany

Has a Masters Degree in Russian and taught Russian Language Studies at UCLA in the late 1950s.

Won a Muscle Beach contest by performing 35 inverted handstand dips

Honorary member of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures.

Direct descendant of Western figures Kit Carson and Daniel Boone.

Bruce Lee personally offered Smith the co-lead in Enter the Dragon (1973), but another film went over schedule and John Saxon stepped into the role.

Filmed an eight-minute test pilot portraying Caine for the TV series Kung Fu (1972), wearing prosthetic eyepieces to make him appear Chinese. The network wanted Smith for the role, but producer Jerry Thorpe ultimately deemed him too muscular and menacing.

Studied kung fu for eight years with Jimmy Woo and kenpo karate master Ed Parker.

Stunt doubled for former Tarzan Lex Barker while living in France.

Turned down the role of Tarzan at MGM.

Training partner of first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott.

Fought California wildfires in the early 1950s

Worked as a lifeguard on the French Riviera

Worked as a trainer at Bert Goodrich’s Hollywood Gym

Child actor in both “A” and “B” movies of the 1940s. He stated in a horror magazine that during breaks on the set of The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), star Lon Chaney Jr., treated all of the children on the set to ice cream.

Threw the discus 151 feet at a time when the top AAU distance was 150.6 feet.

Won the Light-Heavyweight German-Austrian Boxing Championship while in the service.

In 1942’s The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), he plays the boy who throws the little girl’s ball to the top of the roof. This role marks the first of his many appearances as a villain.

Has a master’s degree in Russian.

His favorite writer is Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Recipient of the 2008 Silver Spur Award.

Recipient of the 2005 Southern California Motion Picture Council Award.

Inducted into the Venice Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Hall of Fame 2010.

Bill Smith is also a most accomplished bull whip master. In a 2011 History Channel special on “Marksmen” he was chosen as “the most skilled bull whip master known today.” In several feats of skill & accuracy he demonstrated among other things, how the tip at the end of a bull whip goes supersonic just before it pulls the flame off a candle. The “crack of the whip” sound is the result of the tip going supersonic & breaking the sound barrier, as was demonstrated in “slo-mo” video.

Auditioned for a role in Django Unchained (2012).[/quote]

He is…the world’s most interesting man.

[quote]Velvet Elvis wrote:

[quote]Icarus wrote:
Wasn’t he the dude from Commando with Arnold? Like his nemesis or something?[/quote]

No, that wasn’t him …

…I’m pretty sure it was Freddie Mercury :wink:
[/quote]

hahahaha…so I wasn’t alone thinking that! :slight_smile:

[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:

[quote]BIG-GEORDIE wrote:
"Record-holder for reverse-curling his own body weight. "

How much did he weigh?[/quote]

He was an arm wrestling champion in the 200 lb class. He was 6’2" so he had to be 2 bills for sure for most of his career.[/quote]

Holy shit

[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:

[quote]BIG-GEORDIE wrote:
"Record-holder for reverse-curling his own body weight. "

How much did he weigh?[/quote]

He was an arm wrestling champion in the 200 lb class. He was 6’2" so he had to be 2 bills for sure for most of his career.[/quote]

Damn that is very impressive, regular curling that weight would be nevermind reverse curling over 200lbs.

Ive looked it up and here is what he himself said in an intervew

Interviewer.
“Mr. Smith, among your achievements, there is one, that to some fitness fanatics stands out the most. A long time ago, you lifted a loaded barbell with an overhand grip (some websites have it as «reverse-curling bodyweight»), which is very difficult to do. There were some rumors, that Guinness book of records actually has a record of you and your achievement. Is this really true? How much weight did you lift back then?”

Smith.
“I did hold a record for reverse curling. But it did not appear in the Guinness book. That?s a long standing rumor. Back then I reversed curled 163 lbs.”

He is…the world’s most interesting man. so it seems

[quote]BIG-GEORDIE wrote:
Ive looked it up and here is what he himself said in an intervew

Interviewer.
“Mr. Smith, among your achievements, there is one, that to some fitness fanatics stands out the most. A long time ago, you lifted a loaded barbell with an overhand grip (some websites have it as «reverse-curling bodyweight»), which is very difficult to do. There were some rumors, that Guinness book of records actually has a record of you and your achievement. Is this really true? How much weight did you lift back then?”

Smith.
“I did hold a record for reverse curling. But it did not appear in the Guinness book. That?s a long standing rumor. Back then I reversed curled 163 lbs.”

[/quote]

Okay, that still is damn strong. I don’t know where he got his energy. The only thing to add to his resume is solving Pi.

[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:

[quote]BIG-GEORDIE wrote:
Ive looked it up and here is what he himself said in an intervew

Interviewer.
“Mr. Smith, among your achievements, there is one, that to some fitness fanatics stands out the most. A long time ago, you lifted a loaded barbell with an overhand grip (some websites have it as Ã?«reverse-curling bodyweightÃ?»), which is very difficult to do. There were some rumors, that Guinness book of records actually has a record of you and your achievement. Is this really true? How much weight did you lift back then?”

Smith.
“I did hold a record for reverse curling. But it did not appear in the Guinness book. That?s a long standing rumor. Back then I reversed curled 163 lbs.”

[/quote]

Okay, that still is damn strong. I don’t know where he got his energy. The only thing to add to his resume is solving Pi.[/quote]

Totally, thats about 74 KGS. Very impressive, it sounds like he was a genetic freak with a strong work ethic.

He almost got crushed by a python on the set of a movie in the Amazon. His build probably saved him.

This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.

[quote]Blackiebluewings wrote:
This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.[/quote]

I wonder if it was for any of the roles we know from the completed film, or someone new who would have been created.

S

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]Blackiebluewings wrote:
This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.[/quote]

I wonder if it was for any of the roles we know from the completed film, or someone new who would have been created.

S[/quote]

I Googled it, convinced that he was going to be O’Hara. Turns out he was asked to play Williams. If Smith had taken the role, Williams would have survived to the end and Roper would have died.

John Saxon’s agent negotiated to have the roles effectively reversed. Just goes to show how casting can alter a movie.

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]Blackiebluewings wrote:
This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.[/quote]

I wonder if it was for any of the roles we know from the completed film, or someone new who would have been created.

S[/quote]

I Googled it, convinced that he was going to be O’Hara. Turns out he was asked to play Williams. If Smith had taken the role, Williams would have survived to the end and Roper would have died.

John Saxon’s agent negotiated to have the roles effectively reversed. Just goes to show how casting can alter a movie.[/quote]

THat’s interesting to consider. I have an old book on the making of Enter the Dragon, and it seems to get an actor of Saxon’s caliber (compared to the rest of the cast), was a big deal. I loved Jim Kelly, but in terms of cinema, I assume he was an unknown at that point.

S

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]Blackiebluewings wrote:
This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.[/quote]

I wonder if it was for any of the roles we know from the completed film, or someone new who would have been created.

S[/quote]

I Googled it, convinced that he was going to be O’Hara. Turns out he was asked to play Williams. If Smith had taken the role, Williams would have survived to the end and Roper would have died.

John Saxon’s agent negotiated to have the roles effectively reversed. Just goes to show how casting can alter a movie.[/quote]

THat’s interesting to consider. I have an old book on the making of Enter the Dragon, and it seems to get an actor of Saxon’s caliber (compared to the rest of the cast), was a big deal. I loved Jim Kelly, but in terms of cinema, I assume he was an unknown at that point.

S
[/quote]

Jim Kelly and John Saxon are the unsung double acts of cinema.

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]Blackiebluewings wrote:
This guy is a true Bad ass. Probably world most interesting man with that list of accomplishments. what 's is interesting is that Bruce Lee offered him a part in enter the Dragon.[/quote]

I wonder if it was for any of the roles we know from the completed film, or someone new who would have been created.

S[/quote]

I Googled it, convinced that he was going to be O’Hara. Turns out he was asked to play Williams. If Smith had taken the role, Williams would have survived to the end and Roper would have died.

John Saxon’s agent negotiated to have the roles effectively reversed. Just goes to show how casting can alter a movie.[/quote]

THat’s interesting to consider. I have an old book on the making of Enter the Dragon, and it seems to get an actor of Saxon’s caliber (compared to the rest of the cast), was a big deal. I loved Jim Kelly, but in terms of cinema, I assume he was an unknown at that point.

S
[/quote]

Jim Kelly and John Saxon are the unsung double acts of cinema.
[/quote]

Great detective work Roybot. I never knew that story about ETD. Now that you mention it, swapping WS with Jim Kelly would have made more sense than with John Saxon.

Jim Kelly AND William Smith would have been an awesome combination.

Happy Easter!

I am new here as of today!

In 1968 in Shreveport,Louisana Bill came to visit with my dad about a H.A. motorcycle flick.

That my dads brother was the producer of.

I was born 1962 I was only 6 yearold then and I remember Bill coming to our home on a Harly Davidson chopper straight from the movie set.

All I remember is the loud sound it made and the smell of motor old on his clothing.

As he stood in the front door way of our home with my dad .

They both looked like giants to me then.

My dad was in the airforce at that time!

“Great memory of this great dynamic actor!”:movie_camera: