| Guinn Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | Guinn Terrell Williams Jr. April 26, 1899 Decatur, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 1962 (aged 63) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1919–1961 |
| Spouse | Barbara Weeks Kathleen Collins Dorothy Peterson (1943-1962) (his death) |
Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (April 26, 1899 – June 6, 1962) was an American actor who appeared in memorable westerns such as Dodge City (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940), and The Comancheros (1961). He was nicknamed "Big Boy" as he was 6' 2" and muscular from years of working on ranches and playing semi-pro and pro baseball.
Williams made his screen debut in the 1919 comedy, Almost A Husband, opposite Will Rogers and Cullen Landis and was featured in a large supporting role ten years later in Frank Borzage's Lucky Star with Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. Throughout the 1920s Williams would have a string of successful films, mostly westerns.
He then starred in The Great Meadow alongside Johnny Mack Brown, which was Brown's breakout film. Throughout the 1930s, Williams acted in several supporting roles, mostly in westerns, sports, or outdoor dramas. Although not the lead actor in any of them, he was always employed, and was successful as a supporting actor. He often played alongside Hoot Gibson and Harry Carey during that period. In 1941, he became one of many actors cast by Universal Pictures in their large film series, Riders of Death Valley.
His father, Guinn Williams Sr, represented the 13th Texas Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1922 to 1932. Williams was frequently teamed with Alan Hale, Sr. as sidekicks to Errol Flynn in several of his pictures. In 1960, he was cast in the epic film The Alamo and in Home from the Hill with Robert Mitchum. His last role was opposite his close friend John Wayne and Stuart Whitman in The Comancheros.
He was married to three actresses, the first being silent film actress Kathleen Collins. For a time, he was married to B-movie actress Barbara Weeks. His last wife was Dorothy Peterson, whom he first met in the 1940s.
Williams died unexpectedly of uremic poisoning[1] on June 6, 1962, aged 63.