William T. Orr

Personal Info

Known ForProduction
Born1917-09-27
BirthplaceNew York City, New York, USA

William T. Orr

Production

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William T. Orr (September 27, 1917 – December 25, 2002) was an American television producer associated with a series of western and detective programs of the 1950s-1970s. On most of his Warner Bros. series, he was billed as "Wm. T. Orr".

Orr began his career as an actor; his film credits include The Mortal Storm, The Gay Sisters, and The Big Street.

As the first head of Warner Bros. Television department, Orr forged a fruitful alliance with ABC, which resulted in the network having a number of prime time hits, such as Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, and F Troop. At the height of this relationship in the early 1960s, Orr had nine programs in prime time simultaneously. Of these, no program was more significant than one of his earliest, Cheyenne. It was a groundbreaking series that was both the first hour-long western and the first series of any kind made by a major Hollywood film studio consisting entirely of content wholly exclusive to television.

A curator at The Paley Center for Media (previously named The Museum of Television and Radio) once encapsulated Orr's importance to Warner Bros. by saying, "Television began as a step-child. But because of Orr, it became equal with film in creating revenue and jobs for the studio." One of the key reforms he made to effect this change was to move Warner's nascent television department from cramped quarters in New York City to Los Angeles studios separate from the film division.

His impact on the genre of western fiction was recognized with a Golden Boot Award upon the announcement of his death.

Filmography

Acting (23)

1943
He Hired the Bossas Don Bates
5.3
1943
Three Cadetsas Young Flier
8.0
1942
The Big Streetas Decatur Reed
5.8
1942
The Gay Sistersas Dick Tone
6.6
1942
Soldiers in Whiteas Johnny Allison
6.0
1941
Unholy Partnersas Tommy Jarvis
7.6
1941
Navy Bluesas 'Mac'
4.8
1941
Those Good Old Daysas Joe La Rue
10.0
1941
Three Sons o' Gunsas Kenneth Patterson
7.0
1941
Thieves Fall Outas George Formsby
6.0
1941
Honeymoon for Threeas Arthur Westlake
6.3
1940
Meet the Fleetas Kansas Potter
6.4
1940
Service with the Colorsas Charles Corbin
5.4
1940
My Love Came Backas Paul Malette
4.9
7.0
1940
The Mortal Stormas Erich Von Rohn
7.3
1939
Invitation to Happinessas Bellboy (uncredited)
7.0
1939
The Hardys Ride Highas Dick Bannersly
6.5
1938
Brother Ratas Member of the Guard
6.0

Production & Directing (3)

1973
Wicked, WickedExecutive Producer
4.9
1956
The Deadly RiddleExecutive Producer
William T. Orr — Filmography & Biography | Cinelio