William Hawks

For the American politician and businessman William T. Hawks, see Bill Hawks.

William Hawks
Wedding portrait of Hawks and Bessie Love, 1929
Born
William Bellinger Hawks

(1901-01-29)January 29, 1901
Neenah, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedJanuary 10, 1969(1969-01-10) (aged 67)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
EducationYale University[1]
OccupationFilm producer
Years active1930–1958
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1929; div. 1936)​
Virginia Walker
​
​
(m. 1938; div. 1942)​
Frances Koshland Judge
​
​
(m. 1951⁠–⁠1969)​
Relatives

William Bellinger Hawks (January 29, 1901 – January 10, 1969) was an American film producer.

Career

Hawks attended Yale University,[1][3] where he was a member of Scroll and Key[4] and graduated in 1923.[5][6][7] In his early career, Hawks was a stockbroker.[8][9][10] By the early 1930s, Hawks was a Hollywood talent agent and, as such, brought novelist William Faulkner to his brother Howard Hawks' attention in 1932, becoming Faulkner's Hollywood agent.

He created United Producers Corporation in 1940[11] with Charles Boyer, Ronald Colman, Irene Dunne, Anatole Litvak, and Lewis Milestone. They intended to produce ten films for RKO Pictures.[3] My Life with Caroline was the first of the intended series, thus Hawks became a film producer.

Personal life

Hawks married actress Bessie Love at St. James' Episcopal Church in South Pasadena, California, on December 27, 1929.[12] Mary Astor, Carmel Myers, and Norma Shearer were her bridesmaids, and Howard Hawks and MGM wunderkind Irving Thalberg ushered. Mary Astor was William's sister-in-law, married to brother Kenneth Hawks. Their reception was held at the Ambassador Hotel.[13]

Hawks and Love then lived at the Havenhurst Apartments in Hollywood.[14][15] They had a daughter, Patricia Hawks (February 19, 1932, Los Angeles), who had some bit parts in 1952 movies.[2] They divorced in 1936.[2]

He married actress Virginia Walker (July 31, 1916, Boston, Massachusetts – December 23, 1946, Los Angeles) in late June 1938 in Mexico.[16] She had played Miss Alice Swallow in the 1938 comedy film Bringing Up Baby, her first film role.[16] They divorced in 1942.[17]

He was married to Boston socialite Frances Koshland Judge (1916–1993)[18] on October 3, 1951, in West Los Angeles by Municipal Judge Louis Kaufmann.[19]

Hawks died in Santa Monica, California, of a respiratory illness, on January 10, 1969.[1]

Croquet

He was a member of the United States Croquet Association and was inducted posthumously into their Croquet Hall of Fame in 1981,[20] as was brother Howard in 1980.[21] He often played with actor George Sanders,[22] who was also a posthumous 1980 inductee.[23] Hawks most often played with a Jaques mallet,[20] as did Sanders.[23]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c "Obituaries". Variety. Vol. 253, no. 9. Los Angeles. January 15, 1969. p. 94.
  2. ^ a b c Kidd, Charles (1986). "Howard Hawks and Mary Astor". Debrett Goes to Hollywood. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 67. ISBN 0-312-00588-1.
  3. ^ a b Parsons, Louella O. (May 6, 1940). "Independent Signs Ronald Colman". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. p. 18.
  4. ^ "Yale 'Tap Day' Brings Honors to Rowing Men". New York Tribune. New York, N.Y. May 18, 1923. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Miss Esther Butterworth Married in Rose Garden". The New York Herald Tribune. New York, N.Y. June 10, 1925. p. 15.
  6. ^ "New York's Smart Set". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. July 25, 1926. p. 76.
  7. ^ "Helen Jenkins and E. C. Smith to Wed at Madison Aug. 19". New York Herald Tribune. New York, N.Y. July 18, 1926. p. 17.
  8. ^ "Bessie Love to Marry: Screen Actress Announces Betrothal to William Hawks, Broker". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. November 13, 1929. p. 25.
  9. ^ "Bessie Love Is Wed to William Hawks: Stars Are Bridesmaids at Marriage of Girl Who Made 'Comeback'". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. December 28, 1929. p. 7.
  10. ^ Peak, Mayme (December 16, 1929). "Christmas Chimes Will Be Followed by Wedding Bells in Land of the Movies". The Boston Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 23.
  11. ^ "Hollywood News". New York Herald Tribune. May 6, 1940. p. 12.
  12. ^ Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 125. OCLC 734075937.
  13. ^ "Film Star Will Attend Bride at Hollywood Social Event". The Washington Post. Washington D.C. December 27, 1929. p. 1.
  14. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2008). Celebrities in the 1930 Census. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-3411-4.
  15. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (September 25, 2008). "Bessie Love in the 1930 Census". Hollywoodland.
  16. ^ a b "Bessie Love's Former Husband Weds Actress". The Hartford Courant. June 29, 1938. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Divorces". Billboard. Vol. 54, no. 46. November 14, 1942. p. 54.
  18. ^ "Obituaries/Funeral Announcements". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif. November 24, 1993. p. VCA16A.
  19. ^ "Former Boston Debutante Wed to Film Writer". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. October 4, 1951. p. A14.
  20. ^ a b "William 'Bill' Hawks". United States Croquet Association.
  21. ^ "Howard Hawks". United States Croquet Association.
  22. ^ Aronson, Harvey (September 3, 1966). "Wicket World". Newsday. Long Island, N.Y. p. 3W.
  23. ^ a b "George Sanders". United States Croquet Association.