Willard Parker
- Birthday
- Feb 5, 1912
Bio: Anyone born with a name like Worster Van Eps probably had no choice but to become a top tennis pro. But when he entered films in 1937, Van Eps altered his name to the more hero-friendly Willard Parker. A leading man at Columbia in the 1940s, Parker, a handsome hunk in the Sonny Tufts mold (though a far better actor), never quite reached the summit. His… More Bio: Anyone born with a name like Worster Van Eps probably had no choice but to become a top tennis pro. But when he entered films in 1937, Van Eps altered his name to the more hero-friendly Willard Parker. A leading man at Columbia in the 1940s, Parker, a handsome hunk in the Sonny Tufts mold (though a far better actor), never quite reached the summit. His best-remembered performance was as the bombastic, clueless "other man" in the 1953 musical Kiss Me Kate. From 1955 through 1957, Parker built up a kiddie fan following as co-star (with Harry Lauter) of the TV series Tales of the Texas Rangers. Retiring from acting in the late '60s to become a thriving real estate agent, Willard Parker was married from 1951 to actress Virginia Field, with whom he co-starred in The Earth Dies Screaming (1966) -- the last film for both. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Filmography
-
The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
- Jeff Nolan
-
Young Jesse James (1959)
- Cole Younger
-
Lure of the Swamp (1957)
- James Lister
-
Kiss Me Kate (1953)
- Tex Callaway
- 90%
-
The Great Jesse James Raid (1953)
- Jesse James
- See all 17 films
Willard Parker Videos
Kiss Me Kate
3 minutes 22 seconds
The Great Jesse James Raid
1 minutes 12 seconds
Born Today
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