William Roerick


William George Roerich was an American actor.
He is particularly associated with the stage, but also played in many films and television productions. He was also a stage manager and writer. His name is sometimes given as William Roehrick.

Early life and education

Roerick was born December 17, 1912, in Hoboken, New Jersey, and was a classically trained actor. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1934 and was a student at the Stockbridge Playhouse drama school in 1935.

Career

Acting career

He made his Broadway debut that same year in Romeo and Juliet. He played on Broadway for forty-five years, his last Broadway role being in Happy New Year in 1980.
Roerick's career was largely in theater, but he did make appearances in several films.
His television roles include the role of Henry Chamberlain in the television soap opera Guiding Light. Roerick played that role from 1980 to 1995. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the show, in 1991.
Among his many other television and film roles, two favorites were in Roger Corman's sci-fi thrillers Not of This Earth and The Wasp Woman.

Writing career

Roerick wrote the family comedy play The Happiest Years, with Thomas Coley. The play was produced on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in 1949, featuring Peggy Wood. The New York Daily News was enthusiastic, as was the Albany Times Union, but it was not a hit: it ran for eight performances, opening on April 25, 1949, and closing on April 30, but was popular for a while for summer stock and amateur productions.
Roerick summered for many years at his home called The Lost Farm in Tyringham, Massachusetts, an old farmhouse on a ninety-acre plot that he restored from dilapidation, but which remained without electricity or plumbing. He played summer stock at the Stockbridge Playhouse, and was visited by theatre friends – Shirley Booth and Lynn Bari helped rehabilitate The Lost Farm; visitors included Peggy Wood, Mady Christians, Eleanor Steber, and Samuel Barber, and Roerick hosted parties for the Stockbridge Playhouse troupe.
In 1943, Roerick met writer E. M. Forster while touring in Britain with This Is The Army, an Irving Berlin show raising money for emergency relief. The two became friends and Forster stayed with Roerick at The Lost Farm. Forster was quite happy there and dedicated his last book, Two Cheers for Democracy to "William Roerick and 'The Lost Farm' in Tyringham, Massachusetts". Roerick later wrote a memoir essay of this time, Forster in America, and the play Passage to E. M. Forster, which remains unpublished but has been occasionally presented.

Personal life

Roerick, who was gay, lived both in New York City and at The Lost Farm with his partner and longtime collaborator, fellow actor and writer Thomas Coley. In addition to their two plays, they wrote television scripts together.

Death

Roerick died on November 30, 1995, in an automobile accident, either in Tyringham or the adjacent town of Monterey, Massachusetts.

Appearances

Theatre

Broadway

Romeo and Juliet with Katharine CornellSaint Joan Hamlet with John Gielgud, Lillian Gish and Judith AndersonOur Town, original productionThe Importance of Being ErnestThe Land Is Bright Autumn Hill The Flowers of Virtue This Is the Army The Magnificent Yankee The Great Campaign The Heiress Tonight at 8.30 MedeaMacbethThe Burning Glass The Right Honorable Gentleman Marat/Sade The Homecoming We Bombed in New Haven Elizabeth the QueenWaltz of the Toreadors The Night of the Iguana The Merchant

Off-Broadway

Madam, Will You Walk? The Cherry OrchardCome Slowly EdenPassage to E. M. ForsterTrials of Oz
  • ''Close of Play''

Touring and out-of-town

Our Town This Is the Army, international touring company Sabrina Fair Dear Charles, touring company with Tallulah Bankhead Glad Tidings, touring company with Tallulah Bankhead Medea, touring company Macbeth, touring company Marat/Sade, touring company The Time of the Cuckoo A Cry of Players, Berkshire Theatre FestivalJanus, opened in Denver, toured; with Myrna Loy

Film

This Is the Army as Mr. Green The Harder They Fall as Mrs. Harding's Lawyer Not of This Earth as Dr. F.W. RochelleThe Wasp Woman as Arthur CooperA Lovely Way to Die as Loren WestabrookThe Sporting Club as FortesqueThe Love Machine as Cliff DorneA Separate Peace as Mr. Patchwithers, HeadmasterThe Day of the Dolphin as Dunhill92 in the Shade as RudleighThe Other Side of the Mountain as Dr. PittmanGod Told Me To as RichardsThe Betsy as Secretary of Commerce

Television

A Time of Innocence The General's Bible To My Valentine Star Bright I'll Always Love You, Natalie Big Town The Louella Parsons Story The Millionaire Strange Disappearance Eloise Paris Calling The Man Who Played God Perry Mason The Thin Man Topaze The Last Tycoon How to Marry a Millionaire The Violent Heart The Gale Storm Show Mike Hammer Hudson's Bay The Third Man The Man from Blackhawk Five Fingers The Man in the Funny Suit Shotgun Slade The Clear Horizon Dr. Kildare Follow the Sun Another World For the People This Town Will Never Be the Same NET Playhouse Particular Men Madigan The Adams Chronicles Guiding Light Freedom to Speak The Thorns

Works