350:(previously 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
244:. In 1934, he was elected as a member of the Christian Fraternity Cabinet, "a board of twelve students prominent in school activities" at Phillips Exeter". When he was 18, he moved with his half-sister and his divorced mother to Los Angeles. He worked as a model, studied acting with
228:
Turney), an actress, formerly
Herrmann, later Orr, later Hall. The Quinns divorced in 1923. Gladys later married two more times, including to Morrison Boal Orr, "heir to the Orr Felt & Blanket Company fortune". After the marriage, the son became known as
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Warner Bros. signed Orr to a $ 300-per-week contract, but he acted more for other studios when he was loaned out than he did for Warner Bros. He primarily made short films for his home studio, while he appeared in nearly 20 films overall from 1938 to 1943.
386:. Orr's series were also noted for the cost-saving practice of recycling scripts from one series to another, switching only character names; during a writers' strike, such repurposed scripts were credited to "W. Hermanos".
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Orr's responsibilities at Warner Bros. expanded on
February 28, 1961, when he was named vice president in charge of motion pictures in addition to continuing his duties with TV programs.
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Despite broadly positive posthumous recognition for his work as a whole, Orr did receive negative press during the height of his career—as well as afterwards—for his business practices.
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Orr's star dimmed by 1963, as almost all of his series had run their course and had been cancelled. In 1963, towards the end of the 5th season,
408:'s Essex Productions, and continued as a television producer through 1966, including a stint as the executive producer of the first season of
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A stroke left Orr unable to speak or walk. On
December 25, 2002, Orr died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was buried at the
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327:. At the height of this relationship in the early 1960s, Orr had nine programs in prime time simultaneously.
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detective series. For the 6th season, Webb completely changed the theme song and format and retained only
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series, he was billed as "Wm. T. Orr." Orr began his career as an actor; his film credits included
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I Talked with a Zombie: Interviews with 23 Veterans of Horror and Sci-Fi Films and
Television
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Orr was the son of
William Ferdinand Quinn, a stockbroker and alderman, and Gladys Quinn (
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at the Little
Theatre for Professionals of Beverly Hills. He appeared in another revue,
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During World War II he was an officer in the Army Air Force. He was assigned to the
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Classic TV Archive listing of Orr's western and comedy series with Warner
Brothers
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in 1945. The couple divorced in 1970. They had a daughter, Diane, and their son
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898:"Top News, Latest headlines, Latest News, World News & U.S News - UPI.com"
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James Garner touches on Bill Orr in
Archive of American Television interview
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during late-1950s pay disputes waged by Warner Bros. star television actors
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Of these, though, no program was more significant than one of his earliest,
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Roy
Huggins touches on Bill Orr in Archive of American Television interview
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An elementary school and street in
Norwalk, California, are named for him.
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was dedicated to him. In August 2002, Orr was named as a recipient of a
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857:"William Orr, 85; Had Hit TV Shows in 1950s, '60s for Warner Bros"
233:. He had a half-sister, Maury, who later worked as a TV director.
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consisting entirely of content wholly exclusive to television.
414:. After 1966, his only production credit was on the 1973 film
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characterized Orr and Jack Warner as co-architects of unfair
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268:, in Los Angeles, and portrayed a romantic interest of
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Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
305:, which resulted in the network having a number of
700:Thomas 'Tommy' Jarvis - an alias of Tommy Jarrett
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301:department, Orr forged a fruitful alliance with
236:Orr was educated at the Coburn School in Miami,
471:for his involvement with Western productions.
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990:Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
393:replaced Orr as executive producer of ABC's
192:programs of the 1950s-1970s. In most of his
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256:Orr imitated celebrities in Bard's revue,
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19:For other people named William Orr, see
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886:The view of MoTR curator, Ron Simon.
808:, imdb.com. Accessed August 9, 2023.
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1310:First Motion Picture Unit personnel
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459:In 1994, a Golden Palm Star on the
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949:"'Unhappy People'—with Spurs".
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449:Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles
40:William Ferdinand Quinn, Jr.
21:William Orr (disambiguation)
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928:. March 1, 1961. p. 29
178:William Ferdinand Quinn Jr.
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1330:American male stage actors
963:Weaver, Tom (2009-12-11).
792:(103): 47–48. Winter 2020.
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440:is a writer and producer.
348:The Paley Center for Media
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445:Forest Lawn Memorial Park
287:First Motion Picture Unit
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1002:"The Golden Boot Awards"
825:. May 8, 1934. p. 7
461:Palm Springs, California
184:associated with various
790:Films of the Golden Age
557:Invitation to Happiness
424:Personal life and death
299:Warner Bros. Television
242:Phillips Exeter Academy
1006:The Golden Boot Awards
260:, (1938) and acted in
1245:No Time for Sergeants
1103:Warner Bros. Presents
297:As the first head of
575:Those Were the Days!
540:The Hardys Ride High
275:The Hardys Ride High
138: 1945;
1189:Bourbon Street Beat
953:. 30 November 1959.
627:Honeymoon for Three
527:Member of the Guard
399:Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
262:George and Margaret
182:television producer
100:television producer
53:New York City, U.S.
926:The New York Times
823:The New York Times
788:"William T. Orr".
661:Three Sons o' Guns
238:Rumsey Hall School
231:William Turney Orr
50:September 27, 1917
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1217:Room for One More
861:Los Angeles Times
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756:
746:He Hired the Boss
666:Kenneth Patterson
610:My Love Came Back
469:Golden Boot Award
404:Orr was hired by
293:Production career
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165:Golden Boot Award
110:Years active
62:December 25, 2002
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1210:The Roaring 20's
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1014:. Retrieved
1010:the original
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930:. Retrieved
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871:– via
865:. Retrieved
860:
827:. Retrieved
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734:Decatur Reed
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376:Clint Walker
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64:(2002-12-25)
1305:2002 deaths
1300:1917 births
1231:The Dakotas
1016:October 17,
932:October 17,
867:October 17,
829:October 17,
583:Uncredited
565:Uncredited
530:Uncredited
522:Brother Rat
512:Uncredited
509:Cadet Beale
478:Filmography
438:Gregory Orr
356:Los Angeles
341:film studio
218:Early years
155:Gregory Orr
113:1930s–1970s
70:Los Angeles
1289:Categories
1203:Surfside 6
1124:Casablanca
907:2022-06-30
760:References
678:Navy Blues
580:Minor Role
384:Edd Byrnes
307:prime time
258:Hit Parade
74:California
46:1917-09-27
1140:Sugarfoot
1110:Kings Row
751:Don Bates
717:Dick Tone
391:Jack Webb
372:contracts
338:Hollywood
190:detective
1154:Colt .45
1147:Maverick
1133:Conflict
1117:Cheyenne
434:Joy Page
333:Cheyenne
312:Maverick
278:(1939).
246:Ben Bard
150:Children
124:Joy Page
1259:F Troop
806:Profile
562:Bellboy
455:Honours
411:F Troop
324:F Troop
186:Western
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1168:Lawman
1161:Bronco
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494:Notes
488:Title
382:, and
321:, and
240:, and
208:, and
176:(born
167:, 2002
161:Awards
118:Spouse
76:, U.S.
491:Role
485:Year
134:(
130:
104:actor
1266:Hank
1039:IMDb
1018:2021
971:ISBN
934:2021
869:2021
831:2021
741:1943
724:1942
707:1942
690:1941
673:1941
656:1941
639:1941
622:1941
605:1940
588:1940
570:1940
552:1939
535:1939
517:1938
499:1938
188:and
140:div.
98:and
96:film
59:Died
36:Born
1037:at
902:UPI
683:Mac
447:in
354:to
303:ABC
225:née
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44:(
23:.
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