Updated 05-May-2020.
Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about BILL BIXBY!
made only at TCM!
My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: Wilfred Bailey Everett “Bill” Bixby III was an actor, director, producer, and panelist . his career spanned more than three decades, including appearances on stage, in films, bixby attended Grace Cathedral and sang in the church’s choir . he shot the bishop using a slingshot during a service and was kicked out . his mother encouraged him to take ballroom dance lessons bixby majored in drama at the city college of san francisco . he attended the university of california, his parents’ alma mater . after high school, he organized shows at a resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming . in 1959, he was hired to work as a model and to do commercial work for GM and Chrysler . he guest-starred in many television high production costs forced the series to come to an end after 107 episodes . after the cancellation of martian, Bixby starred in four movies: Ride Beyond Vengeance, Doctor, You’ve Got to Be Kidding the core cast was rounded out by academy award-winning actress Miyoshi Umeki . one episode co-starred bixby’s future wife, Brenda Benet, as one of Tom’s girlfriends . he won the Parents Without Partners Exemplary Service Award for 1972 . he made his directorial debut on the sitcom in 1970, directing eight episodes . the death of his only child, in 1981, drew in 1995, Cruz named his own son Lincoln Bixby Cruz . the two remained in touch until bixby’s death in 1993 . Brandon Cruz: “we dealt with issues that were talked about but were never brought up Brandon: “Bill treated me as an equal” Upon Bill’s real-life father’s death in 1971, Cruz stated: “he had that type of mentality that the show must go on, after he broke down bill bixby’s fame was supposed to posthumously honor him for a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . “when I found out they were putting this out, I thought, ‘it’s about time the series was well liked but lasted only one season . an accomplished amateur magician himself, he hosted several TV specials in the mid-1970s . he was a respected member of the Hollywood magic community . bixby became a popular game-show panelist, appearing mostly on Password and The Hollywood Squares . he was also a panelist on 1974 revival of Masquerade Party hosted by Richard Dawson . he directed four episodes of the eighth season of Mannix . in 1977, he co-starred in the pilot for the television series Fantasy Island . he appeared with Donna Mills, Richard Jaeckel, and William Sha bixby directed two episodes of The Oregon Trail . in 1976, he was honored with two Emmy Award nominations . he hosted Once Upon a Classic on PBS from 1976 to 1980 . the pilot starred Susan Sullivan as Dr. Elaina Marks . bixby’s performance is the series’s “foremost” strength, says gilbert greenberg . the pilot also bixby directed one episode of the series, “Bring Me the Head of the Hulk” in 1980 . he worked on the series with his friend, movie actress Mariette Hartley . Hartley won an Em the series was canceled after the following season, but leftover episodes aired as late as the next June . bixby later executive-produced and reprised the role in three television movies – the last two of which he he hosted the syndicated weekday anthology series True Confessions . he directed eight episodes of the satirical police sitcom Sledge Hammer! he made his last acting appearance in 1992 . a few months later, six-year-old Christopher died while on a skiing vacation with Benet . he went into cardiac arrest after doctors inserted a breathing tube when he suffered acute epiglottitis in early 1991, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent treatment . in late 1992, friends introduced Bixby to the artist Judith Kliban . he married her in late 1993, just six weeks before he He was 59 years old. He was married.