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The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.



(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)
William Haade

Birth name:
William Leo Haade

1903 - 1966


William 'Bill' Haade was born March 2, 1903 in Manhattan, New York City to Bernhard and Annie / Anna Haade.

He became a steel worker in the New York City area and did some skyscraper construction in the "Big Apple". And he was a member of Local 40 of the International Association of Bridge Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers.

In late 1936, Broadway producer and production designer Norman Bel Geddes developed a play titled "Iron Men" which was about a group of guys building New York City skyscrapers. To add realism, several real iron men - including William Haade - were cast as the steel workers. And it was the right place at the right time for Haade who got the lead role as "foreman Andy". However, the play was short-lived, opening in October, 1936 at the Longacre Theater in New York ... and closing about two weeks later. While the reviews were negative on the play, comments on Haade's performance were positive.

Soon after "Iron Men" flopped, Haade got a call from Warner Bros. to portray a boxer in KID GALAHAD (Warners, 1937). He quickly discovered that Hollywood paid better than his old occupation, and packed up his family and moved to Los Angeles. His second career as a movie and television actor spanned 20+ years, from about 1937 - 1957.

He free lanced everywhere, doing credited and unbilled roles in A and B grade films. And you can spot him as a detective, police officer, member of the military, card player, gangster, truck driver, and punchy, slow-witted prize fighters. As mentioned, his first movie job was portraying heavyweight boxer "Chuck McGraw" who gets KO'd by bellhop Wayne Morris in KID GALAHAD (Warners, 1937).

Haade did some western and serials, sometimes playing the brains heavy or second in command. My remembrances of him include brutish, oafish and bully ... but definitely not as smart, slick and domineering as B western villains Roy Barcroft and Harry Woods. And when Haade appears in his first scene in a western, I pay particular attention, wondering if he'll play the part straight or add some comedy hijinks or offbeat mannerisms which may include a "I'm dumbfounded, totally confused" facial expression.

Haade's work for Republic Pictures consisted of about four dozen movies. Guessing that most B western fans recognize him from 1940s Republic oaters where he antagonized Don Barry, Roy Rogers, Allan Lane, Monte Hale, Bill Elliott and Rex Allen.

Highlights of William Haade in westerns:

Les Adams has Haade identified in about 200 films, and that number includes 57 westerns and six serials.

Haade was one of many who migrated to 1950s television work and appeared in episodes of THE LONE RANGER, RANGE RIDER, WILD BILL HICKOK, lots more.

He and wife Anna R. Sincere Haade (1903 - 1974) had two sons, William Joseph Haade (1925 - 1986) and Edward John Haade (1928 - 2004), and the family resided at 11754 Van Owen Street, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California.

Sixty-three year old William Leo Haade suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away on November 15, 1966 at UCLA Medical in Los Angeles. Wife Anna passed in 1974. They are interred next to each other at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California.



  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on William Haade: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0351744/

The Family Search website (free) and Ancestry.com (subscription) have information on William 'Bill' Haade.

Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Haade (1903 - 1966) and his wife Anna R. Sincere Haade (1903 - 1974) who are interred next to each other at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California:
     https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88397737/anna-r-haade
     https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8044249/william-haade

So how did William Haade wind up in Hollywood? Trade publications and newspapers had tidbits about New York City steel worker Haade ... and pure luck ... and being in the right place at the right time.

The Internet Broadway Database has William Haade in the short-lived play "Iron Men" which ran for 16 performances in October - November, 1936 at the Longacre Theatre in New York City: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/william-haade-43599

Playbill website has a biography on steel worker Haade from the 1936 playbill for "Iron Men":
https://bsp-static.playbill.com/57/e9/66f1db154f8588033dbf6ebfbdf8/Iron-Men-10-36-4.jpg
https://www.playbill.com/playbillpagegallery/inside-playbill?asset=00000150-aea4-d936-a7fd-eef4c4a30004&type=InsidePlaybill&slide=4




(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Left to right are Morris Ankrum, Dennis Moore, William Haade - and sitting is George Sowards - in the Hopalong Cassidy PIRATES ON HORSEBACK (Paramount, 1941).



(From Old Corral collection)

L-to-R are William Haade, Bud Geary, Wild Bill Elliott (as Red Ryder), and on the far right is Kenne Duncan in SHERIFF OF LAS VEGAS (Republic, 1944).



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above are the quartet of no-goodniks from the Allan Lane serial DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST (Republic, 1943). From left to right are William Haade, Robert Frazer, Ted Adams and George J. Lewis. Frazer is the brains heavy and Adams is his crooked attorney. Haade and Lewis report to them.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

L-to-R are serial queen Kay Aldridge, Allan Lane and William Haade in the cliffhanger DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST (Republic, 1943).



(From Old Corral collection)

L-to-R are William Haade, Monte Hale, and Steve Darrell with the sixgun in this lobby card from Hale's UNDER COLORADO SKIES (Republic, 1947). In the background is Herman Hack (in blue shirt on the left), and Lew Morphy is in the center.



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