
Person
William Bowers
Writing · 1916–1987 · Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
Biography
William Bowers (Las Cruces, 1916 - Woodland Hills, California, 1987) was a reporter in Long Beach, California before becoming a screenwriter and specializing in writing comedy westerns and also turned out several thrillers. His first credited screenplay was My Favorite Spy in 1942. His career noticeably picked up after his Oscar nomination for the gritty Gregory Peck Western The Gunfighter in 1950, leading to such assignments as the remake of My Man Godfrey in 1957 and The Sheepman in 1958 (a second Oscar nomination). Bowers produced the last film that he wrote, the superior Western parody Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). He also had a bit part as an actor in The Godfather Part II (1974).
Known for

The Godfather Part II
Senate Committee Chairman

Four Star Playhouse
Writer

Starsky & Hutch
1975

Support Your Local Sheriff!
Producer

The Gunfighter
Story

General Electric Theater
Writer

Night and Day
Screenplay

My Man Godfrey
Screenplay

Sidekicks
Writer

The Ride to Hangman's Tree
Screenplay
Filmography
- 2023Goodnight, AugustSound Recordist
- 1980More Wild Wild WestTeleplay
- 1979The Wild Wild West RevisitedWriter
- 1978Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape KidWriter
- 1975Starsky & Hutch
- 1975Mobile TwoProducer
- 1974The Godfather Part IISenate Committee Chairman
- 1974The Gun and the PulpitTeleplay
- 1974SidekicksWriter
- 1969Support Your Local Sheriff!Producer
- 1967The Ride to Hangman's TreeScreenplay
- 1966Way... Way OutWriter
- 1964Advance to the RearScreenplay
- 1961The Last Time I Saw ArchieScreenplay
- 1959-30-Writer
- 1959Alias Jesse JamesWriter
- 1958Imitation GeneralScreenplay
- 1958The Law and Jake WadeScreenplay
- 1958The SheepmanScreenplay
- 1957My Man GodfreyScreenplay
- 1956The Best Things in Life Are FreeScreenplay
- 19555 Against the HouseScreenplay
- 1955Tight SpotScreenplay
- 1954She Couldn't Say NoScreenplay
- 1953Split SecondScreenplay
- 1953General Electric TheaterWriter
- 1952Four Star PlayhouseWriter
- 1952Assignment: ParisScreenplay
- 1952The San Francisco StoryWriter
- 1951The MobScreenplay
- 1951Cry DangerScreenplay
- 1950Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. MaloneScreenplay
- 1950ConvictedScreenplay
- 1950The GunfighterStory
- 1949The Gal Who Took the WestStory
- 1949Criss CrossWriter
- 1948Jungle PatrolStory
- 1948The Countess of Monte CristoWriter
- 1948LarcenyScreenplay
- 1948PitfallScreenplay
- 1948River LadyScreenplay
- 1948Black BartScreenplay
- 1947The Wistful Widow of Wagon GapStory
- 1947Something in the WindScreenplay
- 1947The WebScreenplay
- 1947Ladies' ManStory
- 1946The Fabulous SuzanneStory
- 1946Night and DayScreenplay
- 1946The Notorious Lone WolfStory
- 1945Sing Your Way HomeScreenplay
- 1943The Adventures of a RookieStory
- 1942Seven Days' LeaveScreenplay
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