Lou Willis Jr. obit

Lou Wills Jr.(1927-2019)

 He was not on the list.

Lou Wills Jr. (December 26, 1927 – August 7, 2019) was an acrobat, tap dancer, actor, choreographer, producer, and tap teacher. Lou Wills Jr. was born Sherman Charles Biener on December 26, 1927 in Yonkers, New York, USA. Lou had a lifelong and successful career as an acrobat, tap dancer, actor, choreographer, producer, and tap teacher. He performed on stage, film, and television from the age of 5 into his 70s. As a child, he appeared on Major Bowes, a popular talent show, and then moved into vaudeville. In 1941, Gene Kelly hired him for his first Broadway show, “Best Foot Forward,” followed by a decade in which he appeared in six Broadway shows, including “One Touch of Venus” with Mary Martin, and “Something for the Boys” with Ethyl Merman. In the 1950s and 1960s, Lou continued to perform in musicals in large arenas across the country and opened for stars in Las Vegas, Miami, and Los Angeles, including Danny Thomas, Milton Berle, and Lena Horne. Later, when he moved to Los Angeles, he worked in film, television, and commercials. Lou trained Robin Williams, Richard Dreyfus, Raquel Welch, and others in dance and acrobatics. Some of the television series he appeared in are still running, including "Murphy Brown," "Rosanne," and "Friends." He was an actor, known for Hank (1965), Get Smart (1965), and Mr. Merlin (1981). He died on August 7, 2019 in Sebring, Florida, USA at the age of 91.

 

Actor

Vidiots

TV Movie

Sam

1991

 

Candice Bergen in Murphy Brown (1988)

Murphy Brown

6.9

TV Series

Murray Brown (as Lou Wills)

1989

1 episode

 

Lydia Cornell, Jim J. Bullock, Nancy Dussault, Ted Knight, and Deborah Van Valkenburgh in Too Close for Comfort (1980)

Too Close for Comfort

6.6

TV Series

Mr. Greenberg

1984

1 episode

 

Clark Brandon and Barnard Hughes in Mr. Merlin (1981)

Mr. Merlin

7.0

TV Series

Pete (as Lou Wills)

1981–1982

2 episodes

 

Billy Crystal and Joan Rivers in Rabbit Test (1978)

Rabbit Test

3.1

Doctor (as Lou Wills)

1978

 

Visions (1976)

Visions

6.0

TV Series

Mr. Siegal

1977

1 episode

 

John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, and Joyce DeWitt in Three's Company (1976)

Three's Company

7.5

TV Series

Cab Driver (as Lou Wills)

1976–1977

2 episodes

 

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman! (1975)

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!

3.8

TV Movie

Gangster

1975

 

Robert Young, Charlie Callas, Frank Gorshin, George Kirby, Steve Lawrence, Rich Little, and Marilyn Michaels in The ABC Comedy Hour (1972)

The ABC Comedy Hour

8.0

TV Series

(as Lou Wills)

1972

1 episode

 

Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in McMillan & Wife (1971)

McMillan & Wife

7.2

TV Series

Cab Driver (as Lou Wills)

1971

1 episode

 

Alain Delon, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Rosemary Forsyth in Texas Across the River (1966)

Texas Across the River

6.2

Indian (uncredited)

1966

 

Don Adams and Barbara Feldon in Get Smart (1965)

Get Smart

8.2

TV Series

Bubinski (as Lou Wills)

1966

1 episode

 

Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)

The Dick Van Dyke Show

8.4

TV Series

Hi (as Lou Wills)

1966

1 episode

 

Ken Berry, Melody Patterson, Larry Storch, and Forrest Tucker in F Troop (1965)

F Troop

7.4

TV Series

Beware of Dog

Running Bull (as Lou Wills)

1965–1966

2 episodes

 

Dick Kallman in Hank (1965)

Hank

7.3

TV Series

Gazzari (as Lou Wills)

1965–1966

11 episodes

 

Barrie Chase and Roger Smith in the "Unwelcome Aboard" episode of "Mister Roberts."  (1966)

Mister Roberts

7.4

TV Series

Seaman Schlemer (as Lou Wills)

1965

1 episode

 

Mack & Myer for Hire (1963)

Mack & Myer for Hire

6.7

TV Series

Bank Robber

1963

1 episode

 

Ed Sullivan in The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

The Ed Sullivan Show

7.9

TV Series

Tap Dancer

1960

1 episode

 

Arlene Dahl and Dennis Morgan in My Wild Irish Rose (1947)

My Wild Irish Rose

6.3

Dance Specialty

1947

 

Soundtrack

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman! (1975)

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!

3.8

TV Movie

performer: " (It's a) Swell Country"

1975

 

Self

Ed Sullivan in The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

The Ed Sullivan Show

7.9

TV Series

Self - Tap Dancer

Self

1952–1963

2 episodes

 

Omnibus (1952)

Omnibus

8.3

TV Series

Self - Solo Dancer (segment)

1958

1 episode

 

Stage Show (1954)

Stage Show

6.5

TV Series

Self

1956

1 episode

 

4th Annual Celebrity Parade for Cerebral Palsy

TV Special

Self

1954

 

Hoagy Carmichael in The Saturday Night Revue (1953)

The Saturday Night Revue

TV Series

Self

1954

3 episodes

 

This Is Show Business (1949)

This Is Show Business

TV Series

Self

1952

1 episode

 

Teresa Brewer in The George Jessel Show (1953)

The George Jessel Show

TV Series

Self

1953

1 episode

 

Celebrity Time (1948)

Celebrity Time

7.2

TV Series

Self

1952

1 episode

 

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

The Colgate Comedy Hour

7.7

TV Series

Self

1950–1951

2 episodes

 

Star of the Family (1950)

Star of the Family

TV Series

Self

1950

1 episode

 

College of Musical Knowledge

5.4

TV Series

Self - Guest Dancer

1950

1 episode

 

The Frank Sinatra Show (1950)

The Frank Sinatra Show

7.7

TV Series

Self - Dancer

1950

1 episode

 

Cavalcade of Bands

TV Series

Self

1950

1 episode

 

Morey Amsterdam in The Morey Amsterdam Show (1948)

The Morey Amsterdam Show

7.7

TV Series

Self - Dancer

1950

1 episode

 

The Milton Berle Show (1948)

The Milton Berle Show

7.5

TV Series

Self - Dancer

1950

1 episode

 

Abe Burrows' Almanac

TV Series

Self

1950

1 episode

 

March of Dimes Telethon

TV Special

Self

1950