William Hale obit

William "Billy" Hale

1931 - 2020 

He was not on the list.

July 11, 1931 - June 10, 2020 Emmy Award-winning film and television director passed away in Woodland Hills, Calif. Hale was born in Rome, Georgia to Alma and William Hale. As a college freshman, he worked as an announcer on an Atlanta television station. While watching movies on his night shift, he was inspired to become a film director. After graduating USC film school in Los Angeles, Hale's student film on the Watts Towers caught director George Stevens' eye. Stevens hired Hale to direct the second unit on The Greatest Story Ever Told, beginning a creative mentorship that propelled Hale's career.In the mid-1960's, Hale began directing feature films and TV movies for Universal Studios. Among those films were How I Spent My Summer Vacation, which starred Robert Wagner, Peter Lawford, and Jill St. John. In a fan letter from a young Steven Spielberg praising Hale's film, Spielberg wrote, "I'd like to express how much I truly admire your masterful handling of the show. Each reel manifested itself as the work of sheer talent. I was totally beside myself in admiration of your tremendous dexterity in directing." Other films and television shows Hale directed during that period were Journey To Shiloh, with James Caan, Michael Sarrazin, and Harrison Ford, Run For Your Life with Ben Gazzara, and numerous episodes of Night Gallery and Kojak. During the 1970's, Hale directed a string of successful television series, including The FBI, The Invaders, The Streets of San Francisco and Barnaby Jones. He went on to direct several award-winning mini-series. Notable were Murder in Texas, Lace, People Like Us, and The Murder of Mary Phagan, winning a Peabody Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series (1988).Among the many wonderful actors Hale directed were Helen Mirren, Jack Lemmon, Ava Gardner, Robert Mitchum, Eva Marie Saint, Omar Shariff, Sam Elliot, Angela Lansbury, Andy Griffith, Farah Fawcett and Michael Douglas. Hale is survived by his wife, Trudy Hale of Virginia, and his daughter and son, Tempe and Charlie Hale of Los Angeles. A celebration of his life will be held at a future date to be announced.

 

Director

Ben Gazzara, Eva Marie Saint, and Connie Sellecca in People Like Us (1990)

People Like Us

6.0

TV Movie

Director (as Billy Hale)

1990

 

Andrew Robinson in Liberace (1988)

Liberace

6.2

TV Movie

Director (as Billy Hale)

1988

 

Jack Lemmon in The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988)

The Murder of Mary Phagan

7.4

TV Mini Series

Director (as Billy Hale)

1988

2 episodes

 

Harem (1986)

Harem

6.0

TV Movie

Director (as Billy Hale)

1986

 

Lace II (1985)

Lace II

5.7

TV Movie

Director

1985

 

Phoebe Cates, Brooke Adams, Bess Armstrong, and Arielle Dombasle in Lace (1984)

Lace

7.0

TV Mini Series

Director (as Billy Hale)

1984

2 episodes

 

The Demon Murder Case (1983)

The Demon Murder Case

4.6

TV Movie

Director

1983

 

One Shoe Makes It Murder (1982)

One Shoe Makes It Murder

6.0

TV Movie

Director

1982

 

Murder in Texas (1981)

Murder in Texas

7.1

TV Movie

Director

1981

 

S.O.S. Titanic (1979)

S.O.S. Titanic

6.2

TV Movie

Director (as Billy Hale)

1979

 

The Paper Chase (1973)

The Paper Chase

8.1

TV Series

Director

1978

1 episode

 

Red Alert (1977)

Red Alert

6.6

TV Movie

Director (as Billy Hale)

1977

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

Director

1973–1977

11 episodes

 

Ben Bottoms and David Janssen in Stalk the Wild Child (1976)

Stalk the Wild Child

6.5

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

The Killer Who Wouldn't Die (1976)

The Killer Who Wouldn't Die

6.2

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

Bert D'Angelo/Superstar (1976)

Bert D'Angelo/Superstar

5.9

TV Series

Director

1976

1 episode

 

Carl Franklin and Stacy Keach in Caribe (1975)

Caribe

6.8

TV Series

Director

1975

1 episode

 

James Farentino and John Saxon in Crossfire (1975)

Crossfire

5.7

TV Movie

Director

1975

 

The Great Niagara (1974)

The Great Niagara

6.7

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Director

1973–1974

2 episodes

 

Nightmare (1974)

Nightmare

6.0

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

Kojak (1973)

Kojak

7.1

TV Series

Director

1973

3 episodes

 

Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

Director

1971–1973

3 episodes

 

Rod Serling in Night Gallery (1969)

Night Gallery

7.9

TV Series

Director

1971

3 episodes

 

The F.B.I. (1965)

The F.B.I.

7.4

TV Series

Director

1967–1971

17 episodes

 

The Interns (1970)

The Interns

7.4

TV Series

Director

1970

1 episode

 

The Bold Ones: The Protectors (1969)

The Bold Ones: The Protectors

7.3

TV Series

Director

1969

1 episode

 

Lancer (1968)

Lancer

7.1

TV Series

Director

1968–1969

6 episodes

 

James Caan and Brenda Scott in Journey to Shiloh (1968)

Journey to Shiloh

5.6

Director

1968

 

The Invaders (1967)

The Invaders

8.0

TV Series

Director

1967–1968

6 episodes

 

Carl Betz and Stephen Young in Judd for the Defense (1967)

Judd for the Defense

7.7

TV Series

Director

1967

2 episodes

 

The Felony Squad (1966)

The Felony Squad

7.5

TV Series

Director

1967

1 episode

 

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

7.6

TV Series

Director

1966–1967

3 episodes

 

Ben Gazzara in Run for Your Life (1965)

Run for Your Life

7.6

TV Series

Director

1965–1967

4 episodes

 

Emily Banks, Bobby Darin, and Don Galloway in Gunfight in Abilene (1967)

Gunfight in Abilene

5.7

Director

1967

 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967)

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

7.0

TV Movie

Director

1967

 

The Time Tunnel (1966)

The Time Tunnel

7.5

TV Series

Director

1966

4 episodes

 

David Janssen in The Fugitive (1963)

The Fugitive

8.1

TV Series

Director

1966

1 episode

 

James Drury, Doug McClure, and John McIntire in The Virginian (1962)

The Virginian

7.6

TV Series

Director

1965–1966

2 episodes

 

Channing (1963)

Channing

7.3

TV Series

Director

1963–1964

7 episodes

 

Lonnie (1963)

Lonnie

Director

1963

 

The Towers

7.1

Short

Director

1957

 

Cheyenne (1955)

Cheyenne

8.0

TV Series

Director

1955–1963

 

Cinematographer

The Four Elements (1966)

The Four Elements

5.7

Short

Cinematographer

1966

 

The Towers

7.1

Short

Cinematographer

1957

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

The Greatest Story Ever Told

6.6

second unit director

1965