Windom may have been surprised at being called either rich or famous — but he should have been.
William Wiindom, in the orignal “Star Trek” television series
William Windom, an actor whose face and voice most Americans would recognize, died yesterday. I became a fan of his years ago when he starred in a short-lived, quirky and ground-breaking television series, “My World and Welcome to It.” The series was based on the work of humorist and cartoonist James Thurber. Windom played a cartoonist whose drawings occasionally came to life, complicating his troubles with job, women and family. The program ran for one season on NBC, 1969-70, with 26 episodes.
Too few guffaws for network television.
Buried in most notices of Mr. Windom’s death was the information that he was a pretty good chess player.
A few of his games got captured on film.
William Windom, left, playing chess against John Wayne – image from Batgirl at Chess.com. Wayne, known to friends and the chess world as Duke, played chess on almost all of his movie sets, and at least once in a movie role.
Windom’s game against Wayne is undated.
Windom, right, playing Erik Estrada. Image from AnatolyKarpoveChessSchool.com, undated (Is this photo by photographer Irwin Fisk?)
Windom, left, playing chess against Claude Akins. Image from AnatolyKarpovChessSchool.org
Windom playing Adam Baldwin, Los Angeles, 1988 – Anatoly Karpov Chess School image
More:
- “Star Trek” & “Murder She Wrote” Actor William Windom, 88, Died [+ Star Trek-Video] (guardianlv.com)
- William Windom, Emmy Winner and TV Everyman, Dies at 88 (nytimes.com)
- Emmy Winner William Windom Dead at 88 (eonline.com)
- TV regular William Windom dies at 88 (bigpondnews.com)
- Emmy winner William Windom dies at 88 (variety.com)
- Swell Actor; Super-friendly Guy, William Windom, Dead at 88 (baltimore21201.typepad.com)
- “My World and Welcome To It,” Christmas show part 1 (hey, this stuff is worth it for the advertising history), part 2 and part 3 (in which Windom’s character gets a visit from a local veterans’ organization concerned that he is flying his flag inappropriately — that is, too much; how times change!)
In this promo for “My World and Welcome To It,” one may get the idea NBC didn’t know what to do with the show, how to market it.
Posted by Ed Darrell 
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 