Willard Waterman

Wisconsin-born actor Willard Waterman moved to Chicago in 1936, where he became a busy freelance radio actor. In 1945, he played the lead in the radio sitcom Those Websters, which led to his resettling in Hollywood. Five years later, he was chosen to replace Harold Peary on the long-running comedy series The Great Gildersleeve, a character he carried over to television in 1955. He later played featured roles in a number of TV sitcoms including Dennis the Menace. Willard Waterman's film credits include the roles of pompous Claude Upson in Auntie Mame (1958) and philandering executive Vanderhoff in Billy Wilder's The Apartment (1960).

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide