Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps, February 5, 1912 â€" December 4,
1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man
under contract to Columbia Pictures in the 1940s and starred in the TV
series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955â€"58).Parker was born in New
York City. He was a meter reader and a tennis pro. While working as
the latter in Hollywood he was spotted by Zeppo Marx, then working as
an agent. Marx arranged a screen test and he signed a contract with
Warner Bros. He changed his name to "Willard Parker".Parker signed to
Warner Bros in the late 1930s. He made his debut with an uncredited
bit in the Dick Foran Western, The Devil's Saddle Legion (1937). He
had small parts in That Certain Woman (1937) with Bette Davis; Back in
Circulation (1937) with Pat O'Brien; The Radio Murder Mystery (1937)
with Ronald Reagan; Alcatraz Island (1937) with John Litel; Over the
Goal (1937) with June Travis; The Adventurous Blonde (1937) with
Glenda Farrell; Missing Witness (1937) with Litel; and The Invisible
Menace (1938) with Boris Karloff.Parker's first notable film role was
in A Slight Case of Murder (1938) with Edward G. Robinson. He followed
it with Accidents Will Happen (1938) with Reagan, but then left the
studio.
1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man
under contract to Columbia Pictures in the 1940s and starred in the TV
series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955â€"58).Parker was born in New
York City. He was a meter reader and a tennis pro. While working as
the latter in Hollywood he was spotted by Zeppo Marx, then working as
an agent. Marx arranged a screen test and he signed a contract with
Warner Bros. He changed his name to "Willard Parker".Parker signed to
Warner Bros in the late 1930s. He made his debut with an uncredited
bit in the Dick Foran Western, The Devil's Saddle Legion (1937). He
had small parts in That Certain Woman (1937) with Bette Davis; Back in
Circulation (1937) with Pat O'Brien; The Radio Murder Mystery (1937)
with Ronald Reagan; Alcatraz Island (1937) with John Litel; Over the
Goal (1937) with June Travis; The Adventurous Blonde (1937) with
Glenda Farrell; Missing Witness (1937) with Litel; and The Invisible
Menace (1938) with Boris Karloff.Parker's first notable film role was
in A Slight Case of Murder (1938) with Edward G. Robinson. He followed
it with Accidents Will Happen (1938) with Reagan, but then left the
studio.
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