
Bill Thurman
Character actor Bill Thurman was born on November 4, 1920 in Texas. A large, rugged, stocky man with a hard, lined, puffy face, a deep, twangy, amicable voice, a strong, bulky build and a charmingly low-key and down-to-earth unaffected natural screen presence, Thurman often portrayed police officers and assorted scruffy redneck types in a huge number of entertainingly cheap'n'cheesy Southern-fried fright flicks and delightfully down'n'dirty drive-in fare made throughout the 60s and 70s. Bill frequently acted in features for legendary Grade Z low-budget independent filmmaker Larry Buchanan; said movies include "The Eye Creatures," "High Yellow," "Zontar the Thing from Venus," "Mars Needs Women," "Curse of the Swamp Creature," "In the Year 2889," the especially atrocious "It's Alive!," and "A Bullet for Pretty Boy." Moreover, Thurman had bit parts in two Steven Spielberg films: he's a hillbilly hunter in "The Sugerland Express" and an air traffic controller in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Bill's other memorable roles include the abusive Coach Popper in Peter Bogdanovich's magnificent "The Last Picture Show," a doomed hitchhiker in "Keep My Grave Open," a corrupt sheriff in the Claudia Jennings exploitation classic "'Gatorbait," a mean small town deputy in "Ride in A Pink Car," a more amiable sheriff in the fantastic Bigfoot winner "Creature from Black Lake," Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith's father in "Slumber Party '57," a priest in "The Evictors," and the boozy, dissolute Reverend Bill McWiley in the enjoyably crummy "Mountaintop Motel Massacre." Bill Thurman died in Dallas, Texas on April 13, 1995. - IMDb Mini Biography By: woodyanders
Known For










Credits
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Painted Hero 1997Old Man Bolen★ 5.4
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In Broad Daylight 1991Virgil Teague★ 5.7
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Hawken's Breed 1987Jeb Kline★ 3.5
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The Long Hot Summer 1985Houstin★ 5.4
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Silverado 1985Carter★ 7
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Stormin' Home 1985Bailiff★ NR
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Alamo Bay 1985Sheriff★ 5.9
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Innocent Prey 1984Jim Gardner★ 4
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Reverend Bill McWiley★ 4.2
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Floyd★ 10
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Raggedy Man 1981Sheriff★ 5.3
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Skyward 1980Pilot #1★ 6.9
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Tom Horn 1980Ora Haley★ 6.3
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The Sky Trap 1979Sheriff★ NR
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The Evictors 1979Preacher Higgins★ 6.5
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Carl Evans★ 5.8
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Dallas 1978Phil Bradley★ 6.8
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Keep My Grave Open 1977Hitchhiker★ 3.9
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Air Traffic★ 7.3
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Sgt. Bond★ NR
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Slumber Party '57 1976Mr. Willis★ 4
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Sheriff Billy Carter★ 5.2
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Deke★ 2
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'Gator Bait 1974Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas★ 5.1
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Sam Bellington★ 6.8
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Ride in a Pink Car 1974Barlow★ 7.5
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Hunter★ 6.6
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Second Man★ 4
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Fair Play 1972Jed Bartrum★ 1
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Coach Popper★ 7.6
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Huddy★ 4.2
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It's Alive 1969Greely / Monster★ 3.3
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Hell Raiders 1969Tex★ 3
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In the Year 2889 1969Tim Henderson★ 2.8
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Mars Needs Women 1968Drunk on Pier★ 3.9
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Policeman (uncredited)★ 5
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Driscoll West / The Swamp Creature★ 2.4
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Sheriff Brad Crenshaw★ 4.1
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Night Fright 1967Deputy Ben Whitfield★ 2.7
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The Eye Creatures 1967Sergeant★ 2.9
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Hip Hot and 21 1967Lt. Lang★ 3
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Abel★ 2.5
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Sam 1967★ NR
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The Black Cat 1966Bartender★ 5.2
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Hot Blooded Woman 1965Railroad Tough★ 3.6
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High Yellow 1965Major Bates★ 3
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Witness★ 4.8