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Bil Baird Biography (1904-1987)

Full name, William Britton Baird; born August 15, 1904, in Grand Island, NE;died of pneumonia while suffering from bone cancer, March 18, 1987, in New York City; son of William Hull (a chemical engineer and playwright) and Louise(Hetzel) Baird; married Evelyn Schwartz, 1932 (divorced, 1934); married CoraBurlar, January 13, 1937 (died, December, 1967); married Patricia Courtleigh,June, 1969 (divorced, 1972); married Susanna Lloyd, December, 1974 (divorced, 1984); children: (second marriage) Peter Britton, Laura Jenne; (fourth marriage) Madeleine.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

August 15, 1904

Grand Island, Nebraska, United States

Death Details

March 18, 1987

New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Clyde, Flahooley, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1951.
• Also appeared in productions at the State University of Iowa, 1924- 26.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK; ALL AS PUPPETEER
• (Also director) The A&P Show, Chicago World's Fair, Chicago, IL, 1933.
• (also producer) Bil Baird's Marionettes, Chicago World's Fair, 1934.
• Horse Eats Hat, Maxine Elliott's Theatre, New York City, 1936.
• Dr. Faustus, Maxine Elliott's Theatre, 1937.
• The Ziegfeld Follies, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1943.
• Nellie Bly, Adelphi Theatre, New York City, 1946.
• Flahooley, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1951.
• (also producer) Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Phoenix Theatre, New YorkCity, 1955.
• (also producer) Davy Jones' Locker, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1959.
• (also producer) Man in the Moon, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1961.
• Chrysler Show Go Round, New York World's Fair, Queens, NY, 1964.
• Baker Street, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1965.
• (with the New York Philharmonic) L'Histoire du Soldat, Philharmonic Hall,New York City, 1969.
• Once Upon a Dragon, Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA, 1977.
• Also Pageant of Puppet Variety, 1957; Carnival of Animals, Suprise Box, both with Tim Scherman's Little Orchestra.
• PRODUCER AND PUPPETEER, ALL AT THE BIL BAIRD THEATRE,NEW YORK CITY Davy Jones' Locker, 1966.
• People Is the Thing That the World Is Fullest Of, Winnie the Pooh, both 1967.
• The Wizard of Oz, 1968.
• The Whistling Wizard and the Sultan of Tuffet, 1969.
• (also designer) Holiday on Strings, 1970.
• Peter and the Wolf, 1971.
• The Magic Onion, 1972.
• Band Wagon, Pinocchio, both 1973.
• (with Susanna Baird) Alice in Wonderland, 1975.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Puppeteer, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Tony Sarg Marionettes, U.S. cities, 1927-28.
• choreographer, Rip Van Winkle, Alice in Wonderland, Tony Sarg Marionettes, U.S. cities, 1931-32.
• producer, puppeteer, Davy Jones' Locker, Bil and Cora Baird Marionettes,India, Nepal, and Afghanistan, 1962, then Soviet cities, 1963.
• Also toured Inida and Turkey, 1970.
• Credits; MAJOR CABARET WORK
• With the Baird Marionettes: Le Reuban Bleu, New York City; Persian Room,New York City; French Casino Lounge.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION WORK; ALL WITH THE BAIRD MARIONETTES SERIES
• Producer, puppeteer, Life with Snarky Parker, CBS, 1949-50.
• producer, puppeteer, The Whistling Wizard, CBS, 1952-53.
• puppeteer, The Morning Show, CBS, 1954-55.
• puppeteer, Babes in Toyland, NBC, 1954-55.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Heidi, NBC, 1955.
• Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf, ABC, 1958.
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice, ABC, 1959.
• Winnie the Pooh, 1960.
• O'Halloran's Luck, Baird's Eye View, both 1961.
• Puppet Revue, HBO (cable), 1979. Guest: Galen Drake Show, ABC, 1957.
• Discovery '65, ABC, 1965.
• The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS.
• The Jack Paar Show, NBC.
• The Mike Douglas Show, sydicated.
• Wonderama, WNEW, New York City.
• Book Talk, WNET, New York City.
• New York Illustrated, WNBC, New York City.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK
• Puppeteer, The Sound of Music, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1965.
• Also puppeteer for U.S. government films.
• Writings
• See production details above.
• Writings;PUPPET SHOWS
• Co-writer, The A&P Show.
• (story) Davy Jones' Locker.
• The Magic Onion.
• Writings;MUSIC
• The Whistling Wizard and the Sultan of Tuffet.
• Also songs for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1955 production).
• Writings;NONFICTION
• The Art of the Puppet, Macmillan, 1966.
• Schnitzel, the Yodeling Goat, Nelson, 1965.
• Puppets and Population, World Education, 1971.

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

• New York Times, March 20, 1987.