William Haade

Early life

Born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, Haade was one of four children born to Bernard Francis Haade and Annie Kelly, one of whom died at the age of one in 1908. Following the death of his birth father in 1909, Haade's mother married William Bittner, resulting in the eventual acquisition of four additional half-siblings. He attended All Saints Parochial School and All Hallows Institute, and he served in the Navy for four years and three months.

Career

Haade was a construction boss until he began acting, appearing in Iron Men (1936) on Broadway. A technical advisor to Norman Bel Geddes recommended Haade to his boss, who was seeking a fresh face for the play's lead.

Haade dismissed rumors that when Bel Geddes initially asked him about acting he immediately accepted and walked away from his tools. "That's a lot of bunk," he said. He did not take the offer seriously, responding, "Are you drunk or on hop?" When Bel Geddes telephoned Haades's wife, she promised to have him meet the people putting on the play. He complied, and "When they show me everything's on the up and up, and agree to pay me 200 smackers a week", he accepted the deal.

Screen tests resulted after motion-picture scouts were impressed with Haade's performance on Broadway, and the result was a contract for him with Warner Bros.

Personal life and death

Haade was married once, to Anna R. Sincere. They had two sons, William Joseph and Edward John Haade.

Haade died on November 15, 1966.

Selected filmography

Kid Galahad (1937) - Chuck McGraw

Telephone Operator (1937) - Heaver

Missing Witnesses (1937) - Emmet White

The Invisible Menace (1938) - Private Ferris

Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938) - Tommy Madison - the Champ

Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938) - Botulian's Driver (uncredited)

He Couldn't Say No (1938) - Slug, a Gangster

Three Comrades (1938) - Younger Vogt Man at Wrecked Car Scene (uncredited)

My Bill (1938) - Piano Mover (uncredited)

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) - Mrs. Updyke's Watchman (uncredited)

The Texans (1938) - Sergeant Cahill (uncredited)

Sing You Sinners (1938) - Pete

If I Were King (1938) - Guy Tabarie

Down on the Farm (1938) - Hefferkamp

Shadows Over Shanghai (1938) - Captain Murphy

Tom Sawyer, Detective (1938) - Jupiter Dunlap

Persons in Hiding (1939) - First Mate (uncredited)

Pardon Our Nerve (1939) - Daniels (uncredited)