William Broderick Crawford was born on December 9, 1911, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to vaudeville performers Lester Crawford and Helen Broderick. His mother, Helen, had a brief movie career, acting in Hollywood comedies. Crawford's early life was marked by his large and burly physique, which initially made him an unlikely candidate for leading man roles. However, he broke through with his portrayal of John Steinbeck's simple-minded giant Lenny in the Broadway adaptation of Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men".
After his Broadway success, Crawford moved to Hollywood and made his cinema debut in the comedy Woman Chases Man (1937),in a supporting role to stars Joel McCrea and Miriam Hopkins. Crawford's early career was marked by a string of supporting roles, including a memorable turn as a big but kindhearted lug in the comedy Larceny, Inc (1942). He also served in the military during World War II.
Crawford's breakthrough role came in Robert Rossen's adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "All the King's Men". He gave a masterly performance as the southern U.S. politician based on Louisiana's Huey Long, earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as the New York Film Critics' Award for Best Actor. The film was a hit, as was Born Yesterday (1950),in which Crawford played Judy Holliday's partner.
However, Crawford soon became typecast as crude or brutish, and his career, which had revived after his Oscar win, began to decline. He turned to television, starring in the syndicated police drama "Highway Patrol" from 1955 to 1959. Crawford continued to act in television almost until his death in Rancho Mirage, California, on April 26, 1986, at the age of 74, following a series of strokes.
