William McDonald — Filmography & Biography

Known for

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Wealthy, young-at-heart business owner Edward Stratton III is stunned to discover his brief marriage several years ago produced a son, Richard Bluedhorn-Stratton, now 12 and standing in Edward's living room, wanting to live with the father he never knew. Although Edward's first impulse is to send Ricky to boarding school, he soon relents and let his son move in with him and Kate, his love-struck secretary.

Silver Spoons

1982

4.3

An infectious disease researcher is on a cruise with her daughter when an ebola-type virus attacks the ship's passengers and crew.

Voyage of Terror

1998

5.6

A Boston police detective investigates a series of gruesome decapitations of various college coeds, committed by a helmeted, black-leather clad serial killer.

Night School

1981

NR

This anthology gathers four episodes of the 1985-87 television series "Amazing Stories." Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) gets arrested when a burglar alarm goes off as he's delivering presents. A lonely bachelor (John Lithgow) buys a mysterious doll. A museum thief (Danny DeVito) gives a purloined ring to his wife (Rhea Perlman), unaware that the previous owner's ghost inhabits it, and 75 years after he accidentally caused a train to crash, an old man (Roberts Blossom) waits for his penance.

Amazing Stories: The Movie II

1990

6.7

A presidential advisor discovers that the President has assembled a secret army of vigilantes to suppress dissent and is setting up concentration camps in which to imprison protestors, hippies and other "social undesirables."

Hail

1973

Film credits

1990s · 2 titles

4.3

An infectious disease researcher is on a cruise with her daughter when an ebola-type virus attacks the ship's passengers and crew.

Voyage of Terror

1998

NR

This anthology gathers four episodes of the 1985-87 television series "Amazing Stories." Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) gets arrested when a burglar alarm goes off as he's delivering presents. A lonely bachelor (John Lithgow) buys a mysterious doll. A museum thief (Danny DeVito) gives a purloined ring to his wife (Rhea Perlman), unaware that the previous owner's ghost inhabits it, and 75 years after he accidentally caused a train to crash, an old man (Roberts Blossom) waits for his penance.

Amazing Stories: The Movie II

1990

1980s · 1 titles

5.6

A Boston police detective investigates a series of gruesome decapitations of various college coeds, committed by a helmeted, black-leather clad serial killer.

Night School

1981

1970s · 1 titles

6.7

A presidential advisor discovers that the President has assembled a secret army of vigilantes to suppress dissent and is setting up concentration camps in which to imprison protestors, hippies and other "social undesirables."

Hail

1973

1920s · 1 titles

6.8

"Twinkletoes" Minasi wants to be a great dancer like her deceased mother. Twink meets Chuck Lightfoot, a noted prizefighter, who falls in love with her at first sight. She tries to avoid falling in love with Chuck, whose wife, Cissie, is a drunken harridan and more than a little bit spiteful. Meanwhile, Twink has secured a job in a singing-dancing act in a Limehouse theater, under the auspices of Roseleaf, who has more than just a protective interest in the girl. The jealous Cissie discovers that Twink's sign-painting father also has a night job as a burglar, and she turns him into the police. While a big success dancing on the stage, the arrest of her father has left her somewhat down in the dumps, and she decides to toss herself into the Thames. Possibly, the now-free Chuck, since Cissie has been killed in an accident, might come along and rescue her.

Twinkletoes

1926

Series credits

7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

6.3

Wealthy, young-at-heart business owner Edward Stratton III is stunned to discover his brief marriage several years ago produced a son, Richard Bluedhorn-Stratton, now 12 and standing in Edward's living room, wanting to live with the father he never knew. Although Edward's first impulse is to send Ricky to boarding school, he soon relents and let his son move in with him and Kate, his love-struck secretary.

Silver Spoons

1982