William Finley

Acting

William Finley

Born — Died

1942-09-20 — 2012-04-14

Place of birth

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

26 titles

William Finley (September 20, 1940 – April 14, 2012) was an American actor who has appeared in the films Simon, Silent Rage, Phantom of the Paradise, Sisters, and The Wedding Party. He had a long-running friendship and collaboration with director Brian De Palma, beginning with the student films Woton's Wake (1962) and Murder à la Mod (1968). Most recently, he contributed a small but effective cameo in De Palma's 2006 release The Black Dahlia. Under the name W. Franklin Finley, he wrote the screenplay for the 1983 film The First Time. He was also the co-author of the 1985 book Racewalking. Finley graduated from Columbia University in 1963. He resided in New York City with his wife and son.

Known for

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman poster
7.3

In the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio, suburban housewife Mary Hartman seeks the kind of domestic perfection promised by Reader’s Digest and TV commercials. Instead she finds herself suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune: mass murders, low-flying airplanes and waxy yellow buildup on her kitchen floor.

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

1976

Dressed to Kill poster
6.9

After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.

Dressed to Kill

1980

The Black Dahlia poster
5.6

In 1940s Los Angeles, two former boxers-turned-cops must grapple with corruption, narcissism, stag films and family madness as they pursue the killer of an aspiring young actress.

The Black Dahlia

2006

Silent Rage poster
6.1

A mentally ill man in a small Texas town goes on a killing rampage and is fatally wounded by police. When doctors use an experimental serum to bring him back to life, the killer develops superhuman strength and the town sheriff must pursue him.

Silent Rage

1982

Phantom of the Paradise poster
7.5

Singer-songwriter Winslow Leach seeks revenge on the nefarious music producer Swan, who steals both Winslow's music and his favorite singer for the grand opening of Swan's new rock palace, the Paradise.

Phantom of the Paradise

1974

The Funhouse poster
5.8

Rebellious teen Amy defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz, and their friends Liz and Richie. Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy "Funhouse" horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.

The Funhouse

1981

Film credits

2000s · 5 titles

1980s · 5 titles

1970s · 7 titles

Phantom of the Paradise poster
7.5

Singer-songwriter Winslow Leach seeks revenge on the nefarious music producer Swan, who steals both Winslow's music and his favorite singer for the grand opening of Swan's new rock palace, the Paradise.

Phantom of the Paradise

1974

Sisters poster
6.7

Inquisitive journalist Grace Collier is horrified when she witnesses her neighbor, fashion model Danielle Breton, violently murder a man. Panicking, she calls the police. But when the detective arrives at the scene and finds nothing amiss, Grace is forced to take matters into her own hands. Her first move is to recruit private investigator Joseph Larch, who helps her to uncover a secret about Danielle's past that has them both seeing double.

Sisters

1973

The Fury poster
6.3

When a devious plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza from his son, Robin, the distraught father manages to see through the ruse. Taken because of his psychic abilities, Robin is being held by Ben Childress, who is studying people with supernatural powers in hopes of developing their talents as weapons. Soon Peter pairs up with Gillian, a teen who has telekinesis, to find and rescue Robin.

The Fury

1978

Eaten Alive poster
5.5

A psychotic redneck owns a dilapidated hotel in rural East Texas, where he murders those who upset him or his business, and then feeds their remains to his pet crocodile in the swamp beside his hotel.

Eaten Alive

1976

Wise Blood poster
6.4

A Southerner--young, poor, ambitious but uneducated--determines to become something in the world. He decides that the best way to do that is to become a preacher and start up his own church.

Wise Blood

1979

Last Hours Before Morning poster
4.5

An ex-cop, now a private detective, investigating a gambler's murder finds that there may be a connection between that crime and the jewel robbery at a beautiful movie star's home.

Last Hours Before Morning

1975

Dionysus in '69 poster
6.0

Filmed stageplay based on the ancient greek play The Bacchae written by Euripides. This play is performed by members of The Performance Group, an NYC experimental theater group who has made their own personal adaptation of this ancient text.

Dionysus in '69

1970

1960s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera