William Finley

William Finley

Born: September 20, 1942
Died: April 14, 2012
in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
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.

Movies for William Finley...

The Weird World Of Weird: Volume 2
Title: The Weird World Of Weird: Volume 2
Character: Woton’s Wake
Released: January 1, 2011
Type: Movie
This is the second volume of ultra-rare oddities, obscurities and jaw-droppers that may be among the best 85 minutes Something Weird has ever assembled and almost all of them from the original negatives! Titles include The Martians (1962), Tops ‘n Tunes (1964), Swinger (1966), Slumber Party (196?), Chemical Pop (196?), The Assignation (1963), A Christmas Fantasy (196?), Woton’s Wake (1964) and some newly-discovered trailers for live midnight shows.
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The Black Dahlia
Title: The Black Dahlia
Character: George Tilden
Released: September 15, 2006
Type: Movie
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.
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Paradise Regained: Brian de Palma's 'Phantom of the Paradise'
Title: Paradise Regained: Brian de Palma's 'Phantom of the Paradise'
Character: Himself
Released: February 28, 2006
Type: Movie
A 50-minute documentary on the making of the film featuring director Brian De Palma, producer Edward R. Pressman, the late star William Finley, star and composer Paul Williams, co-stars Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham and more!
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Sick Girl
Title: Sick Girl
Character: Husband
Released: January 13, 2006
Type: Movie
A shy entomologist named Ida—whose girlfriend has left her, due to her interest in insects—develops a crush on a strange girl, Misty. After Ida receives a mysterious insect in the mail, the two women spend the night together, and Ida awakens to find that Misty has stumbled upon her insect collection and has a great interest in them herself.
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The Autopsy
Title: The Autopsy
Character: Self
Released: December 31, 2004
Type: Movie
A documentary about the making of Brian De Palma's 1973 film "Sisters" including interviews with the cast and crew.
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Brian De Palma : Les Années 60
Title: Brian De Palma : Les Années 60
Released: November 25, 2003
Type: Movie
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Night Terrors
Title: Night Terrors
Character: Dr. Matteson
Released: November 9, 1993
Type: Movie
A young woman travels to Alexandria to visit her father, and becomes unwillingly involved with a bizarre sadomasochistic cult led by the charismatic Paul Chevalier, who is a descendant of the Marquis de Sade.
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Double Negative
Title: Double Negative
Character: Milt
Released: January 1, 1985
Type: Movie
Horror film director must plot to steal the negative of his film in order to save it from being destroyed in an insurance scam cooked up by his sleazy producers.
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Terror in the Aisles
Title: Terror in the Aisles
Character: The Phantom (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: October 26, 1984
Type: Movie
A non-stop roller coaster ride through the scariest moments of the greatest terror films of all time.
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Silent Rage
Title: Silent Rage
Character: Dr. Paul Vaughn
Released: April 2, 1982
Type: Movie
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.
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The Funhouse
Title: The Funhouse
Character: Marco the Magnificent
Released: March 13, 1981
Type: Movie
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.
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Dressed to Kill
Title: Dressed to Kill
Character: Bobbi (voice) (uncredited)
Released: July 25, 1980
Type: Movie
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.
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Simon
Title: Simon
Character: Fichandler
Released: February 1, 1980
Type: Movie
A group of scientists take Simon, a psychology professor, as a test person for a brainwash experiment. After that they try to convince him that he was a living-being from another planet.
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Wise Blood
Title: Wise Blood
Character: Man (uncredited)
Released: October 24, 1979
Type: Movie
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.
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The Fury
Title: The Fury
Character: Raymond Dunwoodie
Released: March 10, 1978
Type: Movie
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.
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Eaten Alive
Title: Eaten Alive
Character: Roy
Released: December 25, 1976
Type: Movie
A psychotic redneck who owns a dilapidated hotel in the backwater swamps of Louisiana kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.
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Title: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Character: Dr. Elvin McCabe
Released: January 5, 1976
Type: TV
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.
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Last Hours Before Morning
Title: Last Hours Before Morning
Character: Elmo
Released: April 19, 1975
Type: Movie
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.
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Phantom of the Paradise
Title: Phantom of the Paradise
Character: Winslow / The Phantom
Released: October 31, 1974
Type: Movie
An evil record tycoon is haunted and taunted by the disfigured composer Winslow Leach, whom he once wronged.
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Sisters
Title: Sisters
Character: Emil Breton
Released: November 18, 1972
Type: Movie
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.
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Dionysus in '69
Title: Dionysus in '69
Character: Self/Dionysus
Released: March 22, 1970
Type: Movie
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. Filmed by Brian De Palma.
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The Wedding Party
Title: The Wedding Party
Character: Alistair
Released: April 9, 1969
Type: Movie
Young Charlie begins to develop a case of cold feet as his upcoming wedding looms nearer. Desperate to throw the wedding plans off the track, Charlie tries a variety of tactics, including attempting to rekindle the relationship between his fiancée Josephine and her former boyfriend.
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Murder à la Mod
Title: Murder à la Mod
Character: Otto
Released: May 1, 1968
Type: Movie
Naive young Karen wants to help her struggling amateur filmmaker boyfriend Christopher raise enough money so he can divorce his wife. Meanwhile, jolly psycho-prankster Otto stalks the building where Christopher is shooting a low-grade adult movie in order to keep himself afloat.
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Woton's Wake
Title: Woton's Wake
Character: Woton
Released: May 26, 1963
Type: Movie
Woton Wretchichevsky has a disfigured face, dresses in a cloak and mask, and stalks couples to burn them with a blowtorch. He is also a sculptor of steel and garbage installations. One day, one of his creations comes to life in the form of a young woman. She flees from him when he tries to express his love by pointing his blowtorch at her.
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Meatcleaver Sharkfuck
Title: Meatcleaver Sharkfuck
Character: Robert Johnson
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
A short film written and directed by William Finley's son, Dashiell Finley.
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Zelenka
Title: Zelenka
Character: Zelenka (as William F. Finley)
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Vaclav Zelenka, the notorious Czech avant-garde composer, comes to America to make his fame and fortune.