William David Elliott (June 4, 1934 â€" September 30, 1983) was an
American actor and musician. He had a recurring role in Bridget Loves
Bernie as Otis Foster and a recurring role as Officer Gus Grant in
Adam-12. He also appeared in Elvis Presley's 1969 film Change of
Habit.Elliott was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He spent four years in
the United States Navy as an electrician. He later worked for US Steel
and left the job. He also turned down an opportunity to study at
Massasuchetts Institute of Technology to be a drummer. He later formed
his own music group and ended up marrying the background vocalist,
Dionne Warwick. Prior to becoming husband and wife, Elliott was at the
home of Warwick's parents to ask for their daughter's hand. He was
invited by her father to have a talk in the living room. Her father
knew of Elliott's reputation of being a ladies man and happened to be
cleaning his gun in preparation for a hunting trip. The talk to the
future son in law may have had an effect on Elliott. They were married
in the mid-1960s, and would have two sons, David and Damon. He would
divorce, then remarry Warwick. They then divorced for the second time
in 1975, ending ten plus years of marriage.An early appearance on
television was in the television series, Dragnet. The episode
Community Relations: DR-10 aired in 1968 and also featured Don
Marshall, Rafer Johnson and O.J. Simpson in a minor role. In the early
1970s, he had a reoccurring role as Otis Foster in the Bernard Slade
created show Bridget Loves Bernie which starred David Birney and
Meredith Baxter. recurring role as Officer Gus Grant on ADAM-12 TV
SHOWHe had an early uncredited role as a revolutionary in the Jules
Dassin directed Uptight which was released in 1968. He then played the
part of Robbie in the Elvis Presley film, Change of Habit which was
released in 1969. Then he appeared as Leon in The Old Man Who Cried
Wolf which starred Edward G. Robinson. The film which was released in
1970, also starred Percy Rodrigues and Martin Balsam. It was about an
old man who witnessed a murder but nobody believed him. The next film
he appeared in was a made-for-television movie. In They Call It Murder
which starred Jim Hutton, Robert J. Wilke and Ed Asner, he played the
part of Deputy Bob Terry. He played the lead role in the Henry
Hathaway film Hangup that was released in 1974. In the film he played
an honest police officer who comes to grief as he is in love with a
drug addict played by Marki Bey. Because Warner Brothers wouldn't
distribute the film, Elliott took charge of it and it was subsequently
distributed by a lesser known distributor and pushed as a
Blaxploitation film. It failed in the box offices and attracted a fair
amount of criticism.
American actor and musician. He had a recurring role in Bridget Loves
Bernie as Otis Foster and a recurring role as Officer Gus Grant in
Adam-12. He also appeared in Elvis Presley's 1969 film Change of
Habit.Elliott was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He spent four years in
the United States Navy as an electrician. He later worked for US Steel
and left the job. He also turned down an opportunity to study at
Massasuchetts Institute of Technology to be a drummer. He later formed
his own music group and ended up marrying the background vocalist,
Dionne Warwick. Prior to becoming husband and wife, Elliott was at the
home of Warwick's parents to ask for their daughter's hand. He was
invited by her father to have a talk in the living room. Her father
knew of Elliott's reputation of being a ladies man and happened to be
cleaning his gun in preparation for a hunting trip. The talk to the
future son in law may have had an effect on Elliott. They were married
in the mid-1960s, and would have two sons, David and Damon. He would
divorce, then remarry Warwick. They then divorced for the second time
in 1975, ending ten plus years of marriage.An early appearance on
television was in the television series, Dragnet. The episode
Community Relations: DR-10 aired in 1968 and also featured Don
Marshall, Rafer Johnson and O.J. Simpson in a minor role. In the early
1970s, he had a reoccurring role as Otis Foster in the Bernard Slade
created show Bridget Loves Bernie which starred David Birney and
Meredith Baxter. recurring role as Officer Gus Grant on ADAM-12 TV
SHOWHe had an early uncredited role as a revolutionary in the Jules
Dassin directed Uptight which was released in 1968. He then played the
part of Robbie in the Elvis Presley film, Change of Habit which was
released in 1969. Then he appeared as Leon in The Old Man Who Cried
Wolf which starred Edward G. Robinson. The film which was released in
1970, also starred Percy Rodrigues and Martin Balsam. It was about an
old man who witnessed a murder but nobody believed him. The next film
he appeared in was a made-for-television movie. In They Call It Murder
which starred Jim Hutton, Robert J. Wilke and Ed Asner, he played the
part of Deputy Bob Terry. He played the lead role in the Henry
Hathaway film Hangup that was released in 1974. In the film he played
an honest police officer who comes to grief as he is in love with a
drug addict played by Marki Bey. Because Warner Brothers wouldn't
distribute the film, Elliott took charge of it and it was subsequently
distributed by a lesser known distributor and pushed as a
Blaxploitation film. It failed in the box offices and attracted a fair
amount of criticism.
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