Billy Sands was an American actor best known for his roles in The Phil Silvers Show, McHale’s Navy, and Rocky. He was born William F. Sands on January 6, 1911, in Bergen, New York. Sands had a successful career in both television and film, making appearances from the 1940s until the 1980s.
Personal and Family Life
Billy Sands was born to parents Samual Epstein and Henrietta Epstein. He married Marsha and they had two children together, Susan and Eugene. Sands was survived by his wife, daughter, son, and two sisters, one brother, indicating a close family network.
Career
Billy Sands began his acting career in 1946 on Broadway alongside Spencer Tracy in “Rugged Path.” He became widely recognized for his television roles, appearing in 138 episodes as Pvt. Dino Papparelli on The Phil Silvers Show and the same number of episodes as Seaman Tinker Bell on McHale’s Navy. Sands also guest-starred in many popular TV shows, demonstrating his versatility as an actor.
Death and Legacy
Billy Sands passed away from lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on August 27, 1984, at the age of 73. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. His contributions to television and film have left a lasting impact on his audience and the entertainment industry.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| The Harrad Experiment | 1973-05-11 | Jack |
| McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force | 1965-07-09 | Motor Machinist Mate Harrison Bell |
| Rocky | 1976-11-20 | Club Fight Announcer |
| High Anxiety | 1977-12-25 | Customer |
| How to Frame a Figg | 1971-02-01 | Bowling Alley Manager |
| The Love God? | 1969-08-01 | Barber (uncredited) |
| Raid on Entebbe | 1976-12-26 | Mr. Goldbaum |
| Another Nice Mess | 1972-08-23 | Interpreter |
| Ellery Queen: Don’t Look Behind You | 1971-11-19 | Adrian Abbott |
| The World’s Greatest Lover | 1977-12-18 | Guard – Paramount |
| McHale’s Navy | 1964-06-25 | Motor Machinist Mate Harrison Bell |
| Evil Roy Slade | 1972-02-18 | Randolph Sweet |
| The Munsters’ Revenge | 1981-02-27 | Shorty |
| The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped | 1974-01-29 | Barney |
| Keep in Step | 1959-01-23 | Pvt. Dino Papparelli |
| Serial | 1980-03-28 | Bartender |
| The Odd Couple | 1970-09-24 | Roger |
| The Jeffersons | 1975-01-18 | |
| Laverne & Shirley | 1976-01-27 | |
| Webster | 1983-09-16 | |
| McHale’s Navy | 1962-10-11 | ‘Tinker’ Bell |
| The Phil Silvers Show | 1955-09-20 | Dino Paparelli |
| Big Eddie | 1975-08-23 | |
| Alice | 1976-08-31 | |
| The Colgate Comedy Hour | 1950-09-10 | Self |
| Here’s Lucy | 1968-09-23 | Mr. Larson |
| All in the Family | 1971-01-12 | Nick |
| Baretta | 1975-01-17 | |
| Lux Video Theatre | 1950-10-02 | Reporter |
| The Ted Knight Show | 1978-04-08 | |
| The Odd Couple | 1970-09-24 | Tailor |
| The Odd Couple | 1970-09-24 | Mr. Bennick |
| The Odd Couple | 1970-09-24 | Man #2 |
| The Odd Couple | 1970-09-24 | Fed |
| All in the Family | 1971-01-12 | Bailiff (voice)(uncredited) |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | 1948-06-20 | Self / Pvt. Dino Paparelli |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | 1948-06-20 | Self |
| Love, American Style | 1969-09-29 | Joe |
| Adam-12 | 1968-09-21 | Bartender |
| Here’s Lucy | 1968-09-23 | Billy |
| The Bob Hope Show | 1950-04-09 | Self |