William R. Wilkerson

Billy Wilkerson was a busy businessman.

He started a famous movie news book. He also owned many clubs and hotels. He helped build parts of Las Vegas. He even found a new movie star. His writing caused some big problems in movies. He lived a very long and full life. He died at his home in 1962.

William Wilkerson was a busy American businessman. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1890. He studied medicine in Philadelphia. His father died and left many debts. Because of this, Wilkerson quit school to work. He helped support his mother.

Wilkerson worked in the movie world. He managed a movie theater in New Jersey. Later, he worked for Universal Pictures. On September 3, 1930, he started a magazine. It was called The Hollywood Reporter. He wrote a daily column called "Tradeviews." This column was very important to the movie industry.

He also owned many clubs and hotels. He opened places like Ciro's in Los Angeles. He also made big investments in Las Vegas. He helped start the Flamingo Hotel.

He ran low on money for the hotel. Later, Bugsy Siegel helped finish it.

Wilkerson wrote a series of columns called "Billy's List." He used these to name people he thought were Communists. This helped start the Hollywood blacklist. This was a time of great tension in Hollywood. Wilkerson died of a heart attack in 1962. He was 72 years old.

William Richard Wilkerson was a very busy American businessman. He was born on September 29, 1890, in Nashville, Tennessee. He first went to school to study medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His life changed when his father died and left many debts. Because of this, Wilkerson had to quit school. He worked hard to support himself and his mother.

Wilkerson found many ways to work in the movie industry. He started by managing a theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He later became a manager for Universal Pictures. On September 3, 1930, he published the first issue of The Hollywood Reporter. He wrote a daily column called "Tradeviews" for the magazine. This column was very important to people in entertainment.

Wilkerson also owned many famous social spots. He opened nightclubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. One famous place he owned was called Ciro's. He also moved into the business world in Las Vegas. In 1945, he helped start the Flamingo Hotel. He ran low on money during the building process. Later, Bugsy Siegel helped finish the hotel casino.

In 1946, Wilkerson wrote a series of columns called "Billy's List." He used these columns to name people he believed were Communist sympathizers. These writings helped start a period called the Red Scare. This time led to the Hollywood blacklist. This was a very difficult time for many people in Hollywood. His writing had a huge effect on the industry.

Wilkerson had a very long and complex personal life. He was married six different times throughout his life. He had a son who was born in October 1951. After his son was born, Wilkerson quit gambling. He had poor health in his later years because of smoking. He died of a heart attack on September 2, 1962. He died at his home in Bel-Air, California.

William Richard "Billy" Wilkerson was an influential American businessman. He was born on September 29, 1890, in Nashville, Tennessee. He initially moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to study medicine. However, his life path changed when his father passed away. His father left behind extensive gambling debts. Because of these debts, Wilkerson had to quit medical school. He needed to find work to support himself and his mother.

Wilkerson built a career by moving through different parts of the entertainment industry. His entry into movie business began in Fort Lee, New Jersey. A friend won a movie theater there in a bet. Wilkerson agreed to manage the theater for half of the profits. He later expanded his role in the film world. He served as a district manager at Universal Pictures under Carl Laemmle. These early roles gave him a deep understanding of Hollywood.

In 1930, Wilkerson founded a major publication called The Hollywood Reporter. He published the very first issue on September 3, 1930. The magazine included a daily editorial column titled "Tradeviews." Wilkerson wrote these columns himself. They became highly influential within the entertainment industry. His writing helped shape how people viewed Hollywood news and business.

Wilkerson was also a significant figure in the development of social spaces. He opened several nightclubs and restaurants on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. His business ventures included the Vendome Wine & Spirits Co. in 1933. He opened Cafe Trocadero in 1934 and the Sunset House in 1936. He also owned Ciro's, which was a famous nightclub. Other ventures included the Arrowhead Springs Hotel in 1939 and Restaurant La Rue in 1944. He even owned the L'Aiglon in 1947.

His business interests eventually moved into Las Vegas, Nevada. He saw great opportunities for growth in that city. In 1945, he began work on the Flamingo Hotel. He named the hotel and started the development process. However, he eventually ran low on money during construction. Bugsy Siegel later moved in to help finish the hotel casino. Siegel used mob financing to complete the project. Wilkerson eventually sold his share of the property to Siegel.

Wilkerson's writing also had a profound and controversial impact on society. In 1946, he launched a series of columns known as "Billy's List." In these columns, he identified individuals he believed were Communist sympathizers. This series of writings helped initiate the Red Scare. The Red Scare was a period of intense anti-Communist sentiment. His columns helped lay the groundwork for the Hollywood blacklist. This blacklist significantly affected the careers of many people in the industry.

Wilkerson's personal life was marked by many changes and challenges. He was married six times during his life. His first wife, Helen Durkin, died during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918. He also struggled with compulsive gambling for many years. He finally quit gambling in October 1951 after his son was born. In his later years, his health declined due to decades of excessive smoking. He died of a heart attack on September 2, 1962. This occurred at his home in Bel-Air, California. His death happened just one day before the 32nd anniversary of The Hollywood Reporter. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.