William Alland

William Alland (March 4, 1916 – November 11, 1997) was an American actor, film producer, and writer born in Delmar, Delaware. His career spanned stage, radio, film, and television, with work ranging from Broadway productions in the late 1930s to a prolific run as a Hollywood producer of science-fiction and monster films.

Alland's stage career began in New York, where he arrived in his early twenties and studied at the Henry Street Settlement House. It was there that he first encountered Orson Welles. Between 1937 and 1938, Alland appeared on Broadway in three productions: The Shoemakers' Holiday, Julius Caesar, and Danton's Death. His association with Welles extended into radio as well, where he acted on The Mercury Theatre on the Air and contributed his voice to the 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds. He also wrote for the radio program Doorway to Life, which he later produced, earning a Peabody Award for that work.

Alland's most enduring acting credit is his role as reporter Jerry Thompson in Welles's Citizen Kane (1941), in which Thompson investigates the life of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane. The role is notable for its unusual visual treatment: throughout most of the film, Alland's face is never shown in close-up, remaining either turned away from the camera, seen only in long-shot, or obscured in shadow. Film critic Roger Ebert noted on the DVD commentary for Citizen Kane that Alland once told an audience they would likely recognize him if he turned his back to them. In addition to playing Thompson, Alland provided the narration for the film's "News on the March" newsreel segment, a parody of the March of Time series. He later reprised voiceover work connected to that segment for Welles's 1974 film F for Fake and for a 1991 BBC Arena documentary titled The Complete Citizen Kane. Alland also directed the film Look in Any Window.

As a producer, Alland worked extensively in the science-fiction and monster genres, frequently collaborating with director Jack Arnold. His producing credits include It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, Tarantula!, The Deadly Mantis, The Mole People, The Colossus of New York, The Space Children, and three films in the Creature from the Black Lagoon series.

During World War II, Alland served as a combat pilot in the Air Force, flying 56 missions in the Pacific and receiving decorations for his service. In 1953, he appeared before a closed session of the House Un-American Activities Committee in Los Angeles, where he acknowledged membership in the Communist Party from 1946 to 1949 and named other individuals connected to the party. He spoke with reporters following the closed-door session. Alland died on November 11, 1997, from complications of heart disease.