Bil Baird | |
|---|---|
 Baird and Charlemane, 1963 | |
| Born | August 15, 1904 Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 1987 (aged 82) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Puppeteer |
| Years active | 1928–1987 |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2, including Peter |
William Britton "Bil" Baird (August 15, 1904[1] – March 18, 1987) was an American puppeteer of the mid- and late 20th century. He and his puppets performed for millions of adults and children. One of his better known creations was Charlemane the lion. He and his wife Cora Eisenberg Baird (1912–1967) produced and performed the famous puppetry sequence for "The Lonely Goatherd" in the film version of The Sound of Music.[2] His son Peter Baird was also a puppeteer, and he continued his family's legacy until his own death in July 2004.[3]
He wrote The Art of the Puppet (1965) and provided the puppets for Dark Shadows. Baird also created the expandable nose Peter Noone wore as Pinocchio in the 1968 musical adaptation of the Carlo Collodi story that aired on NBC as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special.
- ^ Brown, Rick (October 13, 2016). "Sixty years of pulling strings: G.I. native's puppets on display at MONA". Kearney Hub. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ Rothman, Joshua (August 23, 2014). "Live From the Moon". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Peter Baird, 52, Who Carried On His Family's Marionette Legacy". The New York Times. July 21, 2004. Retrieved October 5, 2017.