Bill Cable

Bill Cable (born William Laurence Cumpanas;[1] May 2, 1946 – March 7, 1998) was an American actor, model, and stunt performer.

Bill Cable
Born
William Laurence Cumpanas

(1946-05-02)May 2, 1946
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
DiedMarch 7, 1998(1998-03-07) (aged 51)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Model, actor and film stuntman
Years active1970–1996

Biography

Cable was the grandchild of Thomas Ante and Katherine Pezo.[1][2] In 1914 his grandfather left the village of Klenovac in Dalmatia, Croatia, and moved to Gary, Indiana. He became a member of the former Hrvatski Sinovi CFU Lodge 396 and would eventually serve as the lodge's president. After Cable's grandfather died in 1950, his family moved to California.

Cable was a standout football player for North Hollywood High School as an offensive tackle, and became a varsity captain in his senior year. He continued playing football after enrolling at the University of Nevada, but eventually stopped after a serious head injury. His other hobbies included motorcycles and guns.

He married Shirley Cumpanas in Nevada in 1985[3] and she had an affair with Christian Brando, son of actor Marlon Brando, which led to their divorce, according to an interview and essay with Shirley to Penthouse magazine.[4][5][6][7] He and Cable remained friends.[8][9] A few years earlier, they both interviewed by Skip E. Lowe on the Skip E. Lowe Globe.[10][11][12][13][14]

In October 1996, Cable was involved in a motorcycle accident in Laurel Canyon in which he sustained a fractured vertebra in his neck, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Cable died of these injuries on March 7, 1998, at the age of 51. His funeral was attended by Cassandra Peterson and Paul Reubens. Cable was cremated. The William Laurence Cumpanas Fund[15] was established after his death, supporting the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 170 in Merrillville, Indiana.

Model

From 1970, Cable was a model for COLT Studio Group, where he was photographed by Jim French.[16] He was photographed by Bob Mizer for the Athletic Model Guild.[17] Cable later posed for the book More Nudes, photographed by Kenn Duncan, whose collection was donated to the New York Public Library by Kenn Duncan's brother and sister in 2003.[18] He was also photographed by Tommy Marshall, Ray Allen, Robert Scott Hooper, Dave Sands, Jeff Dunas and for Playgirl by David Meyer, Raul Vega and Mr. Blackwell. Pornographic pictures of Cable having sex with women were published in Hollywood Hotline, Star Nudes, and Hollywood Rated X in the 1970s.

Photos of him have been published in many magazines and catalogues, such as: Vanity Fair, Playgirl, Playboy, Oui, Ah Men catalog, That Look! catalog, Frederick's of Hollywood catalog, QQ Magazine, After Dark, California Scene, Honcho, The Best of Gallery, Manpower!, David, In Touch, Blueboy, Barfly, Groovy Guy, Vector, Celebrity Sleuth, H.E.L.P. Drummer, Drummer, Body, Q International, Entertainment West, Hit & Fun, Scream Queens, Playgirl Advisor, Torso, Olympus (first edition in January 1972)[19][20] and Mandate (first edition in April 1975).[21]

Actor

Cable acted in mainstream films, including gay and straight erotic films, as a film stuntman and for TV productions. His first cinematic movie, Bijou (1972),[22] was directed by Wakefield Poole.[23] Cable starred in the short erotic gay film Cooling It in 1973.[24]

Cable's most famous role in mainstream film was the rock star Johnny Boz, who is murdered with an ice pick in the opening scene of the suspense film Basic Instinct.[25]

He worked on Elvira's Movie Macabre in 1984 (Episode: Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks).[26] Cable also appeared in the films Pee-wee's Big Adventure,[27] Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,[28] La Posta in Gioco,[29] The Deadly Cure[30] and in 4 films with director Carlos Tobalina (filmmaker): The Last Tango in Acapulco,[31][32] Jungle Blue,[33] Flesh and Bullets[34][35] and What's Love.[36][37]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1971 Bill Cable Untitled making of, posing nude with a motorcycle for Bob Mizer
1972 Bijou Bearded man with whip Using the pseudonym Cable
1973 Cooling It Stoner Using the pseudonym Stoner. Reissued in the collection Sex Rated Home Movies (Colt, 1989)
1973 The Last Tango in Acapulco Miguel Torres Released in Europe in VHS with the titles Quella Viziosa di Susan and Susan et les Hommes
1978 Jungle Blue Evor Not credited
1984 Elvira's Movie Macabre The Hunk Season 4, Episode 3 #110 - (Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks)
1985 Flesh and Bullets Policeman Released in Europe in VHS with the title The Wife Contract
1985 Pee-wee's Big Adventure Policeman #1
1987 What’s Love Bill Cable also wrote the screenplay
1988 La Posta in Gioco Captain Calò With his ex-wife Shirley Cumpanas and Christian Brando in the cast
1988 Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Cop
1992 Basic Instinct Johnny Boz
1996 The Deadly Cure Alex Relaunched on DVD in 2007

References

Citations
  1. "CUMPANAS, WILLIAM L. Actor". croatia.org.
  2. Eterovich, Adam S. (2000). "Croatians in California, 1849-1999". ISBN 9780918660985.
  3. "My Heritage". .myheritage.com.
  4. "Shirley Cumpanas for Penthouse". penthousegold.com.
  5. Trott, William C. (November 1, 1990). "Brando Story". United Press International.
  6. Wayne, Renee Lucas (November 5, 1990). "Opportunity Knocks". Daily News.
  7. Njos, Shirley Anni (July 18, 2013). No Coincidences Only Miracles. ISBN 978-1482338645.
  8. Kunen, James S.; Micheli, Robin; Knapp, Dan; Bentley, Logan (June 4, 1990). "Brando's Son Faces Murder Charge". People.
  9. Manso, Peter (August 1990). "The Brando demons". Vanity Fair.
  10. "Christian Brando, Christina Crawford and Bill Cable - Rare TV Interview, on the Skip E. Lowe Globe". Youtube.com. December 16, 2016.
  11. "Marlon Brando's Son, Christian Brando! Christina Crawford & Bill Cable Rare Skip E. Lowe Interview". Youtube.com. December 24, 2020.
  12. "Judy Crawford, Christian Brando on Skip E. Lowe". Youtube.com. July 7, 2021.
  13. "Christian Brando interview with Skipe Lowe 1985". Youtube.com. September 22, 2022.
  14. "Marlon Brando's son, Christian, on the Skip E. Lowe Globe". Youtube.com. July 11, 2007.
  15. "William Laurence Cumpanas Fund". croatianfraternalunion.org.
  16. "Bill Cable AKA Stoner for COLT Studio Group". coltstudiogroup.com.
  17. "Bill Cable for Athletic Model Guild". bobmizer.org.
  18. "Kenn Duncan's Collection". nypl.org/.
  19. "Olympus magazine". gayeroticarchives.com.
  20. "Olympus first edition". gayeroticarchives.com.
  21. "Mandate's first edition". gayeroticarchives.com.
  22. "Bijou". imdb.com.
  23. Poole, Wakefield (2011). "Dirty Poole: A Sensual Memoir". ISBN 9781590212295.
  24. "Bill Cable AKA Stoner in Cooling It movie for COLT Studio Group". coltstudiogroup.com.
  25. "Basic Instinct crime scene". Youtube.com. September 15, 2020.
  26. "Elvira Mistress Of The Dark Guide to Making a Man". Youtube.com. March 11, 2012.
  27. "Bill Cable - Pee wee's big adventure". Youtube.com. October 3, 2014.
  28. "Bill Cable in Elvira's movie". Youtube.com. July 4, 2018.
  29. "Bill Cable, Shirley Cumpanas and Christian Brando in film set in Italy 1987". Youtube.com. December 24, 2022.
  30. "The Deadly Cure". diedangerdiediekill.blogspot.com. October 1, 2014.
  31. "The Last Tango in Acapulco". imdb.com.
  32. Riera, Emilio García (1987). "México visto por el cine extranjero". ISBN 9789684111639.
  33. "Jungle blue". imdb.com.
  34. "Flesh and Bullets". dvddrive-in.com/reviews/e-h/fleshandbullets.htm.
  35. "Flesh and Bullets". mondo-digital.com/fleshbullets.html. August 29, 2015.
  36. "What's Love". tcm.com.
  37. "What's Love". imdb.com.
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