Silver Hair and Golden Voice: Austin Willis, from Halifax to Hollywood

Over his extensive career, Halifax-born film, television, and radio performer Austin Willis worked with luminaries from Orson Welles and Peter Sellers to a young William Shatner (his subordinate in CBC's Space Command—precursor to Star Trek). He bested Goldfinger at cards—with help from Sean Connery's James Bond—and with his prematurely white hair, he became the debonair, wry host of the 1970s CBC-TV quiz show, This Is The Law.

Through his formidable personal library, his insatiable curiosi...