William Herbert Brown Jr. (June 23, 1917 – June 8, 1982) was an American television director and producer, a radio dramatist, and a composer, perhaps best known for his work on the 1950s CBS anthology series Climax! and Studio One.

Early life and career Born in Portland, Maine on June 23, 1917"United States, Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JPSG-JPP : 7 January 2021), William Brown, Jun 1982; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). Brown was the son of William Herbert Brown Sr. and Florence Harrington. He attended Deering High School and Bowdoin College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1939."Bowdoin Degrees for 129 Students". Lewiston Sun-Journal. June 17, 1939. p. 6.Associated Press (June 17, 1939). "Bowdoin Award to Rev. Meek; Bangor Pastor Gets Honorary Degree at College's 134th Commencement; Bowdoin (Continued From Page One): Honors in Major Field". Bangor Commercial. pp. 1, 6. It was while a sophomore at Bowdoin, prompted by the arrival of Professor Frederic Tillotson, that Brown first began to pursue music seriously, becoming—according to Evening Express TV writer Joe D. King—the first student in the history of Bowdoin College to elect music as a major, a milestone Brown promptly underlined by writing and staging one musical comedy in each of his final three years in college."Bowdoin Senior Is Author of College Musical Comedy". Lewiston Sun-Journal. December 16, 1938. p. 22.

Following his graduation, Brown worked as music critic at the Portland Press Herald.Robinson, Johnny (October 7, 1954). "Video Versions". Lewiston Sun-Journal. p. 24. In July 1941, his musical radio play Eight to the Bar, a tribute to boogie woogie and its pioneer, Pinetop Smith, aired over the NBC Red Network, starring Eddie Green and narrated by Canada Lee.King, Joe D. (March 14, 1955). "He's High Up on TV ... Portlander Director of Studio One Dramas; Bill Brown Started as Playwright While Student at Bowdoin; Portland Man Directs Star". Portland Evening Express. p. 23."Radio Today". The Springfield Daily Republican. July 24, 1941. p. 9."Thursday Radio Programs: Highlights". The Indianapolis Star. July 24, 1941. p. 11. The following March, Brown's satirical sketch "A Child's History of Hot Music" was heard on Columbia Workshop."History of Hot Music on KWKH". The Shreveport Times. March 15, 1942. p. 16.

Brown made his TV directing debut on April 23, 1949, on NBC's The Hank Ladd Show (known prior to that date as The Arrow Show, restaffed and retitled accordingly), with prior host Phil Silvers and sidekick Jack Gilford replaced, respectively, by Hank Ladd and the pre-Life of Riley Jackie Gleason. Brown's next assignment came in August of that year, on composer Meredith Willson's self-titled, six-week series, which served as the summer replacement for NBC's The Aldrich Family. That fall, Brown became director of Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue,"Television Revue by Paul Whiteman Lavishly Mounted". Tulsa World. November 27, 1949. p. T-16

In the fall of 1951, Brown—together with Frank Telford and Joseph Scibetta—became one of three alternating directors on Schlitz Playhouse of Stars,"Playhouse of Stars Has Premiere Soon". Tulsa Daily World. October 16, 1951. The following year, in episodes airing February 1 and May 16, respectively, he produced and directed the TV debuts of screen star Ann Sothern—in "Lady With a Will" (based on the like-named Ward Morehouse-Peggy Wood play)—and singer Polly Bergen.Monush, Barry, ed. (2003). Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors From the Silent Era to 1965, Volume 1. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 63. .O'Brian, Jack (February 6, 1952). "Jazz Critic Raves Over TV Musical". p. 8.

In January 1954, Brown signed with CBS, succeeding John Claar as director of the sitcom Life With Father, based on the like-named Broadway play and its 1947 film adaptation. In October of that year, Brown helmed the series premiere of Climax!, "The Long Goodbye," based on Raymond Chandler's like-named novel. Guiding a cast led by Dick Powell, Teresa Wright, and Cesar Romero, Brown's direction was dubbed "imaginative and vigorous" by Hollywood Reporter critic Milton Luban, who described the work itself as "beautifully acted and directed, and loaded with suspense," and deemed the episode clearly superior to any of the previously released big screen Chandler adaptations.

In February 1955, Brown was moved from Climax! to Studio One.Sellers, Barbara (February 24, 1955). "Radio-TV Briefs". Hollywood Citizen-News. p. 20. Retrieved February 2, 2025. His first project there was "Donovan's Brain", an adaptation of Curt Siodmak's like-named novel, written by William Templeton and starring Wendell Corey and E. G. Marshall.Weaver, Tom (1993). Poverty Row HORRORS!: Monogram, PRC and Republic Horror Films of the Forties. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 161. . Brown then directed Inger Stevens, Skip Homeier, and George Macready in the episode, "The Conviction of Peter Shea"."Monday March 14 (Cont'd)". Ross Reports on Television. March 13, 1955. p. B. In November 1956, Lee Remick starred as "The Landlady's Daughter," in an episode co-starring Richard Kiley, George Mathews, Fred Gwynne, Peg Hillias, and Crahan Denton, with Variety commending Gwynne's performance in particular and noting Brown's "nice sense for movement and atmosphere."

Beginning in 1960, Brown served as executive producer of Shirley Temple's Storybook.

Personal life and death On June 9, 1941, Brown married Janet Pierce Johnson at Boston's Trinity Church."Janet Pierce Johnson Married to Lt. William Herbert Brown, Jr.". Portland Press Herald. June 14, 1941. p. 1. Their union produced three children, all sons.

On June 8, 1982, 15 days before his 65th birthday, Brown died in a hospital in Portland. He was survived by his mother and three sons. His remains are interred at Evergreen Cemetery."Obituaries: William H. Brown Jr.". Portland Evening Express. June 10, 1982. p. 35.

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