Born in 1880 in Walkerton, Ontario, William Bertram was the oldest of seven children of Mary Porter (née Robinson) and Daniel J. Switzer, a blacksmith.

Those films directed by Bertram include Tears and Smiles (1917), The Little Patriot (1917), Daddy's Girl (1918), Dolly Does Her Bit (1918), A Dollar of the West (1918), The Voice of Destiny (1918), Cupid by Proxy (1918), Milady o' the Beanstalk (1918), Winning Grandma (1918), Dolly's Vacation (1918), The Sawdust Doll (1919), The Old Maid's Baby (1919), Baby Marie's Round-Up (1919), and Miss Gingersnap (1919)[7][8] After working extensively as a director between 1916 and 1919, Bertram returned to acting in films, although he continued to direct as well.

[9] Roles in additional Westerns, such as The Riding Kid, Trails of the Golden West, The Mystery Trooper, and Lightnin' Smith's Return are among his final performances.

[10][11] According to information recorded in the 1930 federal census, William Bertram married in 1920; and by 1930 he and his wife Jean, who was a native of New York, were living in a rented residence at 1634 Argyle Avenue in Hollywood.

[14] In addition to the series of "Babie Marie" films that Bertram directed between 1917 and 1919, the following constitute a small sampling of other productions in which he served as either a cast member or director: