"Little Billy" Rhodes
"Little Billy" Rhodes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Clarence Herbert Bliss February 1, 1895 Lynn, Massachusetts, USA |
| Died | July 24, 1967 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor |
"Little Billy" Rhodes (born Clarence Bliss)[1][2] was an American character actor with dwarfism who was active in Hollywood from the 1920s through the 1960s. Over the course of his career, he appeared in noteworthy projects like The Wizard of Oz and The Terror in Tiny Town, the latter of which was a western that was billed as featuring an all-little-person cast.[3][4][5][6][7]
Biography[]
A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, "Little Billy" recalled that his father left the family upon realizing his son's short stature.[7] "I grew up in awful poverty—simply awful," he said in an interview. "Mattress on the floor, that sort of thing." As a child, he sold newspapers to help make ends meet.[7]
At the age of 9, infatuated by the theater, "Little Billy" was taken in by Jerry Grady, a showman who would become Billy's manager. Appearing in vaudeville and on Broadway beginning in the 1910s, he eventually made it to Hollywood around 1926 and began appearing on-screen.[4][8][9]
In the early 1940s, he headed a convention known as the International Midget League.[3]
When asked about whether his height had a negative impact on his career, the actor had this to say: "I have never found my build a handicap. In fact, I consider it something of an asset. I have reached a fair measure of success in my life—success which would have been impossible if I had been of an ordinary build."[8]
He died in Los Angeles, California, in 1967.[1]
Selected filmography[]
- 1949
- 1941 Kiss the Boys Goodbye
- 1939 The Wizard of Oz
- 1938 The Terror of Tiny Town
- 1938 Marie Antoinette
- 1938
- 1937
- 1936 Bengal Tiger
- 1932 The Devil Is Driving
- 1932 Make Me a Star
- 1932 They Never Come Back
- 1932 Polly of the Circus
- 1932 The Shadow of the Eagle
- 1930 Swing High
- 1928 The Sideshow
- 1926 Oh, Baby!
References[]
- ^ a b "Vital Records: Deaths". The Los Angeles Times. 28 Jul 1967. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Broker Pleads Guilty to Theft". The Los Angeles Times. 13 Dec 1935. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ a b "Convention Is Midgets' Plan". The Harrisburg Telegraph. 20 Feb 1941. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ a b "Billy's a Veteran". The Journal Times. 24 Jun 1938. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Famous Midget Being Featured at Algiers". The Desert Sun. 17 Feb 1939. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Midgets Find New Field for Talents". Arizona Republic. 9 Jun 1930. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ a b c "Rough to Be a Midget". Sioux City Journal. 7 Jul 1964. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ a b "Midget Is Center of Story". The Daily News. 29 Jun 1929. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Big Hit by Little Billy". Yonkers Statesman. 8 Nov 1910. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
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- American film actors
- 1895 births
- 1967 deaths
- Actors from Lynn, Massachusetts
- American film actor, 1890s birth stubs