Billy Curtis (born Luigi Curto; June 27, 1909 – November 9, 1988) was an American film and television actor with dwarfism, who had a 50-year career in the entertainment industry.

Billy Curtis
Curtis and Yvonne Moray in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
Born
Luigi Curto

(1909-06-27)June 27, 1909
DiedNovember 9, 1988(1988-11-09) (aged 79)
Other namesLittle Billy, The Singer Midgets
OccupationActor
Years active1938–1988
Height4 ft 2 in (1.27 m)[1]

Early years

edit

Curtis was born Luigi Curto in Springfield, Massachusetts,[2] on June 27, 1909.[1] He had three older brothers and a younger sister. After his graduation from high school at age 16, he worked in a store before joining a local stock theater company.[3]

Career

edit

Before Curtis performed in films, he was an acrobat in vaudeville and a professional wrestler. His work in films included being a double for child stars.[4]

The bulk of his work was in the western and science fiction genres, portraying a little person. One of his early roles was uncredited as a Munchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He featured as part of the circus troupe in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942). He also appeared in Superman and the Mole Men (1951), a B-Picture intended as the pilot for the Adventures of Superman TV series. Curtis followed up this role by playing yet another alien visitor in an episode of the last season of The Adventures of Superman television series, titled "Mister Zero". As the title character, he portrayed a stranded refugee from Mars who visits the Metropolis Daily Planet newspaper office, asking to be taken to Earth's leader.

Curtis's work in westerns included the Clint Eastwood feature High Plains Drifter (1973) in which he was featured as Mordecai, a friendly dwarf sympathetic to Eastwood's character. He also appeared in the Musical/Western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938). As far as is known, the film is the world's only Western with an all-midget cast. Many of the actors in Tiny Town were part of a performing troupe called Singer's Midgets, who also played Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz.[5] In 1973 he appeared as Arizona in an episode of Gunsmoke titled "Arizona Midnight". He had a starring role in American International Pictures' Little Cigars (1973), about a gang of small people on a crime spree.

Curtis was also Mayor McCheese.[2] After Curtis' death, McDonald's retired the character.[1]

On Broadway, Curtis portrayed a little boy in Anything Goes (1934) and Every Man for Himself (1940).[6]

Death

edit

Curtis died November 9, 1988, aged 79 in Dayton, Nevada of a heart attack. His body was cremated, and the urn went to his wife.[1]

Filmography

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1938 The Terror of Tiny Town The Hero
1939 Three Texas Steers Hercules
The Wizard of Oz Braggart Munchkin Uncredited
1941 Maisie Was a Lady Midget Uncredited
Emergency Landing Midget Judge
Meet John Doe Midget Uncredited
Outlaws of Cherokee Trail Papoose Uncredited
Hellzapoppin' Bodyguard Uncredited
1942 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp Midget
Don't Lie Melinda the Chimp Short
Saboteur Midget - Circus Troupe
My Gal Sal Midget Driver Uncredited
Wings for the Eagle Midget (Eddie)
Just Off Broadway Billy, Midget in Wings Uncredited
Lucky Legs Newsboy Uncredited
1943 The Hard Way Vaudeville Midget Uncredited
1944 Ghost Catchers Midget in Nightclub Dinner Gag Uncredited
1945 That's the Spirt Midget Uncredited
Incendiary Blonde 'Baby' Joe Uncredited
An Angel Comes to Brooklyn Midget Musician Uncredited
1946 Three Wise Fools Dugan
1947 Buck Privates Come Home Man Uncredited
Blaze of Noon Midget Barker Uncredited
1948 April Showers Colonel Rudolph L. Nemo
Hills of Home Mighty Mite Uncredited
Homicide for Three Himself, Midget
Jiggs and Maggie in Court Little Man Uncredited
1950 Pygmy Island Makuba
1951 Two Tickets to Broadway Midget in Deli Uncredited
Superman and the Mole Men Mole-Man Uncredited
1952 Limelight Midget in Agent's Office Uncredited
1953 Here Come the Girls Clown Uncredited
1954 Gorilla at Large Slim, Midget Carnival Employee Uncredited
Gog Gog / Magog Operator Uncredited
Princess of the Nile Tut Uncredited
3 Ring Circus Circus Midget Clown Uncredited
1955 Jungle Moon Men Damu
The Court Jester One of Hermine's Midgets Uncredited
1956 Friendly Persuasion Midget at County Fair Uncredited
1957 The Incredible Shrinking Man Midget
1958 The Adventures of Superpup Bark Bent / Superpup
1959 The Angry Red Planet Martian Uncredited
1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Carnival Visitor Season 7 Episode 3: "Maria" (uncredited)
1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods Newsboy Uncredited
1965 Two on a Guillotine Big Mike, Owner / Bartender Uncredited
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! Little Football Player Uncredited
Harlow Newsboy Uncredited
1966 Batman Midget Episode: "True or False-Face", "Holy Rat Race"
Out of Sight The Man From Flush
1967 Gilligan's Island Soldier Episode "Lovey's Secret Admirer", Uncredited
Star Trek: The Original Series Small Copper-Skinned Ambassador Episode: "Journey to Babel"
Bewitched Goblin Episode: "Safe and Sane Halloween"
1968 Planet of the Apes Child Ape Uncredited
The Legend of Lylah Clare Clown Uncredited
1969 The Comic Lifeguard in Film Uncredited
Hello, Dolly! Midget Uncredited
1970 Norwood Edmund B. Ratner
1972 Evil Roy Slade Toy Cowboy TV movie, Uncredited
1973 High Plains Drifter Mordecai
Little Cigars Slick Bender
1973 Gunsmoke Arizona Episode:" Arizona Midnight "
1974 How to Seduce a Woman Toulouse
1975 The Wild McCullochs Charlie P.
White House Madness Secret Service Man
1976 Monster Squad The Ringmaster Episode:" The Ringmaster "
1978 Loose Shoes Menchkin
1982 Eating Raoul Little Person
1984 The Night They Saved Christmas Jack
1985 Head Office Reverend Lynch
1986 The Twilight Zone Creature TV series: Personal Demons
1987 Bloody Wednesday Teddy Voice, (final film role)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Kear, Lynn; King, James (October 21, 2009). Evelyn Brent: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Lady Crook. McFarland. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-7864-5468-6. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "More Memoirs Of a Midget". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 25, 1935. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Freese, Gene Scott (April 24, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-7864-7643-5. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  5. ^ O'Connor, John E and Peter C Rollins. "Hollywood's West: The American Frontier In Film, Television, And History." 2006. American Historical Review. Ed. Professional Development Review. web. October 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "Billy Curtis". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
edit