Billy Curtis

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Billy Curtis , actually Luigi Curto , (born June 27, 1909 in Springfield , Massachusetts , † November 9, 1988 in Dayton , Nevada ) was a short American actor and stuntman .

Life

In his youth, Billy Curtis worked in a shoe store. He was only 1.27 meters tall. He was discovered by the actress Shirley Booth , who persuaded him to take a role in a play. So he was able to establish himself as a professional actor. He appeared on Broadway in the 1930s, among others , before making his film debut with a leading role as a hero in the western The Terror of Tiny Town . The film was shot exclusively with short actors, in addition to Curtis, Charlie Becker and Karl Slover appeared. He also played with them in the fantasy film The Wizard of Oz (1939), where he played the Munchkins with 123 other short actors. Curtis played the self-important advisor to the mayor.

In the following decades Curtis appeared in over 110 film and television shows, for example he played a fascist circus dwarf in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Saboteurs (1942) and took on a small role in the science fictional epic Planet of the Apes (1968). In addition to his film work, he has also appeared in television series such as Smoking Colts , Bonanza and 77 Sunset Strip . The film The Thing (1951) Billy Curtis worked as a stuntman with. For the McDonald’s group he played the advertising character of Mayor McCheese , who was hired after his death. Billy Curtis worked as an actor until shortly before his death.

Billy Curtis was married to actress Joan Curtis. The two had two children, Tom and Judy, and five grandchildren. He died of a myocardial infarction at the age of 79 .

Filmography (selection)

  • 1939: The Wizard of Oz (The Wizard of Oz) unnamed
  • 1941: John Doe (Meet John Doe) is anonymous here
  • 1941: The devil breaks loose in hell! (Hellzapoppin ') anonymous
  • 1942: Saboteurs (saboteurs)
  • 1942: The Queen of Broadway (My Gal Sal) anonymous
  • 1943: A woman's confession (The Hard Way) unnamed
  • 1945: Incendiary Blonde
  • 1947: Two cloudy cups - discharged from the military (Buck Private Come Home) unnamed
  • 1948: Lassie's home (Hills of Home) unnamed
  • 1950: Bush devil in the jungle (Jungle Jim in Pygmy Island)
  • 1951: The Thing (The Thing from Another World) as a stuntman
  • 1951: Three women conquer New York (Two Tickets to Broadway) unnamed
  • 1952: spotlight (Limelight) unnamed
  • 1954: The Coney Island Strangler (Gorilla at Large) unnamed
  • 1954: Princess of the Nile anonymous
  • 1954: In the circus of the three arenas (3 Ring Circus)
  • 1955: Ruler of the Jungle (Jungle Moon Men)
  • 1955: The Court Jester (The Court Jester) unnamed
  • 1956: Persuasion (Friendly Persuasion) unnamed
  • 1957: The incredible story of Mister C. (The Incredible Shrinking Man)
  • 1957: The Man of a Thousand Faces anonymous
  • 1958: King of the Jokers (Merry Andrew) anonymous
  • 1958: The Adventures of Superpup
  • 1960: Spacecraft MR-1 gives no answer (The Angry Red Planet) anonymous
  • 1964: Seven against Chicago (Robin and the 7 Hoods) unnamed
  • 1965: The Magician's Testament (Two on a Guillotine) unnamed
  • 1965: The world of Jean Harlow (Harlow) unnamed
  • 1968: Planet of the Apes unnamed
  • 1973: A Stranger Without a Name (High Plains Drifter)
  • 1973: Little Cigars
  • 1982: Eating Raoul (Eating Raoul)
  • 1984: The Night They Saved Christmas
  • 1984: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
  • 1985: Men for every job (Head Office)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pehsws6QYEo
  2. ↑ http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx?FilmID=21503
personal data
SURNAME Curtis, Billy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Curto, Luigi (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION short American actor and stunt performer
DATE OF BIRTH June 27, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH Springfield , Massachusetts , United States
DATE OF DEATH November 9, 1988
Place of death Dayton , Nevada , United States