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Billy Curtis

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
71

Gender
Male

Birthday
June 27, 1909 (117 years old)

Place of Birth
Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

Billy Curtis

Biography

Billy Curtis (June 27, 1909 - November 9, 1988) was an American film and television actor. He was a dwarf who had a 50-year career in a variety of roles. He was born on 27 June 1909 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and died November 9, 1988 in Dayton, Nevada, of a heart attack. According to the IMDb site, his birth name was Luigi Curto, and his height was 4 feet 2 inches (1.27 m). The bulk of his work was in the western and science fiction genres. One of his early jobs was as one of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. He also appeared in Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. Most notably, Curtis worked in westerns, including the Clint Eastwood feature, High Plains Drifter in which he featured as Mordecai, a friendly dwarf sympathetic to Eastwood, he also appeared in the 1938 Musical/Western The Terror of Tiny Town. This film is, as far as is known, the world's only Western with an all-dwarf cast. Many of the actors in Tinytown were part of a performing troupe called Singer's Midgets, who also played Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939. He also had a starring role in American International Pictures' 1973 release, Little Cigars, about a gang of "midgets" on a crime spree.

Known For

Acting

1986Father Guido Sarducci's Vatican Inquirer: The Pope's Touras Monsignor Duffy
1985The Twilight Zoneas Creature (segment "Personal Demons")
1985Head Officeas Reverend Lynch
1984It Came Upon the Midnight Clearas Elf #2
1984Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsas Barnaby
1982Faerie Tale Theatreas Barnaby
1982Eating Raoulas Little Person
1979Knots Landingas Billy Curtis
1979Buck Rogers in the 25th Centuryas General Yoomak
1978Loose Shoesas Menchkin
1976Monster Squadas The Ringmaster
1976Laverne & Shirleyas
1975The Wild McCullochsas Charlie P.
1975White House Madnessas Secret Service Man
1973Little Cigarsas Slick Bender
1973High Plains Drifteras Mordecai
1972Evil Roy Sladeas Toy Cowboy (uncredited)
1971Aphrodisiac: The Love Secretas Man on the Street Interviewee
1970Norwoodas Edmund B. Ratner
1969Hello, Dolly!as Little Person (uncredited)
1969The Comicas Lifeguard in Film (uncredited)
1968Here's Lucyas Herman
1968The Legend of Lylah Clareas Clown (uncredited)
1968Planet of the Apesas Child Ape (uncredited)
1966The Monkeesas Midget
1966Star Trekas Small, copper skinned ambassador (uncredited)
1966Out of Sightas The Man From F.L.U.S.H.
1966Batmanas Midget
1965Bob Hope Christmas Showas Self
1965Get Smartas El Lobo-Ito
1965Get Smartas Tiny Allen (uncredited)
1965Two on a Guillotineas Big Mike (uncredited)
1964Bewitchedas Jack O'Lantern
1964Robin and the 7 Hoodsas Newsboy
1963The Greatest Show on Earthas
1962The Beverly Hillbilliesas
1961Backstage Partyas Self
196187th Precinctas
1959Adventures in Paradiseas Captain Borcher
1959Tightropeas
195877 Sunset Stripas
1958Shirley Temple's Storybookas Boomalakka Wee
1958Shirley Temple's Storybookas Dwarf
1957Man of a Thousand Facesas Harry Earles (uncredited)
1957The Incredible Shrinking Manas Midget
1956Friendly Persuasionas Midget at County Fair (uncredited)
1955Gunsmokeas Arizona
1955Jungle Moon Menas Damu
1954Princess of the Nileas Tut (uncredited)
1952Limelightas Midget in Agent's Office (uncredited)
1952This Is Your Lifeas Self
1952Adventures of Supermanas
1952Adventures of Supermanas Mole-Man #1 (uncredited)
1951Superman and the Mole Menas Mole-Man (uncredited)
1950Pygmy Islandas Makuba
1950The Cisco Kidas The Laughing Badman
1948Homicide for Threeas Circus Performer
1948April Showersas Capt. Rudolph L. Nemo
1947Buck Privates Come Homeas
1943The Hard Wayas Vaudeville Midget (Uncredited)
1942Lucky Legsas Newsboy
1942Saboteuras Midget - Circus Troupe
1942Don't Lieas Melinda, the chimp
1942Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!as Midget
1941Hellzapoppin'as Bodyguard (uncredited)
1941Ice-Capadesas George
1941Emergency Landingas Judge
1941Maisie Was a Ladyas Midget (Uncredited)
1939The Wizard of Ozas Munchkin (uncredited)
1939Three Texas Steersas Hercules - the Midget
1938The Terror of Tiny Townas The Hero (Buck Lawson)

Production

1971Dirty Harry...Stunts