"Little Billy" Rhodes Explained
| "Little Billy" Rhodes |
| Birth Name: | Clarence Herbert Bliss |
| Birth Date: | February 1, 1895 |
| Birth Place: | Lynn, Massachusetts, USA |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Actor |
Clarence Herbert Bliss[1] [2] professionally billed as "Little Billy" Rhodes, was an American stage and film 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 as the Barrister and The Terror of 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 (excluding early childhood). "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.
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.[8] [9]
In the early 1940s, he headed a convention known as the International Midget League.
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."
He died in Los Angeles, California, in 1967.
Selected filmography
Notes and References
- Web site: 28 Jul 1967. Vital Records: Deaths. live. 2021-04-12. The Los Angeles Times. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412164709/http://www.newspapers.com/image/382433141/?terms=%22billy%20rhodes%22&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 13 Dec 1935. Broker Pleads Guilty to Theft. live. 2021-04-12. The Los Angeles Times. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412165207/http://www.newspapers.com/image/380498397/?terms=%22clarence%20bliss%22%20%22little%20billy%22&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 20 Feb 1941. Convention Is Midgets' Plan. live. 2021-04-12. The Harrisburg Telegraph. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064139/http://www.newspapers.com/image/43022612/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 24 Jun 1938. Billy's a Veteran. live. 2021-04-12. The Journal Times. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064141/http://www.newspapers.com/image/334311623/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 17 Feb 1939. Famous Midget Being Featured at Algiers. live. 2021-04-12. The Desert Sun. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064144/http://www.newspapers.com/image/239069195/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 9 Jun 1930. Midgets Find New Field for Talents. live. 2021-04-12. Arizona Republic. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064142/http://www.newspapers.com/image/116962132/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 7 Jul 1964. Rough to Be a Midget. live. 2021-04-12. Sioux City Journal. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064139/http://www.newspapers.com/image/335810034/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 29 Jun 1929. Midget Is Center of Story. live. 2021-04-12. The Daily News. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064209/http://www.newspapers.com/image/514378502/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
- Web site: 8 Nov 1910. Big Hit by Little Billy. live. 2021-04-12. Yonkers Statesman. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412064601/http://www.newspapers.com/image/675902181/?terms=%22little%20billy%22%20midget&match=1 . 2021-04-12 .
