Billy Lee (William Lee Schlensker) (March 12, 1929 – November 17, 1989) was a
child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
who appeared in many films from the mid-1930s through the early 1940s. He is probably best remembered for his performance in ''
The Biscuit Eater''.
Lee's first role was in the ''
Our Gang
''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...
'' comedy short ''
Mike Fright
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documenta ...
''
[ as a tap dancer in a sailor suit. He was signed under contract with ]Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
from 1934 to 1941[ and his first significant role was in '']Wagon Wheels
Wagon Wheels are a sweet snack food sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, other Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and India, and Ireland. They consist of two biscuits that form a sandwich with a marshmallow filling with jam, an ...
'' when he was just four years old.
Lee continued acting throughout the 1930s, appearing in a number of movies (among others: '' Too Many Parents'', '' Easy to Take'', '' Three Cheers for Love'', '' Silk Hat Kid'', '' The Big Broadcast of 1937'', '' Sons of the Legion'', ''Say It in French
''Say It in French'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Andrew L. Stone and written by Frederick J. Jackson. The film stars Ray Milland, Olympe Bradna, Irene Hervey, Janet Beecher, Mary Carlisle and Holmes Herbert. The film was release ...
'', '' Boy Trouble'', '' Night Work'', ''Sudden Money
''Sudden Money'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde, written by Lewis R. Foster, and starring Charlie Ruggles, Marjorie Rambeau, Charley Grapewin, Broderick Crawford, Billy Lee and Evelyn Keyes. It was released on March 31 ...
'', ''Nobody's Children'', '' Hold Back the Dawn'', '' Nevada City'', '' Road to Happiness'') and working alongside some of Hollywood's finest, including, Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule.
His best ...
, Lon Chaney Jr., Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
, Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
, Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
, Lew Ayres
Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film '' All Quiet on the Western Fr ...
, Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
, Robert Cummings
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and '' Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...
, Basil Rathbone
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
, Olivia de Havilland
Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...
, John Boles, Fred MacMurray
Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...
, Ray Milland
Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...
and Broderick Crawford
William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in '' All ...
). He also did the voice of "The Boy" character in the animated portion of the Disney film, '' The Reluctant Dragon''.[ The band appeared in the 1941 film, '' Reg'lar Fellers'',][ in which he starred with co-star ]Carl Switzer Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
.
Lee retired from film in 1943 after his last film ''War Dogs
Dogs in warfare have a very long history starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern militar ...
''.[
Lee died on November 17, 1989, of a sudden ]heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
.
References
Bibliography
* Holmstrom, John (1996). ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich, Michael Russell, p. 165-166.
* Best, Marc (1971). ''Those Endearing Young Charms: Child Performers of the Screen''. South Brunswick and New York: Barnes & Co., p. 144-147.
* Willson, Dixie (1935). ''Little Hollywood Stars''. Akron, OH, e New York: Saalfield Pub. Co., p. 133-142.
* Lamparski, Richard (1986). ''Whatever Became of...?''. (Tenth Series). New York: Crown Publishers, p. 96-97.
* Liebman, Roy (2009). ''Musical Groups in the Movies, 1929-1970''. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, p. 22.
External links
Classic Movie Kids: Billy Lee
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Billy
American male film actors
American male child actors
Male actors from Indiana
People from Beaumont, California
1929 births
1989 deaths
20th-century American male actors
People from Vigo County, Indiana
Our Gang