Benny Bartlett
Benny Bartlett | |
---|---|
Born | Independence, Kansas, U.S. | August 16, 1924
Died | December 26, 1999 Redding, California, U.S. | (aged 75)
Other names | Bennie Bartlett Floyd B. Bartlett |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1935–1956 |
Benny Bartlett (August 16, 1924 – December 26, 1999) was an American child actor, musician, and later a member of the longest running feature-film series The Bowery Boys.
Biography
Career
Benny Bartlett was a child prodigy on the piano at eight years of age. His first stage role was when he was ten days old. At age four he was playing the trumpet, directing and singing with his own dance orchestra. He played over radio. He appeared in an RKO musical, Millions in the Air (1935), playing the piano. The next year he appeared in a short for Paramount, performing a composition he had written at the age of nine. The studio signed him to a contract soon afterwards. Bartlett began appearing with many of Paramount's biggest stars, and became such a hot property that he was often loaned out to other studios.
Later career and personal life
By the early 1940s, with the onset of puberty, he had reached the awkward age where child actors couldn't play juveniles anymore.
Bartlett joined the military during World War II. After his enlistment was over he resumed his acting career, and was cast as a member of the gang in The Bowery Boys comedies.
He exited the series in 1955, and shortly afterwards left the film business entirely.
Selected filmography
- Millions in the Air (1935) - Kid Pianist
- Timothy's Quest (1936) - Jimmy
- Sky Parade (1936) - Jimmie Allen - Age 9 (uncredited)
- Thirteen Hours by Air (1936) - Waldemar Pitt III
- The Princess Comes Across (1936) - Ship's Bellhop (uncredited)
- Poppy (1936) - Boy (uncredited)
- The Texas Rangers (1936) - David
- Three Married Men (1936) - Percy Mullins
- Time Out for Romance (1937) - Orville Healy
- Maid of Salem (1937) - Timothy - Her Son
- Let Them Live (1937) - Mike
- Easy Living (1937) - Newsboy (uncredited)
- Exclusive (1937) - Boy (uncredited)
- Danger – Love at Work (1937) - Junior Pemberton
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937) - Cabin Boy
- Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938) - Chuck
- Sons of the Legion (1938) - Red O'Flaherty
- Gang Bullets (1938) - Billy Jones
- Just Around the Corner (1938) - Milton Ramsby
- The Great Man Votes (1939) - Davy McCarthy
- The Family Next Door (1939) - Rufus Pierce
- Mickey the Kid (1939) - Joe Fisher
- Honeymoon in Bali (1939) - Jack, Singing Telegram Boy
- What a Life (1939) - 'Butch' Williams
- Our Neighbors – The Carters (1939) - Junior Carter
- Alias the Deacon (1940) - Willie Clark
- Let's Make Music (1941) - Tommy
- Meet John Doe (1941) - Red (uncredited)
- Men of Boys Town (1941) - Older Homeless Boy (uncredited)
- Tillie the Toiler (1941) - Glennie
- Code of the Outlaw (1942) - Tim Hardin
- Between Us Girls (1942) - Boy (uncredited)
- Kid Dynamite (1943) - Beanie Miller
- He Hired the Boss (1943) - Jimmy
- Clancy Street Boys (1943) - Benny
- Follow the Band (1943) - Cootie
- A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) - Henry (uncredited)
- Nobody's Darling (1943) - Julius aka The Deacon
- Fired Wife (1943) - Bellboy (uncredited)
- Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) - Page Boy (uncredited)
- Her Adventurous Night (1946) - Horace
- The Adventures of Don Coyote (1947) - Ted Riley
- Gas House Kids Go West (1947) - Orvie
- Gas House Kids in Hollywood (1947) - Orvie
- Big Town After Dark (1947) - McGonigle (uncredited)
- Angels' Alley (1948) - Harry 'Jag' Harmon
- Heart of Virginia (1948) - 'Breezy' Brent
- Jinx Money (1948) - Butch
- The Babe Ruth Story (1948) - Newsboy (uncredited)
- Smugglers' Cove (1948) - Butch
- Trouble Makers (1948) - Butch
- Fighting Fools (1949) - Butch
- Hold That Baby! (1949) - Butch
- Any Number Can Play (1949) - Tommy Smith (uncredited)
- Angels in Disguise (1949) - Butch
- Master Minds (1949) - Butch
- Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) - Joe Scales (uncredited)
- Southside 1-1000 (1950) - Eddie, Bellboy
- Crazy Over Horses (1951) - Butch
- Hold That Line (1952) - Butch
- Belles on Their Toes (1952) - 'Bubber' Beasley (uncredited)
- Here Come the Marines (1952) - Butch
- Feudin' Fools (1952) - Butch
- No Holds Barred (1952) - Butch
- Jalopy (1953) - Butch
- The Girls of Pleasure Island (1953) - Marine (uncredited)
- Loose in London (1953) - Butch
- Clipped Wings (1953) - Butch
- Private Eyes (1953) - Butch
- Paris Playboys (1954) - Butch
- The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954) - Butch
- Rear Window (1954) - Man with Miss Torso (uncredited)
- Jungle Gents (1954) - Butch
- Bowery to Bagdad (1955) - Butch
- High Society (1955) - Butch
- Spy Chasers (1955) - Butch
- Jail Busters (1955) - Butch
- Dig That Uranium (1956) - Butch
Further reading
- Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 11–12.
- Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 151–152.
External links