"Little Billy" Rhodes

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]

"Little Billy" Rhodes
Born
Clarence Herbert Bliss

February 1, 1895
Lynn, Massachusetts, USA
DiedJuly 24, 1967(1967-07-24) (aged 72)
Los Angeles, California, USA
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor

Biography

A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, "Little Billy" recalled that his father left the family upon realizing his son's short stature.[7] "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.[7]

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.[4][8][9]

In the early 1940s, he headed a convention known as the International Midget League.[3]

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."[8]

He died in Los Angeles, California, in 1967.[1]

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Vital Records: Deaths". The Los Angeles Times. 28 Jul 1967. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  2. "Broker Pleads Guilty to Theft". The Los Angeles Times. 13 Dec 1935. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  3. "Convention Is Midgets' Plan". The Harrisburg Telegraph. 20 Feb 1941. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  4. "Billy's a Veteran". The Journal Times. 24 Jun 1938. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  5. "Famous Midget Being Featured at Algiers". The Desert Sun. 17 Feb 1939. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  6. "Midgets Find New Field for Talents". Arizona Republic. 9 Jun 1930. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  7. "Rough to Be a Midget". Sioux City Journal. 7 Jul 1964. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  8. "Midget Is Center of Story". The Daily News. 29 Jun 1929. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  9. "Big Hit by Little Billy". Yonkers Statesman. 8 Nov 1910. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
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