BILLY BARTYDate of Birth
25 October 1924, Millsboro, Pennsylvania, USA
Date of Death
23 December 2000, Glendale, California, USA (heart failure)
birth Name
William John Bertanzetti
Height
3' 9" (1.14 m)
Billy Barty began performing at three and began making pictures in 1927. He played Mickey Rooney's little brother in the "Mickey McGuire" comedy shorts series. He was equally adept in both comedy and drama, and generally gives an added zest to any production he is associated with. He founded the Little People of America in 1957 and the Billy Barty Foundation in 1975. He possessed an immense talent and energetic charm that added a much needed shot in the arm to many shows and films.
IMDb Mini Biography By:
Xeresa@home.comSpouse
Shirley Bolingbroke
MARRIED (24 February 1962 - 23 December 2000) (his death) 2 children
Hospitalized overnight for injuries from a motor scooter accident during a parade. [28 May 1999]
Founder of The Little People of America Inc., a philanthropic organization of which no one taller than 4 ft 6 inches may become a member.
Father of a son, Braden Barty and a daughter, Lori.
His funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Hollywood, California on December 27, 2000.
Billy died at 9:20 a.m. PST at Glendale Memorial Hospital after a two-week stay with lung and heart problems.
He was a noted crusader for the greater public knowledge and social acceptance of dwarfs and was angered at his contemporary with a similar condition, Hervé Villechaize, for hampering his efforts by publicly insisting that he (Villechaize) was a midget instead.
He hosted his own daily kids TV show, "Billy Barty's Big Show" (1963), where he entertained and informed his viewers and studio audiences in between reruns of The Three Stooges films. It was seen weekday afternoons on KTTV Ch.11 in Hollywood, California from the early to mid 1960s.
In 1991, after the first Gulf War, Rush Limbaugh, on his radio show, spoke of making a movie about it. When somebody suggested casting Billy Barty, Limbaugh said he was dead; however, the next day, Barty, who admitted he listened to Limbaugh's show regularly but had missed it that day, called in to prove otherwise.
Has a granddaughter, Tina.
He was on the Board with former President George Bush to help pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Audio book: "Highlights from Within Reach," available only from the official web-site. [October 2005]
Majored in journalism at L.A. City College and was both sports editor and public relations director of the "L.A. Collegian" newspaper.
Had an admirable college career in sports: He played both football and basketball, plus ran 50 yards in 7.2 seconds.
Los Angeles KRTH-FM Radio News Director Steve Fredericks once asked the 3-foot, 10-inch-tall actor in an interview whether, if he could suddenly become a "big" person, if he would choose that. After a long and thoughtful pause, Barty said, "No . . . because I've made all the adjustments.".
Said one of his major pet peeves was when people would try to pick him up as though he were a child.
Ironically, in 1990 producer/writer William Winckler sued Billy Barty in Small Claims Court in Van Nuys, California for money that was owed him on the TV comedy series Short Ribbs, and Winckler won the case against Barty. The press had a "field day" with all the publicity, stories ran through AP, UPI, The Daily News, ABC-TV News Los Angeles by reporter Joe McMann, and news swept throughout the country. Stories of Billy Barty being sued in Small Claims Court appeared in nearly every newspaper in the U.S. and internationally, on radio news shows, and covered by TV news stations. Entertainment Tonight ran a story on Billy Barty being taken to small claims court. Barty himself said it was the most negative publicity he ever had in his life, with headlines such as "Small Billy Barty in Small Claims," "Barty Comes Up Short in Small Claims," etc. . Barty added that he got nearly as much publicity as Zsa Zsa Gabor did for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer around the same time (1990). Short Ribbs writer Warren Taylor also sued Barty in Small Claims Court and won this case as well.
Actor (177 titles)
2001 I/O Error (short)
Custodian
2000 The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave (video)
Funeral Eulogist (uncredited)
1999 L.A. Heat (TV series)
Morty Feinberg
– In Harm's Way (1999) … Morty Feinberg
1997 The New Batman Adventures (TV series)
Hips McManus
– Double Talk (1997) … Hips McManus (voice)
1996 Frasier (TV series)
Chris
– High Crane Drifter (1996) … Chris (voice)
1994 Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart
1993 Jack's Place (TV series)
Old Man
– The Pipes Are Calling (1993) … Old Man
1993 The Naked Truth
The Bell Boy
1991 Life Stinks
Willy
1991 Bride of Violence (TV movie)
Victor
1991 The Munsters Today (TV series)
Genie
– Genie from Hell (1991) … Genie
1990 The Rescuers Down Under
Baitmouse (voice)
1990 Adventures of the Gummi Bears (TV series)
– A Recipe for Trouble (1990) (voice)
1990 Nasty Boys (TV series)
– Desert Run (1990)
1990/I Wishful Thinking
Gypsy
1990 Diggin' Up Business
Crosby
1989 Short Ribbs (TV series)
Various
1989 UHF
Noodles MacIntosh
1989 Lobster Man from Mars
Mr. Throckmorton
1986-1988 ABC Weekend Specials (TV series)
Uncle Lester
– Runaway Ralph (1988) … Uncle Lester (voice)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986) … Uncle Lester (voice)
1988 Willow
High Aldwin
1987 Off the Mark
The Little Russian
1987 DuckTales (TV series)
King Brian
– Luck o' the Ducks (1987) … King Brian (voice)
1987 Masters of the Universe
Gwildor
1987 Snow White
Iddy
1987 Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin
1986 Wildfire (TV series)
Dweedle
– Wildfire: King of the Horses (1986) … Dweedle (voice)
– Where the Dreams Come From (1986) … Dweedle (voice)
– King for a Day (1986) … Dweedle (voice)
– The Pixie Painters (1986) … Dweedle (voice)
– The Highwayman (1986) … Dweedle (voice)
1986 Body Slam
Tim McClusky
1986 Tough Guys
Philly
1985 The Golden Girls (TV series)
Edgar Lindstrom
– A Little Romance (1985) … Edgar Lindstrom
1985 Star Fairies (TV movie)
Troll (voice)
1985 Legend
Screwball
1984/I Night Patrol
Captain Lewis
1984 Trapper John, M.D. (TV series)
Mort Cavanaugh
– A Little Knife Music (1984) … Mort Cavanaugh
1983 Ace Crawford, Private Eye (TV series)
Inch
– The Gentleman Bandit (1983) … Inch
– The Microchip Caper (1983) … Inch
– Inch in a Pinch (1983) … Inch
– Bull Bates (1983) … Inch
– Murder at Restful Hills (1983) … Inch
1982 Hart to Hart (TV series)
Aloysis / Big Miller
– A Christmas Hart (1982) … Big Miller/Aloysis
1979-1982 Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Lou Bates / Owen
– Little Lou (1982) … Lou Bates
– Annabelle (1979) … Owen
1982 The Comic Book Kids
1981 Under the Rainbow
Otto Kriegling
1981 Concrete Cowboys (TV series)
Adolph
– Episode #1.1 (1981) … Adolph
1980 Hardly Working
Sammy
1980 Bizarre (TV series)
Various Characters
1979 Skatetown, U.S.A.
Jimmy
1979 CHiPs (TV series)
James O'Hara
– Counterfeit (1979) … James O'Hara
1979 Fantasy Island (TV series)
Alphonse
– Cornelius and Alphonse/The Choice (1979) … Alphonse
1979 Firepower
Dominic Carbone
1979 Supertrain (TV series)
Mick
– Hail to the Chief (1979) … Mick
1978 The Love Boat (TV series)
Ralph Warren
– Heads or Tails/Mona of the Movies/The Little People (1978) … Ralph Warren
1978 Charlie's Angels (TV series)
News Vendor
– Angel on My Mind (1978) … News Vendor
1978 The Lord of the Rings
Bilbo / Sam
1978-1979 The Bay City Rollers Show (TV series)
Hugo / Various Characters
– Episode #1.1 (1978) … Hugo/Various Characters
1978 The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars (TV movie)
1978 Foul Play
J.J. MacKuen
1978 Man from Atlantis (TV series)
Moxie
– Deadly Carnival (1978) … Moxie
TO NAME A FEW
1979-1982 Little House on the Prairie - TWO EPISODES
Lou Bates / Owen
– Little Lou (1982) … Lou Bates Annabelle (1979) … Owen LITTLE LOU