American actor (1917–1999)
Billy Benedict
Born (1917-04-16 ) April 16, 1917Died November 25, 1999(1999-11-25) (aged 82) Occupation Actor Years active 1935–1992 Spouse Dolly Benedict
(
m. 1969, divorced)
William Franklin Sater Benedict (April 16, 1917 – November 25, 1999) was an American actor, perhaps best known for playing "Whitey" in Monogram Pictures ' The Bowery Boys series.[ 1]
Benedict was born in Haskell, Oklahoma ,[ 2] After his father's death when Billy was three years old, his mother supported him and his two sisters.[ 3] He took part in school theatricals, and on leaving school he made his way to Hollywood .
Benedict's first film was $10 Raise (1935) starring Edward Everett Horton , which launched the blond-haired young man on a busy career. He almost always played juvenile roles, such as newsboys, messengers, office boys, and farmhands.
In 1939, when Universal Pictures began its Little Tough Guys series to compete with the popular Dead End Kids features, Billy Benedict was recruited into the cast. These films led him into the similar East Side Kids movies (usually playing a member of the East Side gang, but occasionally in villainous roles). The East Side Kids became The Bowery Boys in 1946, and Benedict stayed with the series (as "Whitey") through the end of 1951.
Other films included My Little Chickadee (1940) starring W. C. Fields and Mae West , The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Ed Wood 's Bride of the Monster (1955), The Sting (1973) and Farewell, My Lovely (1975). Benedict never shook his juvenile image completely, and continued to play messengers and news vendors well into his sixties. He also worked often in television commercials,[ 4] and in television series, including The Andy Griffith Show , All in the Family , and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson .
Benedict died at age 82 on November 25, 1999, at Los Angeles ' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ,[ 4] following heart surgery.[ 1]
Selected filmography [ edit ] Year Film Role Director Notes 1935 $10 Raise Jimmy George Marshall 1935 College Scandal 'Penny' Parker Elliott Nugent 1935 Silk Hat Kid Uncle Sam H. Bruce Humberstone uncredited 1935 Doubting Thomas Caddie David Butler 1935 The Farmer Takes a Wife Boy Announcing Dan's Arrival Before Fight Victor Fleming uncredited 1935 Welcome Home Bit James Tinling uncredited 1935 Steamboat Round the Bend Breck John Ford uncredited 1935 Ladies Love Danger Newsboy H. Bruce Humberstone uncredited 1935 Way Down East Amos D. W. Griffith 1935 Three Kids and a Queen Flash Edward Ludwig 1935 Bad Boy Grocery Clerk John G. Blystone uncredited 1935 Show Them No Mercy Willie George Marshall uncredited 1935 Your Uncle Dudley Cyril Church Eugene Forde 1936 The Country Doctor The Gawker Henry King 1936 Captain January Telegram Delivery Boy David Butler uncredited 1936 The Witness Chair Benny Ryan George Nicholls, Jr. 1936 Meet Nero Wolfe Barstow's Caddy Herbert Biberman 1936 M'Liss Archer Morpher George Nicholls, Jr. 1936 A Son Comes Home Cabin Boy E.A. Dupont uncredited 1936 Ramona Joseph Hyar 1936 Adventure in Manhattan Office Boy Edward Ludwig uncredited 1936 Libeled Lady Johnny Jack Conway 1936 Theodora Goes Wild Henry Richard Boleslawski uncredited 1936 Can This Be Dixie? Shenandoah Peachtree uncredited 1936 Laughing at Trouble Wilbur Frank R. Strayer 1936 Crack-Up Office Boy Malcolm St. Clair uncredited 1936 After the Thin Man Blond Young Man Who Approaches Car W. S. Van Dyke uncredited 1937 They Wanted to Marry Freckles Lew Landers 1937 Jim Hanvey, Detective Copy Boy Phil Rosen uncredited 1937 That I May Live Kurt Plivens Allan Dwan 1937 The Road Back Boy Leader James Whale uncredited 1937 Rhythm in the Clouds Clyde John H. Auer uncredited 1937 Love in a Bungalow Telegraph boy Ray McCarey 1937 Flying Fists Monk, Tall Kid Robert F. Hill 1937 A Dangerous Adventure Blister D. Ross Lederman uncredited 1937 The Last Gangster the Office Boy Edward Ludwig uncredited 1937 Tim Tyler's Luck Spud Wyndham Gittens 1938 I Met My Love Again Boy at Party George Cukor (uncredited) uncredited 1938 No Time to Marry Farm Boy Harry Lachman uncredited 1938 Bringing Up Baby David's Caddy Howard Hawks uncredited 1938 Walking Down Broadway Eddie Norman Foster 1938 King of the Newsboys Squimpy Bernard Vorhaus 1938 There's Always a Woman Bellhop Alexander Hall uncredited 1938 Hold That Kiss Boy Delivering Suit Edwin L. Marin uncredited 1938 Young Fugitives Jud John Rawlins 1938 Hold That Co-ed Sylvester George Marshall 1938 Little Tough Guys in Society Trouble Erle C. Kenton 1938 Say It in French Red-Haired Boy Andrew L. Stone uncredited 1938 Newsboys' Home Trouble Harold Young 1939 Code of the Streets Trouble Harold Young 1939 Man of Conquest Tommy George Nicholls Jr. uncredited 1939 Timber Stampede Printer's Devil Kenneth Holmes (assistant) uncredited 1939 Pack Up Your Troubles Office Boy H. Bruce Humberstone uncredited 1939 Call a Messenger Trouble Arthur Lubin 1940 Legion of the Lawless Eddie David Howard 1940 My Little Chickadee Lem Edward F. Cline uncredited 1940 And One Was Beautiful Delivery Man Robert B. Sinclair uncredited 1940 Prairie Law Teenage Voter David Howard uncredited 1940 Grand Ole Opry Newsboy Frank McDonald uncredited 1940 Adventures of Red Ryder Dan Withers [Ch. 1] John English Serial; uncredited 1940 The Great McGinty Farm Boy Preston Sturges uncredited 1940 Stage to Chino Happy Kenneth Holmes (assistant) uncredited 1940 Lucky Partners Delivery Boy Lewis Milestone uncredited 1940 Young People Boy Allan Dwan uncredited 1940 Rhythm on the River Elevator Boy Victor Schertzinger uncredited 1940 The Mad Doctor Copy Boy Tim Whelan uncredited 1940 Melody Ranch Slim Joseph Santley 1940 Give Us Wings Link Charles Lamont 1940 Second Chorus Ticket Taker H. C. Potter uncredited 1940 Bowery Boy William Morgan 1941 The Great Mr. Nobody Jig Benjamin Stoloff 1941 Scattergood Baines Lafe Hopper John E. Burch (assistant) uncredited 1941 The Man Who Lost Himself Messenger Boy Edward Ludwig uncredited 1941 Mr. District Attorney Office Boy Ed Byron uncredited 1941 Adventures of Captain Marvel Whitey Murphy John English Serial 1941 In Old Cheyenne Train Vendor Joseph Kane uncredited 1941 She Knew All the Answers Singing Telegraph Boy Richard Wallace 1941 Time Out for Rhythm Messenger Sidney Salkow uncredited 1941 Citadel of Crime Wes Rankins George Sherman 1941 The Richest Man in Town Young Man uncredited 1941 Dressed to Kill Telegram Boy Eugene J. Forde uncredited 1941 Great Guns Recruit at Corral Monty Banks uncredited 1941 Jesse James at Bay Young Davis Joseph Kane uncredited 1941 Unholy Partners Copyboy Wanting Paper Mervyn LeRoy uncredited 1941 Tuxedo Junction Thomas 'Piecrust' Murphy 1941 Cadet Girl Soldier at Camp Show Ray McCarey uncredited 1941 Confessions of Boston Blackie Ice Cream Man Edward Dmytryk 1942 A Tragedy at Midnight Newsboy Joseph Santley uncredited 1942 On the Sunny Side Messenger Harold D. Schuster 1942 Rings on Her Fingers Newsboy Rouben Mamoulian 1942 Two Yanks in Trinidad Messenger Gregory Ratoff uncredited 1942 The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine Bellboy Bernard Vorhaus 1942 Junior G-Men of the Air Whitey [Ch. 11] Ray Taylor Serial; uncredited 1942 Home in Wyomin' Usher William Morgan uncredited 1942 I Live on Danger Nightclub Waiter Sam White uncredited 1942 Lady in a Jam Barker Gregory La Cava uncredited 1942 Perils of Nyoka Red Davis William Witney 1942 The Talk of the Town Western Union Boy George Stevens uncredited 1942 Wildcat Bud Smithers Frank McDonald 1942 The Glass Key Farr's Receptionist Stuart Heisler uncredited 1942 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Usher in Opera House Ralph Murphy uncredited 1942 Get Hep to Love Soda Jerk Charles Lamont uncredited 1942 Valley of Hunted Men Ranch Boy John English uncredited 1942 Heart of the Golden West Telegraph Messenger Joseph Kane uncredited 1942 A Night to Remember Messenger Boy Richard Wallace uncredited 1943 The Powers Girl Office Boy Norman Z. McLeod uncredited 1943 Aerial Gunner Pvt. Jackson 'Sleepy' Laswell William H. Pine 1943 Hangmen Also Die! Kylar Fritz Lang uncredited 1943 Clancy Street Boys Cherry Street Leader William Beaudine 1943 The Ox-Bow Incident Greene William A. Wellman 1943 All by Myself Telegraph Messenger uncredited 1943 Ghosts on the Loose Benny William Beaudine 1943 Nobody's Darling Sammy Anthony Mann uncredited 1943 Adventures of the Flying Cadets Cadet Zombie Parker Ray Taylor 1943 Thank Your Lucky Stars Busboy uncredited 1943 Mr. Muggs Steps Out Pinky William Beaudine 1943 Minesweeper Inoculations Corpsman William Berke uncredited 1943 Moonlight in Vermont Abel Edward C. Lilley 1943 Whispering Footsteps Jerry Murphy Howard Bretherton 1944 Million Dollar Kid Skinny Wallace Fox 1944 Cover Girl Florist Delivery Boy Charles Vidor uncredited 1944 The Whistler The Deafmute William Castle uncredited 1944 Follow the Boys Joe A. Edward Sutherland uncredited 1944 Follow the Leader Spider O'Brien William Beaudine 1944 Goodnight Sweetheart Bellboy Joseph Santley 1944 Block Busters Butch Wallace Fox 1944 Janie Soda Jerk Michael Curtiz uncredited 1944 That's My Baby! Office Boy William Berke 1944 The Merry Monahans Messenger Charles Lamont uncredited 1944 They Live in Fear Thomas 'Mack' Knight uncredited 1944 Bowery Champs Skinny William Beaudine 1944 My Gal Loves Music Bellboy uncredited 1945 Night Club Girl Winnebago boy uncredited 1945 Youth on Trial Soda Jerk uncredited 1945 Brenda Starr, Reporter Pesky [Ch 1,3,5-8,11,13] Wallace Fox Serial; uncredited 1945 Docks of New York Skinny Wallace Fox 1945 Patrick the Great Joey Frank Ryan uncredited 1945 Hollywood and Vine Newsboy uncredited 1945 The Story of G.I. Joe Pvt. Whitey William A. Wellman uncredited 1945 Mr. Muggs Rides Again Skinny Wallace Fox 1945 Come Out Fighting Skinny William Beaudine 1945 Road to Utopia Second Newsboy Hal Walker uncredited 1946 People Are Funny NBC Usher Sam White 1946 Live Wires Whitey Phil Karlson 1946 Gay Blades Newsboy George Blair uncredited 1946 The Gentleman Misbehaves Bellboy uncredited 1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Newsboy #2 Norman Z. McLeod uncredited 1946 Without Reservations Western Union Telegraph Boy Mervyn LeRoy uncredited 1946 Do You Love Me? Singing Western Union Boy Gregory Ratoff uncredited 1946 One More Tomorrow Bantam Office Boy Peter Godfrey uncredited 1946 In Fast Company Whitey Del Lord 1946 A Boy, a Girl and a Dog Messenger Boy uncredited 1946 Bowery Bombshell Whitey Phil Karlson 1946 Spook Busters Whitey William Beaudine 1946 No Leave, No Love Expectant Father on Hospital Phone Charles Martin uncredited 1946 Never Say Goodbye Messenger Boy James V. Kern uncredited 1946 Mr. Hex Whitey William Beaudine 1947 The Pilgrim Lady Bellboy Lesley Selander 1947 Hard Boiled Mahoney Whitey William Beaudine 1947 Fun on a Weekend Hotel Bellboy Andrew L. Stone uncredited 1947 The Hucksters Bellboy at Blue Penguin Inn Jack Conway uncredited 1947 News Hounds Whitey William Beaudine 1947 Bowery Buckaroos Whitey William Beaudine 1947 Merton of the Movies Von Strutt's Assistant Robert Alton uncredited 1948 Angels' Alley Whitey William Beaudine 1948 Secret Service Investigator Counterman R. G. Springsteen 1948 Jinx Money Whitey William Beaudine 1948 Night Wind Irv Bennett uncredited 1948 Smugglers' Cove Whitey William Beaudine 1948 Trouble Makers Whitey Reginald LeBorg 1949 Fighting Fools Whitey Reginald LeBorg 1949 Riders of the Pony Express Eddie Lund 1949 Hold That Baby! Whitey Reginald LeBorg 1949 Angels in Disguise Whitey Jean Yarbrough 1949 Master Minds Whitey Jean Yarbrough 1950 Blonde Dynamite Whitey William Beaudine 1950 Lucky Losers Whitey William Beaudine 1950 Triple Trouble Whitey Jean Yarbrough 1950 Blues Busters Whitey William Beaudine 1951 Bowery Battalion Whitey William Beaudine 1951 Ghost Chasers Whitey William Beaudine 1951 Let's Go Navy! Whitey William Beaudine 1951 Crazy Over Horses Whitey William Beaudine 1953 The Magnetic Monster Albert Herbert L. Strock (uncredited) 1955 Bride of the Monster Newsboy Ed Wood 1956 The Killing American Airlines Clerk Stanley Kubrick 1958 Rally Round the Flag, Boys! Bellhop Leo McCarey uncredited 1959 The Hanging Tree Trapper Delmer Daves uncredited 1959 Last Train from Gun Hill Small Man in Horseshoe John Sturges uncredited 1961 Lover Come Back Musician in Elevator Delbert Mann uncredited 1964 Dear Heart Stu Delbert Mann uncredited 1965 Zebra in the Kitchen Toy Shop Proprietor Ivan Tors uncredited 1965 The Hallelujah Trail Miner John Sturges 1965 Harlow Bespectacled Hero in Movie Gordon Douglas uncredited 1967 What Am I Bid? Clem 1968 Funny Girl Western Union Boy William Wyler uncredited 1968 Rogue's Gallery Jocko Leonard Horn 1969 The Lottery Joe Summers Larry Yust short 1969 Hello Dolly! News Vendor Gene Kelly uncredited 1972 The Dirt Gang Station Attendant Jerry Jameson 1973 The Sting Jimmy, Roulette dealer George Roy Hill 1974 Homebodies Watchman Larry Yust 1975 Farewell, My Lovely Dick Richards 1976 Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood Man on Bus Michael Winner 1976 Sherlock Holmes in New York Telegraph Office Manager Boris Sagal 1977 The Last Hurrah Willie Degman Vincent Sherman 1978 Born Again Leon Jaworski Irving Rapper
Year Title Role Notes 1962 Dennis the Menace Crook S3:E22, “The Private Eye” 1967 The Monkees Skywriter S2:E4, "Monkee Mayor"
^ a b Lentz, Harris M. III (2000). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1999: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture . McFarland. p. 18. ISBN 9780786452040 . Retrieved May 28, 2017 . ^ Mayer, Geoff (2017). Encyclopedia of American Film Serials . McFarland. p. 49. ISBN 9780786477623 . Retrieved May 29, 2017 . ^ Keavy, Hubbard (May 3, 1935). "Screen Life In Hollywood" . Altoona Tribune . PA, Altoona. p. 6. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com . ^ a b Staff. "William Benedict Character Actor, 82" , The New York Times , November 30, 1999. Accessed March 30, 2009.
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