Billy Curtis
Known for Acting · 68 credits
- Born
- 1909-06-27
- Died
- 1988-11-09
- Place of birth
- Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
- Also known as
- Luigi Curto
Biography
Billy Curtis (June 27, 1909 - November 9, 1988) was an American film and television actor. He was a dwarf who had a 50-year career in a variety of roles. He was born on 27 June 1909 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and died November 9, 1988 in Dayton, Nevada, of a heart attack. According to the IMDb site, his birth name was Luigi Curto, and his height was 4 feet 2 inches (1.27 m). The bulk of his work was in the western and science fiction genres. One of his early jobs was as one of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. He also appeared in Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. Most notably, Curtis worked in westerns, including the Clint Eastwood feature, High Plains Drifter in which he featured as Mordecai, a friendly dwarf sympathetic to Eastwood, he also appeared in the 1938 Musical/Western The Terror of Tiny Town. This film is, as far as is known, the world's only Western with an all-dwarf cast. Many of the actors in Tinytown were part of a performing troupe called Singer's Midgets, who also played Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939. He also had a starring role in American International Pictures' 1973 release, Little Cigars, about a gang of "midgets" on a crime spree.
Known For
TV Shows (23)
Star Trek
1966
as Small, copper skinned ambassador (uncredited)
Bewitched
1964
as Jack O'Lantern
Knots Landing
1979
as Billy Curtis
Batman
1966
as Midget
Get Smart
1965
as El Lobo-Ito / Tiny Allen (uncredited)
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Creature (segment "Personal Demons")
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Here's Lucy
1968
as Herman
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Gunsmoke
1955
as Arizona
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
as General Yoomak
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Captain Borcher
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Barnaby
Adventures of Superman
1952
as Mole-Man #1 (uncredited)
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
as Boomalakka Wee / Dwarf
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
The Monkees
1966
as Midget
The Cisco Kid
1950
as The Laughing Badman
87th Precinct
1961
Tightrope
1959
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963
Monster Squad
1976
as The Ringmaster
Movies (45)
The Wizard of Oz
1939
as Munchkin (uncredited)
Planet of the Apes
1968
as Child Ape (uncredited)
High Plains Drifter
1973
as Mordecai
Hello, Dolly!
1969
as Little Person (uncredited)
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
as Newsboy
The Incredible Shrinking Man
1957
as Midget
Friendly Persuasion
1956
as Midget at County Fair (uncredited)
Saboteur
1942
as Midget - Circus Troupe
Limelight
1952
as Midget in Agent's Office (uncredited)
Superman and the Mole Men
1951
as Mole-Man (uncredited)
Eating Raoul
1982
as Little Person
Man of a Thousand Faces
1957
as Harry Earles (uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
1972
as Toy Cowboy (uncredited)
Hellzapoppin'
1941
as Bodyguard (uncredited)
Head Office
1985
as Reverend Lynch
The Comic
1969
as Lifeguard in Film (uncredited)
The Hard Way
1943
as Vaudeville Midget (Uncredited)
Princess of the Nile
1954
as Tut (uncredited)
The Wild McCullochs
1975
as Charlie P.
The Legend of Lylah Clare
1968
as Clown (uncredited)
Buck Privates Come Home
1947
Loose Shoes
1978
as Menchkin
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!
1942
as Midget
April Showers
1948
as Capt. Rudolph L. Nemo
Ice-Capades
1941
as George
Out of Sight
1966
as The Man From F.L.U.S.H.
Norwood
1970
as Edmund B. Ratner
Aphrodisiac: The Love Secret
1971
as Man on the Street Interviewee
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
as Barnaby
Lucky Legs
1942
as Newsboy
Little Cigars
1973
as Slick Bender
Two on a Guillotine
1965
as Big Mike (uncredited)
Emergency Landing
1941
as Judge
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
1984
as Elf #2
Jungle Moon Men
1955
as Damu
The Terror of Tiny Town
1938
as The Hero (Buck Lawson)
Maisie Was a Lady
1941
as Midget (Uncredited)
Homicide for Three
1948
as Circus Performer
Pygmy Island
1950
as Makuba
Three Texas Steers
1939
as Hercules - the Midget
Bob Hope Christmas Show
1965
as Self
White House Madness
1975
as Secret Service Man
Don't Lie
1942
as Melinda, the chimp
Backstage Party
1961
as Self
Father Guido Sarducci's Vatican Inquirer: The Pope's Tour
1986
as Monsignor Duffy
About Billy Curtis
Billy Curtis (June 27, 1909 - November 9, 1988) was an American film and television actor. He was a dwarf who had a 50-year career in a variety of roles. He was born on 27 June 1909 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and died November 9, 1988 in Dayton, Nevada, of a heart attack. According to the IMDb site, his birth name was Luigi Curto, and his height was 4 feet 2 inches (1.27 m). The bulk of his work was in the western and science fiction genres. One of his early jobs was as one of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. He also appeared in Adventur… With 68 credits spanning from 1938 to 1986, Billy Curtis has appeared in 45 films and 23 TV shows.
Fans searching for Billy Curtis movies, Billy Curtis filmography, or the latest projects starring Billy Curtis can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Billy Curtis Movies
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) — as Munchkin (uncredited)
- Planet of the Apes (1968) — as Child Ape (uncredited)
- High Plains Drifter (1973) — as Mordecai
- Hello, Dolly! (1969) — as Little Person (uncredited)
- Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) — as Newsboy
Where to Watch Billy Curtis Films
Most Billy Curtis movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Billy Curtis, check our movies catalogue and browse page.