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)
Knots Landing
1979
as Billy Curtis
Adventures of Superman
1952
as Mole-Man #1 (uncredited)
Bewitched
1964
as Jack O'Lantern
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
Get Smart
1965
as El Lobo-Ito / Tiny Allen (uncredited)
Batman
1966
as Midget
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Creature (segment "Personal Demons")
Gunsmoke
1955
as Arizona
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Here's Lucy
1968
as Herman
Laverne & Shirley
1976
The Monkees
1966
as Midget
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Captain Borcher
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
as General Yoomak
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Barnaby
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
as Boomalakka Wee / Dwarf
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
87th Precinct
1961
The Cisco Kid
1950
as The Laughing Badman
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
Limelight
1952
as Midget in Agent's Office (uncredited)
Saboteur
1942
as Midget - Circus Troupe
Princess of the Nile
1954
as Tut (uncredited)
Friendly Persuasion
1956
as Midget at County Fair (uncredited)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
1984
as Elf #2
The Legend of Lylah Clare
1968
as Clown (uncredited)
Head Office
1985
as Reverend Lynch
Superman and the Mole Men
1951
as Mole-Man (uncredited)
Backstage Party
1961
as Self
Hellzapoppin'
1941
as Bodyguard (uncredited)
Eating Raoul
1982
as Little Person
Man of a Thousand Faces
1957
as Harry Earles (uncredited)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
as Barnaby
Two on a Guillotine
1965
as Big Mike (uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
1972
as Toy Cowboy (uncredited)
Buck Privates Come Home
1947
Maisie Was a Lady
1941
as Midget (Uncredited)
Pygmy Island
1950
as Makuba
Loose Shoes
1978
as Menchkin
The Wild McCullochs
1975
as Charlie P.
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!
1942
as Midget
April Showers
1948
as Capt. Rudolph L. Nemo
The Hard Way
1943
as Vaudeville Midget (Uncredited)
Little Cigars
1973
as Slick Bender
The Comic
1969
as Lifeguard in Film (uncredited)
Norwood
1970
as Edmund B. Ratner
Lucky Legs
1942
as Newsboy
Out of Sight
1966
as The Man From F.L.U.S.H.
Homicide for Three
1948
as Circus Performer
Jungle Moon Men
1955
as Damu
White House Madness
1975
as Secret Service Man
Three Texas Steers
1939
as Hercules - the Midget
Bob Hope Christmas Show
1965
as Self
Aphrodisiac: The Love Secret
1971
as Man on the Street Interviewee
The Terror of Tiny Town
1938
as The Hero (Buck Lawson)
Ice-Capades
1941
as George
Don't Lie
1942
as Melinda, the chimp
Father Guido Sarducci's Vatican Inquirer: The Pope's Tour
1986
as Monsignor Duffy
Emergency Landing
1941
as Judge
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.