Billy Lee (William Lee Schlensker) (March 12, 1929 – November 17, 1989) was a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

who appeared in many films from the mid-1930s through the early 1940s. He is probably best remembered for his performance in '' The Biscuit Eater''. Lee's first role was in the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' comedy short ''

Mike Fright Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

'' as a tap dancer in a sailor suit. He was signed under contract with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

from 1934 to 1941 and his first significant role was in ''

Wagon Wheels Wagon Wheels are a sweet snack food sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, other Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and India, and Ireland. They consist of two biscuits that form a sandwich with a marshmallow filling with jam, an ...

'' when he was just four years old. Lee continued acting throughout the 1930s, appearing in a number of movies (among others: ''

Too Many Parents ''Too Many Parents'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan, written by Virginia Van Upp and Doris Malloy, and starring Frances Farmer, Lester Matthews, Porter Hall, Henry Travers, Billy Lee, George Ernest and Sherwood Bai ...

'', ''

Easy to Take ''Easy to Take'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Glenn Tryon and written by Virginia Van Upp. The film stars Marsha Hunt, John Howard, Eugene Pallette, Richard Carle, Douglas Scott and Robert Greig. The film was released on November ...

'', ''

Three Cheers for Love ''Three Cheers for Love'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by Ray McCarey, written by George Marion, Jr., and starring Eleanore Whitney, Robert Cummings, William Frawley, Elizabeth Patterson, Roscoe Karns and John Halliday. It was rel ...

'', '' Silk Hat Kid'', ''

The Big Broadcast of 1937 ''The Big Broadcast of 1937'' is a 1936 Paramount Pictures production directed by Mitchell Leisen, and is the third in the series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies. The musical comedy stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, Martha Ray ...

'', ''

Sons of the Legion ''Sons of the Legion'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Lynne Overman, Evelyn Keyes and Tim Holt. Its plot concerns a group of boys looking to start a S.A.L. squadron. However, because a boy's father wrongf ...

'', ''

Say It in French ''Say It in French'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Andrew L. Stone and written by Frederick J. Jackson. The film stars Ray Milland, Olympe Bradna, Irene Hervey, Janet Beecher, Mary Carlisle and Holmes Herbert. The film was released ...

'', ''

Boy Trouble ''Boy Trouble'' is a 1939 American film starring Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, Donald O'Connor, and Billy Lee. Plot In the story, Sybil Fitch (Boland) adopts two orphan boys (O'Connor, Lee). Her husband (Ruggles) is infuriated. However, when th ...

'', '' Night Work'', ''

Sudden Money ''Sudden Money'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde, written by Lewis R. Foster, and starring Charlie Ruggles, Marjorie Rambeau, Charley Grapewin, Broderick Crawford, Billy Lee and Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (Novemb ...

'', ''Nobody's Children'', ''

Hold Back the Dawn ''Hold Back the Dawn'' is a 1941 American romantic drama film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her. It stars Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havi ...

'', '' Nevada City'', '' Road to Happiness'') and working alongside some of Hollywood's finest, including,

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His best ...

Lon Chaney Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film '' All Quiet on the Western Fr ...

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

Robert Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

, John Boles,

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

and

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in ''All t ...

). He also did the voice of "The Boy" character in the animated portion of the Disney film, '' The Reluctant Dragon''. In addition to being an actor, he was also a singer and dancer, appearing and singing with

Bobby Breen Isadore Borsuk (November 4, 1927 – September 19, 2016), better known as Bobby Breen, was a Canadian-born American actor and singer. He was a popular male child singer during the 1930s and reached major popularity with film and radio appearanc ...

in '' Make a Wish'' and touring with vaudeville shows. For his role in '' Cocoanut Grove'' he learnt to play the drums and formed the Billy Lee Band. The band appeared in the 1941 film, '' Reg'lar Fellers'', in which he starred with co-star

Carl Switzer Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...

. Lee retired from film in 1943 after his last film ''

War Dogs Dogs in warfare have a very long history starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military ...

''. Lee died on November 17, 1989, of a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

References

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John (1996). ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich, Michael Russell, p. 165-166. * Best, Marc (1971). ''Those Endearing Young Charms: Child Performers of the Screen''. South Brunswick and New York: Barnes & Co., p. 144-147. * Willson, Dixie (1935). ''Little Hollywood Stars''. Akron, OH, e New York: Saalfield Pub. Co., p. 133-142. * Lamparski, Richard (1986). ''Whatever Became of...?''. (Tenth Series). New York: Crown Publishers, p. 96-97. * Liebman, Roy (2009). ''Musical Groups in the Movies, 1929-1970''. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, p. 22.

External links

Classic Movie Kids: Billy Lee
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Billy American male film actors American male child actors Male actors from Indiana People from Beaumont, California 1929 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American male actors People from Vigo County, Indiana Our Gang