Larry Lee Simms (October 1, 1934 – June 17, 2009) was an American child actor who appeared in 36 films between 1937 and 1951.

Life and career

Larry Simms was born October 1, 1934. He worked as a child model from the age of two and was discovered by a Hollywood talent scout when he appeared in a 1937

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...

advertisement. His first film was ''

The Last Gangster ''The Last Gangster'' (also called ''Another Public Enemy'') is a 1937 American crime drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Edward G. Robinson and James Stewart. The supporting cast features Rose Stradner, Lionel Stander and John C ...

'' (1937), where he played Edward G. Robinson's young son. Simms became known for his appearances as Alexander "Baby Dumpling" Bumstead in the popular '' Blondie'' film series starring

Penny Singleton Penny Singleton (born Mariana Dorothy McNulty, September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was an American actress, singer, dancer and labor leader. During her 60-year career on stage, screen, radio and television, Singleton appeared as the ...

and Arthur Lake. Between 1938 and the end of the series in 1950, Simms appeared as Alexander in 28 films earning at one point $750 a week. In 1946, Simms joined the cast of the '' Blondie'' radio program, portraying Alexander there as he had in movies. Simms occasionally acted outside of the ''Blondie'' series, most notably in two

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

films. He played one of the sons of Governor Hopper (

Guy Kibbee Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the '' El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...

) in '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939) and Pete Bailey, the oldest son of

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

's George Bailey in ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...

'' (1946). He retired from show business to join the Navy (he appeared in uniform as himself in the Columbia Screen Snaphots short ''Hollywood Grows Up''), then studied aeronautical engineering at California Polytech. He later worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

and around the world as an engineer until his retirement from aeronautical engineering. Simms and his wife resided in Thailand prior to his death (on June 17 at age 74) in 2009."Where are they now?"
article about Larry Simms

Filmography

* ''

'' (1937) - Joe Krozac Jr. as a Baby (uncredited) * '' Blondie'' (1938) - Baby Dumpling * ''

Blondie Meets the Boss ''Blondie Meets the Boss'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. Based on the Chic Young comic strip of the same name, the film is the second in the '' Blondie'' series, which ...

'' (1939) - Baby Dumpling * ''

Blondie Takes a Vacation ''Blondie Takes a Vacation'' is a 1939 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Larry Simms. The film is based on Chic Young's comic strip of the same name. This was the th ...

'' (1939) - Baby Dumpling Bumstead * '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939) - Hopper Boy #4 * ''

Blondie Brings Up Baby ''Blondie Brings Up Baby'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms. It is the fourth of 28 films based on the comic strip. Plot summary Blondie is convinced by a salesma ...

'' (1939) - Alexander 'Baby Dumpling' Bumstead * ''

Blondie on a Budget ''Blondie on a Budget'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake and Rita Hayworth. It is the fifth entry into the long-running Blondie series of films, which ran between 1938 and 1950 ...

'' (1940) - Baby Dumpling Bumstead * '' Blondie Has Servant Trouble'' (1940) - Baby Dumpling * ''

Blondie Plays Cupid ''Blondie Plays Cupid'' is a 1940 American comedy film starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake and directed by Frank R. Strayer. Also in the cast is Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Cana ...

'' (1940) - Baby Dumpling * '' Blondie Goes Latin'' (1941) - Baby Dumpling Bumstead * ''

Blondie in Society ''Blondie in Society'' is a 1941 black-and-white comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Larry Simms. It is the ninth of the 28 features in the Blondie film series. Plot Dagwood is given a Great D ...

'' (1941) - Baby Dumpling * ''

Blondie Goes to College ''Blondie Goes to College'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer. The film is a part of the ''Blondie'' series, starring Penny Singleton in the title role. It is the tenth of twenty-eight Blondie movies starring Penny Sing ...

'' (1942) - Alexander 'Baby Dumpling' Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Blessed Event ''Blondie's Blessed Event'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Larry Simms. It is the 11th of the Blondie films. It was the first to feature the character of Cookie. Plot ...

'' (1942) - Baby Dumpling (Alexander) Bumstead * ''

The Gay Sisters ''The Gay Sisters'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Gig Young (who adopted his character's name as his screen name) and Nancy Coleman. The ...

'' (1942) - Austin * '' Blondie for Victory'' (1942) - Baby Dumpling * '' It's a Great Life'' (1943) - Alexander Bumstead / Baby Dumpling * ''

Footlight Glamour ''Footlight Glamour'' is a 1943 black-and-white film and the 14th of the 28 Blondie films. It is one of only two movies in the series that did not feature "Blondie" in the title (the other, '' It's a Great Life'', was released earlier that year) ...

'' (1943) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Leave It to Blondie ''Leave It to Blondie'' is a 1945 black-and-white comedy film and the 15th of the 28 Blondie films. Plot summary Cast * Penny Singleton as Blondie * Arthur Lake as Dagwood * Larry Simms as Baby Dumpling * Marjorie Ann Mutchie as Cookie * Daisy ...

'' (1945) - Alexander Bumstead * '' Life with Blondie'' (1945) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Lucky Day ''Blondie's Lucky Day'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the 17th of the 28 Blondie films. Plot summary While his boss, Mr. Dithers, is o ...

'' (1946) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie Knows Best ''Blondie Knows Best'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the eighteenth of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood is under the threat of ...

'' (1946) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

'' (1946) - Pete Bailey * ''

Blondie's Big Moment ''Blondie's Big Moment'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the 19th of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood is eager to make a good imp ...

'' (1947) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Holiday ''Blondie's Holiday'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. The film is based on the comic strip of the same name. The screenplay was written by Chic Young and Connie Lee. The fil ...

'' (1947) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Golden Earrings ''Golden Earrings'' is a 1947 romantic spy film made by Paramount Pictures and starring Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen and produced by Harry Tugend from a screenplay by Frank Butler, Helen Deutsch and Ab ...

'' (1947) - Horace - Pageboy (uncredited) * ''

Song of Love Song of Love may refer to: * Song of love or love song, a song about falling in love * ''The Song of Love'' (1923 film) * ''Song of Love'' (1929 film), a film starring Belle Baker and Ralph Graves * ''The Song of Love'' (1930 film) * ''Song of ...

'' (1947) - Prince Albert (uncredited) * ''

Blondie in the Dough ''Blondie in the Dough'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is 21st of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood and his boss are frantically se ...

'' (1947) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Anniversary ''Blondie's Anniversary'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Larry Simms. It is the twenty-second of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood is holding a watch, a gift that his bos ...

'' (1947) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Reward ''Blondie's Reward'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the twenty-third of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood purchases the wrong rea ...

'' (1948) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Secret ''Blondie's Secret'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Edward Bernds and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the twenty-fourth of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Cast * Penny Singleton as Bl ...

'' (1948) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Big Deal ''Blondie's Big Deal'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Edward Bernds and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the twenty-fifth of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood accidentally invents a ...

'' (1949) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities ...

'' (1949) - Justin * ''

Blondie Hits the Jackpot ''Blondie Hits the Jackpot'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Edward Bernds and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the 26th of the 28 Blondie films. Plot Dagwood is hired on a construc ...

'' (1949) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Blondie's Hero ''Blondie's Hero'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Edward Bernds and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, and Marjorie Ann Mutchie. It is the penultimate entry of the 28 Blondie films, which ended with ''Beware of Blon ...

'' (1950) - Alexander Bumstead * ''

Beware of Blondie ''Beware of Blondie'' is a 1950 American black and white comedy film and is the last of Columbia's 28 Blondie (film series), Blondie films in 12 years. Plot summary Mr. Dithers goes on vacation, and leaves Dagwood in charge of the office. He arr ...

'' (1950) - Alexander Bumstead * ''Her First Romance'' (1951) - Military Boy (uncredited) (final film role) * '' Screen Snapshots Series 33, Hollywood Grows Up'' (1954, Documentary short) - Himself

References

Bibliography

* John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 190.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simms, Larry 1934 births 2009 deaths American male child actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles