Billy Lee (actor)
Billy Lee was an American child actor 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 comedy short Mike Fright as a tap dancer in a sailor suit. He was signed under contract with Paramount Pictures from 1934 to 1941 and his first significant role was in Wagon Wheels when he was just four years old.
Lee continued acting throughout the 1930s, appearing in a number of movies. 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 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.
Lee retired from film in 1943 after his last film War Dogs.
Lee died on November 17, 1989, of a sudden heart attack.
Filmography
- Mike Fright as Tap Dancer
- Wagon Wheels as Sonny Wellington
- Behold My Wife! as Young Indian Boy at Meal
- One Hour Late as Junior
- Silk Hat Kid as Tommy
- Two Fisted as Jimmy Parker
- Babes in Hollywood as Jimmy
- Too Many Parents as Billy Miller
- Sky Parade as Jimmie Allen, age 4
- And Sudden Death as Bobbie Sanborn
- Three Cheers for Love as Johnny
- The Arizona Raiders as Little Boy
- The Big Broadcast of 1937 as Train Bearer
- Rose Bowl as Young Boy
- Easy to Take as Bill Ardmore Jr.
- Arizona Mahoney as Kid
- Wild Money as Malcolm West
- Exclusive as Beak's Child
- Make a Wish as Pee Wee
- Thunder Trail as Bob at 8
- Cocoanut Grove as Half Pint
- Sons of the Legion as Billy Lee
- Say It in French as Boy with Lollipop
- Ambush as Boy at Restaurant
- Boy Trouble as Joe
- Sudden Money as Junior Patterson
- Let Us Live as Boy in Window
- Outside These Walls as Little Boy
- Coast Guard as Seaman
- Night Work as Joe Fitch
- In Old Monterey as Jimmy Whittaker
- Jeepers Creepers as Skeeter
- All Women Have Secrets as Bobby
- Parole Fixer as Jimmy Mattison
- The Biscuit Eater as Lonnie McNeil
- Nobody’s Children as Tommy
- The Reluctant Dragon as The Boy voice
- Power Dive as Brad Coles
- Nevada City as Chick Morrison
- The Reluctant Dragon The Boy
- Reg’lar Fellers as Pinhead Duffy
- Hold Back the Dawn as Tony
- Road to Happiness as Danny Carter
- Eyes of the Underworld as Mickey Bryan
- Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch as Jimmy Wiggs
- War Dogs as Billy Freeman
- The Ford Theater Hour
- Starlight Theater
- Love Is Better Than Ever as Little Boy
- Limelight as Little Boy
- Thy Neighbor’s Wife
- Medallion Theater
- Ponds Theater
- Ethel and Albert
- ''Kraft Theatre''