Benny Bartlett (August 16, 1924 – December 26, 1999) was an American child actor, musician, and later a member of the longest running feature-film series The Bowery Boys.
Biography
Career
Benny Bartlett was a child prodigy on the piano at eight years of age. His first stage role was when he was ten days old. At age four he was playing the trumpet, directing and singing with his own dance orchestra. He played over radio. He appeared in an RKO musical, Millions in the Air (1935), playing the piano. The next year he appeared in a short for Paramount, performing a composition he had written at the age of nine. The studio signed him to a contract soon afterwards. Bartlett began appearing with many of Paramount’s biggest stars, and became such a hot property that he was often loaned out to other studios.
Later career and personal life
By the early 1940s, with the onset of puberty, he had reached the awkward age where child actors couldn’t play juveniles anymore.
Bartlett joined the military during World War II. After his enlistment was over he resumed his acting career, and was cast as a member of the gang in The Bowery Boys comedies.
He exited the series in 1955, and shortly afterwards left the film business entirely.
Selected filmography
Millions in the Air (1935) – Kid Pianist
Timothy’s Quest (1936) – Jimmy
Sky Parade (1936) – Jimmie Allen – Age 9 (uncredited)
Thirteen Hours by Air (1936) – Waldemar Pitt III
The Princess Comes Across (1936) – Ship’s Bellhop (uncredited)
Poppy (1936) – Boy (uncredited)
The Texas Rangers (1936) – David
Three Married Men (1936) – Percy Mullins
Time Out for Romance (1937) – Orville Healy
Maid of Salem (1937) – Timothy – Her Son
Let Them Live (1937) – Mike
Easy Living (1937) – Newsboy (uncredited)
Exclusive (1937) – Boy (uncredited)
Danger – Love at Work (1937) – Junior Pemberton
Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (1937) – Cabin Boy
Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938) – Chuck
Sons of the Legion (1938) – Red O’Flaherty
Gang Bullets (1938) – Billy Jones
Just Around the Corner (1938) – Milton Ramsby
The Great Man Votes (1939) – Davy McCarthy
The Family Next Door (1939) – Rufus Pierce
Mickey the Kid (1939) – Joe Fisher
Honeymoon in Bali (1939) – Jack, Singing Telegram Boy
What a Life (1939) – ‘Butch’ Williams
Our Neighbors – The Carters (1939) – Junior Carter
Alias the Deacon (1940) – Willie Clark
Let’s Make Music (1941) – Tommy
Meet John Doe (1941) – Red (uncredited)
Men of Boys Town (1941) – Older Homeless Boy (uncredited)
Tillie the Toiler (1941) – Glennie
Code of the Outlaw (1942) – Tim Hardin
Between Us Girls (1942) – Boy (uncredited)
Kid Dynamite (1943) – Beanie Miller
He Hired the Boss (1943) – Jimmy
Clancy Street Boys (1943) – Benny
Follow the Band (1943) – Cootie
A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) – Henry (uncredited)
Nobody’s Darling (1943) – Julius aka The Deacon
Fired Wife (1943) – Bellboy (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) – Page Boy (uncredited)
Her Adventurous Night (1946) – Horace
The Adventures of Don Coyote (1947) – Ted Riley
Gas House Kids Go West (1947) – Orvie
Gas House Kids in Hollywood (1947) – Orvie
Big Town After Dark (1947) – McGonigle (uncredited)
Angels’ Alley (1948) – Harry ‘Jag’ Harmon
Heart of Virginia (1948) – ‘Breezy’ Brent
Jinx Money (1948) – Butch
The Babe Ruth Story (1948) – Newsboy (uncredited)
Smugglers’ Cove (1948) – Butch
Trouble Makers (1948) – Butch
Fighting Fools (1949) – Butch
Hold That Baby! (1949) – Butch
Any Number Can Play (1949) – Tommy Smith (uncredited)
Angels in Disguise (1949) – Butch
Master Minds (1949) – Butch
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) – Joe Scales (uncredited)
Southside 1-1000 (1950) – Eddie, Bellboy
Crazy Over Horses (1951) – Butch
Hold That Line (1952) – Butch
Belles on Their Toes (1952) – ‘Bubber’ Beasley (uncredited)
Here Come the Marines (1952) – Butch
Feudin’ Fools (1952) – Butch
No Holds Barred (1952) – Butch
Jalopy (1953) – Butch
The Girls of Pleasure Island (1953) – Marine (uncredited)
Loose in London (1953) – Butch
Clipped Wings (1953) – Butch
Private Eyes (1953) – Butch
Paris Playboys (1954) – Butch
The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954) – Butch
Rear Window (1954) – Man with Miss Torso (uncredited)
Jungle Gents (1954) – Butch
Bowery to Bagdad (1955) – Butch
High Society (1955) – Butch
Spy Chasers (1955) – Butch
Jail Busters (1955) – Butch
Dig That Uranium (1956) – Butch
Further reading
Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 11–12.
Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 151–152.
External Links
Actor Benny Bartlett – Wikipedia
