Billy Lee
Billy Lee is known for Limelight (1952), The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Hold Back the Dawn (1941).
Biography
Billy Lee (born William Lee Schlensker; March 12, 1929 – November 17, 1989) 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 (among others: Too Many Parents, Easy to Take, Three Cheers for Love, Silk Hat Kid, The Big Broadcast of 1937, Sons of the Legion, Say It in French, Boy Trouble, Night Work, Sudden Money, Nobody's Children, Hold Back the Dawn, Nevada City, Road to Happiness) and working alongside some of Hollywood's finest, including, Donald O'Connor, Lon Chaney Jr., Roy Rogers, Charles Boyer, Randolph Scott, Lew Ayres, Gene Autry, Robert Cummings, Basil Rathbone, Olivia de Havilland, John Boles, Fred MacMurray, Ray Milland and Broderick Crawford). 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.
Text from Billy Lee on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Lee_(actor)
Known for
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7.9 Limelight
1952
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6.6 The Reluctant Dragon
1941
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6.7 Hold Back the Dawn
1941
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8.8 Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004
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6.8 Let Us Live
1939
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6.0 Coast Guard
1939
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8.0 Three Cheers for Love
1936
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9.0 Cocoanut Grove
1938
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5.8 Make a Wish
1937
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6.3 In Old Monterey
1939
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6.0 Boy Trouble
1939
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5.1 Wagon Wheels
1934
Full filmography
37 films — 23 in the catalogue
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8.8
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
2004 · Boy (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
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5.1 Challenge of the Ninja
1986
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7.9
Limelight
1952 · Little Boy (uncredited)
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5.6 Eyes of the Underworld
1942 · Mickey Bryan
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8.0 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
1942 · Jimmy Wiggs
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5.7 Road to Happiness
1941 · Danny Carter
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6.7
Hold Back the Dawn
1941 · Tony
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4.2 Reg'lar Fellers
1941 · Pinhead Duffy
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6.6
The Reluctant Dragon
1941 · Boy (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
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7.0 Nevada City
1941 · Chick Morrison
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4.5 Power Dive
1941 · Brad Coles
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7.0 Nobody's Children
1940 · Tommy
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6.5 The Biscuit Eater
1940 · Lonnie McNeil
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5.0 Parole Fixer
1940 · Jimmy Mattison
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6.0 All Women Have Secrets
1939 · Bobby
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6.3
In Old Monterey
1939 · Jimmy
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6.0
Coast Guard
1939 · Seaman (uncredited)
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8.5 Night Work
1939 · Joe Fitch
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7.0 Sudden Money
1939 · Junior Patterson
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6.8
Let Us Live
1939 · Boy in Window (uncredited)
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6.0
Boy Trouble
1939 · Joe
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6.0 Ambush
1939 · Boy at Restaurant
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7.5 Say It in French
1938 · Boy with Lollipop
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7.5 Sons of the Legion
1938 · Billy Lee
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9.0
Cocoanut Grove
1938 · Half Pint
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8.0 Thunder Trail
1937 · Bob - at 8
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5.8
Make a Wish
1937 · Pee Wee
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7.0 Exclusive
1937 · Beak's Child
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8.0 Wild Money
1937 · Malcolm West
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10.0 Easy to Take
1936 · Bill Ardmore Jr.
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8.0
Three Cheers for Love
1936 · Johnny
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8.0 And Sudden Death
1936 · Bobby Sanborn
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5.2
Too Many Parents
1936 · Billy Miller
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8.5 Two-Fisted
1935 · Jimmy Parker
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5.1
Wagon Wheels
1934 · Sonny Wellington
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6.1 Mike Fright
1934 · Tap Dancer
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1.0 Jack White with the Montrealers
1929 · Self
People data: TMDb.
Cast
