Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
April 16, 1917
Place of Birth:
Haskell, Oklahoma, USA
Social Media
William Benedict
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
William Benedict (April 16, 1917 – November 25, 1999) was an American actor, perhaps best known for playing "Whitey" in Monogram Pictures' The Bowery Boys series.
Born in Haskell, Oklahoma, he took part in school theatricals, and on leaving school he made his way to Hollywood. His first film was $10 Raise (1935) starring Edward Everett Horton, which launched Benedict on a busy career. The blond-haired Benedict almost always played juvenile roles, such as newsboys, messengers, office boys, and farmhands.
In 1939, when Universal Pictures began its Little Tough Guys series to compete with the popular Dead End Kids features, Billy Benedict was recruited into the cast. These films led him into the similar East Side Kids movies (usually playing a member of the East Side gang, but occasionally in villainous roles). The East Side Kids became The Bowery Boys in 1946, and Benedict stayed with the series (as "Whitey") through the end of 1951.
Other films included My Little Chickadee (1940) starring W. C. Fields and Mae West, The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster (1955), The Sting (1973) and Farewell, My Lovely (1975). Benedict never shook his juvenile image completely, and continued to play messengers and news vendors well into his sixties. He also worked often in television commercials.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter | Himself |
| 1988 | Bonanza: The Next Generation | Gus Morton |
| 1982 | Computercide | Elderly Man |
| 1979 | Goldie and the Boxer | Old Man |
| 1978 | Born Again | Leon Jaworski |
| 1976 | Sherlock Holmes in New York | Telegraph Office Manager |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Man on Bus |
| 1975 | Cop on the Beat | Lennie |
| 1975 | The Dead Don't Die | Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) |
| 1973 | The Sting | Roulette Dealer |
| 1972 | The Adventures of Nick Carter | Newsboy |
| 1972 | The Dirt Gang | Station Attendant |
| 1972 | Call Her Mom | Mr. Feigelbaum |
| 1969 | Hello, Dolly! | News Vendor (uncredited) |
| 1969 | The Lottery | Joe Summers |
| 1969 | Big Daddy | |
| 1969 | The Over the Hill Gang | Joe, the Telegrapher (as Bill Benedict) |
| 1968 | Rogue's Gallery | Jocko (as William Benedict) |
| 1968 | Funny Girl | Western Union Boy (uncredited) |
| 1967 | What Am I Bid? | Clem (as Bill Benedict) |
| 1966 | Frankie and Johnny | Bum Sleeping on Bench (uncredited) |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail | Simpson |
| 1965 | Dear Heart | Stu |
| 1961 | Lover Come Back | Musician Exiting Elevator (uncredited) |
| 1959 | The Hanging Tree | Trapper (uncredited) |
| 1956 | The Killing | American Airlines Clerk |
| 1956 | Mobs, Inc. | Telegraph Boy |
| 1955 | Bride of the Monster | Newsboy |
| 1953 | The Magnetic Monster | Albert |
| 1951 | Crazy Over Horses | Whitey (as William Benedict) |
| 1951 | Ghost Chasers | Whitey |
| 1951 | Let's Go Navy! | Whitey |
| 1951 | Bowery Battalion | Whitey |
| 1950 | Triple Trouble | Whitey, Bowery Boy |
| 1950 | Lucky Losers | Whitey |
| 1950 | Blonde Dynamite | Whitey |
| 1950 | Blues Busters | Whitey (as William Benedict) |
| 1949 | Master Minds | Whitey |
| 1949 | Hold That Baby! | Whitey |
| 1949 | Fighting Fools | Whitey |
| 1949 | Angels in Disguise | Whitey |
| 1949 | Riders of the Pony Express | Eddie Lund |
| 1948 | Angels' Alley | Whitey |
| 1948 | Smuggler's Cove | Whitey |
| 1948 | Trouble Makers | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1948 | Night Wind | Irv Bennett |
| 1948 | Jinx Money | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1948 | Secret Service Investigator | Counterman |
| 1947 | The Pilgrim Lady | Bellboy |
| 1947 | Hard Boiled Mahoney | Whitey |
| 1947 | Bowery Buckaroos | Whitey |
| 1947 | Merton of the Movies | Von Strutt's Assistant (uncredited) |
| 1947 | The Hucksters | Bellboy at Blue Penguin Inn (uncredited) |
| 1947 | News Hounds | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1947 | Fun on a Weekend | Hotel Bellboy (Uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Gentleman Misbehaves | Bellboy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Do You Love Me | Singing Western Union Boy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Mr. Hex | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1946 | Without Reservations | Telegraph Delivery Boy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | People Are Funny | NBC Usher |
| 1946 | Spook Busters | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1946 | In Fast Company | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1946 | Bowery Bombshell | Whitey |
| 1946 | Live Wires | Whitey (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1946 | Gay Blades | Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Never Say Goodbye | Messenger Boy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | One More Tomorrow | Stinky |
| 1946 | Road to Utopia | Second Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Kid from Brooklyn | Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Brenda Starr, Reporter | Pesky (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Mr. Muggs Rides Again | Skinny |
| 1945 | Docks of New York | Skinny |
| 1945 | Come Out Fighting | Skinny |
| 1945 | Story of G.I. Joe | Pvt. Whitey (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Hollywood and Vine | Joe the Newsboy |
| 1944 | Million Dollar Kid | Skinny |
| 1944 | I Won't Play | Florida |
| 1944 | That's My Baby! | Office boy |
| 1944 | Follow the Leader | Spider O'Brien |
| 1944 | They Live in Fear | Thomas 'Mack' Knight (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Whistler | The Deafmute (Uncredited) |
| 1944 | Block Busters | Butch |
| 1944 | Bowery Champs | Skinny |
| 1944 | Janie | Soda Jerk (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Nobody's Darling | Sammy (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Clancy Street Boys | Butch |
| 1943 | Adventures of the Flying Cadets | Zombie Parker |
| 1943 | The Powers Girl | Powers Agency Office Boy (uncredited) |
| 1943 | The Ox-Bow Incident | Greene (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Ghosts on the Loose | Benny |
| 1943 | Aerial Gunner | Jackson 'Sleepy' Laswell |
| 1943 | All by Myself | Telegraph Messenger |
| 1943 | Mr. Muggs Steps Out | Pinky |
| 1943 | Thank Your Lucky Stars | Busboy (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Whispering Footsteps | Jerry Murphy |
| 1943 | Moonlight in Vermont | Abel |
| 1942 | The Talk of the Town | Western Union Boy (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine | Bellboy |
| 1942 | I Live on Danger | Bellboy (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Wildcat | Bud Smithers |
| 1942 | Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch | Theatre Usher |
| 1942 | Perils of Nyoka | Red Davis |
| 1942 | Junior G-Men of the Air | Whitey |
| 1942 | Home in Wyomin' | Usher (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Heart of the Golden West | Telegraph Messenger |
| 1942 | Get Hep to Love | Soda Jerk |
| 1942 | On the Sunny Side | Messenger |
| 1942 | A Night to Remember | Messenger Boy (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Glass Key | Farr's Receptionist (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Rings on Her Fingers | |
| 1942 | Lady in a Jam | Barker (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Two Yanks in Trinidad | Messenger (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Tuxedo Junction | Thomas 'Piecrust' Murphy (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1941 | Scattergood Baines | Lafe Hopper (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Confessions of Boston Blackie | Ice Cream Man |
| 1941 | The Man Who Lost Himself | Telegram Delivery Boy |
| 1941 | Great Guns | Recruit at Corral |
| 1941 | Time Out for Rhythm | Messenger (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Dressed to Kill | Singing Telegram Boy |
| 1941 | Second Chorus | Ticket Taker (uncredited) |
| 1941 | In Old Cheyenne | Train Vendor |
| 1941 | Jesse James at Bay | Young Davis |
| 1941 | The Great Mr. Nobody | Jig |
| 1941 | Mr. District Attorney | Office Boy |
| 1941 | She Knew All the Answers | Singing Telegraph Boy |
| 1941 | Adventures of Captain Marvel | Whitey Murphy |
| 1941 | Cadet Girl | Soldier at Camp Show (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Great McGinty | Farm Boy (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Young People | Boy (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Stage to Chino | Happy (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Legion of the Lawless | Eddie |
| 1940 | My Little Chickadee | Lem (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Adventures of Red Ryder | Dan Withers |
| 1940 | And One Was Beautiful | Delivery Man |
| 1940 | Lucky Partners | Delivery Boy (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Mad Doctor | Mickey Barnes (Uncredited) |
| 1940 | Rhythm on the River | Elevator Boy |
| 1940 | Melody Ranch | Slim |
| 1940 | Give Us Wings | Link (as Billy Benedict) |
| 1940 | Grand Ole Opry | Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Bowery Boy | (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Pack Up Your Troubles | Office Boy |
| 1939 | Hollywood Hobbies | Tour Guide |
| 1939 | Code of the Streets | Trouble |
| 1938 | Bringing Up Baby | David's Caddy (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Hold That Kiss | Delivery Boy |
| 1938 | Hold That Co-ed | Sylvester |
| 1938 | King of the Newsboys | Squimpy |
| 1938 | Newsboys' Home | Trouble |
| 1938 | Young Fugitives | Jud (as William 'Billy' Benedict) |
| 1938 | I Met My Love Again | Billy (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Little Tough Guys in Society | Trouble |
| 1938 | Say It in French | Midget Car Driver |
| 1938 | Walking Down Broadway | Eddie |
| 1938 | There's Always a Woman | Bellboy |
| 1937 | The Last Gangster | Freddy the Office Boy |
| 1937 | That I May Live | Kurt Plivens |
| 1937 | Tramp Trouble | Young Bindlestiff |
| 1937 | Flying Fists | Monk, Tall Kid |
| 1937 | They Wanted to Marry | Freckles |
| 1937 | Rhythm in the Clouds | Bellboy |
| 1937 | Jim Hanvey, Detective | Copy Boy (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Tim Tyler's Luck | Spud |
| 1936 | Theodora Goes Wild | Henry - Copyboy (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Captain January | Telegram Delivery Boy |
| 1936 | Ramona | Joseph Hyar |
| 1936 | After the Thin Man | Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Crack-Up | Bunky, Office Boy (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Country Doctor | The Gawker |
| 1936 | M'Liss | Archer Morpher |
| 1936 | Laughing at Trouble | Wilbur |
| 1936 | The Witness Chair | Benny Ryan |
| 1936 | Libeled Lady | Joe |
| 1936 | Can This Be Dixie? | Shenandoah Peachtree (uncredited) |
| 1935 | $10 Raise | Jimmy |
| 1935 | Way Down East | Amos |
| 1935 | College Scandal | 'Penny' Parker |
| 1935 | Doubting Thomas | Caddie |
| 1935 | Show Them No Mercy! | Willie (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Steamboat Round the Bend | Breck |
| 1935 | Your Uncle Dudley | Cyril Church |
| 1935 | 3 Kids and a Queen | Flash |
| 1935 | Bad Boy | Grocery Clerk |
| 1935 | The Farmer Takes a Wife | Boy Announcing Dan's Arrival Before Fight |