Billy Barty Movies
American dwarf actor Billy Barty always claimed to have been born in the early '20s, but the evidence of his somewhat wizened, all-knowing countenance in his film appearances of the 1930s would suggest that he was at least ten years shy of the whole truth. At any rate, Barty made many film appearances from at least 1931 onward, most often cast as bratty children due to his height. He was a peripheral member of an Our Gang rip-off in the Mickey McGuire comedy shorts, portrayed the infant-turned-pig in Alice in Wonderland (1933), he did a turn in blackface as a "shrunken" Eddie Cantor in Roman Scandals (also 1933), and he frequently popped up as a lasciviously leering baby in the risqué musical highlights of Busby Berkeley's Warner Bros. films. One of Barty's most celebrated cinema moments occurred in 1937's Nothing Sacred, in which, playing a small boy, he pops up out of nowhere to bite Fredric March in the leg. Barty was busy but virtually anonymous in films, since he seldom received screen credit. TV audiences began to connect his name with his face in the 1950s when Barty was featured on various variety series hosted by bandleader Spike Jones. Disdainful of certain professional "little people" who rely on size alone to get laughs, Barty was seen at his very best on the Jones programs, dancing, singing, and delivering dead-on impressions: the diminutive actor's takeoff on Liberace was almost unbearably funny. Though he was willing to poke fun at himself on camera, Barty was fiercely opposed to TV and film producers who exploited midgets and dwarves, and as he continued his career into the 1970s and '80s, Barty saw to it that his own roles were devoid of patronization -- in fact, he often secured parts that could have been portrayed by so-called "normal" actors, proof that one's stature has little to do with one's talent. A two-fisted advocate of equitable treatment of short actors, Billy Barty took time away from his many roles in movies (Foul Play [1978], Willow [1988]) and TV to maintain his support organization The Little People of America and the Billy Barty Foundation. Billy Barty died in December 2000 of heart failure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This children's fantasy is based on Sid and Marty Krofft's popular 1960s kiddy show H.R. Pufnstuff, which combined giant puppets and live action players. In the story, a young lad with a magical flute travels to a magic island where inanimate objects and animals talk. There he encounters the amiable dragon Pufnstuf, the mayor of the island. When the wicked Witchiepoo steals the flute so she can be named "Witch of the Year" by her cronies, the boy, the dragon, and their pals must somehow get it back from her enchanted castle. Songs include "Pufnstuf", "Angel Raid", "Charge", "Fire in the Castle", "Happy Hour", "Leaving Living Island", "Rescue Racer to the Rescue", "Witchiepoo's Lament" and ""Different"". ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Wild, Billie Hayes, (more)
- 1972
Olivia (Michael Learned) strongly disapproves when husband John (Ralph Waite) invites four travelling carnival performers (one of them played by legendary "little person" Billy Barty) to stay with the Walton family. The quartet of "carnies" had found themselves stranded after their manager skipped town with the carnival's profits. Ever so gradually, Olivia warms up to these curious but likeable nomads -- and when the four entertainers discover that the Waltons hadn't had enough money to attend their carnival when it first arrived on the Mountain, a very special performance is staged in the family's barn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1973
Season One of Sid and Marty Krofft's whimsically wacky Saturday-morning series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters begins as young Johnny and Scott Stuart (Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden) befriend a green, pint-sized, tentacled sea monster named Sigmund Ooze (Billy Barty), who has been disowned by his monstrous family at Dead Man's Point because he is unable to scare anyone. Hiding Sigmund in their secret clubhouse, the boys go to great lengths to prevent their guardian Aunt Zelda (Mary Wickes) and Zelda's sometime boyfriend, Sheriff Chuck Bevans (Joe Higgins) from finding out about their peculiar house guest. In a handful of episodes, the boys are plagued by snoopy next door neighbor Mrs. Eddels (played by Margaret Hamilton of "Wicked Witch of the West" fame), who like Gladys Kravitz of Bewitched is forever spotting Sigmund but is unable to convince anyone of the fact. Making his first appearance in the episode "Is There a Doctor in the House?" is Dr. Cyclops, the one-eyed, seaweed-covered, absent minded "monster medico" who tended to the needs of the Sea Monster community; this role is played by Walker Edmiston, a frequent contributor to the Krofft Brothers' TV projects. And in "Monster Rock Festival", the recurring role of local DJ Buzzy Berman is introduced in the form of former child actor Sidney Miller. Both Edmiston and Miller also provide the voices for the various costumed characters, among them Sigmund's bullying brothers Blurp and Slurp, portrayed this season by costumed actors Bill Germaine and Fred Spencer. Additionally, a pair of interesting guest performers show up during the series' first 17-episode season. Pamelyn Ferdin, a busy juvenile actress of the period, is seen in "Puppy Love", while Jack Wild, formerly the star of the Kroffts' inaugural Saturday-morning series H.R. Pufnstuf, plays "himself" in "The Wild Weekend." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden, (more)
- 1974
Several changes are effected for Sigmund and the Sea Monsters as the Saturday-morning Krofft Brothers comedy series enters its second season. The opening episode, "A Genie for Sigmund", introduces zany comedian Rip Taylor as Sheldon, a bumbling genie found hiding in a seashell by the series' title character, lovable pint-sized sea monster Sigmund Ooze (Billy Barty). Also, Johnny Whitaker, cast as Sigmund's human friend Johnny Stuart, curtails his singing sequences this season, though he can still be heard warbling the series' new title song. Plus, Mary Wickes, cast as Johnny and his brother Scott's (Scott Kolden) guardian Aunt Zelda, took a leave of absence to concentrate on her stage work; her replacement is future Gunsmoke regular Fran Ryan, as feisty ex-Marine sergeant Gertrude Gouch. Additionally, the roles of Sigmund's bullying sea-monster brothers Blurp and Slurp, previously essayed by heavily costumed "Krofft Players" Bill Germaine and Fred Spencer, were this year taken over by Larry Larsen and Paul Gale. And finally, the series' production facilities were moved in toto from Samuel Goldwyn Studios to General Services Studios, due to a $2 million fire at Goldwyn which destroyed all of the show's set and most of the props and costumes. This unforeseen disaster also obliged producers Sid and Marty Krofft to cut down the number of episodes taped from 17 to 12. Season Two highlights include the appearance of onetime Brady Bunchkid Eve Plumb in "Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't"; the introduction of Sparky Marcus as Sheldon's bratty nephew genie Shelby in "Cry Uncle", the guest turn by Broadway favorite Peggy Mondo ("The Music Man") as Sheldon's magical mom Shellinor in "Mother Makes Ten", and the pop-up of another familiar Krofft character, H.R. Pufnstuf (here played by Van Snowden), in "Pufnstuf Drops In". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden, (more)
The Day of the Locust is anything but a cheerful, light look at Hollywood in the '30s. It recreates both the town as well as the filmmaking world around which much of the town revolved with devastating accuracy. The movie tells the twin tales of talentless wannabe actress Faye Greener (Karen Black) and Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), a lovelorn accountant who couldn't care less about movies. Around this framework, a huge and intricate social network is tellingly revealed, until the film's gruesome and tragic ending. Not for those who prefer to hang onto their illusions about the glory days of Hollywood, The Day of the Locust, based on the novel by Nathanael West, is a must-see for serious film buffs. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, (more)
- 1976
- PG
- Add Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood to Queue Add Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood to top of Queue
This spoof makes fun of a certain famous German shepherd movie star from the 1920s. The mayhem begins when the head honcho of a financially struggling studio turns a lost dog into a legend. The story features a number of old stars making cameo appearances. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1976
A circus goes to the dogs (or, more accurately, the dogs come to the circus) in this light-hearted action-adventure tale. Lucky Vincent (James Franciscus) is a gambler who, after a stretch of bad luck, owes over $12,000 to mobster Solly Kramer (Jack Carter). Lucky is rescued from Solly's goons by Daniel Hughes (Fred Astaire), a born-again Christian with a team of trained Doberman pinschers. After going undercover at a circus, Lucky persuades Hughes to work up an act with his dogs and join the carnival; when Lucky discovers that Solly and his gang intend to rob an armored car hauling the circus's box office take, Hughes and his canine friends step forward to help thwart the plot. Along the way, Lucky also finds time to make romance with a beautiful circus performer named Justine Pirot (Barbara Eden). The Amazing Dobermans was the second in-name-only sequel to The Doberman Gang, which shared the same director and talented four-footed performers, but none of the same plot points or characters. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fred Astaire, James Franciscus, (more)
- 1976
- PG
W.C. Fields and Me is the film version of the Fields biography written by the comedian's former mistress Carlotta Monti. W. C. Fields was a great comedian in vaudeville and early talking films, who was noted for his ability to say the most hilariously cutting and mean things in a cheery, bright tone of voice. He had amazing skills in the manipulation of objects, from pieces of paper to crooked cue sticks. Rod Steiger plays Fields, while Valerie Perrine portrays Ms. Monti. Jack Cassidy is also on hand as Fields' close friend and drinking crony John Barrymore. The film is not above sacrificing facts for a good story, notably in its recreation of Fields' celebrated "dentist" routine which. W. C. Fields and Me depicts the great juggler/comedian as a straightforwardly mean-spirited man, whereas he is generally believed to have been more complex than that. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rod Steiger, Valerie Perrine, (more)
- 1976
In this drama, a man leaves his wife to join the circus. Many years later, he bumps into a pretty teenage girl who turns out to be the daughter he never knew existed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1976
In this mystery, twin gumshoes team up to expose a band of bogus spiritualists involved in murder . ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1976
- Add The Paul Lynde Halloween Special to Queue Add The Paul Lynde Halloween Special to top of Queue
Love him or hate him comedian Paul Lynde - the master of the slow burn, who presided over the "center square" on Hollywood Squares for years and made famous the character of Uncle Arthur on Bewitched - also mounted this all-star Halloween special in late October 1976. The story, adapted from A Christmas Carol, has the comedic actor cast as "Paul Lynde", a more severe and hateful variant of his typically snide and sarcastic on-camera persona, who detests all things associated with Halloween. Three witches then crop up and determine to change his mind, ala Scrooge. The plethora of guest stars includes Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, Donny and Marie Osmond, the glam rock band KISS, Betty White, Roz Kelly, Billy Barty and Margaret Hamilton, from The Wizard of Oz. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1977
- R
When a sex scandal threatens to blow the top off Washington politics, celebrated madame and advice columnist Xaviera Hollander (Joey Heatherton) is drawn into the fray. The hooker at the center of the controversy is a friend, and when the girl conveniently disappears, Xaviera is outraged. Meanwhile, a group of senators attempts to deflect public attention from themselves by holding a series of hearings on sexual excesses in American society. They decide to scapegoat "The Happy Hooker" for her well-publicized exploits, and she is subpoenaed as a hostile witness in their crusade against loose values. Though Xaviera isn't concerned, her attorney (George Hamilton) warns her that vital issues of censorship and personal freedom are at stake. They fly to Washington D.C., where Xaviera's irreverent testimony breathes some life into the stuffy proceedings. She tweaks the sensibilities of the senators (David White, Phil Foster, Jack Carter and Ray Walston) and holds their hypocrisy up to the daylight. Halfway through the hearings, Xaviera is kidnapped by an undercover CIA agent (Billy Barty) and pressed into service for her country. She is secretly sent to Miami to seduce a politically important (and impotent) Arabian sheik (Jerry Fischer), and while doing her duty discovers the missing hooker among his harem. Xaviera returns to Washington and triumphantly discredits the senate sub-committee by exposing its members as perverts and white slavers, thus saving erotic freedom for Americans everywhere. Joe E. Ross, Larry Storch and Rip Taylor are among the celebrities who make cameos in this mild ribaldry. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joey Heatherton, George Hamilton, (more)
As he did in his screenplay for Silver Streak (1974), writer/director Colin Higgins mixes life-and-death melodrama with broad slapstick in Foul Play. Goldie Hawn stars as Gloria Mundy, a recent divorcée whose attempts to start life anew in San Francisco are bollixed up when she is inadvertently swept up in an assassination plot against the Pope. Offering sometimes dubious aid and comfort to Gloria is bumbling federal agent Tony Carlson (Chevy Chase). The film's comedy ranges from the farcical seduction efforts by musician Stanley Tibbets (Dudley Moore) to the zany, gag-filled car-chase finale. Foul Play features character actors Rachel Roberts and Eugene Roche as villains, Burgess Meredith as a martial arts-happy landlord, and Billy Barty as a long-suffering religious bookseller. It also packs in a memorable "throwaway" gag involving a profane Scrabble game played by sweet little old ladies Queenie Smith and Hope Summers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, (more)
- 1978
- PG
In this, Joan Rivers' first attempt at film direction, a young virgin male (Billy Crystal) is engaged to be married when he finds out he is pregnant! Using the film as a vehicle for her acerbic humor, director Rivers may as well be on stage, for interspersed throughout this questionable plot is an unending onslaught of sarcastic slams pointed at just about every sector of society. Ms. Rivers even makes a cameo appearance. Other big names in this film are Tom Poston (as a minister), Roddy McDowall (in several roles), and George Gobel as the U.S. President. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Joan Prather, (more)
- 1979
- PG
The short-lived roller-disco craze of the late 1970s served as inspiration for this dated comedy, which follows the patrons of a popular roller-disco palace as they prepare for a major race. Naturally, the climactic showdown features a wholesome, upright hero (Greg Bradford) facing the fearsome challenge of a leather-clad villain (a pre-fame Patrick Swayze). ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, (more)
- 1979
- R
Set in the Caribbean, Firepower is one of those "celebrity salads," featuring a glittering all-star cast. Sophia Loren heads the ensemble as Adele, the widow of a murdered chemist. Believing that a multimillionaire industrialist is the culprit, Adele determines that she can expect no help from the authorities. Thus she engages the services of retired professional assassin Jerry Fanori (James Coburn), who in turn enlists the aid of troubleshooter Catlett (O.J. Simpson). Watch for Jake LaMotta, the ex-prizefighter whose life was dramatized in Raging Bull, in a supporting part. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, James Coburn, (more)
- 1979
Although the people of Walnut Grove are delighted when a carnival comes to town, Nels Oleson (Richard Bull) is in despair. It seems that the carnival's fat lady, Annabelle (Harriet Gibson), is Mr. Oleson's long-estranged sister. Elsewhere, Laura (Melissa Gilbert) has a new rival for the affections of Almanzo (Dean Butler) in the form of snooty Christie (Wendy Schaal). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1981
Don't confuse Being Different with those exploitational "freak show" documentaries of the 1950s. This is a sensitive--but never sentimental--study of persons whose physical deformities and mental handicaps have not stood in the way of their positive self-images or personal success. Filmmaker Harry Rasky follows these quietly courageous individuals at work and at home. After ten minutes or so, the audience is barely conscious of the fact that these folks are "different" in any way. Being Different benefits from the calm narration of Christopher Plummer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Barty
- 1981
- PG
Jerry Lewis' first film in a decade stars the comedian as Bo Hooper, an unemployed circus clown who cannot hold down a job. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, (more)
- 1981
- PG
In this comedy, a hotel becomes a chaotic place during the 1938 filming of The Wizard of Oz, when it is inundated with groups of midgets, secret agents, and Nazi and Japanese spies. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, (more)
- 1983
In this "Who done it?," a home-schooled detective (Tim Conway) gets to the bottom of a complicated crime (murder, no less) in spite of his goofy self. ~ Rovi
- 1983
Details are sketchy regarding the British Saturday-morning children's program Fun Factory. It is known that the series debuted in 1983 as an intended replacement for the legendary ITV kiddie weekender TISWAS. Lacking the earlier series' stellar guest-star lineup, the "new" show at least afforded a rare weekly host opportunity to American dwarf actor Billy Barty. Unfortunately, Fun Factory didn't last as long as its predecessor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Essentially a knock-off of the "Police Academy" series, this slapstick comedy tells the idiotic tale that contains humor to offend just about everyone as it tells the story of a milque-toast cop who moonlights at night as a paper-bag wearing stand-up comic who unfortunately gets mistaken for a paper-bag wearing bank robber. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Linda Blair, Pat Paulsen, (more)
This lavishly staged and costumed fantasy is about young Jack (Tom Cruise) and his lady love Princess Lili (Mia Sara), and how Jack battles Darkness (Tim Curry) to save both the Princess and the world. When the peasant Jack takes Princess Lili to see the unicorns, the strongest animals around, he does not know that Darkness, with his cloven hooves, yellow eyes, and red skin plans on using Lili as bait to weaken the unicorns which he does -- and plunge the world into an ice age. Soon after that disaster, Darkness captures Lili and, Jack has to rally his elves and elvettes to rescue her and subdue Darkness at the same time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.