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
The Sting
(1973)
Roulette Dealer
The Killing
(1956)
American Airlines Clerk
Hello, Dolly!
(1969)
News Vendor (uncredited)
Bringing Up Baby
(1938)
David's Caddy (uncredited)
The Hanging Tree
(1959)
Trapper (uncredited)
The Hallelujah Trail
(1965)
Simpson
The Ox-Bow Incident
(1943)
Greene (uncredited)
Lover Come Back
(1961)
Musician Exiting Elevator (uncredited)
Funny Girl
(1968)
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
After the Thin Man
(1936)
Newsboy (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
(1942)
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
(1976)
Man on Bus
Aerial Gunner
(1943)
Jackson 'Sleepy' Laswell
Frankie and Johnny
(1966)
Bum Sleeping on Bench (uncredited)
Libeled Lady
(1936)
Joe
Great Guns
(1941)
Recruit at Corral
Full Filmography
Acting
Way Down East
(1935)
Amos
College Scandal
(1935)
'Penny' Parker
Doubting Thomas
(1935)
Caddie
Show Them No Mercy!
(1935)
Willie (uncredited)
Steamboat Round the Bend
(1935)
Breck
Your Uncle Dudley
(1935)
Cyril Church
3 Kids and a Queen
(1935)
Flash
$10 Raise
(1935)
Jimmy
Captain January
(1936)
Telegram Delivery Boy
Ramona
(1936)
Joseph Hyar
The Country Doctor
(1936)
The Gawker
M'Liss
(1936)
Archer Morpher
Laughing at Trouble
(1936)
Wilbur
The Witness Chair
(1936)
Benny Ryan
Libeled Lady
(1936)
Joe
Can This Be Dixie?
(1936)
Shenandoah Peachtree (uncredited)
Theodora Goes Wild
(1936)
Henry - Copyboy (uncredited)
Crack-Up
(1936)
Bunky, Office Boy (uncredited)
After the Thin Man
(1936)
Newsboy (uncredited)
That I May Live
(1937)
Kurt Plivens
Tramp Trouble
(1937)
Flying Fists
(1937)
Monk, Tall Kid
Rhythm in the Clouds
(1937)
Bellboy
They Wanted to Marry
(1937)
Freckles
Tim Tyler's Luck
(1937)
Spud
The Last Gangster
(1937)
Freddy the Office Boy
Bringing Up Baby
(1938)
David's Caddy (uncredited)
Hold That Kiss
(1938)
Delivery Boy
Hold That Co-ed
(1938)
Sylvester
King of the Newsboys
(1938)
Squimpy
Newsboys' Home
(1938)
Trouble
Young Fugitives
(1938)
Jud (as William 'Billy' Benedict)
I Met My Love Again
(1938)
Billy (uncredited)
Little Tough Guys in Society
(1938)
Trouble
Say It in French
(1938)
Midget Car Driver
Walking Down Broadway
(1938)
Eddie
There's Always a Woman
(1938)
Bellboy
Pack Up Your Troubles
(1939)
Office Boy
Hollywood Hobbies
(1939)
Tour Guide
Code of the Streets
(1939)
Trouble
The Great McGinty
(1940)
Farm Boy (uncredited)
Young People
(1940)
Boy (uncredited)
The Mad Doctor
(1940)
Mickey Barnes (Uncredited)
Legion of the Lawless
(1940)
Eddie
My Little Chickadee
(1940)
Lem (uncredited)
Adventures of Red Ryder
(1940)
Dan Withers
Lucky Partners
(1940)
Delivery Boy
Rhythm on the River
(1940)
Elevator Boy
And One Was Beautiful
(1940)
Delivery Man
Melody Ranch
(1940)
Slim
Give Us Wings
(1940)
Link (as Billy Benedict)
Grand Ole Opry
(1940)
Newsboy (uncredited)
Bowery Boy
(1940)
(uncredited)
Stage to Chino
(1940)
Happy (uncredited)
Confessions of Boston Blackie
(1941)
Ice Cream Man
Dressed to Kill
(1941)
Singing Telegram Boy
Second Chorus
(1941)
Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Jesse James at Bay
(1941)
Young Davis
In Old Cheyenne
(1941)
Train Vendor
The Great Mr. Nobody
(1941)
Jig
Mr. District Attorney
(1941)
Office Boy
She Knew All the Answers
(1941)
Singing Telegraph Boy
Adventures of Captain Marvel
(1941)
Whitey Murphy
Cadet Girl
(1941)
Soldier at Camp Show (uncredited)
Tuxedo Junction
(1941)
Thomas 'Piecrust' Murphy (as Billy Benedict)
Scattergood Baines
(1941)
Lafe Hopper (uncredited)
Time Out for Rhythm
(1941)
Messenger (uncredited)
Great Guns
(1941)
Recruit at Corral
The Man Who Lost Himself
(1941)
Telegram Delivery Boy
The Talk of the Town
(1942)
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
I Live on Danger
(1942)
Bellboy (uncredited)
Wildcat
(1942)
Bud Smithers
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
(1942)
Theatre Usher
Perils of Nyoka
(1942)
Red Davis
Junior G-Men of the Air
(1942)
Whitey
Home in Wyomin'
(1942)
Usher (uncredited)
Heart of the Golden West
(1942)
Telegraph Messenger
Get Hep to Love
(1942)
Soda Jerk
On the Sunny Side
(1942)
Messenger
A Night to Remember
(1942)
Messenger Boy
The Glass Key
(1942)
Farr's Receptionist (uncredited)
Rings on Her Fingers
(1942)
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
(1942)
Bellboy
Ghosts on the Loose
(1943)
Benny
Adventures of the Flying Cadets
(1943)
Zombie Parker
The Powers Girl
(1943)
Powers Agency Office Boy (uncredited)
The Ox-Bow Incident
(1943)
Greene (uncredited)
Aerial Gunner
(1943)
Jackson 'Sleepy' Laswell
All by Myself
(1943)
Telegraph Messenger
Mr. Muggs Steps Out
(1943)
Pinky
Whispering Footsteps
(1943)
Jerry Murphy
Moonlight in Vermont
(1943)
Abel
Clancy Street Boys
(1943)
Butch
Nobody's Darling
(1943)
Sammy (uncredited)
The Whistler
(1944)
The Deafmute (Uncredited)
Million Dollar Kid
(1944)
Skinny
Follow the Leader
(1944)
Spider O'Brien
That's My Baby!
(1944)
Office boy
I Won't Play
(1944)
Florida
They Live in Fear
(1944)
Thomas 'Mack' Knight (uncredited)
Bowery Champs
(1944)
Skinny
Block Busters
(1944)
Butch
Janie
(1944)
Soda Jerk (uncredited)
Mr. Muggs Rides Again
(1945)
Skinny
Docks of New York
(1945)
Skinny
Come Out Fighting
(1945)
Skinny
Story of G.I. Joe
(1945)
Pvt. Whitey (uncredited)
Hollywood and Vine
(1945)
Joe the Newsboy
Brenda Starr, Reporter
(1945)
Pesky (uncredited)
People Are Funny
(1946)
NBC Usher
Do You Love Me
(1946)
Singing Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Spook Busters
(1946)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Bowery Bombshell
(1946)
Whitey
In Fast Company
(1946)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Mr. Hex
(1946)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Without Reservations
(1946)
Telegraph Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Live Wires
(1946)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Gay Blades
(1946)
Newsboy (uncredited)
Never Say Goodbye
(1946)
Messenger Boy (uncredited)
One More Tomorrow
(1946)
Stinky
Road to Utopia
(1946)
Second Newsboy (uncredited)
The Kid from Brooklyn
(1946)
Newsboy
The Gentleman Misbehaves
(1946)
Bellboy (uncredited)
Bowery Buckaroos
(1947)
Whitey
Hard Boiled Mahoney
(1947)
Whitey
Merton of the Movies
(1947)
Von Strutt's Assistant (uncredited)
News Hounds
(1947)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Fun on a Weekend
(1947)
Hotel Bellboy (Uncredited)
The Pilgrim Lady
(1947)
Bellboy
Angels' Alley
(1948)
Whitey
Smuggler's Cove
(1948)
Whitey
Trouble Makers
(1948)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Night Wind
(1948)
Irv Bennett
Jinx Money
(1948)
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Secret Service Investigator
(1948)
Counterman
Fighting Fools
(1949)
Whitey
Master Minds
(1949)
Whitey
Angels in Disguise
(1949)
Whitey
Hold That Baby!
(1949)
Whitey
Riders of the Pony Express
(1949)
Eddie Lund
Lucky Losers
(1950)
Whitey
Blonde Dynamite
(1950)
Whitey
Blues Busters
(1950)
Whitey (as William Benedict)
Triple Trouble
(1950)
Whitey, Bowery Boy
Ghost Chasers
(1951)
Whitey
Let's Go Navy!
(1951)
Whitey
Bowery Battalion
(1951)
Whitey
Crazy Over Horses
(1951)
Whitey (as William Benedict)
The Magnetic Monster
(1953)
Albert
Bride of the Monster
(1955)
Newsboy
The Killing
(1956)
American Airlines Clerk
Mobs, Inc.
(1956)
Telegraph Boy
The Hanging Tree
(1959)
Trapper (uncredited)
Lover Come Back
(1961)
Musician Exiting Elevator (uncredited)
The Hallelujah Trail
(1965)
Simpson
Dear Heart
(1965)
Stu
Frankie and Johnny
(1966)
Bum Sleeping on Bench (uncredited)
What Am I Bid?
(1967)
Clem (as Bill Benedict)
Rogue's Gallery
(1968)
Jocko (as William Benedict)
Funny Girl
(1968)
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
The Lottery
(1969)
Joe Summers
Big Daddy
(1969)
The Over the Hill Gang
(1969)
Joe, the Telegrapher (as Bill Benedict)
Hello, Dolly!
(1969)
News Vendor (uncredited)
The Adventures of Nick Carter
(1972)
Newsboy
The Dirt Gang
(1972)
Station Attendant
Call Her Mom
(1972)
Mr. Feigelbaum
The Sting
(1973)
Roulette Dealer
The Dead Don't Die
(1975)
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Cop on the Beat
(1975)
Lennie
Sherlock Holmes in New York
(1976)
Telegraph Office Manager
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
(1976)
Man on Bus
Born Again
(1978)
Leon Jaworski
Goldie and the Boxer
(1979)
Old Man
Computercide
(1982)
Elderly Man
Bonanza: The Next Generation
(1988)
Gus Morton