William Benedict

Born: 1917-04-16 in Haskell, Oklahoma, USA

Died: 1999-11-25

Known For: Acting

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.

Filmography

1982

Computercide as Elderly Man

1981

Hill Street Blues

1979

Goldie and the Boxer as Old Man

1978

Born Again as Leon Jaworski

1977

The Incredible Hulk as Vic

1976

Charlie's Angels as Emmett Winston, Esq.
Quincy, M.E.
Sherlock Holmes in New York as Telegraph Office Manager
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood as Man on Bus

1975

Ellery Queen
Matt Helm as Scavenger
The Dead Don't Die as Hotel Desk Clerk
Cop on the Beat as Lennie

1974

Little House on the Prairie as Reverend Lyman

1973

Police Story as Prescott
The Sting as Roulette Dealer
The Secret Sharer as Mr. Burns

1972

Emergency!
The Streets of San Francisco
The Adventures of Nick Carter as Newsboy
Call Her Mom as Mr. Feigelbaum
The Dirt Gang as Station Attendant

1971

All in the Family as Jimmy McNab
Alias Smith and Jones

1970

The Immortal

1969

The Brady Bunch
Then Came Bronson as Card Player
Hello, Dolly! as News Vendor (uncredited)
Big Daddy
The Lottery as Joe Summers
The Over the Hill Gang as Joe, the Telegrapher (as Bill Benedict)

1968

Adam-12 as Bill White
Here's Lucy as Deliveryman
Land of the Giants as Villager Peabody
Mayberry R.F.D. as Uncle Whitmore
Funny Girl as Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Rogue's Gallery as Jocko (as William Benedict)

1967

Ironside
Mannix
The Guns of Will Sonnett as Telegrapher
Hondo
What Am I Bid? as Clem (as Bill Benedict)

1966

Mission: Impossible as Denver
The Monkees as Skywriter
Felony Squad
Frankie and Johnny as Bum Sleeping on Bench (uncredited)

1965

I Dream of Jeannie as Cleaning Man
Branded
Honey West as Farley
The Hallelujah Trail as Simpson
Dear Heart as Stu

1964

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

1963

Petticoat Junction as Willie

1961

Lover Come Back as Musician Exiting Elevator (uncredited)

1960

Route 66
The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Joe

1959

The Twilight Zone as Conklin
Dennis the Menace
The Hanging Tree as Trapper (uncredited)

1958

The Rifleman

1957

Wagon Train as Wagon Train Member (uncredited)

1956

The Adventures of Jim Bowie
The Killing as American Airlines Clerk
Mobs, Inc. as Telegraph Boy

1955

Gunsmoke as Gus
Navy Log
Bride of the Monster as Newsboy

1954

Lassie

1953

I'm the Law
The Magnetic Monster as Albert

1951

Dragnet
The Red Skelton Show
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Hallmark Hall of Fame as Degnan
Let's Go Navy! as Whitey
Ghost Chasers as Whitey
Crazy Over Horses as Whitey (as William Benedict)
Bowery Battalion as Whitey

1950

Triple Trouble as Whitey, Bowery Boy
Blonde Dynamite as Whitey
Lucky Losers as Whitey
Blues Busters as Whitey (as William Benedict)

1949

Angels in Disguise as Whitey
Master Minds as Whitey
Riders of the Pony Express as Eddie Lund
Fighting Fools as Whitey
Hold That Baby! as Whitey

1948

Night Wind as Irv Bennett
Secret Service Investigator as Counterman
Jinx Money as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Smuggler's Cove as Whitey
Trouble Makers as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Angels' Alley as Whitey

1947

The Hucksters as Bellboy at Blue Penguin Inn (uncredited)
The Pilgrim Lady as Bellboy
Fun on a Weekend as Hotel Bellboy (uncredited)
Hard Boiled Mahoney as Whitey
News Hounds as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Merton of the Movies as Von Strutt's Assistant (uncredited)
Bowery Buckaroos as Whitey

1946

Without Reservations as Telegraph Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Live Wires as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Gay Blades as Newsboy (uncredited)
People Are Funny as NBC Usher
The Kid from Brooklyn as Newsboy (uncredited)
In Fast Company as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Never Say Goodbye as Messenger Boy (uncredited)
One More Tomorrow as Stinky
The Gentleman Misbehaves as Bellboy (uncredited)
Road to Utopia as Newsboy #2 (uncredited)
Do You Love Me as Singing Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Mr. Hex as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Spook Busters as Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
Bowery Bombshell as Whitey

1945

Story of G.I. Joe as Pvt. Whitey (uncredited)
Brenda Starr, Reporter as Pesky (uncredited)
Docks of New York as Skinny
Come Out Fighting as Skinny
Mr. Muggs Rides Again as Skinny
Hollywood and Vine as Joe the Newsboy

1944

Follow the Boys as Joe (uncredited)
The Whistler as The Deafmute (Uncredited)
Janie as Soda Jerk (uncredited)
Million Dollar Kid as Skinny
Block Busters as Butch
Bowery Champs as Skinny
That's My Baby! as Office boy
Follow the Leader as Spider O'Brien
I Won't Play as Florida
They Live in Fear as Thomas 'Mack' Knight (uncredited)

1943

The Ox-Bow Incident as Greene (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars as Busboy (uncredited)
Adventures of the Flying Cadets as Zombie Parker
Ghosts on the Loose as Benny
All by Myself as Telegraph Messenger
Aerial Gunner as Jackson 'Sleepy' Laswell
Nobody's Darling as Sammy (uncredited)
Mr. Muggs Steps Out as Pinky
The Powers Girl as Powers Agency Office Boy (uncredited)
Clancy Street Boys as Butch
Whispering Footsteps as Jerry Murphy
Moonlight in Vermont as Abel

1942

The Talk of the Town as Western Union Boy (uncredited)
The Glass Key as Farr's Receptionist (uncredited)
A Night to Remember as Messenger Boy (uncredited)
Rings on Her Fingers
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine as Bellboy
On the Sunny Side as Messenger
Junior G-Men of the Air as Whitey
Lady in a Jam as Barker (uncredited)
Get Hep to Love as Soda Jerk
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch as Theatre Usher
I Live on Danger as Bellboy (uncredited)
Two Yanks in Trinidad as Messenger (uncredited)
Wildcat as Bud Smithers
Perils of Nyoka as Red Davis
Heart of the Golden West as Telegraph Messenger
Home in Wyomin' as Usher (uncredited)

1941

Adventures of Captain Marvel as Whitey Murphy
Dressed to Kill as Singing Telegram Boy
Great Guns as Recruit at Corral
Second Chorus as Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Mr. District Attorney as Office Boy
Jesse James at Bay as Young Davis
Confessions of Boston Blackie as Ice Cream Man
The Great Mr. Nobody as Jig
She Knew All the Answers as Singing Telegraph Boy
The Man Who Lost Himself as Telegram Delivery Boy
Cadet Girl as Soldier at Camp Show (uncredited)
Time Out for Rhythm as Messenger (uncredited)
In Old Cheyenne as Train Vendor
Scattergood Baines as Lafe Hopper (uncredited)
Tuxedo Junction as Thomas 'Piecrust' Murphy (as Billy Benedict)

1940

Young People as Boy (uncredited)
Bowery Boy as (uncredited)
Adventures of Red Ryder as Dan Withers
My Little Chickadee as Lem (uncredited)
Rhythm on the River as Elevator Boy
Lucky Partners as Delivery Boy (uncredited)
The Great McGinty as Farm Boy (uncredited)
And One Was Beautiful as Delivery Man
Melody Ranch as Slim
The Mad Doctor as Mickey Barnes (Uncredited)
Give Us Wings as Link (as Billy Benedict)
Grand Ole Opry as Newsboy (uncredited)
Legion of the Lawless as Eddie
Stage to Chino as Happy (uncredited)

1939

Code of the Streets as Trouble
Hollywood Hobbies as Tour Guide
Pack Up Your Troubles as Office Boy

1938

Bringing Up Baby as David's Caddy (uncredited)
There's Always a Woman as Bellboy
I Met My Love Again as Billy (uncredited)
Walking Down Broadway as Eddie
Newsboys' Home as Trouble
Young Fugitives as Jud (as William 'Billy' Benedict)
King of the Newsboys as Squimpy
Say It in French as Midget Car Driver
Hold That Kiss as Delivery Boy
Little Tough Guys in Society as Trouble
Hold That Co-ed as Sylvester

1937

Tramp Trouble as Young Bindlestiff
The Last Gangster as Freddy the Office Boy
Flying Fists as Monk, Tall Kid
Jim Hanvey, Detective as Copy Boy (uncredited)
Rhythm in the Clouds as Bellboy
They Wanted to Marry as Freckles
Tim Tyler's Luck as Spud
That I May Live as Kurt Plivens

1936

Libeled Lady as Johnny
After the Thin Man as Newsboy (uncredited)
Captain January as Telegram Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Crack-Up as Bunky, Office Boy (uncredited)
The Country Doctor as The Gawker
The Witness Chair as Benny Ryan
Laughing at Trouble as Wilbur
Theodora Goes Wild as Henry - Copyboy (uncredited)
Ramona as Joseph Hyar
Can This Be Dixie? as Shenandoah Peachtree (uncredited)
M'Liss as Archer Morpher

1935

College Scandal as 'Penny' Parker
Way Down East as Amos
The Farmer Takes a Wife as Boy Announcing Dan's Arrival Before Fight
3 Kids and a Queen as Flash
Steamboat Round the Bend as Breck
Bad Boy as Grocery Clerk
Your Uncle Dudley as Cyril Church
Show Them No Mercy! as Willie (uncredited)
$10 Raise as Jimmy
Doubting Thomas as Caddie