Billy Barty
Billy Barty ( born William John Bertanzetti; born October 25, 1924 in Millsboro, Washington County, Pennsylvania, † December 23, 2000 in Glendale, California ) was an American film and theater actor.
Life
Billy Barty was born as the only son and second of three children of Albert and Ellen Bertanzetti, Italo - Americans, in Millsboro, however, grew up with his sisters Evelyn and Dede in Hollywood. Even as a child a form of the reduced growth was diagnostistiziert at Barty, who was diagnosed as Cartilage -Hair Hypoplasia. Even as an adult, he was never greater than 114 centimeters.
Already one year old, 1925, Barty was in the short film Half a Hero in front of the camera, the more should follow in the coming years. As a film -brother of Mickey Rooney he convinced to about 1935 in more than 20 films. The early success of his son, now made his Albert Bertanzetti advantage, who founded a vaudeville group with his wife and his children, and so but appeared with them in cities across the U.S. and Canada.
After he had graduated from the Los Angeles City College, located Barty wrote one at the Los Angeles State College, where he studied from 1943 journalism. Despite its small size, he played football and even basketball, so he eventually focused his studies on the field of sports journalism. After his graduation, he worked briefly as a sports editor at the daily newspaper LA Collegian.
After a nearly nine -year break in 1946 Barty took in the film comedy Three Wise Fools true first time a film offer. Nevertheless, it took until 1950 until Barty again on the side of Johnny Weissmuller was in Jungle Jim in Pygmy Iceland front of the camera, and was again able to build on its success as a child and teenager from that date.
1957 visited Barty in Las Vegas a convention for people with dwarfism. This experience was one reason why he founded the organization Little People of America, which make up for the rights of small stature people in the social and economic life, including some against discrimination in the workplace, strong. In 1975 it became the Billy Barty Foundation.
In February 1962, Barty married in Malad City (Idaho ) Shirley Bolingbroke. Through his wife, he also faith community of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS). He eventually converted from Catholicism to the Mormons. The Barty family is still close friends with the family of Donny Osmond. The couple had two children, of whom his daughter Lori was also born in November 1962 dwarfism. Beginning of the 1970s was born the son Braden, who did not inherit the genetic defect, and today has an average body size. He now works as a filmmaker behind the camera.
Bartys film career is remarkable despite or because of his height. In addition to countless guest appearances as television series, including Little House, Charlie's Angels or Hart to Hart, he was also in some very famous fantasy movies in front of the camera, such as Masters of the Universe or Willow. Although he was nominated three times for the Golden Raspberry as Worst Supporting Actor, 1981, he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Politically, Barty felt close to the Republican Party, and counted in 1989 to the campaign workers of the future U.S. President George HW Bush. In 1990, with the help of Barty the American 's With Disabilities Act to ratify a law, which physically disabled Americans allows more freedom in public life.
Barty received in the last years of his life numerous honors, including the 1995 honorary doctorate from the California State University. He was inducted into the California Governor's Hall of Fame in 1999. 2000 was created in his honor of Billy Barty Humanitarian Award to life, the first prize winner Billy Barty was also.
In mid December 2000 was Barty increased health problems. After two weeks at Glendale Memorial Hospital Barty died on 23 December 2000, at the age of 76 years, of heart failure.