Billy Barty

Billy Barty was born William John Bertanzetti on October 25, 1924 in Millsboro, Pennsylvania.

He began performing at age three and began making pictures in 1927. He played Mickey Rooney's little brother in the "Mickey McGuire" comedy shorts series. He was equally adept in both comedy and drama, and generally gives an added zest to any production he is associated with.

He founded the Little People of America in 1957 and the Billy Barty Foundation in 1975. He possessed an immense talent and energetic charm that added a much needed shot in the arm to many series and films.

He hosted his own daily kids television show, Billy Barty's Big Top (1963), where he entertained and informed his viewers and studio audiences in between reruns of The Three Stooges films. It was seen weekday afternoons on KTTV Ch.11 in Hollywood, California from the early to mid-1960s.

Founder of Little People of America, a support/advocacy organization for people with dwarfism. Although it has been reported that "no one over 4' 10" may join LPA" this is not correct - it is open to anyone affected by dwarfism (including family, friends, and medical professionals who treat little people). However, people over 4' 10" (i.e. not meeting the medical definition of a dwarf) *were* precluded from holding office in the organization until the late 1980s.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6922 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on July 1, 1981.

Ironically, in 1990 producer/writer William Winckler sued Billy Barty in Small Claims Court in Van Nuys, California for money that was owed him on the comedy series "Short Ribbs" (1989), and Winckler won the case against Barty. The press had a "field day" with all the publicity, stories ran through AP, UPI, The Daily News, ABC-TV News Los Angeles by reporter Joe McMann, and news swept throughout the country. Stories of Billy Barty being sued in Small Claims Court appeared in nearly every newspaper in the United States and internationally, on radio news shows, and covered by television news stations. Entertainment Tonight ran a story on Billy Barty being taken to small claims court. Barty himself said it was the most negative publicity he ever had in his life, with headlines such as "Small Billy Barty in Small Claims", "Barty Comes Up Short in Small Claims", etc. Barty added that he got nearly as much publicity as Zsa Zsa Gabor did for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer around the same time (1990). "Short Ribbs" writer Warren Taylor also sued Barty in Small Claims Court and won this case as well.

In 1991, after the first Gulf War, Rush Limbaugh, on his radio show, spoke of making a movie about it. When somebody suggested casting Billy Barty, Limbaugh said he was dead; however, the next day, Barty, who admitted he listened to Limbaugh's show regularly but had missed it that day, called in to prove otherwise.

(May 28, 1999) Hospitalized overnight for injuries from a motor scooter accident during a parade.

His funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Hollywood, California on December 27, 2000.

Billy Barty's eldest Nephew Michael Copeland and Michael's wife Debra produced a 236 page Bio-Tribute Book in 2002 entitled "Within Reach - An Inspirational Journey into the Life, Legacy and Influence of Billy Barty". Ironically after they started the project, they were contacted by Peter Jones Productions informing them A&E had assigned them to produce a "Biography" program about Billy's life and asked for help with information and family contacts.

Audio book: "Highlights from Within Reach", available only from the official website. [October 2005]