Topic: 'Little' Billy Rhodes

[stoogestats]

I was just contacted by someone claiming to be related to 'Little' Billy Rhodes.
I will see what if anything they have to add to his information. I did ask if they know his birth date as I am seeing both 1894 and 1895.
http://threestooges.net/cast/actor/103/

[GreenCanaries]

I don't want to steal anyone's spotlight or anything (especially this relative you have made contact with), but I just wanted to say that I actually did find Rhodes' real name a long while back and I can with a lot of confidence confirm an "1895 in Massachusetts" birth date.

If you just say the word, I'll post what I have found.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Man oh Man, I hope this works out all right.  I would not like to get caught in an argument between Green Canaries and Stoogestats.

[GreenCanaries]

Man oh Man, I hope this works out all right.  I would not like to get caught in an argument between Green Canaries and Stoogestats.

Was not intending to start sh*t at all. I'm very curious and intrigued to hear about Billy's relative.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Yes, oh yes, me too.  No  adversarialism intended.  Pure scholarship only.  The two of you are so close already, I'm looking forward to nailing this thing down.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I can see where my previous comment might be construed as setting up an adversarial relationship.  I didn't mean that at all.  We're all in this together, searching for truth. let's thrash it out, and arrive at the truth which sets us all free.  My previous comment was just a quip.

[GreenCanaries]

Understood and none taken, Chief. Thanks for clarifying!

[CurlyFan1934]

If it's worth anything, I am the relative of 'Little' Billy Rhodes. In fact, I didn't even know about it until a while back when I was watching THE STOLEN JOOLS (1931), which was a short comedy film that features comedians such as Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton. Anyways, I was watching it with my grandfather, who is an avid fan of both Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges and really all things slapstick comedy. During the end of the film, my grandfather said, "Hey, that's Billy!" Upon asking him who he was, I found out that he was a character actor who was famous for being, well, little. I don't see the relation on those terms, because most of my family on his side seems to be pretty tall. I asked what the relation was, and I think that it was my great-grandfather's cousin. If anybody has any other information about him, please feel free to share.

[metaldams]

If it's worth anything, I am the relative of 'Little' Billy Rhodes. In fact, I didn't even know about it until a while back when I was watching THE STOLEN JOOLS (1931), which was a short comedy film that features comedians such as Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton. Anyways, I was watching it with my grandfather, who is an avid fan of both Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges and really all things slapstick comedy. During the end of the film, my grandfather said, "Hey, that's Billy!" Upon asking him who he was, I found out that he was a character actor who was famous for being, well, little. I don't see the relation on those terms, because most of my family on his side seems to be pretty tall. I asked what the relation was, and I think that it was my great-grandfather's cousin. If anybody has any other information about him, please feel free to share.

That's pretty crazy.  You should do one of those ancestor researches to find out.

Supposedly, my Great Grandfather was a cameraman for Fox Studios in the teens when they were East Coast based.  If true, he probably shot one reelers that are now lost.  No way of confirming this other than my great grandfather, who died in 1962, claimed it and it's been passed on in my family.  They didn't really credit cameraman as much in the teens, so this is a mystery I'll never know.

[GreenCanaries]

It all started when I decided to see if I could find any alternate CA Death Index entries for him. So, in addition to "Littlebi[lly] Rhodes," I found another one with the same info for a "Clarence Bliss."

Well, from there, I discovered that Little Billy Rhodes's real name was Clarence Herbert Bliss, and that he was born February 1, 1895 in Lynn, Massachusetts (though his WWII draft registration card claims Newburyport, MA).

- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11053-188146-19?cc=1325221 (1900 U.S. Census, line 74)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25976-21678-88?cc=1968530 (WWI Draft Registration Card)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-38054-8354-68?cc=2185145 (1923 passport application, page 1, "Clarence Bliss - professionally known as Little Billy")
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-38054-8300-86?cc=2185145 (1923 passport application, page 2)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-36723-31944-54?cc=2141044 (1923 passenger list, line 5)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22274-41663-84?cc=1916078 (1923-24 passenger list, line 22)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16389-65719-44?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Registration Card, front)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16389-65792-37?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Registration Card, back)
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPNW-4HD (California Death Index, "Littlebi[lly] Rhodes")
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPCJ-BB4 (California Death Index, Clarence Bliss)
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3PS-5N5 (Social Security Death Index, as "Billy Rhodes")
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24671655 (Find a Grave)

[CurlyFan1934]

It all started when I decided to see if I could find any alternate CA Death Index entries for him. So, in addition to "Littlebi[lly] Rhodes," I found another one with the same info for a "Clarence Bliss."

Well, from there, I discovered that Little Billy Rhodes's real name was Clarence Herbert Bliss, and that he was born February 1, 1895 in Lynn, Massachusetts (though his WWII draft registration card claims Newburyport, MA).

- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11053-188146-19?cc=1325221 (1900 U.S. Census, line 74)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25976-21678-88?cc=1968530 (WWI Draft Registration Card)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-38054-8354-68?cc=2185145 (1923 passport application, page 1, "Clarence Bliss - professionally known as Little Billy")
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-38054-8300-86?cc=2185145 (1923 passport application, page 2)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-36723-31944-54?cc=2141044 (1923 passenger list, line 5)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22274-41663-84?cc=1916078 (1923-24 passenger list, line 22)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16389-65719-44?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Registration Card, front)
- https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16389-65792-37?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Registration Card, back)
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPNW-4HD (California Death Index, "Littlebi[lly] Rhodes")
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPCJ-BB4 (California Death Index, Clarence Bliss)
- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3PS-5N5 (Social Security Death Index, as "Billy Rhodes")
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24671655 (Find a Grave)

Thanks! It would make sense that he would come from Lynn, Massachusetts being that my family and I are all natives to the state. Also, I had absolutely no clue what his real name is. And I'll have to check where the last name "Bliss" falls into my family tree, and find out if "Little" Billy had any siblings or anything like that.

That's pretty crazy.  You should do one of those ancestor researches to find out.

Supposedly, my Great Grandfather was a cameraman for Fox Studios in the teens when they were East Coast based.  If true, he probably shot one reelers that are now lost.  No way of confirming this other than my great grandfather, who died in 1962, claimed it and it's been passed on in my family.  They didn't really credit cameraman as much in the teens, so this is a mystery I'll never know.

Well, if you get any information about him in the years to come, I'd like to know. I wonder if he worked with any comedians that we talk so much about on these forums! I don't know of any famous actors in the 1910's that worked for Fox Studios, but I'm sure that somebody would know.

[stoogestats]

This is great bringing people together. Because of my Harry Semels video tribute on YouTube. I was also contacted by someone who said they are his granddaughter. Born the year he passed away. I hope something interesting will come from this contact.

&feature=youtu.be

[metaldams]

This is great bringing people together. Because of my Harry Semels video tribute on YouTube. I was also contacted by someone who said they are his granddaughter. Born the year he passed away. I hope something interesting will come from this contact.

&feature=youtu.be

That's fantastic.  The Internet does have a way of bringing people together...sometimes for the good.  LOL In this case, it's for the good.

[metaldams]

Well, if you get any information about him in the years to come, I'd like to know. I wonder if he worked with any comedians that we talk so much about on these forums! I don't know of any famous actors in the 1910's that worked for Fox Studios, but I'm sure that somebody would know.

My grandmother said to me when I was a kid her father stated to her William Fox asked him to come out west to Hollywood, but he didn't do so (my grandmother and great grandfather are from New York).  She says it's a good thing he didn't because none of us would be born.  According to online, Fox started in 1915 and moved west in 1917, so if he did, it was probably in those years.  My grandmother was born in 1922, a high school classmate of Carl Reiner. 

I doubt my great grandfather worked with any comedians we're fans of or stars in general. I know of none who worked for William Fox between 1915 - 1917.