Bennie Bartlett(1924-1999)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Bennie Bartlett was not only an actor but also an accomplished
musician. In fact, he was such a child prodigy on the piano that, at
eight years of age, he appeared in an RKO musical, Millions in the Air (1935), playing the
piano. The next year he appeared in a short for Paramount, performing a
composition he had written (at the age of nine!). The studio signed him
to a contract soon afterwards. Bartlett began appearing with many of
Paramount's biggest stars, and became such a hot property that he was
often loaned out to other studios. By the early 1940s, though, he had
reached the awkward age where he couldn't play juveniles anymore but
wasn't quite ready for adult roles. The problem was solved when he
joined the military during the war. After his enlistment was over he
resumed his acting career, and was cast as a member of the gang in the
Bowery Boys comedies. He exited the series in 1955, and shortly
afterwards left the film business entirely.
