Biography

There was a ruling in the Armed Forces that twins cannot be separated unless requested. Both Billy and Bobby served in the Air Force in the Philippines and appeared together in the Broadway play "Winged Victory.".

Warner Bros. originally wanted only to sign Billy, but Mrs. Mauch insisted both boys be signed up or she would pitch Bobby to a rival studio. Both boys were signed at $350 a week. Mrs. Mauch received $150 a week as their guardian.

Behind the camera in later years, Billy worked for Warner Bros. as a sound editor. His brother became a film editor.

Billy was cast as young Anthony Adverse (1936) because he resembled the film's star Fredric March. Bobby was his stand-in and supposedly fooled director Mervyn LeRoy at times by switching places.

He and Bobby once ran successfully together for senior high school class president with the catchy slogan, "Two Heads Are Better Than One.".