top of page

Our Arklahoma Heritage: Actor born in Muskogee County in 1917 had career that spanned multiple decades

Writer's picture: Dennis McCaslinDennis McCaslin



William Franklin Sater Benedict, known in the theatrical world as Billy Benedict, was born on April 16, 1917, in the small community of Haskell in rural Muskogee County.


When his father Charles Wesley Benedict died in n1921, Billy was just three years old. His mother, Maude May Sater Benedict, supported him and his two sisters, Catherine and Suzanne. His father was buried in the Haskell Cemetery.


Billy showed an early interest in acting, participating in school theatricals before moving to Hollywood during the Great Depression. At first, he wanted to be a dancer, but when he discovered that dancers were a dime-a-dozenafter relocating to Hollywood with his mother and sisters in 1934 he concentrated on acting.


Billy made his film debut in the 1935 movie $10 Raise, starring Edward Everett Horton. He quickly became known for his roles as juvenile characters such as newsboys, messengers, and office boys.


In 1939, he joined Universal Pictures' Little Tough Guys series, which later evolved into the East Side Kids and eventually the Bowery Boys series. Billy played the character "Whitey" in the Bowery Boys series from 1946 to 1951.


In the 1941 film serial Adventures of Captain Marvel, Benedict played the role of "Whitey" Murphy. This was a significant role for him as it was part of the early superhero genre in film, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character.


The Benedict's character, Whitey Murphy, is part of the supporting cast that helps Billy Batson/Captain Marvel in his adventures


Throughout his career, Billy appeared in a variety of films, including My Little Chickadee (1940) with W.C. Fields and Mae West, The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), and even The Sting (1973). Despite his juvenile image, Billy continued to work in the industry well into his sixties, often taking on roles as messengers and news vendors.


Billy also found work in television, appearing in shows like The Andy Griffith Show, All in the Family, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After leaving the Bowery Boys series, he worked predominantly as an assistant in making miniature sets.


Billy married Dolly Benedict in 1969, though the couple later divorced. He remained active in the industry until his later years, contributing to various projects behind the scenes.


Billy Benedict passed away on November 25, 1999, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, following heart surgery. He was 82 years old.


He was laid to rest in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California alongside his mother and two sisters.



14 views

©2024 Today in Fort Smith. 

bottom of page