Billy Bletcher

Biography

Billy Bletcher was an American actor who built a long career largely on his deep, booming baritone, becoming one of the busiest voices of animation's golden age. He was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and worked on screen in films and television from the 1910s into the 1970s, with parts in Our Gang and Three Stooges comedies. For Walt Disney Productions he played Black Pete in the Mickey Mouse shorts and the Big Bad Wolf in Three Little Pigs (1933), and he also voiced Spike the Bulldog at MGM and characters such as Henry Papa Bear at Warner Bros. His other assignments included the wolf in Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944), Don Del Oro in the serial Zorro's Fighting Legion, and added dialogue for the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He contributed to The Lone Ranger on radio and television in 1950, and in 1971 he took a part in a small-screen version of Lil Abner.

84years old at death

Born September 24, 1894Lancaster
Died January 5, 1979Los Angeles
Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22

Movie Career

Films: 27
Career span: 34 years1931 to 1965

Genres

Comedy59%, 16 films
Animation41%, 11 films
Family26%, 7 films
Drama22%, 6 films
Romance19%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Bletcher tried out to play a dwarf in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), but Walt Disney said no, afraid that audiences would know him from the studio's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck shorts.

Billy Bletcher movies on Netflix

Harlow1965IMDb rating 5.5as Policeman
Calamity Jane1953IMDb rating 7.2as Prospector
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949IMDb rating 6.8as Headless Horseman (voice)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949IMDb rating 7.7as Headless Horseman Laugh
Down to Earth1947IMDb rating 6.1as Conductor
Deadline at Dawn1946IMDb rating 6.8as Waiter
The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2as Gravedigger
Road to Utopia1945IMDb rating 7.1as Bear (voice)
Little Red Riding Rabbit1944IMDb rating 7.5as Wolf (voice)
Two Weeks to Live1943IMDb rating 5.5as Classified Ad Agency Collector
Dumbo1941IMDb rating 7.2as Clown (voice)
Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip1940IMDb rating 7.0as Pete
The Ape1940IMDb rating 4.7as Short Mustached Posse Man
The Wizard of Oz1939IMDb rating 8.1as Mayor / Lollipop Guild Member (voice)
Double Wedding1937IMDb rating 6.9as Wedding Guest
Lonesome Ghosts1937IMDb rating 7.5as Short Ghost
Lash of the Penitentes1936IMDb rating 5.3as Narrating Missionary(William Bletcher)
Satan Met a Lady1936IMDb rating 5.8as Father of Sextuplets
Three Blind Mouseketeers1936IMDb rating 6.4as Captain Katt
Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0as Big Bad Wolf (voice)
Thru the Mirror1936IMDb rating 7.5as Radio (voice)
Babes in Toyland1934IMDb rating 7.1as Chief of Police
The Big Bad Wolf1934IMDb rating 6.9as Big Bad Wolf
Morning Glory1933IMDb rating 6.4as Actor
She Done Him Wrong1933IMDb rating 6.3as Singing Waiter
Three Little Pigs1933IMDb rating 7.5as Big Bad Wolf
Monkey Business1931IMDb rating 7.4as Man in Deck Chair

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Three Little Pigs1933 Animation, Comedyas Big Bad Wolf
IMDb rating 7.57.7K votes
Three Little Wolves1936 Adventure, Animationas Big Bad Wolfvoice
IMDb rating 7.02.0K votes
The Big Bad Wolf1934as Big Bad Wolf
IMDb rating 6.92.7K votes
The Wizard of Oz1939as Mayor / Lollipop Guild Membervoice
IMDb rating 8.1473K votes
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949as Headless Horseman Laugh
IMDb rating 7.76.5K votes
Dumbo1941as Clownvoice
IMDb rating 7.2152K votes
Thru the Mirror1936as Radiovoice
IMDb rating 7.53.2K votes
Lonesome Ghosts1937as Short Ghost
IMDb rating 7.54.0K votes

Most often with

Burt Gillett directed four of these films, Clyde Geronimi three and David Hand three. Pinto Colvig appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Pinto Colvig

Clarence Nash

Bing Crosby

Walt DisneyDorothy ComptonMary ModerBurt GillettDirector, 4 films Clyde GeronimiDirector, 3 films David HandDirector, 3 films

Films together

Pinto Colvig9 films together, 1933 to 1949
Pinto Colvig's page
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949IMDb rating 6.8Bletcher as Headless HorsemanvoiceColvig as Ichabod Crane (screaming)voice
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949IMDb rating 7.7Bletcher as Headless Horseman LaughColvig as Ichabod Crane (screaming)
- The Wizard of Oz1939IMDb rating 8.1Bletcher as Mayor / Lollipop Guild MembervoiceColvig as Munchkinsvoice
- Lonesome Ghosts1937IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Short GhostColvig as Goofy
- Three Blind Mouseketeers1936IMDb rating 6.4Bletcher as Captain KattColvig as Tall thin mouseketeer
- Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Big Bad WolfvoiceColvig as Practical Pigvoice
- Thru the Mirror1936IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as RadiovoiceColvig as Radio Hiccupvoice
- The Big Bad Wolf1934IMDb rating 6.9Bletcher as Big Bad WolfColvig as Practical Pig
- Three Little Pigs1933IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Big Bad WolfColvig as Practical Pig
Clarence Nash4 films together, 1936 to 1949
Clarence Nash's page
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949IMDb rating 6.8Bletcher as Headless HorsemanvoiceNash as Ichabod's Horsevoice
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949IMDb rating 7.7Bletcher as Headless Horseman LaughNash as Ichabod's horse
- Lonesome Ghosts1937IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Short GhostNash as Donald Duck
- Thru the Mirror1936IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as RadiovoiceNash as Nutcracker Toolvoice
Bing Crosby3 films together, 1945 to 1949
Bing Crosby's page
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949IMDb rating 6.8Bletcher as Headless HorsemanvoiceCrosby as Relating the Story of Ichabod Cranevoice
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949IMDb rating 7.7Bletcher as Headless Horseman LaughCrosby as Narrator
- Road to Utopia1945IMDb rating 7.1Bletcher as BearvoiceCrosby as Duke Johnson
Walt Disney3 films together, 1936 to 1940
Walt Disney's page
- Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip1940IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as PeteDisney as Mickey Mousevoice
- Lonesome Ghosts1937IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Short GhostDisney as Mickey Mouse
- Thru the Mirror1936IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as RadiovoiceDisney as Mickey Mousevoice
Dorothy Compton3 films together, 1933 to 1936
Dorothy Compton's page
- Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Big Bad WolfvoiceCompton as Fifer Pigvoice
- The Big Bad Wolf1934IMDb rating 6.9Bletcher as Big Bad WolfCompton as Fifer Pig
- Three Little Pigs1933IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Big Bad WolfCompton as Fifer Pig
Mary Moder3 films together, 1933 to 1936
Mary Moder's page
- Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Big Bad WolfvoiceModer as Fiddler Pigvoice
- The Big Bad Wolf1934IMDb rating 6.9Bletcher as Big Bad WolfModer as Fiddler Pig
- Three Little Pigs1933IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Big Bad WolfModer as Fiddler Pig
Burt GillettDirector, 4 films, 1933 to 1937
All films by Burt Gillett
- Lonesome Ghosts1937IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Short Ghost
- Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Big Bad Wolfvoice
- The Big Bad Wolf1934IMDb rating 6.9Bletcher as Big Bad Wolf
- Three Little Pigs1933IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Big Bad Wolf
Clyde GeronimiDirector, 3 films, 1940 to 1949
All films by Clyde Geronimi
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949IMDb rating 6.8Bletcher as Headless Horsemanvoice
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1949IMDb rating 7.7Bletcher as Headless Horseman Laugh
- Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip1940IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Pete
David HandDirector, 3 films, 1936
All films by David Hand
- Three Blind Mouseketeers1936IMDb rating 6.4Bletcher as Captain Katt
- Three Little Wolves1936IMDb rating 7.0Bletcher as Big Bad Wolfvoice
- Thru the Mirror1936IMDb rating 7.5Bletcher as Radiovoice

Box office

What Billy Bletcher's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$41.1 million

5 of the 27 films have a worldwide figure.

5Worldwide figure
1US gross only
21Figure not found

Top grosser

The Wizard of Oz1939Mayor / Lollipop Guild Member$33.8 million

Highest grossing

The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Wizard of Oz1939as Mayor / Lollipop Guild Member (voice)
$34M82.2% of the total
2
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad1949as Headless Horseman (voice)
$3.2M7.9% of the total
3
She Done Him Wrong1933as Singing Waiter
$2.2M5.4% of the total
4
Dumbo1941as Clown (voice)
$1.6M3.9% of the total
5
Three Little Pigs1933as Big Bad Wolf
$250K0.6% of the total