"TOUGH GUY" ROSE FROM SHAKESPEARE

Evening Star, Issue 23189, 11 February 1939, Page 5

"TOUGH GUY" ROSE FROM SHAKESPEARE

CONFESSIONS OF A 'DEAD END' KID Billy Salop is believed to be the only actor in the world to use Shakespeare’s dramas as a stepping stone to later roles as a tough young street hoodlum 1 With the help of the illustrious “ Bard of Avon,” the young star of ‘ Dead End ’ and ‘ Crime School ’ climbed to fame as the most hard boiled young actor in the country. (Billy confessed his Shakespearean background during the filming of ‘ Little Tough Guy,’ Universal’s swiftly paced drama of reckless youth, soon to be shown here. The picture stars the ‘ Dead End ’ Kids with Helen Parrish, Robert Wilcox, Jackie Searl, and Marjorie Main featured. “ I played ‘ Puck ’ in a radio version of Shakespeare’s ‘ Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ when I. was 12 years old.” the actor admitted to Ken Goldsmith, the producr. “ A little later I did 1 Romeo ’ in a radio play of * Romeo and Juliet ’ ” After that distinguished debut, Billy progressed quickly. He appeared on the ‘March of Time ’ programme and in radio plays with Maude Adams. For three years he , starred on the N.B.C. network, creating _ the character of Bobby Benson, in which he became a hero to millions of other boys. Appearing as a special attraction at Madison Square Garden with Colonel W. T. Johnson’s rodeo show, he was credited with boosting the gate receipts enormously. The colonel was so pleased he gave Billy a horse which the boy trained and later rode as a_ headliner with Barnura and Baily’s circus on a tour through the east. Billy has never taken a dramatic lesson in his life. Billy began bumming nursery tunes at the age of two years. By the time he was five, he had a job as a boy tenor on the national radio networks.

He was educated at the Children’s Professional school and a:t M'Burney’g School for Boys. Keenly interested it*' sports, Billy has a ready_ pair of fists* and can hold his own with any boxen of his size. His ambition is to follow! in the footsteps of his idol, Paul Muni, as a character star. Outside of his desire to perfect hi* acting, Halop is a “ nut ” on hobbies. They include photography| collecting American stamps, and swing records* Billy is sft 9in in height, weighs 1451b* and has blue eyes and brown hair. He plays baseball, tennis, hockey, and holds''a junior life guard rating. ,