Billy De Wolfe
Actor · Died March 5, 1974, aged 67 · Quincy, Massachusetts, USA
Most certainly egged on by the dandified antics of an Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore and/or Franklin Pangborn, burlesque clown Billy DeWolfe in turn gave obvious inspiration to such effeminate cutups as Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. Billy's life was one hundred percent show business from start to finish in a career that lasted five decades, and it took everything, including the proverbial vaudeville hook, to get the delightful ham off the stage he craved and loved so well. Christened William Andrew Jones, he was the son of a Welsh-born immigrant and bookbinder. Born in Massachusetts, the family returned to Wales almost immediately and did not come back to the States until Billy was nine years old. He began his career in the theater as an usher until he found work as a dancer with a band. He subsequently took his name from a theater manager, William De Wolfe, who actually offered him his name. Billy developed his own comedy-dance act and originally played the vaudeville circuit as part of a duo or trio. In London for five years, he eventually went solo and was given the chance to play the London Palladium at one point. He returned to America in 1939 and enjoyed notice as a prime radio and nightclub performer-impressionist, appearing in satirical revues, sometimes in drag, with great results. Billy enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 shortly after completing his first movie role as a riverboat conman in Dixie (1943) for Paramount. In civilian clothes again by war's end, he returned to Paramount and brought hyper comedy relief to a number of films including Miss Susie Slagle's (1946), Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946), and The Perils of Pauline (1947). He then instigated what would become his suitor prototype. With trademark mustache and spiffy duds, he assumed the role of the highly ineffectual, fastidious, self-involved bore who loses the girl, in Dear Ruth (1947), one of his biggest film triumphs, which was followed by two "Dear..." movie sequels. Old-fashioned musicals were definitely his cup of tea and he was easily fit into such nostalgic fare as Tea for Two (1950) and Lullaby of Broadway (1951). One of his other film highlights includes getting snitty with bombastic Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam (1953). Irrepressible and definitely hard to contain for film (not to mention difficult to cast due to his mincing mannerisms), Billy focused instead on the live stage. He won the 1954 Donaldson Award for the NY production of "John Murray Anderson's Almanac," returned to London in command performances, and revisited Broadway in the last edition of "The Ziegfeld Follies" in 1957. Better yet was his pompous performance in the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" On TV he was a mildly popular raconteur on the talk show circuit. Fussy second-banana series roles took up his final decade of acting with such comedy series showcasing the likes of Imogene Coca, Phyllis Diller and Doris Day, who became a very close friend. A lifelong hypochondriac, Billy was about to take on the role of Madam Lucy in a 1973 Broadway revival of "Irene" when the ravages of lung cancer forced him to leave the show before rehearsals even began. Character player George S. Irving replaced Billy and went on to win a supporting-actor Tony for his wild efforts. Billy lost his fight at age 67 in 1974.
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Biography from IMDb.
- February 18, 1907
- March 5, 1974 (aged 67)
- Quincy, Massachusetts, USA
- Actor
- 18 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
What are Billy De Wolfe's films like?
Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 14
Light 15 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 6 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 1
Gentle 10 · Charged 5 · Intense 0
Steady 13 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 6
Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
Casual 15 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 13 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 15 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 5 of 10 analyzed roles.
Show the 10 rolesHide the roles
- Tricksteras Mr. Bones in Dixie (1943)
- Tricksteras Ben Mead in Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)
- Tricksteras Roland du Frere in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946)
- Tricksteras Horace Frazier in Isn't It Romantic (1948)
- Shadowas Albert Kummer in Dear Wife (1949)
- Shapeshifteras Larry Blair in Tea for Two (1950)
- Threshold guardianas Albert in Dear Brat (1951)
- Tricksteras Mayor Charlie Davis in Billie (1965)
- Shadowas Professor Hinkle in Frosty the Snowman (1969)
- Shapeshifteras Dean Maxwell in The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)
Moods and endings
- Happy13
- Bittersweet2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Billy De Wolfe's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Billy De Wolfe's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
30 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Free to Be... You & Me(1974)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Frosty the Snowman(1969)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Debbie Reynolds Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Arsenic and Old Lace(1969)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Doris Day Show(1968)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
Good Morning World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Rango (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
That Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Pruitts of Southampton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Billie(1965)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all filmsBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
The Dick Van Dyke Show(1961)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Johnny Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Call Me Madam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Dear Brat(1951)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Lullaby of Broadway(1951)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Tea for Two(1950)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Dear Wife(1949)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Isn't It Romantic(1948)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Variety Girl(1947)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Perils of Pauline(1947)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Dear Ruth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
Blue Skies(1946)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Miss Susie Slagle's(1946)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Duffy's Tavern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Dixie(1943)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 83rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 30 titles from 1943 to 1974; peak year 1969.
Film career
Peak 1969 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1946Screen debut· Blue Skies
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Billy De Wolfe's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
9 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser9
- Mixed8
Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Billy De Wolfe work with?
People who share at least 2 of Billy De Wolfe's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mona Freeman shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Robert ScheererShared titles: The World's Greatest Athlete (1973), Arsenic and Old Lace (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Scheerer
- David ButlerShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with David Butler
Writers
- Arthur SheekmanShared titles: Dear Wife (1949), Blue Skies (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Sheekman
- Theodore StraussShared titles: Isn't It Romantic (1948), Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Theodore Strauss
Actors
- Mona FreemanShared titles: Dear Brat (1951), Dear Wife (1949), Isn't It Romantic (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Mona Freeman
- Joan CaulfieldShared titles: Dear Wife (1949), Blue Skies (1946), Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)See all 3 shared titles with Joan Caulfield
- Lillian GishShared titles: Arsenic and Old Lace (1969), Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Lillian Gish
- Doris DayShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Doris Day
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Robert Emmett DolanShared titles: The Perils of Pauline (1947), Blue Skies (1946), Dixie (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Robert Emmett Dolan
- Howard JacksonShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Jackson
- Irene MorraShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Irene Morra
- Wilfrid M. ClineShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Wilfrid M. Cline
Producers
- William JacobsShared titles: Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Tea for Two (1950)See all 2 shared titles with William Jacobs
- Daniel DareShared titles: Isn't It Romantic (1948), Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Dare
- Sol C. SiegelShared titles: The Perils of Pauline (1947), Blue Skies (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Sol C. Siegel
