Billy Gray (bornWilliam Victor Giventer,[1] March 17, 1904,New York City,New York – January 4, 1978,Los Angeles,California) was an American comedian, comedy club owner and an actor.
Gray was studying law when he won a dance contest, and decided to enter show business instead. Gray was the onetime owner of the Band Box, a comedy club at 123 NorthFairfax Avenue,[2] in Los Angeles, which was previously owned byLou Costello,[1] who purchased it in 1942 from Pete and Billy Snyder and installed Gray as the emcee in place of Jackie Green.[3] Among the performers wereMax Rosenbloom,Buddy Hackett,Polly Bergen,Alan King,Billy Barty,Don Rickles andJackie Gleason.
He and his partner Jerry Bergen appeared in theMGM two-reelerThe Little Maestro in 1937.[4] They split up in 1940.
Gray acted on theAbbott and Costello radio show in 1942–43. He played a girl named Matilda, whose catchphrase was "I'm only three-and-a-half years old."[5] He also appeared on stage with Abbott and Costello in their appearances at military bases during World War Two.
Gray appeared in two feature films: he played theYiddish-speaking agent ofJack Lemmon andTony Curtis inBilly Wilder's famous comedySome Like It Hot (1959) and appeared inTwo for the Seesaw (1962) withRobert Mitchum, as Mr. Jacoby.[6]
Billy was known in the 1960’s for his parody of the Lerner and Loewe musical, “My Fair Lady,” entitled “My Fairfax Lady.” It was presented at his own club, the Billy Gray Band Box, in West Hollywood.[7] The show ran for five years at the Band Box from 1956 to 1961.[8]
He also appeared in a 1966 episode of the TV seriesThat Girl.[9] The Band Box closed in 1973 and Gray, who drank heavily, died in poverty in 1978. His club is commemorated in the name of a sandwich atCanter's, a nearby Fairfax Avenue deli.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Specter of the Rose | Jack Jones | |
| 1956 | The Scarlet Hour | Tom Rycker | |
| 1959 | Some Like It Hot | Sig Poliakoff | |
| 1962 | Two for the Seesaw | Mr. Jacoby |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
