[SatinDoll]

I don’t know who Sherman Billingsley is (the name doesn’t compute!).

But there was a Billingsley who starred in a hilarious movie about a kid who wanted a BB gun for Christmas. Later as an adult he co-produced the movie, ‘Zarthustra’, I believe.

Is that who you mean?

[VermiciousKnid]

That was Peter Billingsly. I don’t think they are related. BTW...do a search for Peter Billingsly; you will feed instantly old (but he turned out to be a handsome man).

Regards,

[MarkL]

But there was a Billingsley who starred in a hilarious movie about a kid who wanted a BB gun for Christmas.

That would be Peter Billingsly, who was also in a number of commercials. "A Christmas Story" is a classic, plus you can get the lamp his dad won!

Mark

[justiceseeker93]

Just looked it up: Sherman Billingsley (1900-1966) was a well-known New York night club operator who had mob ties.

[Praxeologue]

You are referring to Peter Billingsley. Your reply prompted me to do some research. It seems that Barbara kept the Billingsley name from the first of her three marriages, and Peter used the Billingsley name, even though it was his mother's maiden name. Barbara and Peter were related by Barbara's first marriage to the New York night club ("The Stork Club") entrepreneur and bootlegger, Sherman Billingsley, whose mistress was Ethel Merman.

Sherman must have been pleased by the currency his last name had in Hollywood, even more than that other bootlegger, Joe Kennedy.