Clothing and Costumes Worn by Child Actors: Billy and Bobby Mauch - (US, 1921/24-2006/07 )


Figure 1.--Here the twins are in Boy Scout uniforms, probably about 1936-37. I'm not sure if they were actually Scouts or if this was one of their costumes for a movie.

Billy and Bobby Mauch were identical twins born in Peoria, Illinois (1924). It was virtually impossible to tell the difference. The one noticeable difference was that one was left habded and the other right handed. Their father was a ticket agent for the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. Their mother started teaching the boys to dance when they were 3 years old. By age 7 they were singing and acting on the radio. Their mother took them to Hollywood (1935). She claimed to be able to tell them apart--to a degree. She told Time magazine, which ran their faces side by side on its cover in November 1937 that this was only possible when: 1) the boys were awake, 2) Billy was wearing his glasses, or 3) when observing Bobby who was right-handed and Billy who was left-handed. Billy was cast in "Anthony Adverse" (1936). This was not because they were twins. Rather because they resembled a young Fredric March who played the adult star in "Anthony Adverse" (1936). Billy Mauch played a rather revealing role in the film. He is raised in a convent. He get's stripped by poor boys on the street and runs into the house where he is to be aprenticed without any clothes at all. Bobby was to be his stand-in for minor scenes. Apparently Bobby didn't like the idea and the boys agreed among themselves to share the role. After the film was completed, the boys told director Mervyn LeRoy that that had taken turns playing the lead role throughout the movie, positive that no one would notice. The Mauch brothers debut as twins and their best known film is the Mark Twain classic, "The Prince and the Pauper" (1937). This is probably the film they are most famous for, because of the need for twins ton act the two different parts and Errol Flynn's starring role. They played in some of the Penrod series films. They were in “Penrod and His Twin Brother” and “Penrod’s Double Trouble.” They would sometimes flip a coin to decide who got what role. They both served in the Pacific during World war II. Bobby served in the Phillipines Islands. He was stationed in Samara for a while. Billy occasionally appeared as an adult in films (early 50s). Bobby began a second career as a film editor. Bobby married Georgia Shattuck (1971) They first met in high school, at the Mar-Ken School for professional children in Hollywood.

Parents

Their father was a ticket agent for the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. Their mother Dorthy was a home maker with an interest in show business.

Birthdate

There seems to be some confusion about their birth year. Some sources report 1924, others 1921. Most of the 2006/2007 obits for Billy and Bobby gave 1921. "Penrod and Sam", featuring Billy, was released in 1937. I thought Billy looked about 13 in this film, which would make his birth year 1924. I thought, there is no way he could be 15 - 16 in that film, which would make 1921 the year the twins were born. A reader writes, "I have a membership in Ancestry.com, an online genealogical site which has census records from 1790 to 1930 on the site. Out of curiosity I checked the 1930 census for the twins. Billy and Bobby's birthday was July 6, and the census was taken in April 1930. According to the census they were eight at the time, making their birthdate July 6, 1921. How young they looked in those films!"

Childhood

Billy and Bobby Mauch were identical twins born in Peoria, Illinois. I dont't know much about their childhood. Their mother seems to have focused on showbusiness from an early age. Like many twins, they had a very close relationship. .

Identical Twins

It was virtually impossible to tell the difference. The one noticeable difference was that one was left habded and the other right handed. She claimed to be able to tell them apart--to a degree. She told Time magazine, which ran their faces side by side on its cover in November 1937 that this was only possible when: 1) the boys were awake, 2) Billy was wearing his glasses, or 3) when observing Bobby who was right-handed and Billy who was left-handed.

Education

I am not sure what kind of schools the boys attened. One they got to Holluwood they attended the Mar-Ken School for professional children. The boys ran together for senior class president. Future wife Georgia Shattuck was their campaign manager. They won with the slogan, "Two Heads Are Better Than One.” [Helvesi]

Show Business

Their mother started teaching the boys to dance when they were 3 years old. They began performing at benefits and parties. By age 7 they were singing and acting on the radio. They appeared on NBC's Sunday morning amateur hour for children "Coast-to-Coast on a Bus". They also appeared on "Let's Pretend", a drama series for children. (Jimmy Lydon and Billy Halop also appeared in this program. Their mother took them to Hollywood (1935). Billy was cast in "Anthony Adverse" (1936). This was not because they were twins. Rather because they resembled a young Fredric March who played the adult star in "Anthony Adverse" (1936). Warner Brothers had only wanted Billy. Their mother balked and threatened to go to another studio. Warmer Brothers decided to sign both boys.

Films (1936-39)

The boys had a rather short film career from 1936 to 39. Billy played a drummer boy in "White Angle" (1936). I am not sure if he did this before or after "Anthony Adverse", another 1936 film. Billy played a rather revealing role in "Anthony Adverse" (1936). He is raised in a convent. He get's stripped by poor boys on the street and runs into the house where he is to be aprenticed without any clothes at all. Bobby was to be his stand-in for minor scenes. Apparently Bobby didn't like the idea and the boys agreed among themselves to share the role. After the film was completed, the boys told director Mervyn LeRoy that that had taken turns playing the lead role throughout the movie, positive that no one would notice. The Mauch brothers debut as twins and their best known film is the Mark Twain classic, "The Prince and the Pauper" (1937). This is probably the film they are most famous for, because of the need for twins ton act the two different parts and Errol Flynn's starring role. The interesting apect of the film is not only that the premise is built around switching roles, but that the boys apparently switched roes in this film as well without telling anyone. These foirst two films were major productions. They never really moved on from them. They played in some of the Penrod series films (1937-38). These were, however, minor films although I quite enjoyed them. Perrod was Booth Tarkington ranbunctious Midwest boy set in the 1900s. They were in “Penrod and His Twin Brother” and “Penrod’s Double Trouble.” They would sometimes flip a coin to decide who got what role. Their last film as twins was "I'll Tell the World" (1939).

End of Acting Career

I'm not sure why they didn't make any more films. Perhaps the studio didn't offer them teen roles or they lost interest in acting. They seem to have been interested in the technical work associated with film making. Perhaps this interested them more than acting. Film historians as far as I can tell do not address this issue.

Appeal

One fan describes the appeal of the twins, "What set the Mauch Twins apart ... was their incandescent simple beauty. They were guileless. Free from affect. And seemingly as naive as the characters they played. These two boys were a dramatic contrast to the scruffy hooligans of the Dead End Kids and must have appealed to both parents and children, male and female, young and old. They were not above pulling pranks, however, as the recent obit in the Times confirms. To this day we do not know which of the twins was playing which role at any given time in the making of the film since they have admitted to switching parts as it pleased them. This is even harder to decipher since the basic plot of the film involves a switching of identities. .... They seemed to represent the best and the brightest virtues of young manhood of the period. Beautiful clear skin, disarmingly sweet smiles, a playful tomfoolery. Theirs was an aw-shucks apple-pie innocence that seemed completely genuine without being hokey. They were as quintessentially American as Mark Twain himself." [Peters]

World War II

They appeared together on Broadway in Moss Hart’s “Winged Victory”. This sas a morale booster featuring servicemen. They both served in the Pacific during World war II. Bobby served in the Phillipines Islands. He was stationed in Samara for a while.

Adult Lives

Billy occasionally appeared as an adult in films (early 50s). Bobby began a second career with Warner Brothwrs as a film editor. Bobby worked as aound editor. He did the sound work in Steve McQueens's "Bullet". Bobby married Georgia Shattuck (1971) They first met in high school, at the Mar-Ken School for professional children in Hollywood. Billy died in 2006 and Bobby in 2007.

Sources

Hevesi, Dennis, "Bobby Mauch, Actor Who Played Opposite Twin, Dies at 86,"

Peters, Brooks. "Two of a Kind: The Mauch Twins," Brooks Peters: An Open Book (October 26th, 2007).

"Bobby Mauch," The Independent (October 24, 2007).








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Created: 4:28 AM 11/17/2007
Last updated: 2:36 AM 11/20/2007