Billy Chapin

Billy Chapin was an actor best known for the films The Kid from Left Field and The Night of the Hunter, as well as several television appearances.

Like his sister, Lauren Chapin, and brother, Michael Chapin, he began acting as a child and enjoyed his greatest success during the 1950s.

Billy Chapin got his start in 1951 in the Broadway production of Three Wishes for Jamie and made his movie debut in the 1953 release The Kid from Left Field. 

His most enduring role role came in 1955, when he appeared in the gothic drama The Night of the Hunter, directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish. In 1992, the United States Library of Congress selected the picture for preservation in the National Film Registry, ensuring its legacy.

On television, he appeared in episodes of series such as Chevron Theatre, Topper, Dragnet, The Loretta Young Show, Waterfront, General Electric Theater, Climax!, Zane Grey Theatre, Panic!, Lux Video Theatre, Leave it to Beaver and Fury.

Chapin died on December 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. He was 72.