Freddie Bartholomew was a renowned child actor, born Frederick Cecil Bartholomew in Harlesden, London, to Lilian May (Clarke) and Cecil Llewellyn Bartholomew. From the tender age of three, Freddie was raised by his father's unmarried sister, Millicent, in the town of Warminster. This precocious child began reciting and performing on stage at three years old, and soon added singing and dancing to his repertoire.
By the age of six, Freddie had already made his film debut in the short film Toyland (1930). He went on to appear in several British films, which led to his recommendation and subsequent casting in the MGM film David Copperfield (1935) as the title character. This role catapulted Freddie to stardom, and he was subsequently signed to a seven-year MGM contract, which led to his relocation to Hollywood with his aunt.
Freddie's early success in films such as Anna Karenina (1935),Professional Soldier (1935),Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936),Lloyd's of London (1936),The Devil Is a Sissy (1936),and Captains Courageous (1937) opposite Spencer Tracy solidified his status as a child superstar. However, his parents, who were previously unknown to him, attempted to gain custody of him and his fortune, leading to a series of court battles and Freddie missing a crucial year of work.
As Freddie entered his teens, audiences began to lose interest in his literary period pieces, and his film career slowed. He continued to act in films such as Kidnapped (1938),Swiss Family Robinson (1940),Lord Jeff (1938),Listen, Darling (1938),and Tom Brown's School Days (1940),but his salary soared to $2,500 a week, making him the highest-paid child star after Shirley Temple.
In 1943, Freddie enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for a year, during which time he sustained a back injury and gained American citizenship. After his military service, Freddie struggled to revive his film career, and he eventually turned to television, hosting, directing, and producing shows. He remarried to TV cookbook author Aileen Paul in 1954 and moved to the Benton & Bowles advertising agency, where he worked as a television director and producer.
Freddie's millions, earned as a child, were largely spent on lawsuits involving his parents and aunt. He eventually retired due to emphysema and moved to Florida with his third wife, Elizabeth. Freddie Bartholomew passed away in 1992, but not before being featured in the documentary MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992).
