The Hollywood Shorties

Filmmaker Ryan Steven Green's documentary presents an enchanting believe-it-or-not sports/showbiz empowerment true story. A spin-off of the Little People of America association co-founded by legendary actor Billy Barty, the Hollywood Shorties were a team of dwarf and midget performers (mostly but not entirely drawn from Hollywood acting and stuntpeople) that began in the 1950s with novelty softball matches. The team's focus expanded—with a brilliant sense of showmanship—into basketball for Harlem Globetrotter-esque semi-scripted charity games that were mostly played in the Southern California area. The Shorties were an athletic outlet for marginalized individuals to show off their hoops prowess, including actors Tony Cox (Bad Santa) and Jimmy Briscoe. But during the 1990s, with the rise of the Dwarf Olympics games, the troupe felt bittersweet pressure to leave the politically incorrect gags behind. A highlight here is a sequence of movie/TV clips showing Christmas elves, McDonaldland denizens, and Sid & Marty Kroft creatures all played by uncredited little-person talents. Extras include audio commentary by the director, deleted scenes, archival game footage, a SXSW Festival Q&A, a vintage Shorties fan letter, and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)