Billy Bevan

Birthday: 1887-09-29
Deathday: 1957-11-26
Birthplace: Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in 254 American films between 1916 and 1950.

Bevan was born in the country town of Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He went on the stage at an early age, traveled to Sydney and spent eight years in Australian light opera, performing as Willie Bevan. He sailed to America with the Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company in 1912 and later toured Canada. Bevan broke into films with the Sigmund Lubin studio in 1916. When the company disbanded, Bevan became a supporting actor in Mack Sennett movie comedies. An expressive pantomimist, Bevan's quiet scene-stealing attracted attention, and by 1922 Bevan was a Sennett star. He supplemented his income, however, by establishing a citrus and avocado farm at Escondido, California.

Usually filmed wearing a derby hat and a drooping mustache, Bevan may not have possessed an indelible screen character like Charlie Chaplin but he had a friendly, funny presence in the frantic Sennett comedies. Much of the comedy depended on Bevan's skilled timing and reactions; the famous "oyster" routine performed on film by Curly Howard, Lou Costello, and Huntz Hall—in which a bowl of "fresh oyster stew" shows alarming signs of life and battles the guy trying to eat it—was originated on film decades earlier by Bevan in the short film Wandering Willies.

By the mid-1920s Bevan was often teamed with Andy Clyde; Clyde soon graduated to his own starring series. The late 1920s found Bevan playing in wild marital farces for Sennett.

The advent of talking pictures took their toll on the careers of many silent stars, including Billy Bevan. Bevan began a second career in "talkies" as a character actor and bit player in roles such as that of a bus driver in the 1929 film High Voltage, a hotel employee in the Mae Murray film Peacock Alley, and the supporting role of Second Lieutenant Trotter in Journey's End in 1930. His starring roles had come to an end, however, and for the next 20 years he often would play rowdy Cockneys (as in Pack Up Your Troubles with The Ritz Brothers), and affable Englishmen (as in Tin Pan Alley and Terror by Night). He played a friendly bus conductor opposite Greer Garson in one of the opening scenes of Mrs. Miniver.

Bevan died in 1957 in Escondido, California, just before new audiences discovered him in Robert Youngson's silent-comedy compilations. (The Youngson films mispronounce his name as "Be-VAN"; Bevan himself offered the proper pronunciation in a Voice of Hollywood reel in 1930.)

Credits

Year Title Character
1957-12-26 The Golden Age of Comedy archive footage
1952-12-19 Hans Christian Andersen Town Councilman (uncredited)
1950-10-20 Three Secrets Ed Jackson (uncredited)
1950-06-21 Rogues of Sherwood Forest Will Scarlet
1950-05-19 Fortunes of Captain Blood Billy Bragg
1949-11-18 Tell It to the Judge Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited)
1949-06-30 The Secret Of St. Ives Douglas (uncredited)
1949-04-30 The Secret Garden Barney
1948-12-09 Let's Live a Little Morton
1948-03-18 The Black Arrow Dungeon Keeper
1948-01-02 The Swordsman Old Andrew
1947-12-07 It Had to Be You Evans
1947-05-30 Moss Rose Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited)
1946-06-02 Cluny Brown Uncle Arn Porritt
1946-04-05 Devotion Mr. Ames (uncredited)
1946-02-01 Terror by Night Conductor Taking Tickets
1945-03-03 The Picture of Dorian Gray Malvolio Jones
1945-01-26 National Velvet Constable (uncredited)
1945-01-09 Tonight and Every Night Cabbie (uncredited)
1944-08-01 The Pearl of Death Constable With Food Tray (uncredited)
1944-06-09 The Invisible Man's Revenge Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1944-01-19 The Lodger
1943-12-24 Jane Eyre Bookie (uncredited)
1943-11-11 The Return of the Vampire Horace (uncredited)
1943-01-21 Forever and a Day Wartime Cabby
1943-01-15 London Blackout Murders Air Raid Warden
1942-10-30 I Married a Witch Puritan Vendor (uncredited)
1942-09-03 Counter-Espionage George Barrow
1942-07-03 Mrs. Miniver Bus Conductor (uncredited)
1942-05-12 This Above All Farmer
1942-04-27 The Man Who Wouldn't Die Phillips
1941-12-12 Confirm or Deny Mr. Bindle
1941-11-14 Suspicion Ticket Taker (uncredited)
1941-08-12 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Mr. Weller
1941-05-30 Shining Victory Chivers
1941-04-24 Penny Serenade McDougal (uncredited)
1940-11-29 Tin Pan Alley Stage Doorman
1940-11-16 The Long Voyage Home Joe
1940-03-23 Rebecca Policeman (uncredited)
1940-01-12 The Invisible Man Returns Jim (uncredited)
1940-01-05 The Earl of Chicago Castle Guide
1939-11-25 We Are Not Alone Mr. Jones
1939-10-24 Pack Up Your Troubles British Sergeant
1939-05-26 Captain Fury Duffy
1939-02-24 Let Freedom Ring Cockney (uncredited)
1938-12-16 A Christmas Carol Street Watch Leader
1938-11-25 Arrest Bulldog Drummond Aquarium Guard
1938-10-14 Shadows Over Shanghai Gallicuddy
1938-09-17 Mysterious Mr. Moto Customs Official
1938-07-06 The Young in Heart Kennel Man (uncredited)
1938-06-17 Blond Cheat Bartender (uncredited)
1938-03-18 The Girl of the Golden West Nick
1938-02-18 Bringing Up Baby Joe (uncredited)
1937-10-11 The Wrong Road McLean
1937-09-05 The Sheik Steps Out Munson
1937-06-26 Another Dawn Pvt. Hawkins
1937-06-16 Slave Ship Atkins
1937-03-19 Personal Property Frank (uncredited)
1937-01-16 God's Country and the Woman Plug Hat
1936-11-25 Lloyd's of London Innkeeper
1936-08-14 Piccadilly Jim Taxi Driver
1936-06-05 Private Number Frederick
1936-05-11 Dracula's Daughter Police Constable Albert
1936-05-06 Champagne Charlie Mr. Boswick
1936-04-09 Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Cabby (uncredited)
1936-03-11 Song and Dance Man Curtis
1935-12-25 A Tale of Two Cities Jerry Cruncher
1935-12-19 The Widow from Monte Carlo Officer Watkins
1935-10-11 The Last Outpost Private Foster
1935-08-01 Black Sheep Alfred
1935-03-01 Vanessa: Her Love Story Horse Auctioneer
1935-01-08 Mystery Woman Jepson
1934-12-30 Caravan Police Sergeant
1934-12-11 Limehouse Blues Herb
1934-08-15 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Man in Hotel Room
1934-08-06 One More River Cloakroom Attendant
1934-07-19 Shock Meadows
1934-05-24 Stingaree Mac
1934-02-16 The Lost Patrol Hale
1933-12-21 Pop's Pal Grandpa
1933-12-18 Alice in Wonderland Two of Spades (uncredited)
1933-10-20 The Way to Love M. Prial
1933-09-23 Too Much Harmony Stage Director
1933-07-09 The Big Squeal Jake Burke
1933-06-23 Thundering Taxis One of the Taxi Boys
1933-05-26 Peg o' My Heart Detective #2 (uncredited)
1933-05-14 A Study in Scarlet Will Swallow
1933-05-04 Uncle Jake Uncle Jake
1933-04-28 Looking Forward Mr. Barker
1933-03-12 Techno-Crazy Mary's Father - the Mayor
1933-02-08 Cavalcade George Grainger
1933-02-03 Luxury Liner Schultz
1933-01-01 She Whoops To Conquer
1932-12-04 Me and My Gal Ashley, Arguing Drunk (uncredited)
1932-11-01 Payment Deferred Charlie Hammond
1932-10-22 Honeymoon Beach Billy Bevan
1932-03-15 Vanity Fair Joseph Sedley
1932-03-12 Sky Devils Colonel
1932-02-07 The Silent Witness Horace Ward
1931-10-11 Who's Who in the Zoo Father
1931-09-01 Waterloo Bridge Soldier on the Make (uncredited)
1931-08-19 Transatlantic Hodgkins
1931-07-18 Chances Cuthbert (uncredited)
1931-04-17 Born to Love Departing British Soldier (uncredited)
1930-08-29 For the Love o' Lil Edward O. Walker
1930-08-27 Monte Carlo Train Conductor (uncredited)
1930-06-05 Temptation Sam
1930-04-09 Journey's End Trotter
1930-01-19 Scotch Gilbert - Addie's Brother
1930-01-04 Peacock Alley Walter
1929-12-14 Weak But Willing George Downing
1929-11-11 The Trespasser Reporter (uncredited)
1929-06-29 High Voltage Gus Jones
1929-05-19 Don't Get Jealous Billy Blake
1929-04-21 Pink Pajamas Billy Brooks
1929-02-03 Calling Hubby's Bluff Billy Barton
1929-01-29 The Sky Hawk Tom Berry
1928-12-30 His New Stenographer Billy Brooks
1928-11-25 Riley the Cop Paris Cabman
1928-11-01 Hubby's Weekend Trip Bill Blake
1928-09-30 Motorboat Mamas Billy Bender
1928-08-12 His Unlucky Night Billy Trotter
1928-08-05 The Girl from Nowhere Constable Billy Barnes
1928-03-18 The Bicycle Flirt Doty Bassett - the Bicycle Flirt
1928-02-08 The Best Man Best Man
1928-01-21 The Beach Club
1927-12-11 The Girl from Everywhere Messenger
1927-11-27 The Bull Fighter Pete De Tour
1927-10-02 Gold Digger of Weepah The Barber
1927-09-03 The Golf Nut Billy Divott
1927-06-12 Cured in the Excitement Professor Brawn
1927-03-20 A Small Town Princess Joe Whiffet
1927-02-20 Peaches and Plumbers Bill the Plumber
1927-02-20 Easy Pickings The Detective
1927-01-23 Should Sleepwalkers Marry? Charley Carter
1926-12-25 Flirty Four-Flushers Jerry Connors / Archibald De Shyster
1926-10-30 Masked Mamas Casey McCorkle
1926-10-26 Should Husbands Marry? The Cop
1926-09-05 Hoboken to Hollywood Billy Judkins
1926-08-08 Hubby’s Quiet Little Game Billy Foote
1926-07-11 A Sea Dog's Tale Wilbur Watts
1926-06-20 Ice Cold Cocos Gus Gander
1926-05-30 Musclebound Music Billy Hornby
1926-05-09 Fight Night Walter Moore
1926-04-18 Hayfoot, Strawfoot? Pete
1926-03-28 Wandering Willies Percy Nudge
1926-03-07 Circus Today Gus Barnum
1926-02-14 Trimmed in Gold Otto Stropp
1926-01-24 Whispering Whiskers The Drifter
1925-12-13 From Rags to Britches Joe Bush
1925-10-11 Over Thereabouts Joe Dobell
1925-08-30 Butter Fingers Nick
1925-08-09 The Iron Nag Joe Gobb
1925-07-19 Sneezing Beezers Joe Honck - Taxi Driver
1925-06-14 Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies Hiram Case
1925-04-09 The Lion's Whiskers Otto Klutch
1925-03-22 Giddap! Gaspard De Brie
1925-01-25 Honeymoon Hardships Farmer
1924-12-14 Off His Trolley The Traffic Cop
1924-11-30 The Cannon Ball Express Adam Fargo - Baggage Master
1924-11-02 Galloping Bungalows John Syrup Soother
1924-10-05 Wandering Waistlines Sandy Hook - Sailor
1924-09-21 Little Robinson Corkscrew The Sheriff
1924-09-13 Three Foolish Weeks King of Anchovia
1924-09-07 Lizzies of the Field Bud Gasket
1924-08-24 East of the Water Plug The Sheriff
1924-08-09 Wall Street Blues The Janitor
1924-04-19 The Hollywood Kid Studio Organist
1924-02-24 The White Sin Travers Dale
1924-01-27 One Spooky Night A.J. Bird Jr.
1923-12-30 Inbad the Sailor Jake aka Inbad the Sailor
1923-11-04 One Cylinder Love The Bachelor's Butler / Chauffeur / Footman
1923-10-28 The Extra Girl Comedian
1923-09-02 Pitfalls of a Big City Barfly (uncredited)
1923-08-11 Nip and Tuck Sailor
1922-09-22 When Summer Comes Lyons - the Tenderfoot
1922-06-22 The Crossroads of New York Press Agent
1922-05-09 Gymnasium Jim Jim
1922-03-12 On Patrol The Amateur Cop
1922-02-13 The Duck Hunter The Sportsman
1921-12-24 Bright Eyes The Nosey Butler
1921-12-11 Be Reasonable A Rolling Stone
1921-09-14 Love and Doughnuts The Burglar
1921-04-23 Astray from the Steerage A steerage passenger
1921-02-13 A Small Town Idol Director
1920-07-04 The Quack Doctor The Hired Lady's Sweetheart
1920-02-01 Distilled Love
1918-09-10 Cupid In Quarantine The Father
1918-05-28 Her Rustic Romeo
1918-01-29 Somebody's Widow Secretary
1917-07-03 Bombs and Bandits The Chief of Police
1916-06-28 Pirates of the Air The Bartender
1916-05-17 Gertie's Gasoline Glide The Minister