Billy Bevan
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1887-09-29
Day of Death
1957-11-26 (70 years old)
Place of Birth
Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Billy Bevan
Biography
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.)
Acting
(1963)
30 Years of Fun
as (archive footage)
(1957)
The Golden Age of Comedy
as archive footage
(1952)
Hans Christian Andersen
as Town Councilman (uncredited)
(1951)
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
as (archive footage)
(1950)
Three Secrets
as Ed Jackson (uncredited)
(1950)
Fortunes of Captain Blood
as Billy Bragg
(1950)
Rogues of Sherwood Forest
as Will Scarlet
(1949)
The Secret Garden
as Barney
(1949)
The Secret Of St. Ives
as Douglas (uncredited)
(1949)
Tell It to the Judge
as Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited)
(1948)
The Black Arrow
as Dungeon Keeper
(1948)
The Swordsman
as Old Andrew
(1948)
Let's Live a Little
as Morton
(1947)
Moss Rose
as Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited)
(1947)
It Had to Be You
as Evans
(1946)
Terror by Night
as Conductor Taking Tickets
(1946)
Cluny Brown
as Uncle Arn Porritt
(1946)
Devotion
as Mr. Ames (uncredited)
(1945)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
as Malvolio Jones
(1945)
National Velvet
as Constable (uncredited)
(1945)
Tonight and Every Night
as Cabbie (uncredited)
(1944)
The Pearl of Death
as Constable With Food Tray (uncredited)
(1944)
The Invisible Man's Revenge
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
(1944)
(1943)
Jane Eyre
as Bookie (uncredited)
(1943)
The Return of the Vampire
as Horace (uncredited)
(1943)
Forever and a Day
as Wartime Cabby
(1943)
London Blackout Murders
as Air Raid Warden
(1943)
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
as (archive footage)
(1942)
I Married a Witch
as Puritan Vendor (uncredited)
(1942)
Counter-Espionage
as George Barrow
(1942)
Mrs. Miniver
as Bus Conductor (uncredited)
(1942)
This Above All
as Farmer
(1942)
The Man Who Wouldn't Die
as Phillips
(1941)
Penny Serenade
as McDougal (uncredited)
(1941)
Suspicion
as Ticket Taker (uncredited)
(1941)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
as Mr. Weller
(1941)
Confirm or Deny
as Mr. Bindle
(1941)
Shining Victory
as Chivers
(1940)
Rebecca
as Policeman (uncredited)
(1940)
The Long Voyage Home
as Joe
(1940)
The Invisible Man Returns
as Jim (uncredited)
(1940)
Tin Pan Alley
as Stage Doorman
(1940)
The Earl of Chicago
as Castle Guide
(1939)
We Are Not Alone
as Mr. Jones
(1939)
Captain Fury
as Duffy
(1939)
Pack Up Your Troubles
as British Sergeant
(1939)
Let Freedom Ring
as Cockney (uncredited)
(1938)
Bringing Up Baby
as Joe (uncredited)
(1938)
A Christmas Carol
as Street Watch Leader
(1938)
Mysterious Mr. Moto
as Customs Official
(1938)
The Young in Heart
as Kennel Man (uncredited)
(1938)
Blond Cheat
as Bartender (uncredited)
(1938)
The Girl of the Golden West
as Nick
(1938)
Arrest Bulldog Drummond
as Aquarium Guard
(1938)
Shadows Over Shanghai
as Gallicuddy
(1937)
Slave Ship
as Atkins
(1937)
Another Dawn
as Pvt. Hawkins
(1937)
The Wrong Road
as McLean
(1937)
Personal Property
as Frank (uncredited)
(1937)
The Sheik Steps Out
as Munson
(1937)
God's Country and the Woman
as Plug Hat
(1936)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Cabby (uncredited)
(1936)
Dracula's Daughter
as Albert
(1936)
Lloyd's of London
as Innkeeper
(1936)
Private Number
as Frederick
(1936)
Piccadilly Jim
as Taxi Driver
(1936)
Champagne Charlie
as Mr. Boswick
(1936)
Song and Dance Man
as Curtis
(1935)
A Tale of Two Cities
as Jerry Cruncher
(1935)
Black Sheep
as Alfred
(1935)
The Last Outpost
as Private Foster
(1935)
Mystery Woman
as Jepson
(1935)
The Widow from Monte Carlo
as Officer Watkins
(1935)
Vanessa: Her Love Story
as Horse Auctioneer
(1934)
Stingaree
as Mac
(1934)
The Lost Patrol
as Hale
(1934)
One More River
as Cloakroom Attendant
(1934)
Limehouse Blues
as Herb
(1934)
Shock
as Meadows
(1934)
Caravan
as Police Sergeant
(1934)
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
as Man in Hotel Room
(1933)
A Study in Scarlet
as Will Swallow
(1933)
Alice in Wonderland
as Two of Spades (uncredited)
(1933)
Cavalcade
as George Grainger
(1933)
Peg o' My Heart
as Detective #2 (uncredited)
(1933)
Looking Forward
as Mr. Barker
(1933)
The Way to Love
as M. Prial
(1933)
Too Much Harmony
as Stage Director
(1933)
Thundering Taxis
as One of the Taxi Boys
(1933)
Techno-Crazy
as Mary's Father - the Mayor
(1933)
The Big Squeal
as Jake Burke
(1933)
Luxury Liner
as Schultz
(1933)
Uncle Jake
as Uncle Jake
(1933)
(1933)
Pop's Pal
as Grandpa
(1932)
Payment Deferred
as Charlie Hammond
(1932)
Me and My Gal
as Ashley, Arguing Drunk (uncredited)
(1932)
The Silent Witness
as Horace Ward
(1932)
Honeymoon Beach
as Billy Bevan
(1932)
Vanity Fair
as Joseph Sedley
(1932)
Sky Devils
as Colonel
(1931)
Born to Love
as Departing British Soldier (uncredited)
(1931)
Waterloo Bridge
as Soldier on the Make (uncredited)
(1931)
Transatlantic
as Hodgkins
(1931)
Chances
as Cuthbert (uncredited)
(1931)
Who's Who in the Zoo
as Father
(1930)
Journey's End
as Trotter
(1930)
Monte Carlo
as Train Conductor (uncredited)
(1930)
Peacock Alley
as Walter
(1930)
Temptation
as Sam
(1930)
Scotch
as Gilbert - Addie's Brother
(1930)
For the Love o' Lil
as Edward O. Walker
(1929)
The Trespasser
as Reporter (uncredited)
(1929)
The Sky Hawk
as Tom Berry
(1929)
Pink Pajamas
as Billy Brooks
(1929)
Weak But Willing
as George Downing
(1929)
High Voltage
as Gus Jones
(1929)
Don't Get Jealous
as Billy Blake
(1929)
Calling Hubby's Bluff
as Billy Barton
(1928)
His New Stenographer
as Billy Brooks
(1928)
Hubby's Weekend Trip
as Bill Blake
(1928)
(1928)
Riley the Cop
as Paris Cabman
(1928)
The Bicycle Flirt
as Doty Bassett - the Bicycle Flirt
(1928)
His Unlucky Night
as Billy Trotter
(1928)
Motorboat Mamas
as Billy Bender
(1928)
The Best Man
as Best Man
(1928)
The Girl from Nowhere
as Constable Billy Barnes
(1927)
The Golf Nut
as Billy Divott
(1927)
A Small Town Princess
as Joe Whiffet
(1927)
Easy Pickings
as The Detective
(1927)
Gold Digger of Weepah
as The Barber
(1927)
Cured in the Excitement
as Professor Brawn
(1927)
The Girl from Everywhere
as Messenger
(1927)
The Bull Fighter
as Pete De Tour
(1927)
Peaches and Plumbers
as Bill the Plumber
(1927)
Should Sleepwalkers Marry?
as Charley Carter
(1926)
Hubby’s Quiet Little Game
as Billy Foote
(1926)
Trimmed in Gold
as Otto Stropp
(1926)
Hoboken to Hollywood
as Billy Judkins
(1926)
Musclebound Music
as Billy Hornby
(1926)
Ice Cold Cocos
as Gus Gander
(1926)
Circus Today
as Gus Barnum
(1926)
Wandering Willies
as Percy Nudge
(1926)
Masked Mamas
as Casey McCorkle
(1926)
Whispering Whiskers
as The Drifter
(1926)
Fight Night
as Walter Moore
(1926)
Hayfoot, Strawfoot?
as Pete
(1926)
A Sea Dog's Tale
as Wilbur Watts
(1926)
Should Husbands Marry?
as The Cop
(1926)
Flirty Four-Flushers
as Jerry Connors / Archibald De Shyster
(1925)
Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies
as Hiram Case
(1925)
Over Thereabouts
as Joe Dobell
(1925)
Sneezing Beezers
as Joe Honck - Taxi Driver
(1925)
Butter Fingers
as Nick
(1925)
Giddap!
as Gaspard De Brie
(1925)
The Lion's Whiskers
as Otto Klutch
(1925)
From Rags to Britches
as Joe Bush
(1925)
Honeymoon Hardships
as Farmer
(1925)
The Iron Nag
as Joe Gobb
(1924)
Galloping Bungalows
as John Syrup Soother
(1924)
The Hollywood Kid
as Studio Organist
(1924)
The White Sin
as Travers Dale
(1924)
Off His Trolley
as The Traffic Cop
(1924)
Lizzies of the Field
as Bud Gasket
(1924)
Three Foolish Weeks
as King of Anchovia
(1924)
One Spooky Night
as A.J. Bird Jr.
(1924)
Wall Street Blues
as The Janitor
(1924)
East of the Water Plug
as The Sheriff
(1924)
Little Robinson Corkscrew
as The Sheriff
(1924)
The Cannon Ball Express
as Adam Fargo - Baggage Master
(1924)
Wandering Waistlines
as Sandy Hook - Sailor
(1923)
The Extra Girl
as Comedian
(1923)
One Cylinder Love
as The Bachelor's Butler / Chauffeur / Footman
(1923)
Nip and Tuck
as Sailor
(1923)
Pitfalls of a Big City
as Barfly (uncredited)
(1923)
Inbad the Sailor
as Jake aka Inbad the Sailor
(1922)
The Crossroads of New York
as Press Agent
(1922)
When Summer Comes
as Lyons - the Tenderfoot
(1922)
Gymnasium Jim
as Jim
(1922)
On Patrol
as The Amateur Cop
(1922)
The Duck Hunter
as The Sportsman
(1921)
A Small Town Idol
as Director
(1921)
Be Reasonable
as A Rolling Stone
(1921)
Love and Doughnuts
as The Burglar
(1921)
(1921)
Bright Eyes
as The Nosey Butler
(1921)
Astray from the Steerage
as A steerage passenger
(1920)
The Quack Doctor
as The Hired Lady's Sweetheart
(1920)
(1918)
(1918)
Cupid In Quarantine
as The Father
(1918)
(1918)
Somebody's Widow
as Secretary
(1917)
Bombs and Bandits
as The Chief of Police
(1916)
Pirates of the Air
as The Bartender
(1916)
Gertie's Gasoline Glide
as The Minister
Crew
(1920)
The Quack Doctor
Director