Billy Bevan
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.)
Known For
Credits
- 1986 · Vincent Price's Dracula as Horace - (archive footage)
- 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 · Rogues of Sherwood Forest as Will Scarlet
- 1950 · Fortunes of Captain Blood as Billy Bragg
- 1949 · Tell It to the Judge as Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited)
- 1949 · The Secret Of St. Ives as Douglas (uncredited)
- 1949 · The Secret Garden as Barney
- 1948 · Let's Live a Little as Morton
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- 1948 · The Black Arrow as Dungeon Keeper
- 1948 · The Swordsman as Old Andrew
- 1947 · It Had to Be You as Evans
- 1947 · Moss Rose as Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited)
- 1946 · Cluny Brown as Uncle Arn Porritt
- 1946 · Devotion as Mr. Ames (uncredited)
- 1946 · Terror by Night as Conductor Taking Tickets
- 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 · The Lodger as
- 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 · Confirm or Deny as Mr. Bindle
- 1941 · Suspicion as Ticket Taker (uncredited)
- 1941 · Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Mr. Weller
- 1941 · Shining Victory as Chivers
- 1941 · Penny Serenade as McDougal (uncredited)
- 1940 · Tin Pan Alley as Stage Doorman
- 1940 · The Long Voyage Home as Joe
- 1940 · Rebecca as Policeman (uncredited)
- 1940 · The Invisible Man Returns as Jim (uncredited)
- 1940 · The Earl of Chicago as Castle Guide
- 1939 · We Are Not Alone as Mr. Jones
- 1939 · Pack Up Your Troubles as British Sergeant
- 1939 · Captain Fury as Duffy
- 1939 · Let Freedom Ring as Cockney (uncredited)
- 1938 · A Christmas Carol as Street Watch Leader
- 1938 · Arrest Bulldog Drummond as Aquarium Guard
- 1938 · Shadows Over Shanghai as Gallicuddy
- 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 · Bringing Up Baby as Joe (uncredited)
- 1937 · The Wrong Road as McLean
- 1937 · The Sheik Steps Out as Munson
- 1937 · Another Dawn as Pvt. Hawkins
- 1937 · Slave Ship as Atkins
- 1937 · Personal Property as Frank (uncredited)
- 1937 · God's Country and the Woman as Plug Hat
- 1936 · Lloyd's of London as Innkeeper
- 1936 · Piccadilly Jim as Taxi Driver
- 1936 · Private Number as Frederick
- 1936 · Dracula's Daughter as Police Constable Albert
- 1936 · Champagne Charlie as Mr. Boswick
- 1936 · Mr. Deeds Goes to Town as Cabby (uncredited)
- 1936 · Song and Dance Man as Curtis
- 1935 · A Tale of Two Cities as Jerry Cruncher
- 1935 · The Widow from Monte Carlo as Officer Watkins
- 1935 · The Last Outpost as Private Foster
- 1935 · Black Sheep as Alfred
- 1935 · Vanessa: Her Love Story as Horse Auctioneer
- 1935 · Mystery Woman as Jepson
- 1934 · Caravan as Police Sergeant
- 1934 · Limehouse Blues as Herb
- 1934 · Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back as Man in Hotel Room
- 1934 · One More River as Cloakroom Attendant
- 1934 · Shock as Meadows
- 1934 · Stingaree as Mac
- 1934 · The Lost Patrol as Hale
- 1933 · Pop's Pal as Grandpa
- 1933 · Alice in Wonderland as Two of Spades (uncredited)
- 1933 · The Way to Love as M. Prial
- 1933 · Too Much Harmony as Stage Director
- 1933 · The Big Squeal as Jake Burke
- 1933 · Thundering Taxis as One of the Taxi Boys
- 1933 · Peg o' My Heart as Detective #2 (uncredited)
- 1933 · A Study in Scarlet as Will Swallow
- 1933 · Uncle Jake as Uncle Jake
- 1933 · Looking Forward as Mr. Barker
- 1933 · Techno-Crazy as Mary's Father - the Mayor
- 1933 · Cavalcade as George Grainger
- 1933 · Luxury Liner as Schultz
- 1933 · She Whoops To Conquer as
- 1932 · Me and My Gal as Ashley (uncredited)
- 1932 · Payment Deferred as Charlie Hammond
- 1932 · Honeymoon Beach as Billy Bevan
- 1932 · Vanity Fair as Joseph Sedley
- 1932 · Sky Devils as Colonel
- 1932 · The Silent Witness as Horace Ward
- 1931 · Who's Who in the Zoo as Father
- 1931 · Waterloo Bridge as Soldier on the Make (uncredited)
- 1931 · Transatlantic as Hodgkins
- 1931 · Chances as Cuthbert (uncredited)
- 1931 · Born to Love as Departing British Soldier (uncredited)
- 1930 · For the Love o' Lil as Edward O. Walker
- 1930 · Monte Carlo as Train Conductor (uncredited)
- 1930 · Temptation as Sam
- 1930 · Journey's End as Trotter
- 1930 · Scotch as Gilbert - Addie's Brother
- 1930 · Peacock Alley as Walter
- 1929 · Weak But Willing as George Downing
- 1929 · The Trespasser as Reporter (uncredited)
- 1929 · High Voltage as Gus Jones
- 1929 · Don't Get Jealous as Billy Blake
- 1929 · Pink Pajamas as Billy Brooks
- 1929 · Calling Hubby's Bluff as Billy Barton
- 1929 · The Sky Hawk as Tom Berry
- 1928 · His New Stenographer as Billy Brooks
- 1928 · Riley the Cop as Paris Cabman
- 1928 · Hubby's Weekend Trip as Bill Blake
- 1928 · Motorboat Mamas as Billy Bender
- 1928 · His Unlucky Night as Billy Trotter
- 1928 · The Girl from Nowhere as Constable Billy Barnes
- 1928 · The Bicycle Flirt as Doty Bassett - the Bicycle Flirt
- 1928 · The Best Man as Best Man
- 1928 · The Beach Club as
- 1927 · The Girl from Everywhere as Messenger
- 1927 · The Bull Fighter as Pete De Tour
- 1927 · Gold Digger of Weepah as The Barber
- 1927 · The Golf Nut as Billy Divott
- 1927 · Cured in the Excitement as Professor Brawn
- 1927 · A Small Town Princess as Joe Whiffet
- 1927 · Peaches and Plumbers as Bill the Plumber
- 1927 · Easy Pickings as The Detective
- 1927 · Should Sleepwalkers Marry? as Charley Carter
- 1926 · Flirty Four-Flushers as Jerry Connors / Archibald De Shyster
- 1926 · Masked Mamas as Casey McCorkle
- 1926 · Should Husbands Marry? as The Cop
- 1926 · Hoboken to Hollywood as Billy Judkins
- 1926 · Hubby’s Quiet Little Game as Billy Foote
- 1926 · A Sea Dog's Tale as Wilbur Watts
- 1926 · Ice Cold Cocos as Gus Gander
- 1926 · Musclebound Music as Billy Hornby
- 1926 · Fight Night as Walter Moore
- 1926 · Hayfoot, Strawfoot? as Pete
- 1926 · Wandering Willies as Percy Nudge
- 1926 · Circus Today as Gus Barnum
- 1926 · Trimmed in Gold as Otto Stropp
- 1926 · Whispering Whiskers as The Drifter
- 1925 · From Rags to Britches as Joe Bush
- 1925 · Over Thereabouts as Joe Dobell
- 1925 · Butter Fingers as Nick
- 1925 · The Iron Nag as Joe Gobb
- 1925 · Sneezing Beezers as Joe Honck - Taxi Driver
- 1925 · Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies as Hiram Case
- 1925 · The Lion's Whiskers as Otto Klutch
- 1925 · Giddap! as Gaspard De Brie
- 1925 · Honeymoon Hardships as Farmer
- 1924 · Off His Trolley as The Traffic Cop
- 1924 · The Cannon Ball Express as Adam Fargo - Baggage Master
- 1924 · Galloping Bungalows as John Syrup Soother
- 1924 · Wandering Waistlines as Sandy Hook - Sailor
- 1924 · Little Robinson Corkscrew as The Sheriff
- 1924 · Three Foolish Weeks as King of Anchovia
- 1924 · Lizzies of the Field as Bud Gasket
- 1924 · East of the Water Plug as The Sheriff
- 1924 · Wall Street Blues as The Janitor
- 1924 · The Hollywood Kid as Studio Organist
- 1924 · The White Sin as Travers Dale
- 1924 · One Spooky Night as A.J. Bird Jr.
- 1923 · Inbad the Sailor as Jake aka Inbad the Sailor
- 1923 · One Cylinder Love as The Bachelor's Butler / Chauffeur / Footman
- 1923 · The Extra Girl as Comedian
- 1923 · Pitfalls of a Big City as Barfly (uncredited)
- 1923 · Nip and Tuck as Sailor
- 1922 · When Summer Comes as Lyons - the Tenderfoot
- 1922 · The Crossroads of New York as Press Agent
- 1922 · Gymnasium Jim as Jim
- 1922 · On Patrol as The Amateur Cop
- 1922 · The Duck Hunter as The Sportsman
- 1921 · Around the Town: British Film Stars and Studios as Himself
- 1921 · Bright Eyes as The Nosey Butler
- 1921 · Be Reasonable as A Rolling Stone
- 1921 · Love and Doughnuts as The Burglar
- 1921 · Astray from the Steerage as A steerage passenger
- 1921 · A Small Town Idol as Director
- 1920 · The Quack Doctor as The Hired Lady's Sweetheart
- 1920 · Distilled Love as
- 1918 · Cupid In Quarantine as The Father
- 1918 · Her Rustic Romeo as
- 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