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Billy Bevan
Actor

Billy Bevan

29 Sep 1887Born
26 Nov 1957Died
70Age at death
201Credits

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.

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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

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 201 credits.

  1. 196330 Years of FunFilm: (archive footage)
  2. 1957The Golden Age of ComedyFilm: archive footage
  3. 1952Hans Christian AndersenFilm: Town Councilman (uncredited)
  4. 1951The Slappiest Days of Our LivesFilm: (archive footage)
  5. 1950Three SecretsFilm: Ed Jackson (uncredited)
  6. 1950Rogues of Sherwood ForestFilm: Will Scarlet
  7. 1950Fortunes of Captain BloodFilm: Billy Bragg
  8. 1949Tell It to the JudgeFilm: Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited)
  9. 1949The Secret Of St. IvesFilm: Douglas (uncredited)
  10. 1949The Secret GardenFilm: Barney
  11. 1948Let's Live a LittleFilm: Morton
  12. 1948The Black ArrowFilm: Dungeon Keeper
  13. 1948The SwordsmanFilm: Old Andrew
  14. 1947It Had to Be YouFilm: Evans
  15. 1947Moss RoseFilm: Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited)
  16. 1946Cluny BrownFilm: Uncle Arn Porritt
  17. 1946DevotionFilm: Mr. Ames (uncredited)
  18. 1946Terror by NightFilm: Conductor Taking Tickets
  19. 1945The Picture of Dorian GrayFilm: Malvolio Jones
  20. 1945National VelvetFilm: Constable (uncredited)
  21. 1945Tonight and Every NightFilm: Cabbie (uncredited)
  22. 1944The Pearl of DeathFilm: Constable With Food Tray (uncredited)
  23. 1944The Invisible Man's RevengeFilm: Police Sergeant (uncredited)
  24. 1944The LodgerFilm
  25. 1943Jane EyreFilm: Bookie (uncredited)
  26. 1943The Return of the VampireFilm: Horace (uncredited)
  27. 1943Forever and a DayFilm: Wartime Cabby
  28. 1943London Blackout MurdersFilm: Air Raid Warden
  29. 1943Happy Times and Jolly MomentsFilm: (archive footage)
  30. 1942I Married a WitchFilm: Puritan Vendor (uncredited)
  31. 1942Counter-EspionageFilm: George Barrow
  32. 1942Mrs. MiniverFilm: Bus Conductor (uncredited)
  33. 1942This Above AllFilm: Farmer
  34. 1942The Man Who Wouldn't DieFilm: Phillips
  35. 1941Confirm or DenyFilm: Mr. Bindle
  36. 1941SuspicionFilm: Ticket Taker (uncredited)
  37. 1941Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeFilm: Mr. Weller
  38. 1941Shining VictoryFilm: Chivers
  39. 1941Penny SerenadeFilm: McDougal (uncredited)
  40. 1940Tin Pan AlleyFilm: Stage Doorman
  41. 1940The Long Voyage HomeFilm: Joe
  42. 1940RebeccaFilm: Policeman (uncredited)
  43. 1940The Invisible Man ReturnsFilm: Jim (uncredited)
  44. 1940The Earl of ChicagoFilm: Castle Guide
  45. 1939We Are Not AloneFilm: Mr. Jones
  46. 1939Pack Up Your TroublesFilm: British Sergeant
  47. 1939Captain FuryFilm: Duffy
  48. 1939Let Freedom RingFilm: Cockney (uncredited)
  49. 1938A Christmas CarolFilm: Street Watch Leader
  50. 1938Arrest Bulldog DrummondFilm: Aquarium Guard
  51. 1938Shadows Over ShanghaiFilm: Gallicuddy
  52. 1938Mysterious Mr. MotoFilm: Customs Official
  53. 1938The Young in HeartFilm: Kennel Man (uncredited)
  54. 1938Blond CheatFilm: Bartender (uncredited)
  55. 1938The Girl of the Golden WestFilm: Nick
  56. 1938Bringing Up BabyFilm: Joe (uncredited)
  57. 1937The Wrong RoadFilm: McLean
  58. 1937The Sheik Steps OutFilm: Munson
  59. 1937Another DawnFilm: Pvt. Hawkins
  60. 1937Slave ShipFilm: Atkins
  61. 1937Personal PropertyFilm: Frank (uncredited)
  62. 1937God's Country and the WomanFilm: Plug Hat
  63. 1936Lloyd's of LondonFilm: Innkeeper
  64. 1936Piccadilly JimFilm: Taxi Driver
  65. 1936Private NumberFilm: Frederick
  66. 1936Dracula's DaughterFilm: Albert
  67. 1936Champagne CharlieFilm: Mr. Boswick
  68. 1936Mr. Deeds Goes to TownFilm: Cabby (uncredited)
  69. 1936Song and Dance ManFilm: Curtis
  70. 1935A Tale of Two CitiesFilm: Jerry Cruncher
  71. 1935The Widow from Monte CarloFilm: Officer Watkins
  72. 1935The Last OutpostFilm: Private Foster
  73. 1935Black SheepFilm: Alfred
  74. 1935Vanessa: Her Love StoryFilm: Horse Auctioneer
  75. 1935Mystery WomanFilm: Jepson
  76. 1934CaravanFilm: Police Sergeant
  77. 1934Limehouse BluesFilm: Herb
  78. 1934Bulldog Drummond Strikes BackFilm: Man in Hotel Room
  79. 1934One More RiverFilm: Cloakroom Attendant
  80. 1934ShockFilm: Meadows

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.