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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.)


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Born:
Sep 29, 1887 In Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Movie/TV Credits:
129
First Appeared:
In the movie Gertie's Gasoline Glide 1916-05-17
Latest Project:
Movie The Golden Age of Comedy 1957-12-26
Known For
Poster of Let Freedom Ring
Poster of Monte Carlo
Poster of Bright Eyes
Filmography
Movie The Golden Age of Comedy archive footage 1957-12-26
Movie Hans Christian Andersen Town Councilman (uncredited) 1952-12-19
Movie The Slappiest Days of Our Lives (archive footage) 1951-03-23
Movie Fortunes of Captain Blood Billy Bragg 1950-05-19
Movie Three Secrets Ed Jackson (uncredited) 1950-10-20
Movie Rogues of Sherwood Forest Will Scarlet 1950-06-21
Movie The Secret Garden Barney 1949-04-30
Movie The Secret Of St. Ives Douglas (uncredited) 1949-06-30
Movie Tell It to the Judge Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited) 1949-11-18
Movie The Black Arrow Dungeon Keeper 1948-03-18
Movie The Swordsman Old Andrew 1948-01-02
Movie Let's Live a Little Morton 1948-12-09
Movie Moss Rose Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited) 1947-05-30
Movie It Had to Be You Evans 1947-12-07
Movie Terror by Night Conductor Taking Tickets 1946-02-01
Movie Cluny Brown Uncle Arn Porritt 1946-06-02
Movie Devotion Mr. Ames (uncredited) 1946-04-05
Movie Tonight and Every Night Cabbie (uncredited) 1945-01-09
Movie National Velvet Constable (uncredited) 1945-01-26
Movie The Picture of Dorian Gray Malvolio Jones 1945-03-03
Movie The Woman in Green Street Peddler (uncredited) 1945-06-15
Movie The Lodger 1944-01-19
Movie The Invisible Man's Revenge Police Sergeant (uncredited) 1944-06-09
Movie The Pearl of Death Constable With Food Tray (uncredited) 1944-08-01
Movie London Blackout Murders Air Raid Warden 1943-01-15
Movie Forever and a Day Wartime Cabby 1943-01-21
Movie Jane Eyre Bookie (uncredited) 1943-12-24
Movie The Man Who Wouldn't Die Phillips 1942-04-27
Movie Mrs. Miniver Bus Conductor (uncredited) 1942-07-03
Movie This Above All Farmer 1942-05-12
Movie I Married a Witch Puritan Vendor (uncredited) 1942-10-30
Movie Counter-Espionage George Barrow 1942-09-03
Movie Shining Victory Chivers 1941-05-30
Movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Mr. Weller 1941-08-12
Movie Penny Serenade McDougal (uncredited) 1941-04-24
Movie Suspicion Ticket Taker (uncredited) 1941-11-14
Movie Confirm or Deny Mr. Bindle 1941-12-12
Movie The Invisible Man Returns Jim (uncredited) 1940-01-12
Movie The Earl of Chicago Castle Guide 1940-01-05
Movie The Long Voyage Home Joe 1940-11-16
Movie Rebecca Policeman (uncredited) 1940-03-23
Movie Tin Pan Alley Stage Doorman 1940-11-29
Movie Captain Fury Duffy 1939-05-26
Movie Let Freedom Ring Cockney (uncredited) 1939-02-24
Movie We Are Not Alone Mr. Jones 1939-11-25
Movie Pack Up Your Troubles British Sergeant 1939-10-24
Movie The Young in Heart Kennel Man (uncredited) 1938-07-06
Movie Blond Cheat Bartender (uncredited) 1938-06-17
Movie Mysterious Mr. Moto Customs Official 1938-09-17
Movie The Girl of the Golden West Nick 1938-03-18
Movie Shadows Over Shanghai Gallicuddy 1938-10-14
Movie A Christmas Carol Street Watch Leader 1938-12-16
Movie Arrest Bulldog Drummond Aquarium Guard 1938-11-25
Movie Personal Property Frank (uncredited) 1937-03-19
Movie God's Country and the Woman Plug Hat 1937-01-16
Movie Slave Ship Atkins 1937-06-16
Movie Another Dawn Pvt. Hawkins 1937-06-26
Movie The Sheik Steps Out Munson 1937-09-05
Movie The Wrong Road McLean 1937-10-11
Movie Champagne Charlie Mr. Boswick 1936-05-06
Movie Song and Dance Man Curtis 1936-03-11
Movie Dracula's Daughter Police Constable Albert 1936-05-11
Movie Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Cabby (uncredited) 1936-04-09
Movie Private Number Frederick 1936-06-05
Movie Lloyd's of London Innkeeper 1936-11-25
Movie Piccadilly Jim Taxi Driver 1936-08-14
Movie Vanessa: Her Love Story Horse Auctioneer 1935-03-01
Movie Mystery Woman Jepson 1935-01-08
Movie Black Sheep Alfred 1935-08-01
Movie The Last Outpost Private Foster 1935-10-11
Movie The Widow from Monte Carlo Officer Watkins 1935-12-19
Movie A Tale of Two Cities Jerry Cruncher 1935-12-25
Movie Shock Meadows 1934-07-19
Movie Stingaree Mac 1934-05-24
Movie One More River Cloakroom Attendant 1934-08-06
Movie The Lost Patrol Hale 1934-02-16
Movie Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Man in Hotel Room 1934-08-15
Movie Caravan Police Sergeant 1934-12-30
Movie Limehouse Blues Herb 1934-12-11
Movie Looking Forward Mr. Barker 1933-04-28
Movie Luxury Liner Schultz 1933-02-03
Movie A Study in Scarlet Will Swallow 1933-05-14
Movie Cavalcade George Grainger 1933-02-08
Movie Uncle Jake Uncle Jake 1933-05-04
Movie Peg o' My Heart Detective #2 (uncredited) 1933-05-26
Movie The Way to Love M. Prial 1933-10-20
Movie Too Much Harmony Stage Director 1933-09-23
Movie Thundering Taxis One of the Taxi Boys 1933-06-23
Movie The Silent Witness Horace Ward 1932-02-07
Movie Sky Devils Colonel 1932-03-12
Movie Me and My Gal Ashley (uncredited) 1932-12-04
Movie Vanity Fair Joseph Sedley 1932-03-15
Movie Payment Deferred Charlie Hammond 1932-11-01
Movie Born to Love Departing British Soldier (uncredited) 1931-04-17
Movie Chances Cuthbert (uncredited) 1931-07-18
Movie Transatlantic Hodgkins 1931-08-19
Movie Waterloo Bridge Soldier on the Make (uncredited) 1931-09-01
Movie Peacock Alley Walter 1930-01-04
Movie Journey's End Trotter 1930-04-09
Movie Monte Carlo Train Conductor (uncredited) 1930-08-27
Movie High Voltage Gus Jones 1929-06-29
Movie The Trespasser Reporter (uncredited) 1929-11-11
Movie The Best Man Best Man 1928-02-08
Movie Riley the Cop Paris Cabman 1928-11-25
Movie The Golf Nut Billy Divott 1927-09-03
Movie Easy Pickings The Detective 1927-02-20
Movie Circus Today Gus Barnum 1926-03-07
Movie Whispering Whiskers The Drifter 1926-01-24
Movie A Sea Dog's Tale Wilbur Watts 1926-07-11
Movie Hoboken to Hollywood Billy Judkins 1926-09-05
Movie Ice Cold Cocos Gus Gander 1926-06-20
Movie Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies Hiram Case 1925-06-14
Movie Galloping Bungalows John Syrup Soother 1924-11-02
Movie Wall Street Blues The Janitor 1924-08-09
Movie The Hollywood Kid Studio Organist 1924-04-19
Movie Lizzies of the Field Bud Gasket 1924-09-07
Movie Three Foolish Weeks King of Anchovia 1924-09-13
Movie Nip and Tuck Sailor 1923-08-11
Movie The Extra Girl Comedian 1923-10-28
Movie On Patrol The Amateur Cop 1922-03-12
Movie The Duck Hunter The Sportsman 1922-02-13
Movie Gymnasium Jim Jim 1922-05-09
Movie When Summer Comes Lyons - the Tenderfoot 1922-09-22
Movie Love and Doughnuts The Burglar 1921-09-14
Movie A Small Town Idol Director 1921-02-13
Movie Bright Eyes The Nosey Butler 1921-12-24
Movie Somebody's Widow Secretary 1918-01-29
Movie Her Rustic Romeo 1918-05-28
Movie Gertie's Gasoline Glide The Minister 1916-05-17
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