Billy Bevan

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Billy Bevan (1920s)

Billy Bevan (born September 29, 1887 in Orange , New South Wales , Australia , † November 26, 1957 in Escondido , California ; actually William Bevan Harris ) was an Australian film actor and comedian who appeared in over 250 films between 1916 and 1950. He is best known for his numerous silent short films that he made for Mack Sennett in the 1920s .

Life

William Bevan was on stage from a very early age. He toured for eight years as a performer in the comic operas of the Australian Pollard's Opera Company, including the USA and Canada . This ensemble, originally consisting of children, also produced comedian colleagues Snub Pollard and Daphne Pollard as well as director Alf Goulding. Bevan then joined Isabelle Fletcher's theater company in Vancouver . He made his first film appearances in 1916/17 for Henry Lehrman's L-KO Kompany.

In 1919, Bevan was discovered by former Keystone boss Mack Sennett , who hired him on the spot, at a performance of the play A Knight for a Day . Initially supporting actors in films by Ben Turpin , Louise Fazenda and others, the comedian became the star of his own Sennett comedies at the end of 1921. With his bowler hat and mustache, he basically did not offer a particularly remarkable film character and, unlike many of his colleagues, did not have any special acrobatic or dance skills. However, he knew how to compensate for these shortcomings with his comparatively subtle facial expressions and good timing.

In the mid-1920s, Bevan was frequently paired with Scottish comedian Andy Clyde , and, directed by Del Lord , the duo starred in some of the most fast-paced short-film comedies of the second Sennett era, including Lizzies of the Field (1924), Super -Hooper-Dyne Lizzies (1925) and Wandering Willies (1926). Following the fashions of the time (see Hal Roach Studios ), Bevan moved away from pure slapstick from 1926 onwards and now also played in no less ludicrous relationship comedies such as The Best Man (1928). He was supported by Vernon Dent as a "straight man" or opponent and the director Harry Edwards , both of whom had previously belonged to the team around the Sennett renegade Harry Langdon .

The introduction of talkies put an end to the careers of many silent film stars, including Billy Bevan. No longer in demand as the main attraction, he made a second career as a character and small actor from 1929. For twenty years he made small but distinctive appearances in comedic roles, impersonating conductors, taxi drivers, bartenders, rowdy cockneys and lovely Englishmen. So he apparently shared the fate of colleagues like Chester Conklin or Snub Pollard , but in fact he only played Freud in films for fun: Bevan has owned a prosperous avocado farm near Escondido , California , since 1925 , and was not dependent on the money. He worked for big names like Lubitsch , Whale , Ford , Capra ( Mr. Deeds goes to town ), Hawks ( you don't kiss leopards ), Hitchcock ( Rebecca ), Wyler and Clair and retired from film in 1950.

Billy Bevan died a month before Robert Youngson with The Golden Age of Comedy the first of his compilation films published on silent film comedy, which allowed younger contemporaries to rediscover the stars of that time. The complete oblivion that Bevan had fallen into at this point was underscored by the fact that his name, which rhymed with "seven", was mispronounced in Youngson's documentaries. His grave (Section 5, Lot 24, Grave 4) is located in Oak Hill Memorial Park in Escondido , San Diego County .

In Germany, the comedian's films in the 1970s and 1980s were part of the television series Fathers of Clothes , Men Without Nerves and Klamottenkiste , each of which, as was common at the time, was annotated and severely mutilated. Various scenes from Bevan's short films were used for the opening and closing credits of Fathers of Clothes , especially from Wandering Willies and Whispering Whiskers .

Filmography

Sennett short films (selection)

  • 1921: Be Reasonable
  • 1922: The Duck Hunter
  • 1922: Jim High School
  • 1923: Nip and Tuck
  • 1924: Wall Street Blues
  • 1924: Lizzies of the Field
  • 1924: Galloping bungalows
  • 1925: Giddap
  • 1925: The Lion's Whiskers
  • 1925: Super Hooper Dyne Lizzies
  • 1925: Butter Fingers
  • 1926: Whispering Whiskers
  • 1926: Circus Today
  • 1926: Wandering Willies
  • 1926: Muscle-Bound Music
  • 1926: Ice Cold Cocos
  • 1926: Hubby's Quiet Little Game
  • 1926: Hoboken to Hollywood
  • 1927: The Golf Nut
  • 1928: The Best Man
  • 1928: The Bicycle Flirt
  • 1929: Pink Pajamas

As a supporting and small actor (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bevan, Billy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Harris, William Bevan (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian film actor and comedian
DATE OF BIRTH September 29, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH Orange , New South Wales , Australia
DATE OF DEATH November 26, 1957
Place of death Escondido , California