Bobby Watson (actor)

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Bobby Watson in the play Irene (1920)

Bobby Watson (born November 28, 1888 in Springfield , Illinois as Robert Watson Knucher , † May 22, 1965 in Hollywood , California ) was an American actor.

life and career

Bobby Watson, whose family was of German descent , began his career at the age of 15 in a vaudeville act in his hometown. He was then part of medical shows and played in several musical comedies, in which he proved himself primarily as a comic actor. Between 1918 and 1929 he starred in eight Broadway plays. In 1925 he made his film debut at the side of WC Fields in the comedy That Royle Girl .

In the 1930s, the slim, dark-haired actor was seen in many Hollywood films in small supporting roles, where he often played sleazy or effeminate characters. But only with the entry of the USA into the Second World War did Watson's career experience an upswing: With the appropriate appearance, he looked so much like Adolf Hitler that he subsequently played this role in a total of ten films. In 1942 and 1943 he played Hitler in four Hal Roach comedies that were supposed to make fun of the German dictator. Watson was able to deliver a more serious portrayal of Hitler in the 1944 propaganda film The Hitler Gang . In Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair (1948) he can be seen in a short scene alongside Marlene Dietrich as Hitler. Allegedly, Watson in his Hitler costume is said to have been the victim of insults during filming, which is why he only stayed in his dressing room during the breaks.

In addition to his portrayals of Hitler, Watson mainly played comedic roles, for example alongside Bob Hope in His Angel with the Two Pistols (1948). In the musical classic Singin 'in the Rain in 1952 he was seen in a striking scene as the language teacher of Gene Kelly , who is ridiculed by him in the singing number Moses Supposes . In the 1950s, Watson was also a guest star on several US television series. Watson played his last film role in 1962 as Hitler in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ; he died three years later at the age of 76 in Hollywood.

Filmography (selection)

as Adolf Hitler

further film roles

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bobby Watson in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
  2. ↑ a b Hal Erickson: Biography of Bobby Watson. All Movie Guide , accessed January 24, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Singin 'in the Rain - Moses supposes, wmv. YouTube , October 9, 2010, accessed January 24, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Watson, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Knucher, Robert Watson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH November 28, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Springfield , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH May 22, 1965
Place of death Hollywood , California