William Austin
Acting · Editing
Born June 10, 1884, Georgetown, British Guiana [now Guyana]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Austin (12 June 1884 – 15 June 1975) was a British character actor who was born on a sugar plantation in Georgetown in British Guiana (now Guyana). On the death of his father he was brought to England to complete his education. He later filled a business post in Shanghai and on being sent to San Francisco by the company he worked for, he decided to stay in America and take up acting on the stage and later in films. He appeared in many American films and serials between the 1920s and the 1940s, though the vast majority of his roles were small and uncredited. He was the brother of actor Albert Austin. He died in Newport Beach, California. Of the numerous silent films Austin appeared in, he is best remembered as the sidekick friend of Clara Bow in Bow's best known film It (1927). Mr. Austin's portrayal in the 1943 Batman serial of Batman's butler Alfred is the iconic portrayal still used in the comics. Previous to being played by Mr. Austin, the character was fat and had no facial hair. Performed by Mr. Austin, the character was thin with a mustache. Shortly after the serial was released, Alfred in the comics was changed to match the look of the serial; this representation of the character has for the most part continued to this day except for the live action films, the Birds of Prey series, and the Deadshot short in Batman: Gotham Knight where he has no moustache. Description above from the Wikipedia article William Austin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Filmography
- 1948Campus Sleuth — Editor
- 1947The Ghost Goes Wild — Barnaby
- 1946Alias Mr. Twilight — Forbes (uncredited)
- 1945National Velvet — Reporter (uncredited)
- 1945Swingin' on a Rainbow — Musician (uncredited)
- 1943Batman — Alfred
- 1943The Return of the Vampire — Detective Gannett
- 1941Charley's Aunt — Spectator
- 1939The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Inquisitive Stranger
- 1938Doctor Rhythm — Mr. Martingale
- 1937Live, Love and Learn — Bob's Butler (uncredited)
- 1937Renfrew of the Royal Mounted — Constable Holly
- 1936The Garden Murder Case — Sneed, Hammle's Butler (Uncredited)
- 1935$1,000 a Minute — Salesman
- 1935Oil for the Lamps of China — Clerk in Chase's office
- 1935Redheads on Parade — Trelawney Redfern
- 1935The Goose and the Gander — Arthur Summers
- 1934Imitation of Life — Englishman at Party (uncredited)
- 1934Once to Every Bachelor — Mathews
- 1934The Gay Divorcee — Cyril Glossop
- 1933Alice in Wonderland — Gryphon
- 1933The Private Life of Henry VIII — Duke of Cleves
- 1933Three Men in a Boat — Harris
- 1932County Hospital — Ollie's Hospital Roommate
- 1932High Society — Wilberforce Strangeways
- 1932Rule 'Em and Weep — Duke
- 1931A Tailor-Made Man — Jellicott
- 1931Corsair — Richard Bentinck
- 1930Along Came Youth — Lord Eustace
- 1930Embarrassing Moments — Jasper Hickson
- 1930Let's Go Native — Basil Pistol
- 1930Paramount on Parade — Partygoer ('Impulses') (uncredited)
- 1930The Flirting Widow — James Raleigh
- 1930The Man from Blankley's — Mr. Poffley
- 1930The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu — Sylvester Wadsworth
- 1929Illusion — Mr. Z
- 1929Sweetie — Prof. Percy Willow
- 1929The Marriage Playground — Lord Wrench
- 1929The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu — Sylvester Wadsworth
- 1928Drums of Love — Raymond of Boston
- 1928Just Married — Percy Jones
- 1928Red Hair — Dr. Eustace Gill
- 1928Someone to Love — Aubrey Weems
- 1928The Fifty-Fifty Girl — Engineer
- 1928What a Night! — Percy Penfield
- 1927Duck Soup — Lord Tarbotham
- 1927Honeymoon Hate — Banning-Green
- 1927It — Monty Montgomery
- 1927One Hour of Love — Louis Carruthers
- 1927Ritzy — Algy
- 1927Silk Stockings — George Bagnall
- 1927Swim Girl, Swim — Mr. Spangle PhD.
- 1927The World At Her Feet — Det. Hall
- 1926Fig Leaves — Andre's Assistant
- 1926Her Big Night — Harold Crosby, cub reporter
- 1926The Far Cry — Eric Lancefield
- 1926The Flaming Forest — Alfred Wimbledon
- 1926West of Broadway — Mortimer Allison
- 1926What Happened to Jones? — Henry Fuller
- 1925Head Winds — Theodore Van Felt
- 1925Seven Days — Dal Brown
- 1925The Best People — Arthur Rockmere
- 1925The Fate of a Flirt — Riggs
- 1925The Night Club — Gerly - The Valet
- 1925Who Cares — Dr. Harry Oldershaw
- 1924In Love with Love — George Sears
- 1924The Enemy Sex — Joe's Friend (uncredited)
- 1924The Garden of Weeds — Archie
- 1924The Reckless Age — Lord Allan Harrowby
- 1923Ruggles of Red Gap — Mr. Belknap-Jackson
- 1922Handle with Care — Peter Carter
- 1922Rich Men's Wives — Reggie
- 1922The Cowboy King — Wilbur
- 1920Common Sense — Reggie Barrett