Albert Austin
Encyclopedia
Albert Austin was an actor
, film star, director
and script writer
, noted mainly for his work in Charlie Chaplin
films. He was the brother of actor William Austin.
He was born in Birmingham
, England
, and was a music hall
performer before coming to the U.S. with Chaplin, both as members of the Fred Karno
troupe, in 1910.
Noted for his painted handlebar mustache and acerbic manner, he worked for Chaplin's stock company
and played supporting roles in many of his films, often as a foil to the star, and working as his assistant director.
After the development of sound films, he moved into scriptwriting, directing and acting, chiefly in comedy short subjects. Among other things, he assisted Chaplin in developing the plot of The Adventurer
(1917). However, he only received screen credit as a collaborator once, for City Lights
.
As an actor, he appeared in Chaplin's comedies for the Mutual Film Corporation. Later he had two brief, uncredited roles in one of Chaplin's 'silent' comedies made in the sound era, City Lights
(1931). Austin is also seen very briefly (as a cab driver) at the beginning of Chaplin's short film One A.M.
.
He also appeared in movies starring Jackie Coogan
and Mack Sennett
.
Austin's best known performance may be in Chaplin's short The Pawnshop
. Austin enters the shop with an alarm clock, hoping to pawn it. To establish the clock's value, Chaplin dissects it. Austin maintains a deadpan expression as Chaplin progressively destroys his clock, then hands the pieces back to Austin.
He had the leading role in Mary Pickford
's Suds (1920), where he co-stars as a customer leaving his shirt at her laundry. In that film he appears without his comic mustache.
In his final years he worked as a police officer at the Warner Brothers studios, according to a New York Times obituary.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, film star, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and script writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, noted mainly for his work in Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
films. He was the brother of actor William Austin.
He was born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was a music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
performer before coming to the U.S. with Chaplin, both as members of the Fred Karno
Fred Karno
Frederick John Westcott , best known by his stage name Fred Karno, was a theatre impresario of the British music hall. Karno is credited with inventing the custard-pie-in-the-face gag. Among the young comedians who worked for him were Charlie Chaplin and Arthur Jefferson, who later adopted the...
troupe, in 1910.
Noted for his painted handlebar mustache and acerbic manner, he worked for Chaplin's stock company
Stock company
Stock company can refer to:*Joint stock company *Stock company - referring to a group of actors...
and played supporting roles in many of his films, often as a foil to the star, and working as his assistant director.
After the development of sound films, he moved into scriptwriting, directing and acting, chiefly in comedy short subjects. Among other things, he assisted Chaplin in developing the plot of The Adventurer
The Adventurer
The Adventurer is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari, published in 1948. It is a fictional tale of young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka , set in 16th century medieval Europe...
(1917). However, he only received screen credit as a collaborator once, for City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
.
As an actor, he appeared in Chaplin's comedies for the Mutual Film Corporation. Later he had two brief, uncredited roles in one of Chaplin's 'silent' comedies made in the sound era, City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
(1931). Austin is also seen very briefly (as a cab driver) at the beginning of Chaplin's short film One A.M.
One A.M.
One A.M. was a unique Charlie Chaplin silent film created for Mutual Films in 1916. It was the first film he starred in alone, except for a brief scene of Albert Austin playing a cab driver.-Synopsis:...
.
He also appeared in movies starring Jackie Coogan
Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan , known professionally as Jackie Coogan, was an American actor who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester on 1960s sitcom The Addams Family...
and Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
.
Austin's best known performance may be in Chaplin's short The Pawnshop
The Pawnshop
The Pawnshop was Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Mutual Film Corporation. Released on October 2, 1916, it stars Chaplin in the role of assistant to the pawnshop owner, played by Henry Bergman...
. Austin enters the shop with an alarm clock, hoping to pawn it. To establish the clock's value, Chaplin dissects it. Austin maintains a deadpan expression as Chaplin progressively destroys his clock, then hands the pieces back to Austin.
He had the leading role in Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
's Suds (1920), where he co-stars as a customer leaving his shirt at her laundry. In that film he appears without his comic mustache.
In his final years he worked as a police officer at the Warner Brothers studios, according to a New York Times obituary.