Billy West (silent film actor)
Encyclopedia
Billy West was a film actor
, producer, and director
of the silent film
era. He is best known as a Charlie Chaplin
impersonator.
Born Roy B. Weissburg in Russia
, West adopted his professional name some time after emigrating to America. He appeared in many short films, first in Apartment No. 13 in 1912. In 1917 movie theaters couldn't get enough Charlie Chaplin comedies, and an enterprising producer hired West, who had been doing comic pantomimes on the vaudeville
stage, to make imitation-Chaplin subjects to meet the demand. West, wearing the identical "tramp" costume and makeup, copied Chaplin's movements and gestures so accurately that he is often mistaken for the genuine performer. Chaplin himself saw the Billy West company filming on a Hollywood street, and told West, "You're a damned good imitator." Some West comedies were later re-released on the home-movie market as "Charlie Chaplin" pictures. Most of the West comedies of 1917-18 resembled the Chaplin comedies of 1916-17, with Oliver Hardy
approximating the villainy of Eric Campbell
, and Leatrice Joy
in the Edna Purviance
ingenue role.
In 1922 West became his own producer, and dropped the Chaplin imitation in favor of a dapper, straw-hatted, pencil-mustached character. Moving behind the cameras in 1925, West produced a brief series of slapstick comedies co-starring the fat-and-skinny team of Oliver "Babe" Hardy and Bobby Ray, and a series of "Winnie Winkle
" comedies with Ethelyn Gibson.
West took small roles in sound films, first for small independent companies and later for Columbia Pictures
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, producer, and 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:...
of the silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era. He is best known as a 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...
impersonator.
Born Roy B. Weissburg in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, West adopted his professional name some time after emigrating to America. He appeared in many short films, first in Apartment No. 13 in 1912. In 1917 movie theaters couldn't get enough Charlie Chaplin comedies, and an enterprising producer hired West, who had been doing comic pantomimes on the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
stage, to make imitation-Chaplin subjects to meet the demand. West, wearing the identical "tramp" costume and makeup, copied Chaplin's movements and gestures so accurately that he is often mistaken for the genuine performer. Chaplin himself saw the Billy West company filming on a Hollywood street, and told West, "You're a damned good imitator." Some West comedies were later re-released on the home-movie market as "Charlie Chaplin" pictures. Most of the West comedies of 1917-18 resembled the Chaplin comedies of 1916-17, with Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
approximating the villainy of Eric Campbell
Eric Campbell (actor)
Alfred Eric Campbell was an English actor who for many years was wrongly believed to be Scottish....
, and Leatrice Joy
Leatrice Joy
Leatrice Joy was an American actress most prolific during the early silent film era.-Early life and career:...
in the Edna Purviance
Edna Purviance
Edna Purviance was an American actress during the silent movie era. She was the leading lady in many Charlie Chaplin movies. In a span of eight years, she appeared in over thirty films with Chaplin.-Early life:...
ingenue role.
In 1922 West became his own producer, and dropped the Chaplin imitation in favor of a dapper, straw-hatted, pencil-mustached character. Moving behind the cameras in 1925, West produced a brief series of slapstick comedies co-starring the fat-and-skinny team of Oliver "Babe" Hardy and Bobby Ray, and a series of "Winnie Winkle
Winnie Winkle
Winnie Winkle was an American comic strip which appeared over a 76-year span . Created by Martin Branner, who wrote the strip for over 40 years, Winnie Winkle was one of the first comic strips about working women. It was titled Winnie Winkle the Breadwinner until 1943...
" comedies with Ethelyn Gibson.
West took small roles in sound films, first for small independent companies and later for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
Personal life
Billy West was married to an Englishwoman, Jane Walder. and wed in England under the name of William Briscoe. They had two children in England, William and Joseph Valentine, who joined him in the United States in 1924. They later had a daughter Ruth.Selected filmography
- Apartment No. 13 (1912)
- Back StageBack Stage (1917 film)- Cast :* Billy West - Props* Ethel Marie Burton - Ethel * Polly Bailey - * Joe Cohen* Ethelyn Gibson - * Oliver Hardy - * Florence McLaughlin -...
(1917) - The HeroThe Hero (1917 film)-Cast:* Billy West - The Hero* Oliver Hardy - The Hero's Rival * Ethel Marie Burton - A Society Girl * Leo White - The Count* Bud Ross - The Butler * Polly Bailey - The Mother...
(1917) - Dough NutsDough NutsDough Nuts is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy, the New Baker* Ethel Marie Burton - Ethel, the Cashier * Oliver Hardy - Babe, the chef * Leo White - Camembert, the Proprietor...
(1917) - Cupid's RivalCupid's RivalCupid's Rival is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy* Oliver Hardy - * Ethel Marie Burton - * Leo White* Bud Ross* Joe Cohen* Ethelyn Gibson - A Model...
(1917) - The VillainThe Villain (1917 film)-Cast:* Billy West - Billy* Oliver Hardy - Babe * Florence McLaughlin - Florence * Bud Ross - Budd * Ethelyn Gibson* Leo White* Joe Cohen...
(1917) - The Millionaire (1917)
- The GoatThe Goat (1917 film)The Goat is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - An Inventor* Oliver Hardy - His Neighbor * Bud Ross* Leo White* Florence McLaughlin* Polly Bailey* Joe Cohen* Ethelyn Gibson* Agnes Neilson...
(1917) - The Fly CopThe Fly Cop-Cast:* Billy West - The Fly Cop* Oliver Hardy - Proprietor * Bud Ross - Handyman * Leo White - The Mayor* Ellen Burford - Forelady* Charles Slattery - Chief of Police* Ethelyn Gibson - A Chicken...
(1917) - The Chief CookThe Chief CookThe Chief Cook is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - The Star Boarder* Bud Ross - Boggs * Oliver Hardy - Babe * Ellen Burford - Dolly* Joe Cohen* Leo White - Ham...
(1917) - The Candy KidThe Candy KidThe Candy Kid is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West* Ethel Cassity* Oliver Hardy * Leo White* Bud Ross* Leatrice Joy* Gladys Varden* Ellen Burford* Martha Dean* Ethelyn Gibson* Naomi Burstein...
(1917) - The HoboThe Hobo-Cast:* Billy West - The Hobo* Oliver Hardy - Harold * Leo White - Mr. Fox* Bud Ross* Virginia Clark - Dolly...
(1917) - The PestThe Pest (1917 film)-Cast:* Billy West - The Pest* Oliver Hardy - * Ethelyn Gibson* Bud Ross - The Bellboy * Leo White - The Count...
(1917) - The Band MasterThe Band MasterThe Band Master is a 1917 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy, bandleader* Oliver Hardy -...
(1917) - The SlaveThe Slave (film)-Cast:* Billy West - Billy, the slave* Oliver Hardy - The Sultan of Bacteria* Leo White - The Vizier* Bud Ross - Haratius Crabbe, the collector * Leatrice Joy - Susie, his daughter* Gladys Varden - The Sultan's favorite* Ethel Cassity...
(1917) - The StrangerThe Stranger (1918 film)The Stranger is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - The Prospector* Leatrice Joy - Susie* Bud Ross - Susie's Father * Oliver Hardy - Oliver, the saloonkeeper* Leo White - The Greaser...
(19181918 in filmThe year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
) - Bright and EarlyBright and EarlyBright and Early is a 1918 short comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - A Bellboy* Oliver Hardy - The Boss * Rosemary Theby - His daughter* Leo White - An honest crook* Bud Ross - Old man* Fay Holderness - A Maid...
(1918) - The RogueThe RogueThe Rogue is a 1918 short comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy* Oliver Hardy - Cafe Owner * Ethel Marie Burton - The Girl* Leo White - The Count* Rosemary Theby - The Sister* Joe Bordeaux* Bud Ross...
(1918) - His Day OutHis Day OutHis Day Out is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy* Leatrice Joy - Joy* Oliver Hardy - Oliver* Leo White* Joe Bordeaux* Ethel Marie Burton* Bud Ross - The Father * Slim Cole...
(1918) - The OrderlyThe OrderlyThe Orderly is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Sanitarium orderly* Oliver Hardy - * Leatrice Joy* Ethel Marie Burton* Leo White* Joe Bordeaux* Bud Ross...
(1918) - The ScholarThe Scholar (film)The Scholar is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - A Student* Oliver Hardy - * Ethel Marie Burton - The Teacher * Leatrice Joy* Leo White* Joe Bordeaux...
(1918) - The Messenger (1918)
- The Handy ManThe Handy Man (1918 film)The Handy Man is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West* Leatrice Joy* Oliver Hardy - * Ethel Marie Burton* Leo White* Joe Bordeaux...
(1918) - The Straight and NarrowThe Straight and NarrowThe Straight and Narrow is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Ex-convict* Oliver Hardy - His former cellmate * Leo White - Safecracker* Ethel Marie Burton* Rosemary Theby* Myrtle Lind...
(1918) - PlaymatesPlaymates (1918 film)Playmates is a 1918 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Kid* Oliver Hardy - Kid * Bud Ross* Fay Holderness* Ethelyn Gibson* Ethel Marie Burton* Myrtle Lind* Charley Chase - Dope fiend...
(1918) - Beauties in Distress (1918)
- Stick AroundStick Around (film)Stick Around is a 1925 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Bobby Ray - Paperhanger's Helper* Oliver Hardy - Paperhanger * Hazel Newman - Nurse Zenia Zane* Harry McCoy - Dr. Brown...
(1925 - produced) - Hey, Taxi!Hey, Taxi!Hey, Taxi! is a 1925 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy....
(1925 - produced) - RivalsRivals (film)Rivals is a 1925 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Billy West - Billy* Oliver Hardy - The Rival* Ethelyn Gibson - Ethlyn * Ernie Young - Henry, the butler...
(1925) - Hop to It!Hop to It!Hop to It! is a 1925 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Bobby Ray - A bellhop* Oliver Hardy - A bellhop * Janet Dawn - Saleswoman* Frank Alexander - Hotel guest...
(1925 - produced) - They All FallThey All FallThey All Fall is a 1925 American comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy....
(1925 - produced) - The Joke's on YouThe Joke's on You (film)-Cast:* Billy West - Hubby* Oliver Hardy - Wilbert Perkins * Ethelyn Gibson - Wifey...
(1925) - Hard Boiled Yeggs (1926)