William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic

sneeze A sneeze (also known as sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. A sneeze expels air forcibly from the mouth a ...

routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows beginning in 1929.

Career

Early life and vaudeville career

The child of singers with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

, he was born in a dressing room at the Hopkins Opera House in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

."Billy Gilbert", Hollywood Star Walk, ''Los Angeles Times'', September 24, 1971
/ref> Gilbert began working in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

at the age of 12, and later played in burlesque on the

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

and Mutual wheels.

Big break in films

Gilbert was spotted by

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 s ...

, who was in the audience of Gilbert's show ''Sensations of 1929''. Laurel went backstage to meet Gilbert and was so impressed by him he introduced him to comedy producer

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

. Gilbert was employed as a gag writer, actor and director, and at the age of 35 he appeared in his first film for the

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

in 1929. Gilbert broke into comedy short subjects with the

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...

studio in 1930 – he appears without billing in the Joe Frisco comedy ''The Happy Hottentots'' (restored and released on DVD). Gilbert's burly frame and gruff voice made him a good comic villain, and within the year he was working consistently for producer Roach. He appeared in support of Roach's comedy stars

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

Thelma Todd Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman who carried the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in about 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she ...

, and ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

''. One of his Laurel and Hardy appearances was the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

-winning featurette ''

The Music Box ''The Music Box'' is a Laurel and Hardy short film comedy released in 1932. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, which depicts the pair attempting to move a piano up a long fl ...

'' (1932). Gilbert generally played blustery tough guys in the Roach comedies, but could play other comic characters, from fey couturiers to pompous radio announcers to roaring drunks. Gilbert's skill at dialects prompted Roach to give him his own series: big Billy Gilbert teamed with little

Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney ...

as the Dutch-comic "Schmaltz Brothers." in offbeat musical shorts like "Rhapsody in Brew" (which Gilbert also directed). Gilbert regularly starred in Roach's short-comedy series ''The Taxi Boys'', opposite comedians Clyde Cook,

Billy Bevan Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films between 1916 and 1950. Career Bevan was b ...

, Franklin Pangborn, and finally

Ben Blue Ben Blue (born Benjamin Bernstein; September 12, 1901 – March 7, 1975) was a Canadian-American actor and comedian who had a career that spanned nearly 50 years. Early life He was born Benjamin Bernstein in Montreal, Quebec on Septem ...

. Like many other Roach contractees, Gilbert found similar work at other studios. He appears in the early comedies of the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appear ...

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

, as well as in RKO short subjects. These led to featured roles in full-length films, and from 1934 Gilbert became one of the screen's most familiar faces. In 1944, Billy signed with the prestigious

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ...

, which led to starring roles and prominent supporting roles in numerous films.

Feature films

One of his standard routines had Gilbert progressively getting excited or nervous about something, and his speech would break down into facial spasms, culminating in a big, loud sneeze. He used this bit so frequently that

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

thought of him immediately when casting the voice of Sneezy in '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1937). Gilbert and Disney would later work together again in the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" sequence in '' Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947), with Gilbert voicing Willie the Giant in a very similar way to Sneezy. Gilbert did the sneeze routine in a memorable cameo in the Paramount comedy '' Million Dollar Legs'' (1932) starring W. C. Fields,

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on Theatre, stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin's ''T ...

, Susan Fleming, and

Ben Turpin Bernard "Ben" Turpin (September 19, 1869 – July 1, 1940) was an American comedian and actor, best remembered for his work in silent films. His trademarks were his cross-eyed appearance and adeptness at vigorous physical comedy. Turpin wo ...

Red Skelton Billy Gilbert Red Skelton Show 1956

Gilbert is prominent in most of the movies he appeared in, and he often used dialects. He appeared as "Herring" – a parody of

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

official

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

– the minister of war in Charlie Chaplin's ''

The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...

''. He danced with

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as '' On the Avenue'' (1937) and '' Alexander's Ragtim ...

and

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reig ...

in ''

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

''; he stole scenes as a dim-witted process server in the fast-paced comedy ''

His Girl Friday ''His Girl Friday'' is a 1940 American screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and featuring Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The plot centers on a newspaper ed ...

''; playing an Italian character, he played opposite singer

Gloria Jean Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...

in '' The Under-Pup'' and '' A Little Bit of Heaven''. He was also the soda server to Freddie Bartholomew in ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

''. He was featured in the John Wayne and

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

film '' Seven Sinners''. All of these were choice Gilbert roles, and all filmed within a single year, demonstrating how prolific and talented he was. Gilbert seldom starred in movies but did have occasional opportunities to play leads. In 1943, he headlined a brief series of two-reel comedies for

. That same year,

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios in ...

teamed him with the urbane stage comedian Frank Fay for a comedy series; Fay left the series after the first entry. Gilbert asked his closest friend, vaudeville veteran

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known as the ...

, to replace him. Howard had been the original third member of the

before leaving to pursue a solo career.

Later years

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Gilbert worked on Broadway in several productions as an actor, writer and director. These include acting roles in ''

Fanny Fanny may refer to: Given name * Fanny (name), a feminine given name or a nickname, often for Frances In slang * A term for the vulva, in Britain and many other parts of the English-speaking world * A term for the buttocks, in the United States ...

'', ''

The Chocolate Soldier ''The Chocolate Soldier'' (German: ''Der tapfere Soldat'' he courageous soldieror ''Der Praliné-Soldat'') is an operetta composed in 1908 by Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaw's 1894 play, ''Arms and the Man''. The German language libre ...

'', and ''Gypsy Lady'', and directing roles in '' The Red Mill'' and other plays. In the 1950s, Billy Gilbert worked frequently in television, including a memorable pantomime sketch with Buster Keaton on '' You Asked for It''. He appeared regularly on the children's program '' Andy's Gang'' with

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature f ...

, and starred as the giant in the ''

Producers' Showcase ''Producers' Showcase'' is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth ...

'' TV episode of ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1956), along with

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to ...

and Joel Grey as Jack. He retired from the screen following his appearance in the feature ''

Five Weeks in a Balloon ''Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, A Journey of Discovery by Three Englishmen in Africa'' (french: Cinq semaines en ballon) is an adventure novel by Jules Verne, published in 1863. It is the first novel in which he perfected the "ingredients" of his ...

'' (1962).

Personal life

After an unhappy first marriage, in 1938 Gilbert married Ella McKenzie, whom he affectionately called Lolly. She had appeared as an ingenue in short-subject comedies. Fellow film comedian

was the

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be s ...

. In 1941, Billy and Ella adopted an 11-year-old son, Barry, who died in a 1943 shooting accident. Ella Baxter McKenzie was an Ulster-Scot whose grandfather John McKenzie was a prominent member of the Orange Order in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was Robert Baxter McKenzie, who always wore an orange flower on the Twelfth of July, Orangeman's Day in Northern Ireland, in remembrance of the family background and cultural heritage. Ella's sister was film actress Fay McKenzie. The family moved to America and settled in Oregon when he was nine years old. In late 1943, Gilbert appeared with Ella in a

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

show, entertaining the

US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

stationed in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...

. Ella and Billy visited Ballymena in 1943; an account of their visit is reported in the ''Larne Times'' of December 9, 1943.

Death

Gilbert died on September 23, 1971, in

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

at the age of 77, after suffering a stroke.

Legacy

For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Gilbert has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 6263

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywo ...

.Billy Gilbert – Hollywood Walk of Fame
/ref>

Selected filmography

* '' Flirty Four-Flushers'' (1926) as Soup Drinking Customer / Hotel Desk Clerk * '' The Woman from Hell'' (1929) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Noisy Neighbors'' (1929) as Third Son * ''The Happy Hottentots'' (1930, short) as Stage Manager * ''

Sea Legs ''Sea Legs'' is an American musical with music by Michael H. Cleary and lyrics by Arthur Swanstrom. The musical book by Swanstrom is based on the play ''The Cat Came Back'' by Laurence E. Johnson, Beula King, and Avery Hopwood. Produced by Albe ...

'' (1930) as Naval Officer (uncredited) * ''First Aid'' (1931) as Jenkins * '' Chinatown After Dark'' (1931) as Dooley * '' Shiver My Timbers'' (1931 short) as Sea Captain * ''

'' (1932 short) as Professor Theodore von Schwarzenhoffen (uncredited) * '' The Chimp'' (1932 short) as The Landlord (uncredited) * '' Million Dollar Legs'' (1932) as Secretary of the Interior (uncredited) * '' Skyscraper Souls'' (1932) as Second Ticket Agent (uncredited) * ''

Blondie of the Follies ''Blondie of the Follies'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edmund Goulding and written by Anita Loos and Frances Marion. Plot In a crowded New York tenement on the upper east side, Blondie and Lottie are neighbors and best ...

'' (1932) as Kinskey's Friend (uncredited) * '' Pack Up Your Troubles'' (1932) as Mr. Hathaway * '' County Hospital'' (1932 short) as The Doctor * ''The Taxi Boys - What Price Taxi'' (1932 short) as Cabbie * ''The Taxi Boys - Strange Innertube'' (1932 short) as Cabbie * ''The Taxi Boys - Hot Spot'' (1932 short) as Cabbie * ''The Taxi Boys - Taxi for Two'' (1932 short) as Cabbie * ''The Taxi Boys - Bring 'Em Back a Wife'' (1933 short) as Billy Gilbert * ''The Taxi Boys - Wreckety Wrecks'' (1933 short) as Billy * ''The Taxi Boys - Taxi Barons'' (1933 short) as Billy * ''The Taxi Boys - Call Her Sausage'' (1933 short) as Heinie Schmaltz * ''The Taxi Boys - The Rummy'' (1933 short) as Schmaltz * '' Made on Broadway'' (1933) as Commissioner Jerry Allesandro (uncredited) * '' The Girl in 419'' (1933) as Sneezing Patient (uncredited) * ''So and Sew'' (1933 short) as Rudolpho * '' This Day and Age'' (1933) as Manager of Nightclub (uncredited) * '' Sons of the Desert'' (1933) as Mr. Rutledge (voice, uncredited) * '' Cockeyed Cavaliers'' (1934) as Innkeeper (uncredited) * '' Peck's Bad Boy'' (1934) (uncredited) * '' Happy Landing'' (1934) as Husband (uncredited) * ''

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses ...

'' (1934, Three Stooges short) as Dangerous Patient (uncredited) * '' Evelyn Prentice'' (1935) as First Chef (uncredited) * ''

Escapade Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) is a planned spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as ''Blue'' and ''Gold''. The mission, expected to launch in August 2024, is part of NASA's SIMPLEx progr ...

'' (1935) as Singer (uncredited) * ''

Mad Love __NOTOC__ Mad Love may refer to: Books *''Mad Love'' (French ''L'amour fou''), collection of poems by André Breton *'' The Batman Adventures: Mad Love'', an Eisner and Harvey award-winning comic by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm * Mad Love (publisher), ...

'' (1935) as Autograph Seeker on Train (uncredited) * '' Pardon My Scotch'' (1935, Three Stooges short) as opera singer Signor Louis Bellero Cantino (uncredited) * ''Curly Top'' (1935) as The Cook (uncredited) * '' Here Comes the Band'' (1935) as Oswald Carroll (uncredited) * ''

Hi, Gaucho! ''Hi, Gaucho!'' was a 1935 American comedy film directed by Tommy Atkins (who also wrote the story), from a screenplay by Adele Buffington. Released by RKO Radio Pictures on October 11, 1935, the film stars John Carroll (in his first credited rol ...

'' (1935) as Cappa Rosa - Del Campo's Foreman (uncredited) * '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) as Orchestra Member asking Fiorello not to play the piano (uncredited) * '' Coronado'' (1935) as Waiter (uncredited) * '' I Dream Too Much'' (1935) as Cook at Cafe (uncredited) * '' Millions in the Air'' (1935) as Nikolas Popadopolis * '' Dangerous Waters'' (1936) as Carlos (uncredited) * ''

Sutter's Gold ''Sutter's Gold'' is a 1936 American Western film. It is a fictionalized version of the aftermath of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property, spurring the California Gold Rush of 1849. Edward Arnold plays John Sutter. The supporting cast in ...

'' (1936) as Gen. Ramos (uncredited) * '' Love on a Bet'' (1936) as New York Policeman (uncredited) * '' The First Baby'' (1936) as Italian in Park (uncredited) * '' One Rainy Afternoon'' (1936) as Courtroom Doorman (uncredited) * '' Three of a Kind'' (1936) as The Tailor * ''

Early to Bed Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Ea ...

'' (1936) as Burger * '' Parole!'' (1936) as Salvatore Arriolo (uncredited) * '' Poor Little Rich Girl'' (1936) as Waiter (uncredited) * '' Kelly the Second'' (1936) as Fur trader (role deleted) (uncredited) * '' The Bride Walks Out'' (1936) as Mr. Donovan * '' The Devil-Doll'' (1936) as Matin's Butler (uncredited) * ''

Grand Jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a ...

'' (1936) as Otto, Janitor (uncredited) * '' My American Wife'' (1936) as French Chef (uncredited) * ''

Pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

'' (1936) as Man Eating Sandwich (uncredited) * '' Bulldog Edition'' (1936) as George Poppupoppalas (uncredited) * '' The Big Game'' (1936) as Fisher (uncredited) * '' Love on the Run'' (1936) as Maitre d' (uncredited) * '' Night Waitress'' (1936) as Torre - Cafe Owner * '' On the Avenue'' (1937) as Joe Papaloupas * '' We're on the Jury'' (1937) as Mr. Ephraim Allen * '' When You're in Love'' (1937) as Jose the Bartender (uncredited) * '' Sea Devils'' (1937) as Billy (policeman) * ''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

'' (1937) as Turk * ''

China Passage ''China Passage'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Edward Killy from a screenplay by Edmund L. Hartmann and J. Robert Bren, based on a story by Taylor Caven. RKO Radio Pictures produced the film, which stars Constance Worth, Vinton ...

'' (1937) as Ship's Bartender * '' Maytime'' (1937) as Drunk (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Found Himself'' (1937) as Fat Hobo * '' The Outcasts of Poker Flat'' (1937) as Charley - the Bartender * ''

'' (1937) as Soda Steward (uncredited) * '' The Toast of New York'' (1937) as Photographer * '' Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937) as George Papaloopas * '' The Firefly'' (1937) as Inn Keeper * '' The Life of the Party'' (1937) as Dr. Molnac * '' One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (1937) as Garage Owner * '' Music for Madame'' (1937) as Krause * '' Fight for Your Lady'' (1937) as Boris * '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1937) as Sneezy (voice, uncredited) * '' Rosalie'' (1937) as Oloff * '' She's Got Everything'' (1937) as Chaffee - a Creditor * ''Once Over Lightly'' (1938 short) as Professor Dimitrius Kapouris * '' Happy Landing'' (1938) as Counter Man * ''

Maid's Night Out ''Maid's Night Out'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film made by RKO Radio Pictures and starring Joan Fontaine and Allan Lane. It was directed by Ben Holmes from a screenplay by Bert Granet, adapted by from the radio play ''Certified'' (also ...

'' (1938) as Mr. Papalapoulas * '' Joy of Living'' (1938) as Cafe Owner * '' Army Girl'' (1938) as Cantina Pete * '' Block-Heads'' (1938) as Mr. Gilbert * '' My Lucky Star'' (1938) as Nick * '' Breaking the Ice'' (1938) as Mr. Small * ''

Mr. Doodle Kicks Off ''Mr. Doodle Kicks Off'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Bert Granet. The film stars Joe Penner, June Travis, Richard Lane, Ben Alexander and Billy Gilbert. The film was released on October 7, 1938, by R ...

'' (1938) as Professor Minorous * '' Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus'' (1938) as Bud Boggs * '' The Girl Downstairs'' (1938) as Garage Proprietor * '' Forged Passport'' (1939) as Nick Mendoza * '' Million Dollar Legs'' (1939) as Dick Schultz (uncredited) * '' The Under-Pup'' (1939) as Tolio * '' The Star Maker'' (1939) as Steel Worker * '' Rio'' (1939) as Manuelo * ''

Destry Rides Again ''Destry Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Western comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Herve ...

'' (1939) as Loupgerou * ''

'' (1940) as Joe Pettibone * '' Sandy Is a Lady'' (1940) as Billy Pepino * '' Women in War'' (1940) as Pierre, the Cobbler * ''

Safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an importa ...

'' (1940) as Mondehare * '' Queen of the Mob'' (1940) as Mr. Reier * '' Cross-Country Romance'' (1940) as Orestes * '' Scatterbrain'' (1940) as Hoffman * '' Lucky Partners'' (1940) as Charles (uncredited) * '' Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot'' (1940) as Hector * '' A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940) as Tony * '' The Villain Still Pursued Her'' (1940) as Master of Ceremonies * ''

'' (1940) as Herring * '' Seven Sinners'' (1940) as Tony * ''

'' (1940) as Sheik * ''

A Night at Earl Carroll's ''A Night at Earl Carroll's'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Lynn Starling. The film stars Ken Murray, Rose Hobart, Elvia Allman, Blanche Stewart, Earl Carroll, J. Carrol Naish, and Lela Moore. The film wa ...

'' (1940) as Machinist's Mate * ''

No, No, Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves ...

'' (1940) as Styles * '' The Great Awakening'' (1941) as Dominic * '' Reaching for the Sun'' (1941) as Amos * '' One Night in Lisbon'' (1941) as Popopopoulos * ''

Angels with Broken Wings ''Angels with Broken Wings'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring Jane Frazee and Binnie Barnes. It was released by Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, ...

'' (1941) as Billy Wilson * ''

New Wine New Wine is a not-for-profit Christian evangelical organization based in the United Kingdom, that assists Christian churches with organizational leadership training and fundraising. The organization also holds its own annual summer conferences, ...

'' (1941) as Poldi * '' Week-End in Havana'' (1941) as Arbolado * '' Song of the Islands'' (1942) as Palola's Father * '' Valley of the Sun'' (1942) as Judge Homer Burnaby * '' Mr. Wise Guy'' (1942) as Knobby * ''

Sleepytime Gal ''Sleepytime Gal'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Art Arthur, Albert Duffy and Max Lief. The film stars Judy Canova, Tom Brown, Billy Gilbert, Ruth Terry, Thurston Hall, Elisha Cook Jr., Jerry Lester, ...

'' (1942) as Chef Popodopolis * ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'' (1942) as Ahmad * '' Shantytown'' (1943) as 'Papa' Ferrelli * '' Spotlight Scandals'' (1943) as Himself * '' Always a Bridesmaid'' (1943) as Nicholas 'Nick' Neopolitan * '' Crazy House'' (1943) as Sid Drake * '' Three of a Kind'' (1944) as Billy * ''

Ever Since Venus ''Ever Since Venus'' is a 1944 American comedy directed by Arthur Dreifuss, in his first effort for Columbia Pictures, and stars Ina Ray Hutton, Hugh Herbert, Ann Savage, and Billy Gilbert. It was Hutton's first major film role; she had become fa ...

'' (1944) as Tiny Lewis * '' Three Is a Family'' (1944) (uncredited) * '' Crazy Knights'' (1944) as Billy * '' Trouble Chasers'' (1945) as Billy * ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zimm ...

'' (1945) as Cafe Manager * '' Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947) as Willie the Giant (voice) * '' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948) as General Felipe Toro * '' Bride of Vengeance'' (1949) as Beppo (uncredited) * '' Down Among the Sheltering Palms'' (1953) as King Jilouili * ''

Paradise Alley ''Paradise Alley'' is a 1978 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone (in his feature directorial debut). The film tells the story of three Italian American brothers in Hell's Kitchen in the 1940s who bec ...

'' (1962) as Julius Wilson * ''

'' (1962) as Sultan / Auctioneer (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Literature on Billy Gilbert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Billy 1894 births 1971 deaths American male comedians American comedy writers American film directors American male voice actors Hal Roach Studios actors Male actors from Louisville, Kentucky Vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors Hal Roach Studios short film series Comedians from Kentucky Comedians from California 20th-century American comedians