Billy West (September 22, 1892 – July 21, 1975) was a film

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, producer, and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. Active during the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

era, he is best known as a semi-successful

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

impersonator. Beyond acting, he also directed shorts in the 1910s and 20s, as well as produced films. West ultimately retired in 1935.

Early career

Born Roy B. Weisberg (or ''Weissberg'') in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family, West emigrated to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

with his family in 1896. He appeared in many short films, first in ''Apartment No. 13'' in 1912.

Chaplin impersonation

In 1917 movie theaters could not get enough Charlie Chaplin comedies, and an enterprising producer hired West, who had been doing comic pantomimes on the

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 composition ...

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. Reportedly, Chaplin himself saw the Billy West company filming on a Hollywood street once, 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 Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

approximating the villainy of Eric Campbell, and

Leatrice Joy Leatrice Joy (born Leatrice Johanna Zeidler; November 7, 1893 – May 13, 1985) was an American actress most prolific during the silent film era. Early life Joy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to dentist Edward Joseph Zeidler, who was o ...

in the

Edna Purviance Olga Edna Purviance (; October 21, 1895 – January 13, 1958) was an American actress of the silent film era. She was the leading lady in many of Charlie Chaplin's early films and in a span of eight years, she appeared in over 30 films with hi ...

ingenue role. King-Bee executives were determined to showcase West in a five-reel feature.

''Motion Picture News'' (September 22, 1917) The King-Bee Film Corporation announces that it is considering the production of a five-reel comedy with Billy West as the star in a modern version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," with Billy West playing the great lover. ''Moving Picture World'' (November 10, 1917) About January 1, Billy West will be seen in the first five-reeler made by the King-Bee company entitled ''King Solomon''. ''Motion Picture News'' (December 1, 1917) King Solomon, the title of the King-Bee Comedy, featuring Billy West, now under production, has been changed to ''Old King Sol''. This change was made by Nat I. Spitzer, sales manager of King-Bee after receipt of a letter from a London company, stating that it had the world rights to a picture under the title ''King Solomon''. ''Old King Sol'' will be the first five-reel production made by King- Bee with Billy West featured.

The feature was never produced. West became his own producer at a point. 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'' is an American comic strip published during a 76-year span (1920–1996). Ten film adaptations were also made. Its premise was conceived by Joseph Medill Patterson, but the stories and artwork were by Martin Branner, who wrote t ...

" comedies with Ethelyn Gibson. West took small roles in sound films, first for small independent companies and later for

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 mu ...

After cinema

He became manager of the Columbia Grill restaurant.Sloan, Will (July 22, 2015)
"The Only and Original"
partisanmagazine.com. Retrieved February 13, 2017. He died July 21, 1975, of a heart attack while leaving the

Hollywood Park racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to the ...

. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Kalton C. Lahue and Sam Gill wrote:

Billy's tramp was another dimension of Charlie's. Where Chaplin's little fellow exhibited a tendency towards cynicism, tempered with a degree of hopeful optimism (which was always badly bent by the fade out), Billy's tramp was the cheerful optimism who is treated pretty decently by faith. Most of his problems came about as a result of his own carefree ineptitude.

Filmography

Actor

# ''Apartment No. 13'' (1912) Unicorn Film Service (1916) # ''His Married Life'' (December 1, 1916) # ''Bombs and Boarders'' (1916) # ''His Waiting Career'' (1916) King-Bee Film Corporation (1917-1918) # ''

Back Stage ''Backstage'', also previously written as ''Back Stage'', is an American entertainment industry trade publication. Founded by Allen Zwerdling and Ira Eaker in 1960, it covers the film and performing arts industry from the perspective of performer ...

'' (May 15, 1917) (A print is held at Nederlands Filmmuseum) # ''

The Hero The Hero may refer to: Books * "The Hero" (poem), a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore * ''The Hero'' (novel), a science fiction novel by John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson * '' The Hero: A Study in Tradition, Myth and Drama'', a book by Fi ...

'' (June 1, 1917) # ''

Dough Nuts ''Dough Nuts'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Billy West as Billy, the New Baker * Ethel Marie Burton as Ethel, the Cashier (as Ethel Burton) * Oliver Hardy as Babe, the chef (as Babe Hardy) * Leo White a ...

'' (June 15, 1917) # ''

Cupid's Rival ''Cupid's Rival'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Billy works as the janitor of a studio apartment, and has been ordered by Hyfligher, a rich artist, to bring his brea ...

'' (July 1, 1917) # '' The Villain'' (July 15, 1917) # '' The Millionaire'' (August 1, 1917) (Nederlands Filmmuseum) # '' The Goat'' (August 15, 1917) # ''

The Fly Cop ''The Fly Cop'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Like many American films of the time, ''The Fly Cop'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts in sce ...

'' (September 15, 1917) # ''

The Chief Cook ''The Chief Cook'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Billy West as The Star Boarder * Bud Ross as Boggs (as Budd Ross) * Oliver Hardy as Babe (as Babe Hardy) * Ellen Burford as Dolly * Joe Cohen * Leo White ...

'' (October 1, 1917) # '' The Candy Kid'' (October 15, 1917) # ''

The Hobo ''The Hobo'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Billy West and Oliver Hardy. It is a shameless copy of Charlie Chaplin's 1915 film The Tramp with West copying Chaplin's tramp outfit down to the last detail. Plot Harold sits in a ...

'' (November 1, 1917) # '' The Pest'' (working title: ''The Freeloader'') (November 15, 1917) # '' The Band Master'' (December 1, 1917) # '' The Slave'' (December 15, 1917) # '' The Stranger'' (working title: ''The Prospector'') (January 1, 1918) # ''

His Day Out ''His Day Out'' is a surviving 1918 American silent comedy short film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Billy West as Billy * Leatrice Joy as Joy * Oliver Hardy as Oliver * Leo White * Joe Bordeaux * Ethel Marie Burton * Bud Ross as The Fathe ...

'' (working title: ''The Barber'') (January 15, 1918) # '' The Rogue'' (February 15, 1918) # ''

The Orderly ''The Orderly'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Billy West as Sanitarium orderly * Oliver Hardy (as Babe Hardy) * Leatrice Joy * Ethel Marie Burton * Leo White * Joe Bordeaux * Bud Ross See also * Oliv ...

'' (March 1, 1918) # '' The Scholar'' (March 15, 1918) # '' The Messenger'' (April 1, 1918) # '' The Handy Man'' (May 1, 1918) # '' Bright and Early'' (May 15, 1918) # '' The Straight and Narrow'' (June 1, 1918) # '' Playmates'' (July 1, 1918) # '' Beauties in Distress'' (working title: ''The King of the Volcano'') (July 15, 1918) Higrade Film Enterprises (1918) # ''Bunco Billy Billy'' (1918) # ''Bombs and Bull'' (1918) # ''Billy in Harness'' (1918) Bull's Eye Film Corporation (1918-1919) # ''

He's in Again ''He's in Again'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film starring Billy West and also featuring Oliver Hardy. It is one of the several films where West adopts Chaplin's tramp persona. Plot A Chaplin type figure (Billy West) tries to evade a bo ...

'' (working title: ''A Good Day'') (December 15, 1918) # ''Rolling Stone'' (January 20, 1919) # ''Ship Ahoy!'' (February, 1919) # ''Her First False Hare'' (May 19, 1919) # ''Her Nitro Night'' (December 1, 1919) # ''Haunted Hearts'' (December 15, 1919) # ''The Chauffeur'' (1919) # ''Lured'' (1919) # ''Coppers and Scents'' (1919) # ''Out of Tune'' (1919) # ''Soaked'' (1919) # ''The Wrong Flat'' (newspaper ads: January 28, 1919 and July 19, 1919) Reelcraft (1920) # ''The Strike Breaker'' (March, 1920) # ''The Masquerader'' (April, 1920) # ''Brass Buttons'' (April, 1920) # ''The Dreamer'' (May, 1920) # ''The Beauty Shop'' (May, 1920) # ''The Artist'' (June, 1920) # ''Hard Luck'' (June, 1920) # ''What Next?'' (July, 1920) # ''Italian Love'' (July, 1920) # ''Hands Up'' (August, 1920) # ''Going Straight'' (August, 1920) # ''The Dodger'' # ''Mustered Out'' # ''Happy Days'' # ''Foiled'' # ''Cleaning Up'' # ''Blue Blood and Bevo'' Joan Comedies (1920-1921) # ''Sweethearts'' (November, 1920) # ''Service Stripes'' (December, 1921) # ''He's In Again'' (January, 1921) # ''The Conquering Hero'' (February, 1921) # ''Best Man Wins'' (March, 1921) # ''He Loves Her Still'' (April, 1921) # ''Why Marry?'' (May 1921) # ''Happy Days'' (June, 1921) # ''Italian Love'' (August, 1921?) # ''The Darn Fool'' (October, 1921?) # ''The Sap'' (1921) Sunrise Comedies (1922) # '' Don't Be Foolish'' (1922) # ''You'd Be Surprised'' (1922) # ''Wedding Dumbbells'' (1922) # ''I'm Here'' (1922) Smart Films (1922) # ''Why Worry?'' (1922) (Not related to ''

Why Worry? ''Why Worry?'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor and starring Harold Lloyd. Plot Harold Van Pelham (Harold Lloyd) is a young, wealthy American businessman who obsesses constantly about his hea ...

'' from 1923) # ''It's Going to Be a Coal Winter'' (1922) Broadway Comedies (1923-1925) # ''One Exciting Evening'' (October 1, 1923) # ''Be Yourself'' (November 1, 1923) # ''Hello Bill'' (December 1, 1923) # ''Pay Up'' (January 1, 1924) # ''Hello, Stranger'' (February 1, 1924) # ''The Nervous Reporter'' (March 1, 1924) # ''Not Wanted'' (April 1, 1924) # ''Oh, Billy!'' (May 1, 1924) # ''Dyin' for Love'' (May 15, 1924) # ''Two After One'' (June 1, 1924) # ''That's That'' (July 1, 1924) # ''Don't Slip'' (September 1, 1924) # ''Line's Busy'' (September 15, 1924) # ''Love'' (October 15, 1924) # ''Meet Father'' (November 15, 1924) # ''Watch Out!'' (December 15, 1924) # ''Phone Troubles'' (newspaper ad: July 5, 1924) ## This could be an alternate title for ''Line's Busy''. # ''Midnight Watch'' (newspaper ad: August 29, 1924) # ''So Long, Dad'' (newspaper ad: September 10, 1924) # ''Believe Me'' (working title: ''Start Here'') (January 15, 1925) # ''Hard-Hearted Husbands'' (February 15, 1925) # ''

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

'' (March 15, 1925) # ''Copper Butt-Ins'' (April 15, 1925) # ''West Is West'' (May 15, 1925) # ''Fiddlin' Around'' (June 15, 1925) # '' The Joke's On You'' (working title: ''A Day's Vacation'') (July 15, 1925) # ''So Long, Bill'' (August 15, 1925) # ''Hard Boiled Yeggs'' (1926) The Features (1926-1927) # '' Thrilling Youth'' (August 3, 1926) # ''Oh, Billy, Behave'' (October 27, 1926) # ''The Trouble Chaser'' (March 9, 1927) # ''Lucky Fool'' (working title: ''Help! Police!'') (April 18, 1927) Later Career # ''One Hour to Play'' (1927) ## Possibly consists of footage from features # ''The Shadow of the Eagle'' (1932) # ''

Ex-Lady ''Ex-Lady'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy/drama film directed by Robert Florey. The screenplay by David Boehm is a remake of the Barbara Stanwyck film '' Illicit (1931),'' both crediting a story (actually a play) by Edith Fitzgerald and R ...

'' (1933) #'' Jimmy the Gent'' (1934) #''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...

'' (1935)

Producer

# '' Stick Around'' (1925) #''

Hey, Taxi! ''Hey, Taxi!'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Bobby Ray as Taxi driver * Oliver Hardy as A rival taxi driver (as Babe Hardy) See also * List of American films of 1925 A List of American films of 1925 ...

'' (1925) #''

Hop to It! ''Hop to It!'', also released as ''Hop to It, Bellhop'', is a 1925 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Bobby Ray as A bellhop * Oliver Hardy as A bellhop (as Babe Hardy) * Janet Dawn as Saleswoman * Frank Alexander a ...

'' (1925) #'' They All Fall'' (1925)

References

External links

* *
Filmography
{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Billy 1892 births 1975 deaths American male film actors American film directors American male silent film actors Silent film comedians American people of Russian descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Articles containing video clips Jewish American male actors 20th-century American comedians American male comedy actors 20th-century American Jews