William Austin
Known for Acting · 73 credits
- Born
- 1884-06-10
- Died
- 1975-06-15
- Place of birth
- Georgetown, British Guiana [now Guyana]
- Also known as
- William Crosby Piercy Austin
Biography
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
Known For
Movies (73)
Batman
1943
as Alfred
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1939
as Inquisitive Stranger
Corsair
1931
as Richard Bentinck
National Velvet
1945
as Reporter (uncredited)
Alice in Wonderland
1933
as Gryphon
The Private Life of Henry VIII
1933
as Duke of Cleves
Seven Days
1925
as Dal Brown
Imitation of Life
1934
as Englishman at Party (uncredited)
Embarrassing Moments
1930
as Jasper Hickson
Duck Soup
1927
as Lord Tarbotham
The Gay Divorcee
1934
as Cyril Glossop
The Return of the Vampire
1943
as Detective Gannett
Sweetie
1929
as Prof. Percy Willow
The Man from Blankley's
1930
as Mr. Poffley
Red Hair
1928
as Dr. Eustace Gill
$1,000 a Minute
1935
as Salesman
Alias Mr. Twilight
1946
as Forbes (uncredited)
It
1927
as Monty Montgomery
Live, Love and Learn
1937
as Bob's Butler (uncredited)
Oil for the Lamps of China
1935
as Clerk in Chase's office
Someone to Love
1928
as Aubrey Weems
Doctor Rhythm
1938
as Mr. Martingale
The Ghost Goes Wild
1947
as Barnaby
County Hospital
1932
as Ollie's Hospital Roommate
What Happened to Jones?
1926
as Henry Fuller
The Goose and the Gander
1935
as Arthur Summers
Honeymoon Hate
1927
as Banning-Green
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
as Sylvester Wadsworth
Let's Go Native
1930
as Basil Pistol
The Garden Murder Case
1936
as Sneed, Hammle's Butler (Uncredited)
The Marriage Playground
1929
as Lord Wrench
Charley's Aunt
1941
as Spectator
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
1929
as Sylvester Wadsworth
Fig Leaves
1926
as Andre's Assistant
Along Came Youth
1930
as Lord Eustace
Redheads on Parade
1935
as Trelawney Redfern
Paramount on Parade
1930
as Partygoer ('Impulses') (uncredited)
The Flaming Forest
1926
as Alfred Wimbledon
Handle with Care
1922
as Peter Carter
Ritzy
1927
as Algy
A Tailor-Made Man
1931
as Jellicott
Common Sense
1920
as Reggie Barrett
The Reckless Age
1924
as Lord Allan Harrowby
Renfrew of the Royal Mounted
1937
as Constable Holly
Swim Girl, Swim
1927
as Mr. Spangle PhD.
Rich Men's Wives
1922
as Reggie
Her Big Night
1926
as Harold Crosby, cub reporter
The Garden of Weeds
1924
as Archie
The Fifty-Fifty Girl
1928
as Engineer
The Far Cry
1926
as Eric Lancefield
Illusion
1929
as Mr. Z
The World At Her Feet
1927
as Det. Hall
High Society
1932
as Wilberforce Strangeways
The Flirting Widow
1930
as James Raleigh
What a Night!
1928
as Percy Penfield
Drums of Love
1928
as Raymond of Boston
The Cowboy King
1922
as Wilbur
The Best People
1925
as Arthur Rockmere
Once to Every Bachelor
1934
as Mathews
The Enemy Sex
1924
as Joe's Friend (uncredited)
Swingin' on a Rainbow
1945
as Musician (uncredited)
Head Winds
1925
as Theodore Van Felt
Three Men in a Boat
1933
as Harris
One Hour of Love
1927
as Louis Carruthers
Who Cares
1925
as Dr. Harry Oldershaw
Just Married
1928
as Percy Jones
In Love with Love
1924
as George Sears
Ruggles of Red Gap
1923
as Mr. Belknap-Jackson
The Fate of a Flirt
1925
as Riggs
West of Broadway
1926
as Mortimer Allison
The Night Club
1925
as Gerly - The Valet
Silk Stockings
1927
as George Bagnall
Rule 'Em and Weep
1932
as Duke
About William Austin
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, tho… With 73 credits spanning from 1920 to 1947, William Austin has appeared in 73 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Austin movies, William Austin filmography, or the latest projects starring William Austin can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Austin Movies
- Batman (1943) — as Alfred
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) — as Inquisitive Stranger
- Corsair (1931) — as Richard Bentinck
- National Velvet (1945) — as Reporter (uncredited)
- Alice in Wonderland (1933) — as Gryphon
Where to Watch William Austin Films
Most William Austin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Austin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.