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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
June 10, 1884
Died
June 15, 1975
Place of Birth
Georgetown, British Guiana [now Guyana]
Also Known As
- William Crosby Piercy Austin
William Austin
0.4 Popularity
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
5.0
Barnaby
The Ghost Goes Wild
1947
5.3
Forbes (uncredited)
Alias Mr. Twilight
1946
0.0
Musician (uncredited)
Swingin' on a Rainbow
1945
7.2
Reporter (uncredited)
National Velvet
1945
6.1
Detective Gannett
The Return of the Vampire
1943
6.4
Alfred
Batman
1943
5.8
Spectator
Charley's Aunt
1941
6.9
Inquisitive Stranger
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1939
6.0
Mr. Martingale
Doctor Rhythm
1938
5.1
Bob's Butler (uncredited)
Live, Love and Learn
1937
Credits
The Ghost Goes Wild
as Barnaby
1947
5.0
Alias Mr. Twilight
as Forbes (uncredited)
1946
5.3
Swingin' on a Rainbow
as Musician (uncredited)
1945
0.0
National Velvet
as Reporter (uncredited)
1945
7.2
The Return of the Vampire
as Detective Gannett
1943
6.1
Batman
as Alfred
1943
6.4
Charley's Aunt
as Spectator
1941
5.8
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
as Inquisitive Stranger
1939
6.9
Doctor Rhythm
as Mr. Martingale
1938
6.0
Live, Love and Learn
as Bob's Butler (uncredited)
1937
5.1
Renfrew of the Royal Mounted
as Constable Holly
1937
3.5
The Garden Murder Case
as Sneed, Hammle's Butler (Uncredited)
1936
5.4
$1,000 a Minute
as Salesman
1935
5.8
The Goose and the Gander
as Arthur Summers
1935
4.1
Redheads on Parade
as Trelawney Redfern
1935
0.0
Oil for the Lamps of China
as Clerk in Chase's office
1935
7.3
Imitation of Life
as Englishman at Party (uncredited)
1934
7.0
The Gay Divorcee
as Cyril Glossop
1934
6.9
Alice in Wonderland
as Gryphon
1933
6.1
The Private Life of Henry VIII
as Duke of Cleves
1933
6.4
Three Men in a Boat
as Harris
1933
5.0
🎬
High Society
as Wilberforce Strangeways
1932
0.0
County Hospital
as Ollie's Hospital Roommate
1932
6.8
Rule 'Em and Weep
as Duke
1932
0.0
Corsair
as Richard Bentinck
1931
4.2
A Tailor-Made Man
as Jellicott
1931
0.0
Along Came Youth
as Lord Eustace
1930
7.0
Let's Go Native
as Basil Pistol
1930
7.5
The Flirting Widow
as James Raleigh
1930
4.0
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
as Sylvester Wadsworth
1930
5.3
Paramount on Parade
as Partygoer ('Impulses') (uncredited)
1930
6.1
The Man from Blankley's
as Mr. Poffley
1930
6.0
Embarrassing Moments
as Jasper Hickson
1930
0.0
The Marriage Playground
as Lord Wrench
1929
5.8
Sweetie
as Prof. Percy Willow
1929
5.5
Illusion
as Mr. Z
1929
0.0
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
as Sylvester Wadsworth
1929
5.6
What a Night!
as Percy Penfield
1928
0.0
Someone to Love
as Aubrey Weems
1928
0.0
Just Married
as Percy Jones
1928
0.0
The Fifty-Fifty Girl
as Engineer
1928
0.0
Red Hair
as Dr. Eustace Gill
1928
7.0
Drums of Love
as Raymond of Boston
1928
5.0
Silk Stockings
as George Bagnall
1927
0.0
Swim Girl, Swim
as Mr. Spangle PhD.
1927
0.0
The World At Her Feet
as Det. Hall
1927
1.0
Ritzy
as Algy
1927
0.0
Duck Soup
as Lord Tarbotham
1927
6.4
It
as Monty Montgomery
1927
6.9
One Hour of Love
as Louis Carruthers
1927
0.0
The Flaming Forest
as Alfred Wimbledon
1926
0.0
Her Big Night
as Harold Crosby, cub reporter
1926
0.0
Fig Leaves
as Andre's Assistant
1926
5.8
The Far Cry
as Eric Lancefield
1926
0.0
What Happened to Jones?
as Henry Fuller
1926
5.8
The Fate of a Flirt
as Riggs
1925
0.0
The Best People
as Arthur Rockmere
1925
0.0
🎬
Seven Days
as Dal Brown
1925
0.0
The Night Club
as Gerly - The Valet
1925
0.0
Head Winds
as Theodore Van Felt
1925
5.0
Who Cares
as Dr. Harry Oldershaw
1925
0.0
In Love with Love
as George Sears
1924
0.0
The Garden of Weeds
as Archie
1924
0.0
The Reckless Age
as Lord Allan Harrowby
1924
5.0
Ruggles of Red Gap
as Mr. Belknap-Jackson
1923
0.0
Rich Men's Wives
as Reggie
1922
0.0
The Cowboy King
as Wilbur
1922
0.0
Handle with Care
as Peter Carter
1922
0.0
Common Sense
as Reggie Barrett
1920
0.0