Albert Austin

Albert Austin

  • Birthday: 1882-12-11
  • Deathday: 1953-08-17
  • Place of birth: Birmingham, England, UK

Biography

Albert Austin (13 December 1881 or 1885 – 17 August 1953) was an actor, film star, director and script writer, noted mainly for his work in Charlie Chaplin films. He was the brother of actor William Austin. He was born in Birmingham, England, and was a music hall performer before coming to the U.S. with Chaplin, both as members of the Fred Karno troupe, in 1910. Noted for his painted handlebar mustache and acerbic manner, he worked for Chaplin's stock company and played supporting roles in many of his films, often as a foil to the star, and working as his assistant director. After the development of sound films, he moved into scriptwriting, directing and acting, chiefly in comedy short subjects. Among other things, he assisted Chaplin in developing the plot of The Adventurer (1917). However, he only received screen credit as a collaborator once, for City Lights. As an actor, he appeared in Chaplin's comedies for the Mutual Film Corporation. Later he had two brief, uncredited roles in one of Chaplin's 'silent' comedies made in the sound era, City Lights (1931). Austin is also seen very briefly (as a cab driver) at the beginning of Chaplin's short film One A.M.. He also appeared in movies starring Jackie Coogan and Mack Sennett. Austin's best known performance may be in Chaplin's short The Pawnshop. Austin enters the shop with an alarm clock, hoping to pawn it. To establish the clock's value, Chaplin dissects it. Austin maintains a deadpan expression as Chaplin progressively destroys his clock, then hands the pieces back to Austin. He had the leading role in Mary Pickford's Suds (1920), where he co-stars as a customer leaving his shirt at her laundry. In that film he appears without his comic mustache. In his final years he worked as a police officer at the Warner Brothers studios, according to a New York Times obituary. Description above from the Wikipedia article Albert Austin licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

One A.M.

1916

As Le chauffeur de taxi

The Professor

1919

As Man in flophouse

Suds

1920

As Horace Greensmith

Chaplin's Goliath

1996

As Himself

The Chaplin Revue

1959

As Various (archive Footage)

The Charlie Chaplin Festival

1941

As Various Roles (archive footage)

Grief

1921

As

The Immigrant

1917

As A Diner / Immigrant

The Kid

1921

As Man in Shelter (uncredited)

The Adventurer

1917

As The Butler

The Rink

1916

As The Cook

The Pawnshop

1916

As Clock Client

The Floorwalker

1916

As Shop Assistant

Pay Day

1922

As Workman

The Vagabond

1916

As Trombonist (uncredited)

City Lights

1931

As Street Sweeper / Burglar (uncredited)

The Fireman

1916

As Fireman

Shoulder Arms

1918

As American Soldier / Clean Shaven German Soldier / Bearded German Soldier

The Cure

1917

As Sanitarium Attendant

Triple Trouble

1918

As A Man

The Count

1916

As Guest (uncredited)

Behind the Screen

1916

As Stagehand (uncredited)

A Dog's Life

1918

As Thief (uncredited)

Easy Street

1917

As Policeman / Preacher (uncredited)

The Gold Rush

1925

As Prospector (uncredited)

Production

My Boy

1921

As Director

The Misfit

1924

As Director

City Lights

1931

As Assistant Director

Trouble

1922

As Director

Keep Smiling

1925

As Director

Should Men Walk Home?

1927

As Writer

Good Time Henry

1934

As Story

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