Albert Austin

Albert Austin
Albert Austin with Charlie Chaplin
Born	1881 or 1885 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, UK
Died	17 August 1953(1953-08-17) North Hollywood, California, US
Years active	1912–1930

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, Warwickshire, England, and was a music hall performer before going to the U.S. with Chaplin, both as members of the Fred Karno troupe, in 1910.

Noted for his painted handlebar moustache 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 films 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 moustache.

In his final years he worked as a police officer at the Warner Brothers studios, according to a New York Times obituary.

Filmography

• City Lights - Burlgar/Street Sweeper
• The Circus - Clown
• The Gold Rush - Prospector
• A Prince of a King -(uncredited)
• Pay Day - Workman
• The Kid - Man in Shelter
• Suds - Horace Greensmith
• The Professor - Man in Flophouse
• Shoulder Arms - U.S. soldier/German soldier/Kaiser's chauffeur
• The Bond - Friend
• Triple Trouble - A Man
• A Dog's Life - Thief
• The Adventurer - The Butler
• The Immigrant - A Diner
• The Cure - Sanitarium Attendant
• Easy Street - Minister/Policeman
• The Rink - The Cook/Skater
• Behind the Screen - Scene Shifter
• The Pawnshop - Client with clock
• The Count - Tall Guest
• One A.M. - Taxi Driver
• The Vagabond - Trombonist
• The Fireman - Fireman
• The Floorwalker - Shop assistant

References

• New York Times obituary, August 19, 1953 (accessed via http://select.nytimes.com, November 10, 2008)
• Charlie Chaplin's Collaborators, British Film Institute, accessed Nov. 10, 2008

External links

• Albert Austin at the Internet Movie Database

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