Person Details

Birthday: 1882-12-13 10:42:53

Death: 1953-08-17 10:42:53

Aliases: No known aliases

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Birmingham, England

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 8

TV Involvements: 1


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

City Lights
Average
8

City Lights

(1931) Assistant Director
The Misfit
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0

The Misfit

(1924) Director
The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble
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0
My Boy
Average
6

My Boy

(1921) Director
Good Time Henry
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0

Good Time Henry

(1934) Story
Trouble
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0

Trouble

(1922) Director
Keep Smiling
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0

Keep Smiling

(1925) Director
Should Men Walk Home?
Average
8

Should Men Walk Home?

(1927) Writer

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1996 Himself
1983 Self & In Out-Takes
1959 Various (archive Footage)
1941 Various Roles (archive footage)
1931 Street Sweeper / Burglar (uncredited)
1925 Prospector (uncredited)
1922 Workman
1921 N/A
Man in Shelter (uncredited)
1920 Horace Greensmith
1919 Man in flophouse
1918 American Soldier / Clean Shaven German Soldier / Bearded German Soldier
A Man
Thief (uncredited)
1917 The Butler
A Diner / Immigrant
Sanitarium Attendant
Policeman / Preacher (uncredited)
1916 The Cook
Stagehand (uncredited)
Clock Client
Guest (uncredited)
Le chauffeur de taxi
Trombonist (uncredited)
Fireman
Shop Assistant
Year Character Movie/Tv

Writing

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
1931 Assistant Director
1925 Director
1924 Director
1922 Director
1921 Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

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