Billy Armstrong: Karno, Keystone, and Beyond

Today is the birthday of Billy Armstrong (1891-1924). An alum of Fred Karno’s company, he was hired to support Chaplin at Essanay in 1915, appearing in small roles in many films that are now considered classics, such as The Tramp and The Bank. When Chaplin moved to Mutual, Armstrong went to Keystone and from thence to most of the other major comedy studios of the era, including Roach, L-KO, Fox, et al. Never a star, he was usually a valuable part of the ensemble, often playing “dudes” and noblemen, supporting comedians like Stan Laurel, Harry Langdon, Ford Sterling or Charlie Murray. He died of TB at age 33 (hints of it behind the make-up in the photo above; he looks like a much older man).

Here he is in Chaplin’s By the Sea; he’s the man in the straw hat. It’s fun to watch them work together; with their Karno training, they work variations on many of the same moves:

For more on silent and slapstick comedy don’t missmy new bookChain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc

To find out more about the variety artspast and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.