BILLY BEVAN'S real name is William Bevan Harris, and he is a native of
Australia, having been born in a small town of New South Wales about two
hundred miles from Sydney. At an early age he evinced his stage tendencies
and, like many other aspiring Australian youngsters, sought entrance to
the Pollard organization.
With no great difficulty young Bevan made the desired connections and
became a youthful Pollard, playing a wide variety of roles and laying the
foundation for the technical skill which he now enjoys.
In 1912 the parent Pollard organization was split in two, one company
(in which Daphne Pollard was a star) going to India and the Orient and the
other company (which included Billy Bevan) coming to this country, up and
down the coast into Canada and then to Alaska. This brave little band of
troupers traveled; Billy playing Blinky Bill in "The Belle of New York,"
Koko in the "Mikado" and leading roles also in "The Geisha,"
" Florodora." "Santoy" and other comicopera creations
of a decade ago.
On their return from Alaska and while in Vancouver, B.C., Billy resigned
to join the Isobelle Fletcher stock company, a move that was more fortunate
than it appeared to be at the time, for those were lean years in the theatrical
profession and the little stock organization had an adventurous career.
Billy's good fortune arose out of the fact that in a depleted company he
was called upon to play every variety of role that the drama presents. Out
of this grueling experience and hard schooling the youthful actor emerged
with his art developed to an unusual degree of perfection.
Mr. Sennett, with an eye open for promising talent, saw Billy Bevan in
a current touring play, "A Knight for a Day," and made the young
actor a flattering offer. Mr. Bevan abandoned the footlights for the camera
and is now under the terms of a long-time contract with Mr. Sennett, whose
uses for his genius are being extended into new fields, where the comedy
producer promises to become as prominent a dramatic producer as he has hitherto
been a maker of comedy. |