b. September 12, 1894; d. September 23, 1971
Appeared with Laurel and Hardy in 9 films.
Other notable films: Million Dollar Legs (1932); A Night at the Opera (1935); The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937); The Toast of New York (1937); Rosalie (1937); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (voice of Sneezy, 1938); Destry Rides Again (1939); His Girl Friday (1940); The Great Dictator (1940); Anchors Aweigh (1945)
Gilbert was the son of Metropolitan Opera singers and began performing at age 12. One of Hollywood's busiest character actors, he appeared in over 200 films including many all-time classics. Though often associated with big, blustery roles, Gilbert was a versatile actor capable of everything from mad scientists to kindly doctors to earthy blue-collar workers. He dabbled in stage and film directing, worked part-time as a gagman for Roach, and wrote a play (BUTTRIO SQUARE) which enjoyed some Off-Broadway success in the early 50's. Gilbert appeared with many of the top comics of the day including The Marx Brothers and The Three Stooges (off-screen, Gilbert and Shemp Howard were the best of friends), but his best-remembered performance is probably as Professor Theordore Von Schwarzenhoffen in Laurel and Hardy's Academy-Award winning The Music Box.
Copyright ©, John Larrabee, 1998. All Rights
Reserved.
Property of Laurel and Hardy Central.
BILLY GILBERT'S FILMS WITH LAUREL AND HARDY
SHORTS:
One Good Turn (Drunk)
On The Loose (Coutourier)
The Music Box (Professor Theodore von Schwarzenhoffen, M.D.,
A.D., D.D.S., F.L.D., F.F.F. and F, who hates and detests
pianos.)
The Chimp (Joe the landlord)
County Hospital (Ollie's Doctor)
Their First Mistake (Process Server)
Towed in a Hole (Joe, of Joe's Junkyard)
Them Thar Hills (Ollie's Doctor)
FEATURES:
PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES (Mr. Hathaway)
SONS OF THE DESERT (Voice of radiogram announcer)
BLOCK-HEADS (The Boys' neighbor, just back from Africa)
Copyright © John Larrabee, John V. Brennan 2003. All Rights Reserved.
