Hubert Willis (1862 – 13 December 1933) was a British actor best known for his recurring role as

Doctor Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...

in a series of silent Sherlock Holmes films co-starring with

Eille Norwood Eille Norwood (born Anthony Edward Brett; 11 October 1861 – 24 December 1948) was an English stage actor, director, and playwright best known today for playing Sherlock Holmes in a series of silent films. Early life He was born 11 October 186 ...

Stage career

Willis appeared in the copyright performance of

William Gillette William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 191 ...

's play ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' (1899) in an unknown role. He played Planchette and Lavrille in ''Never Again'' at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...

(1897) opposite

Allan Aynesworth Edward Henry Abbot-Anderson (14 April 1864, Sandhurst, Berkshire – 22 August 1959, Camberley, Surrey), known professionally as Allan Aynesworth, was an English actor and producer. His career spanned more than six decades, from 1887 to 194 ...

; Captain Welsh opposite Robert Taber in ''Bonnie Dundee'' at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

(1900); Brother Jerome in ''The Sacrament of Judas'' at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

(1901); Rushey Platt, MP in ''Love in Idleness'' at

Terry's Theatre Terry's Theatre was a West End theatre in the Strand, in the City of Westminster, London. Built in 1887, it became a cinema in 1910 before being demolished in 1923. History The theatre was built in 1887, near Fountain's Court, on the site of a ...

(1902); Dick Snaresby in ''Brown at Brighton'' at the Avenue Theatre (1903); Mullins in the original stage production of ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

(1904) opposite

Gerald du Maurier Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier (26 March 1873 – 11 April 1934) was an English actor and Actor-manager, manager. He was the son of author George du Maurier and his wife, Emma Wightwick, and the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies ...

Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...

/Mr. Darling and

Nina Boucicault Nina Boucicault (27 February 1867 – 2 August 1950) was an English-born actress, daughter of the Irish playwright Dion Boucicault, and the actress Agnes Kelly Robertson. She had three brothers, Dion William (1855–1876), Dion Boucicault Jr ...

as Peter Pan; Jenkins in ''Castles in Spain'' at the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

(1906); Dubois in ''The Hon'ble Phil'' opposite G. P. Huntley at Hicks Theatre (1908); Mr. Curry in ''The Test'' at the

Court Theatre A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts general ...

(1906). and Village Handyman in ''The Man with his Back to the East'' at the Court Theatre (1912).

Sherlock Holmes films

Willis made his first film appearance as Shelton in the

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

The House of Temperley ''The House of Temperley'' is a 1913 British silent drama film directed by Harold M. Shaw and starring Charles Maude, Ben Webster and Lillian Logan. It is based on the 1896 novel '' Rodney Stone'' by Arthur Conan Doyle and is sometimes known ...

'' (1913), an adaptation of '' Rodney Stone'' by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

. Between 1921 and 1923 he played

Dr. Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...

in 44 short films and one full length film opposite

including ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...

'' (1921) and in three series of 15 episodes each in ''

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is a collection of short stories by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, first published on 14 October 1892. It contains the earliest short stories featuring the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, which h ...

'' (1921); in ''

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ''The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is a series of radio dramas based on Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes. Written by Bert Coules as a pastiche of Doyle's work, the series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002, 2004, 200 ...

'' (1922), and in '' The Last Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (1923). In the episode ''

The Sign of Four ''The Sign of the Four'', also called ''The Sign of Four'', is an 1890 detective novel, and it is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes by British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring ...

'' (1923) Willis was replaced by

Arthur Cullin Arthur Cullin (1862–1926) was a British actor of the silent era who was born in Kensington, London. He is often credited as Arthur M. Cullin. Selected filmography * '' The Answer'' (1916) * ''The Valley of Fear'' (1916) * '' Whoso Is Without ...

as Dr. Watson.

Personal life

In 1892 Willis married (Harriet) Annie Godfrey (1861-), an actress, and with her had a daughter Winifred, who also became an actress. Willis lived at 39, Marlborough Crescent in Bedford Park in

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London, N ...

. He died in December 1933 and left £4,105 1s 4d in his will.Gov.uk Find a Will service, Surname: Willis, Year of Death: 1934, URL= https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

Selected filmography

* '' A Message From Mars'' (1913) * ''

Liberty Hall Liberty Hall (), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest building in the countr ...

'' (1914) * '' The King's Daughter'' (1916) * ''

The Mother of Dartmoor ''The Mother of Dartmoor'' is a 1916 British silent drama film directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Elisabeth Risdon, Bertram Burleigh and Enid Bell.Goble p.875 Plot summary A mother testifies against her own poacher son and he is se ...

'' (1916) * '' Partners at Last'' (1916) * '' His Daughter's Dilemma'' (1916) * '' A Gamble for Love'' (1917) * ''

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

'' (1917) * '' The Manxman'' (1917) * '' The Manchester Man'' (1920) * ''

Lady Audley's Secret ''Lady Audley's Secret'' is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published on 1 October 1862. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic John Sutherland (author), John Sutherland (1989) described the work as "the most ...

'' (1920) * '' The Pursuit of Pamela'' (1920) * '' The Duchess of Seven Dials'' (1920)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Hubert 1862 births 1933 deaths English male stage actors English male film actors English male silent film actors 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Reading, Berkshire 20th-century British male actors