Leo Willis (5 January 1890 – 10 April 1952) was an American
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...
who began his career in the
silent era
A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, 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) ...
. He played mainly tough guys and comic villains, notably opposite
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55.
One of the most influential film c ...
,
Charley Chase
Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...
, and
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...
at the
Hal Roach Studios
Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on Ju ...
.
Selected filmography
* ''
The Italian'' (
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
*January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1
...
)
* ''
Hell's Hinges
''Hell's Hinges'' is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart and Clara Williams. Directed by Charles Swickard, William S. Hart and Clifford Smith, and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was written by C. Gardne ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Return of Draw Egan'' (
1916
Events
Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled.
* ...
)
* ''
One Shot Ross'' (1917)
* ''
Bull's Eye'' (
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary For ...
)
* ''
A Regular Fellow'' (1919)
* ''
The Toll Gate
''The Toll Gate'' is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer, written by Lambert Hillyer and William S. Hart, and starring William S. Hart, Anna Q. Nilsson, Joseph Singleton, Jack Richardson, and Richard Headrick. It ...
'' (1920)
* ''
The Rent Collector'' (
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil.
** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' breaks ...
)
* ''
Three Word Brand'' (1921)
* ''
The Timber Queen
''The Timber Queen'' is a 1922 American action silent film serial directed by Fred Jackman. The film serial stars Ruth Roland and Bruce Gordon. Produced by Pathé Exchange, the serial was advertised as "The beautiful scenery! The forest, the t ...
'' (
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...
)
* ''
Broken Chains'' (1922)
* ''
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvemen ...
'' (1923)
* ''
Near Dublin
''Near Dublin'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Ralph Ceder and starring Stan Laurel.
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, Stan is a postman in the Irish village and is in love with the belle of the town. His rival i ...
'' (
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China h ...
)
* ''
Jubilo, Jr.
''Jubilo, Jr.'' is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 27th '' Our Gang'' short subject released.
Synopsis
A hobo, played by Will Rogers tells of his adventure as a child when he tried to raise the money ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Short Kilts
''Short Kilts'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel.
Cast
* Stan Laurel - McPherson's son
* James Finlayson - McGregor's son
* Mickey Daniels - McPherson kid
* Ena Gregory - McGregor's daughter
* George Rowe - Blac ...
'' (1924)
* ''
The White Sheep'' (1924)
* ''
Isn't Life Terrible?'' (
1925
Events January
* January 1
** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the It ...
)
* ''
A Hero of the Big Snows
''A Hero of the Big Snows'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film
An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adven ...
'' (
1926
Events January
* January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos (general), Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece.
* January 8
**Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Kingdom of Hejaz, Hejaz.
** Bảo Đại, Crown Prince Nguyễn P ...
)
* ''
The Tough Guy'' (1926)
* ''
The Kid Brother
''The Kid Brother'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It was successful and popular upon release and today is considered by critics and fans to be one of Lloyd's best films, integrating elements of comedy, romanc ...
'' (
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
* January 7
* ...
)
* ''
Call of the Cuckoo
''Call of the Cuckoo'' (1927) is a Hal Roach two reel silent film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film's principal star is comedian Max Davidson, though the film is just as well known for cameos from other Roach stars at the time. These cam ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Flying Elephants
''Flying Elephants'' is a two-reel silent film from 1928 directed by Frank Butler and produced by Hal Roach. It stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as a pair of battling cavemen.
Plot
The film takes place in the Stone Age, where the King of th ...
'' (
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
)
* ''
Their Purple Moment'' (1928)
* ''
The Hoose-Gow'' (
1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholi ...
)
* ''
Below Zero'' (
1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
)
* ''
Pardon Us
''Pardon Us'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Laurel and Hardy film. It was the duo's first starring feature-length comedy film, produced by Hal Roach and Stan Laurel, directed by James Parrott, and originally distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in ...
'' (
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
)
* ''
The Kid from Spain
''The Kid from Spain'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Leo McCarey. Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar composed the songs, and Busby Berkeley is credited with creating and directing the film's musical scenes. It was Jane Wyman's film debut ...
'' (1932)
* ''
The Live Ghost'' (
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a max ...
)
* ''
The Gold Ghost'' (1934)
* ''
The Bohemian Girl
''The Bohemian Girl'' is an Irish Romantic opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Miguel de Cervantes' tale, ''La Gitanilla''.
The best-known aria from the piece is " I Dreamt I Dw ...
'' (
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
)
External links
*
1890 births
1952 deaths
Hal Roach Studios actors
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Oklahoma
{{US-film-actor-1890s-stub