Ted Billings (April 7, 1880 – July 5, 1947) was an American character actor of the silent and

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

eras. Born in London, England on April 7, 1880, Billings made his film debut in the role of the Witch, in 1917's '' The Babes in the Woods'', which starred Francis Carpenter and Virginia Lee Corbin as Hansel and Gretel. Over the course of his career he would appear in over 100 films, mostly in unnamed, un-credited roles. Some of the more notable films in which he appeared include: in the featured role of Ludwig in 1935's '' Bride of Frankenstein'', starring

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

; the 1937 version of '' The Prince and the Pauper'',

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

, and Billy and Bobby Mauch; ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

'' (1939), starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and Claire Trevor; '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon; the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

comedy, '' The Princess and the Pirate''; and the 1947 classic comedy, '' The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'', starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. His final screen appearance was in a small, unnamed role in

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( ; ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the the ...

's '' Forever Amber'', starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde; the film was released in October 1947, three months after Billings' death on July 5, 1947.

Selected filmography

* '' The Babes in the Woods'' (1917) * '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1922) (film debut) * ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

'' (1922) * '' Disraeli'' (1929) * ''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' (1930) * ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' (1931) * '' Murders in the Rue Morgue'' (1932) * ''

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 ...

'' (1932) * '' Cavalcade'' (1933) * ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ''The Man Who Reclaimed His Head'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Jean Bart (writer), Jean Bart and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill, Juanita Quigley, Henry O'Neill an ...

'' (1934) * '' Clive of India'' (1935) * '' The Bride of Frankenstein'' (1935) * '' Bonnie Scotland'' (1935) * '' Captain Blood'' (1935) * '' The Invisible Ray'' (1936) * '' Dodsworth'' (1936) * '' The Prince and the Pauper'' (1937) * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' (1938) * '' Mr. Moto's Last Warning'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * '' The Man in the Iron Mask'' (1939) * '' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (1939) * ''

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

'' (1939) * '' The Earl of Chicago'' (1940) * '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940) * '' The Son of Monte Cristo'' (1940) * '' Man Hunt'' (1941) * '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1941) * '' Shadow of the Thin Man'' (1941) * '' Sullivan's Travels'' (1941) * '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) * '' Tales of Manhattan'' (1942) * '' The Voice of Terror'' (1942) * '' Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) * '' Mission to Moscow'' (1943) * '' Flesh and Fantasy'' (1943) * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) * ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' (1943) * '' The Lodger'' (1944) * '' The Scarlet Claw'' (1944) * '' The Princess and the Pirate'' (1944) * '' Belle of the Yukon'' (1944) * '' The Invisible Man's Revenge'' (1944) * '' Hangover Square'' (1945) * ''

The Body Snatcher "The Body Snatcher" is a short story by the Scottish people, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' in December 1884, its characters were based on criminals in the employ of the surgeon Robert Knox ...

'' (1945) * '' Tarzan and the Leopard Woman'' (1946) * '' Bedlam'' (1946) * '' Dressed to Kill'' (1946) * '' Dangerous Money'' (1946) * '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946) * '' The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'' (1947) * '' Forever Amber'' (1947) (final film)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Billings, Ted 1880 births 1947 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male silent film actors English emigrants to the United States Male actors from London