Birth Day: 1887-09-29
Place of birth: Orange, New South Wales, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in 254 American films between 1916 and 1950. Bevan was born in the country town of Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He went on the stage at an early age, traveled to Sydney and spent eight years in Australian light opera, performing as Willie Bevan. He sailed to America with the Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company in 1912 and later toured Canada. Bevan broke into films with the Sigmund Lubin studio in 1916. When the company disbanded, Bevan became a supporting actor in Mack Sennett movie comedies. An expressive pantomimist, Bevan's quiet scene-stealing attracted attention, and by 1922 Bevan was a Sennett star. He supplemented his income, however, by establishing a citrus and avocado farm at Escondido, California. Usually filmed wearing a derby hat and a drooping mustache, Bevan may not have possessed an indelible screen character like Charlie Chaplin but he had a friendly, funny presence in the frantic Sennett comedies. Much of the comedy depended on Bevan's skilled timing and reactions; the famous "oyster" routine performed on film by Curly Howard, Lou Costello, and Huntz Hall—in which a bowl of "fresh oyster stew" shows alarming signs of life and battles the guy trying to eat it—was originated on film decades earlier by Bevan in the short film Wandering Willies. By the mid-1920s Bevan was often teamed with Andy Clyde; Clyde soon graduated to his own starring series. The late 1920s found Bevan playing in wild marital farces for Sennett. The advent of talking pictures took their toll on the careers of many silent stars, including Billy Bevan. Bevan began a second career in "talkies" as a character actor and bit player in roles such as that of a bus driver in the 1929 film High Voltage, a hotel employee in the Mae Murray film Peacock Alley, and the supporting role of Second Lieutenant Trotter in Journey's End in 1930. His starring roles had come to an end, however, and for the next 20 years he often would play rowdy Cockneys (as in Pack Up Your Troubles with The Ritz Brothers), and affable Englishmen (as in Tin Pan Alley and Terror by Night). He played a friendly bus conductor opposite Greer Garson in one of the opening scenes of Mrs. Miniver. Bevan died in 1957 in Escondido, California, just before new audiences discovered him in Robert Youngson's silent-comedy compilations. (The Youngson films mispronounce his name as "Be-VAN"; Bevan himself offered the proper pronunciation in a Voice of Hollywood reel in 1930.)
Credits
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As (archive footage)
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As archive footage
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As Town Councilman (uncredited)
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As (archive footage)
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As Will Scarlet
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As Ed Jackson (uncredited)
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As Billy Bragg
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As Douglas (uncredited)
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As Winston, Kitty's Butler (uncredited)
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As Barney
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As Dungeon Keeper
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As Morton
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As Old Andrew
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As Harry, Cab Driver (uncredited)
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As Evans
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As Uncle Arn Porritt
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As Conductor Taking Tickets
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As Mr. Ames (uncredited)
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As Constable (uncredited)
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As Malvolio Jones
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As Cabbie (uncredited)
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As Police Sergeant (uncredited)
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As Constable With Food Tray (uncredited)
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As Air Raid Warden
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As (archive footage)
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As Horace (uncredited)
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As Bookie (uncredited)
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As Wartime Cabby
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As Farmer
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As George Barrow
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As Puritan Vendor (uncredited)
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As Phillips
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As Bus Conductor (uncredited)
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As McDougal (uncredited)
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As Chivers
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As Mr. Bindle
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As Ticket Taker (uncredited)
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As Mr. Weller
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As Castle Guide
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As Policeman (uncredited)
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As Stage Doorman
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As Joe
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As Jim (uncredited)
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As British Sergeant
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As Duffy
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As Mr. Jones
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As Cockney (uncredited)
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As Gallicuddy
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As Customs Official
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As Joe (uncredited)
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As Nick
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As Bartender (uncredited)
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As Aquarium Guard
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As Street Watch Leader
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As Kennel Man (uncredited)
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As Plug Hat
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As Munson
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As Pvt. Hawkins
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As McLean
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As Atkins
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As Frank (uncredited)
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As Mr. Boswick
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As Innkeeper
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As Curtis
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As Frederick
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As Police Constable Albert
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As Taxi Driver
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As Cabby (uncredited)
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As Jepson
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As Jerry Cruncher
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As Alfred
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As Private Foster
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As Officer Watkins
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As Horse Auctioneer
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As Man in Hotel Room
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As Cloakroom Attendant
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As Police Sergeant
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As Hale
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As Meadows
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As Mac
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As Herb
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As Mary's Father - the Mayor
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As One of the Taxi Boys
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As Uncle Jake
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As George Grainger
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As Two of Spades (uncredited)
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As Mr. Barker
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As Grandpa
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As Jake Burke
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As Stage Director
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As Will Swallow
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As M. Prial
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As Detective #2 (uncredited)
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As Schultz
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As Charlie Hammond
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As Ashley, Arguing Drunk (uncredited)
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As Horace Ward
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As Colonel
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As Billy Bevan
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As Joseph Sedley
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As Departing British Soldier (uncredited)
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As Father
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As Hodgkins
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As Cuthbert (uncredited)
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As Soldier on the Make (uncredited)
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As Train Conductor (uncredited)
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As Sam
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As Gilbert - Addie's Brother
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As Trotter
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As Walter
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As Edward O. Walker
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As Tom Berry
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As Reporter (uncredited)
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As Billy Brooks
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As Gus Jones
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As George Downing
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As Billy Barton
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As Billy Blake
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As Best Man
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As Bill Blake
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As Constable Billy Barnes
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As Billy Trotter
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As Billy Brooks
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As Doty Bassett - the Bicycle Flirt
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As Billy Bender
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As Paris Cabman
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As Messenger
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As Billy Divott
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As Charley Carter
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As Pete De Tour
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As The Detective
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As Professor Brawn
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As The Barber
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As Joe Whiffet
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As Bill the Plumber
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As Billy Hornby
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As Billy Judkins
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As Jerry Connors / Archibald De Shyster
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As Pete
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As Casey McCorkle
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As Gus Barnum
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As The Drifter
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As Gus Gander
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As Percy Nudge
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As Walter Moore
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As Billy Foote
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As Wilbur Watts
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As Otto Stropp
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As The Cop
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As Otto Klutch
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As Joe Gobb
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As Hiram Case
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As Farmer
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As Nick
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As Gaspard De Brie
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As Joe Honck - Taxi Driver
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As Joe Bush
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As Joe Dobell
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As The Traffic Cop
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As Travers Dale
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As A.J. Bird Jr.
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As John Syrup Soother
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As Adam Fargo - Baggage Master
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As Studio Organist
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As The Sheriff
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As The Janitor
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As The Sheriff
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As King of Anchovia
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As Sandy Hook - Sailor
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As Bud Gasket
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As Jake aka Inbad the Sailor
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As Comedian
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As The Bachelor's Butler / Chauffeur / Footman
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As Barfly (uncredited)
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As Sailor
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As Press Agent
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As Jim
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As The Sportsman
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As The Amateur Cop
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As Lyons - the Tenderfoot
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As Himself
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As The Burglar
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As A steerage passenger
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As A Rolling Stone
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As Director
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As The Nosey Butler
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As The Hired Lady's Sweetheart
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As Secretary
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As The Father
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As The Chief of Police
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As The Bartender
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As The Minister