Billy Engle

born: 26 May 1889 Chernovitz, Bukovia, Austria

died: 28 November 1966 Hollywood, California, United States of America (heart attack, age 77)

Austrian-born actor who made an impact in silent films of the 1920s.  He starred along side the likes of Snub Pollard, Stan Laurel and Charley Chase in their respective comedy series of two-reel silent shorts.  His long spell as a supporting actor under Hal Roach was interspersed with a number of films made with Charles Puffy at Universal in the mid-20s as well as the Century Comedies, like MY SALOMY LIONS, and MOONSHINES AND JAILBIRDS (both 1920).  He also appeared in tons of shorts for Fox, and practically every Christie Comedy from 1926 to 1929. His birth date says May 28 on all four(!) of his CA Death Index entries, but judging by both draft reg. cards, it should be two days earlier: May 26. Many sources now have his real name as Maurice Braun, and this is supported by a majority of the sources below -- however, a fourth CA Death Index entry says Meyer Braun, which seems more likely to me (would seem more likely that MAURICE was the "Americanized" version). He married his wife Eva on 27 Aug 1916 in NYC. She was born circa 1892-93 (possibly Jul-Sep 1892) in London, England and died 17 Jun 1937 in L.A.

Real name: Meyer Braun Height: 5'1"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography; plus 1 film with Laurel & Hardy; plus 1 film with Stan Laurel.

45

1923 No Pets Man at séance 1923 Jus' Passin' Through Foreign convict   1923 Hustlin' Hank [unidentified character]   1923 The Soilers Prospector 1923 Scorching Sands [unidentified character]   1923 Fully Insured Client 1923 It's A Joy! Studio musician 1924 The Big Idea City engineer 1924 Smithy Man in employment line 1924 One Of The Family Thief 1924 The Cowboy Sheik Ranch hand 1924 Postage Due [unidentified character]   1924 The Cake Eater Ranch hand 1924 Zeb vs. Paprika [unidentified character]   1924 Big Moments From Little Pictures Drunk at police station 1924 One At A Time Boxing promoter 1924 Friend Husband [unidentified character]   1924 Near Dublin [unidentified character]   1924 Before Taking [unidentified character]   1924 Rupert Of Hee Haw Short officer 1924 Fast Black Porter's sidekick 1924 Stolen Goods Floorwalker 1924 Wide Open Spaces Phil Sheridan   1924 Why Men Work [unidentified character]   1924 Too Many Mammas Drunken club patron 1924 Hot Heels [?] (*image is from a still) 1924 Accidental Accidents [unidentified character]   1925 Wages Of Tin Car customer 1925 Grief Of Bagdad [?] 1925 Riders Of The Kitchen Range [unidentified character]   1925 The Bouncer 'Dinky' Dubbs 1925 The Big Kick 'Dinky' Dubbs 1925 Solid Ivory 'Dinky' Dubbs 1925 All Wool Tailor 1926 The Old War-Horse [unidentified character]   1930 The Head Guy Assistant 1933 Maids A La Mode Mrs. Von Eckterhorse's fiancee 1933 Bargain Of The Century Shopkeeper 1933 Call Her Sausage Customer 1933 Arabian Tights French postcard seller 1933 Thundering Taxis Taxi driver 1934 Another Wild Idea Illegally parked man 1934 Three Chumps Ahead Waiter 1936 Our Relations Grubby wharf tough   1939 The Housekeeper's Daughter Taxicab driver

▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1922 Mud And Sand Rhubarb's father 1939 The Flying Deuces Legionnaire   Acknowledgements: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24QX-RJ6 (marriage) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-26517-10400-39?cc=1968530 (WWI Draft Reg. Card) https://archive.org/stream/14thcensusofpopu108unit#page/n575/mode/1up (1920 Census, line 29) https://archive.org/stream/californiacensus00reel124#page/n621/mode/1up (1930 Census, line 48) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27797-2936-50?cc=2000219 (1940 Census, line 27) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16386-61707-45?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Reg. Card) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16386-61770-14?cc=1861144 (WWII Draft Reg. Card) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP42-GHM (CA Death Index, Maurice Braun) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP42-GHS (CA Death Index, Meyer Braun) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGRL-1PL (CA Death Index, Billy Engle) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP4L-4Z5 (CA Death Index, William Engle) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JG79-3J3 (Social Security Death Index) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7961052 (Find a Grave) http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/19 (threestooges.net) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-26184-5903-42?cc=1932433 (wife in CA Death Index - BRAUN EVA, #40080) Steve Massa (help with bio) Jesse Brisson (help and information and part bio; identification in No Pets, Wages Of Tin, Call Her Sausage, Hot Heels) Brent Seguine (identification in Bargain Of The Century, Maids A La Mode, One Track Minds* *later challenged by Jesse Brisson as being Fred Holmes) This page was last updated on: 28 July 2024