Acting

William Gillespie

Born January 23, 1894 · Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Died June 23, 1938 · aged 44

William Gillespie (24 January 1894 – 23 June 1938) was a Scottish actor. Gillespie started in Hollywood films from the silent era. He played in about 180 films between 1915 and 1939, although his appearances were often uncredited. Gillespie frequently appeared in Hal Roach comedies from 1917, usually as stuffy official or manager. He supported such "slapstick comedians" as Charlie Chaplin, Charle…

Known For

Now or Never

Now or Never · 1921

A young man, unaccustomed to children, must accompany a young girl on a train trip.

Safety Last!

Safety Last! · 1923

MovieComedyRomance

When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.

Grandma's Boy

Grandma's Boy · 1922

A meek young man must find the courage within when a rogue tramp menaces his hometown.

Why Worry?

Why Worry? · 1923

A hypochondriac vacations in the tropics for the fresh air - and finds himself in the middle of a revolution instead.

Double Whoopee

Double Whoopee · 1929

Stan and Ollie wreak havoc at an upper class hotel in their jobs as footman (Hardy) and doorman (Laurel). They partially undress blonde bombshell Jean Harlow (in a brief appearance) and repeatedly escort a stuffy nobleman into an empty elevator shaft.

Scorching Sands

Scorching Sands · 1923

Scorching Sands

The misadventures of two intrepid explorers in the Egyptian desert.

Smithy

After being discharged from the 372nd infantry, on account of a bean shortage, smithy seeks employment. He finds a job on a construction site, where he helps to build a house, and soon causes havoc amongst the other workers. The construction company owner leaves for a week, and tells his secretary to send a letter to Mr. Smith telling him to complete the construction of the house while he (the owner) is away. The letter is accidently sent to Smithy who manages to complete the house. When the owner returns the house is complete, and Smithy is commended until the last support beam is removed...

Next Aisle Over

Next Aisle Over · 1919

Next Aisle Over

A salesman takes a job at a department store to impress a girl and winds up stopping a kidnapping.

Filmography

Sort

Now or Never

Now or Never · 1921

A young man, unaccustomed to children, must accompany a young girl on a train trip.

The Child's Daddy (uncredited)

Safety Last!

Safety Last! · 1923

MovieComedyRomance

When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.

General Manager's Assistant (uncredited)

Grandma's Boy

Grandma's Boy · 1922

A meek young man must find the courage within when a rogue tramp menaces his hometown.

Why Worry?

Why Worry? · 1923

A hypochondriac vacations in the tropics for the fresh air - and finds himself in the middle of a revolution instead.

Ship's Officer (uncredited)

Double Whoopee

Double Whoopee · 1929

Stan and Ollie wreak havoc at an upper class hotel in their jobs as footman (Hardy) and doorman (Laurel). They partially undress blonde bombshell Jean Harlow (in a brief appearance) and repeatedly escort a stuffy nobleman into an empty elevator shaft.

Hotel manager

Scorching Sands

Scorching Sands · 1923

Scorching Sands

The misadventures of two intrepid explorers in the Egyptian desert.

French officer

Smithy

After being discharged from the 372nd infantry, on account of a bean shortage, smithy seeks employment. He finds a job on a construction site, where he helps to build a house, and soon causes havoc amongst the other workers. The construction company owner leaves for a week, and tells his secretary to send a letter to Mr. Smith telling him to complete the construction of the house while he (the owner) is away. The letter is accidently sent to Smithy who manages to complete the house. When the owner returns the house is complete, and Smithy is commended until the last support beam is removed...

The Boss

Next Aisle Over

Next Aisle Over · 1919

Next Aisle Over

A salesman takes a job at a department store to impress a girl and winds up stopping a kidnapping.

(uncredited)

Bride and Gloom

Bride and Gloom · 1918

Bride and Gloom

A short film starring Harold Lloyd.

They Won't Believe Me

They Won't Believe Me · 1947

They Won't Believe Me

MovieDramaRomance

On trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.

Waiter (uncredited)

Wandering Papas

Wandering Papas · 1926

Wandering Papas

A cook for bridge constructors is told to collect food for dinner-Ritz style trout, Palmer house rabbit and a 15cm frosted cake. He sets off into the wide open spaces to collect the food, coming into contact with a mad hermit, who hates anybody seeing his daughter, before returning to cook dinner.

Construction Worker (uncredited)

The Immigrant

The Immigrant · 1917

MovieComedyRomance

A European immigrant endures a challenging voyage only to get into trouble as soon as he arrives in New York.

Violinist (uncredited)

Horse Shy

Horse Shy · 1928

Despite his fear of horses, Eddie Hamilton takes part in a fox hunt, in order to impress the daughter of his host, Colonel Calhoun.

Gillroy Gibbs

Cabin in the Sky

Cabin in the Sky · 1943

Cabin in the Sky

MovieMusicFantasy

When compulsive gambler Little Joe Jackson dies in a drunken fight, he awakens in purgatory, where he learns that he will be sent back to Earth for six months to prove that he deserves to be in heaven. He awakens, remembering nothing and struggles to do right by his devout wife, Petunia, while an angel known as the General and the devil's son, Lucifer Jr., fight for his soul.

Soloist in 'Little Black Sheep' (uncredited)

Move On

Move On · 1917

Our hero is a police officer who gets involved in a crap game, flirting with a nurse and other amusements.

Bashful

Bashful · 1917

In order to claim his inheritance, our hero must first produce a wife and family.

Among Those Present

Among Those Present · 1921

Among Those Present

An ambitious coat-room checker impersonates an English nobleman.

Hard-Boiled Party

Sure-Mike!

Sure-Mike! · 1925

Vermuda, a saleswoman in a department store, is very late for work. She relies on a ruse to fool the floorwalker, and when that doesn't work, she relies on her friendship with the store manager. But she is soon disillusioned as to where she really stands with the manager.

The New Manager

Never Weaken

Never Weaken · 1921

A young man schemes to drum up business for his girlfriend's employer but after seeing her being intimate with another man, he attempts to commit suicide.

The Doctor (uncredited)

Dr. Jack

Dr. Jack · 1922

MovieComedyRomance

Country doctor Jack Jackson is called in to treat the Sick-Little-Well-Girl, who has been making Dr. Saulsbourg and his sanitarium very rich after years of unsuccessful treatment.

Card Player (uncredited)

Run 'Em Ragged

Run 'Em Ragged · 1920

Run ’Em Ragged, Snub Pollard’s 39th starring vehicle, uses familiar slapstick-- Over-the-top make-up, ethnic humor, and a chase across Los Angeles’s Echo Park-- But there is more here than knockabout; Sophisticated sight gags test the limits of the characters’ perception, making expert use of such props as a seemingly bottomless rowboat.

White Wings

White Wings · 1923

Pursued by the law, a street cleaner finds refuge by impersonating a dentist.

Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces · 1924

Wide Open Spaces

MovieComedyWestern

Wide Open Spaces is a 1924 Western silent film starring Stan Laurel.

I Do

Comic adventures of newlyweds and children.

Brother-in-Law (uncredited)