Billy Armstrong

born: 14 January 1891
Bristol,
England
died: 01 March 1924
Sunland, California,
United States of America
(tuberculosis, age 33)

British actor. An alumnus of the Fred Karno troupe, he was a frequent player in the films of Charlie Chaplin (Essanay era, 1915-16), L-KO (1916-19), and Mack Sennett (1916-24).
Billy got his start at Essanay in the Chaplin comedies. He married Marion Parker in Venice, California on October 5, 1920. It was Billy's first marriage and Marion's second. She was the aunt of child star Don Marion Davis, aka Little John Henry, of Sennett comedies, 1919-1922. Billy's wife died on November 1, 1920 at the age of 31. Armstrong supposedly remarried shortly thereafter, and he himself died Saturday night, March 1, 1924 in Los Angeles after just spending four months in Arizona recovering from an illness.
Real name: William George Young
Height: 5'8"
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography;
plus all films with Stan Laurel.

3


1918
Kicking The Germ Out Of Germany
[?]

1918
Do Husbands Deceive?
[?]

1918
An Enemy Of Soap
[?]
NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1923
When Knights Were Cold
Earl of Tabasco

Acknowledgements & sources:
The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd (book)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XBY-CCW (birth reg.)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQQS-KFS (christening)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT7V-6YC (christening)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVN-KBW (WWI draft reg. card)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQ2-MRZ (1920 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8ZR-VRN (1920 marriage)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK91-72K6 (CA Death Index)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGKV-2HY7 (death certificate)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47397456 (Find a Grave)
https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew131unse#page/62/mode/1up/search/armstrong (Jan 1916 Motion Picture News Studio Directory)
https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturestu00moti#page/62/mode/1up/search/armstrong (Oct 1916 Motion Picture News Studio Directory)
https://archive.org/stream/moctu00moti#page/84/mode/1up/search/armstrong (Apr 1917 Motion Picture Studio Directory)
https://archive.org/stream/motrestu00moti#page/82/mode/1up/search/armstrong (1918 Motion Picture Studio Directory)
Jesse Brisson (information)
Steve Rydzewski (bio notes and information)

This page was last updated on: 04 April 2023