30's-50's Actor Billy Wayne

[TomBarrister]

Billy Wayne appeared in almost 250 movies over a 27 year career. There doesn't seem to be much information or history about this man.

 

I found references to vaudeville prior to his screen debut in 1931, but I don't know if it's the same person. I also found the abstract to a June 5, 1958 Variety article about him "awaiting major surgery" at a Glendale California hospital, and it mentioned that he owned a restaurant. Since 1958 was the last year he's credited, it's possible that he passed away that year or was in health that didn't allow him to work past that point. However, trying to find an obituary or death record has been fruitless.

 

Does anybody have any information about Billy Wayne?

[Ray Faiola]

Billy Wayne was also in burlesque and did a minstrel act. He appears in Warner Bros' MINSTREL DAYS as famous minstrel Thomas D. Rice.

 

He was one of those lower level supporting players who was often one of a gaggle of newspaper reporters. He played bigger parts in smaller pictures - like Universal's THE MISSING GUEST where he was partnered with George Cooper.

 

Billy Wayne and William Newell had almost parallel careers, each putting in time playing both bartenders and drunks!