Old Bill (cartoon character)

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Old Bill
Old Bill [1]
Comic strip(s) Fragments from France Creator(s) Bruce Bairnsfather First appearance 1914-15

Old Bill is a fictional character created in 1914-15 by cartoonist Bruce Bairnsfather. Old Bill was depicted as an elderly, pipe-smoking British "tommy" with a walrus moustache. The character achieved a great deal of popularity during World War I were it was considered a major morale booster for the British troops.

In 1919, The Better 'Ole, a successful musical based on the character, opened on Broadway. Charles Coburn starred as Old Bill.

Two film adaptations of the play were made during the silent era. The first, a 1919 British version, starred Charles Rock as Bill. The second version was a 1926 Warner Bros. production. This film—the second feature to use the Vitaphone sound process—starred Syd Chaplin as Old Bill.

[edit] Links

old bill bruce bairnsfather websiteold bill website

• The Better 'Ole at the Internet Broadway Database
• The Better 'Ole (1919) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Better 'Ole (1926) at the Internet Movie Database
• A web site devoted to Bruce Bairnsfather