The Popularity of Billy West

I have shared before what various exhibitors had to say about old films. These are always to me very fascinating. Unlike many movie reviews you don't just see one critic's opinion of a film, but what entire audiences felt about the pictures.
Today we look at what exhibitors wrote about Billy West comedies. This Billy West is not the famous voice artist on such cartoons as Ren and Stimpy and Futurama. This is instead a silent film comedy star. What West was best known for is imitating Charlie Chaplin. West looked almost identical to Chaplin and could copy the famous comedian's act almost perfectly. Due to a lack of new innovation many film histories mention Billy West films as a footnote, most often just stating that Oliver Hardy had appeared in supporting roles. One would think that the appeal of such a comic would be limited. However Billy West was extremely popular with audiences in his time, and some even felt he was better than Chaplin. Below are what some theater owners wrote to the magazine Motography.

"The Hero, with Billy West (King Bee Comedies) Raised my price from five to ten cents for this production. In my opinion these are the best comedies made. This is great and Billy West is a winner. Very good comedy with some clever twists- A.E. Elliott, Sapphire Theater, Kanas City, Mo."

"The Hero with Billy West (King-Bee). Great. Went over like a whirlwind. We cleaned them up. Made them roar and that's what counts. - W.H. Nelson, American Theatre, Kanas City, Mo."

"Cupid's Rival with Billy West. (King-Bee) Very fine. S.R.O. Billy is backing Chaplin off the map. -W.H. Nelson, American Theatre, Kanas City, Mo."

"Cupid's Rival with Billy West (King-Bee). Roars of crowds, big laughs, great business. A very lavish production. West is better than Chaplin, in my opinion. He is a bigger favorite every week.- A.E. Elliot, Sapphire Theater, Kanas City, Mo."

"Doughnuts with Billy West (King-Bee). The best of them yet. They started extra fine and are steadily getting funnier. Can't say too much for them. Big houses.- W.H. Nelson, American Theatre, Kanas City, Mo"

"Doughnuts with Billy West. (King-Bee) - This is the funniest Billy West comedy yet. A laugh or a yell every second- A.E. Elliott, Sapphire Theater, Kanas City, Mo."

"The Candy Kid with Billy West (King-Bee) - This was a knockout! I haven't collided so good with a comedy in a long, long time. Some of my patrons (the women anyway) laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. Billy West is just now commencing to draw noticeably with me, as for a while when I put him on people, while they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the comedies seemed a little distrustful of West, but I account for this with the fact he is, or was, a new figure to them and they simply wanted to give him the o.o. I do quite a little advertising on West now because I believe it gets results. You need not to be afraid with this one, as I think anyone can play it to big laughs and big business. - W.H. Nelson, American Theatre, Kanas City, Mo."

"The Hero with Billy West. (King-Bee)- We will not miss Chaplin much while Billy West continues to make pictures like this.- Charles H. Ryan. Garfield Theater, Chicago in middle class neighborhood"

-Michael J. Ruhland