
Albert Austin (13 December 1881 or 1885 – 17 August 1953) was an actor, film star, director and script writer, noted mainly for his work in Charlie Chaplin films. He was the brother of actor William Austin. He was born in Birmingham, England, and was a music hall performer before coming to the U.S. with Chaplin, both as members of the Fred Karno troupe, in 1910. Noted for his painted handlebar mustache and acerbic manner, he worked for Chaplin's stock company and played supporting roles in many of his films, often as a foil to the star, and working as his assistant director. After the development of sound films, he moved into scriptwriting, directing and acting, chiefly in comedy short subjects. Among other things, he assisted Chaplin in developing the plot of The Adventurer (1917). However, he only received screen credit as a collaborator once, for City Lights. As an actor, he appeared in Chaplin's comedies for the Mutual Film Corporation. Later he had two brief, uncredited roles in one of Chaplin's 'silent' comedies made in the sound era, City Lights (1931). Austin is also seen very briefly (as a cab driver) at the beginning of Chaplin's short film One A.M.. He also appeared in movies starring Jackie Coogan and Mack Sennett. Austin's best known performance may be in Chaplin's short The Pawnshop. Austin enters the shop with an alarm clock, hoping to pawn it. To establish the clock's value, Chaplin dissects it. Austin maintains a deadpan expression as Chaplin progressively destroys his clock, then hands the pieces back to Austin. He had the leading role in Mary Pickford's Suds (1920), where he co-stars as a customer leaving his shirt at her laundry. In that film he appears without his comic mustache. In his final years he worked as a police officer at the Warner Brothers studios, according to a New York Times obituary.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Albert Austin licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

City Lights
1931 · as Street Sweeper / Burglar (uncredited)

The Gold Rush
1925 · as Prospector (uncredited)

The Kid
1921 · as Car Thief / Man in Shelter (uncredited)

The Circus
1928 · as Clown (uncredited)

Shoulder Arms
1918 · as American Soldier / Clean Shaven German Soldier / Bearded German Soldier

The Vagabond
1916 · as Trombonist (uncredited)

A Dog's Life
1918 · as Crook (uncredited)

The Fireman
1916 · as Fireman

The Adventurer
1917 · as The Butler

Behind the Screen
1916 · as Stagehand (uncredited)

The Rink
1916 · as The Cook

The Immigrant
1917 · as A Diner / Immigrant

Triple Trouble
1918 · as A Man

Pay Day
1922 · as Workman

The Bond
1918 · as Friend

The Count
1916 · as Guest (uncredited)

The Chaplin Revue
1959 · as Various (archive footage)

Chaplin's Goliath
1996 · as Self (archive footage)