Sidney Bracey
Born: 1877-12-17 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died: 1942-08-05
Known For: Acting
Biography
Sidney Bracey (18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. After a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain, he appeared in 321 films between 1909 and 1942. Bracey was born in Melbourne, Victoria, with the name Sidney Bracy, later changing the spelling of his last name. He was the son of Welsh tenor Henry Bracy and English actress Clara T. Bracy. His aunt was actress and dancer Lydia Thompson. He began his stage career in Australia in the 1890s, with J. C. Williamson's comic opera companies. On Broadway, in 1900, he appeared as the tenor lead, Yussuf, in the first American production of The Rose of Persia at Daly's Theatre in New York. He then moved to England, appearing as Moreno in the Edwardian musical comedy hit The Toreador at the Gaiety Theatre, London in June 1901. He next joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on tour in Britain, playing Terence O'Brian in The Emerald Isle from September 1901 to May 1902. He then left the D'Oyly Carte, continuing his stage career in Britain. He appeared in Amorelle at London's Comedy Theatre in 1904, The Winter's Tale in 1904–05, and A Persian Princess at Queen's Theatre in 1909. Back on Broadway, in 1912, he played as Sir Guy of Gisborne in a revival of Reginald de Koven's Robin Hood at the New Amsterdam Theatre, followed by Rob Roy at the Liberty Theatre in 1913. He then moved into film acting, making first silent films and then "talkies", until his death in 1942. Early in his film career, he wrote and directed a silent movie called Sid Nee's Finish, (Thanhouser Company (1914), in which he played the title character. In 1916, he changed the spelling of his last name to "Bracey". Silent film authority Diane MacIntyre gave this description of him: "Bracey, a stately looking character man, was in big demand for authority like roles; such as movie directors, bosses and, most of the time, the most respectable and poised butler in all of Hollywood. He was thin, dark haired and had an earnest, yet sober, face that could break into a look of wide-eyed exasperation." Bracy died in Hollywood, California on 5 August 1942, aged 64.
Filmography
1944
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey as Wigged Courtier (uncredited)
1941
- Bullets for O'Hara as Lamson
- This Woman Is Mine as Clerk
- The Great Mr. Nobody as Beggar
- Dangerously They Live as Sidewalk Onlooker (uncredited)
- The Body Disappears as Barrett
1940
- Brother Orchid as Steward Bringing Briefcase (uncredited)
- My Love Came Back as Butler
- No Time for Comedy as Waiter at Wyler's Party (uncredited)
- Tugboat Annie Sails Again as Limey
1939
- Dark Victory as Bartender (uncredited)
- The Little Princess as Pedestrian Discussing the War
- King of the Underworld as Bert - the Farmer (uncredited)
- The Old Maid as Charles the Butler (uncredited)
- Dust Be My Destiny as Nick's First Customer (uncredited)
- Fast and Furious as Night Clerk (uncredited)
- Four Wives as Extra at Wedding Reception (uncredited)
- You Can't Get Away with Murder as Tourist on Boat (uncredited)
- Espionage Agent as Ship Steward
- Invisible Stripes as Bank Guard (uncredited)
- Secret Service of the Air as John 'Joe' Vicary
- The Bill of Rights as Colonist
- The Sun Never Sets as Minister of Colonial Affairs
- Devil's Island as Soupy
- Naughty But Nice as Professor Listening to Radio (uncredited)
- Torchy Runs for Mayor as Dolan's Butler (uncredited)
- Smashing the Money Ring as Pop Dryden
- Indianapolis Speedway as Spectator
- Women in the Wind as Race Official / Spectator (uncredited)
- On Trial as Joe Burke
- We Are Not Alone as Ben, the Lamplighter
- A Child is Born as Third Drugstore Clerk (uncredited)
- Everybody's Hobby as Mr. Ferris
- Sweepstakes Winner as Mr. Simpkins (as Sidney Bracy)
1938
- The Baroness and the Butler as Member of Parliament
- The Declaration of Independence as Congress Clerk (uncredited)
- The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse as Police Chemist (uncredited)
- The Dawn Patrol as Major Brand's Orderly
- Merrily We Live as 2nd Butler
- The Girl Downstairs as Second Butler (uncredited)
- Arsène Lupin Returns as Squad Car Driver (uncredited)
- My Bill as Jenner
- Comet Over Broadway as English Porter (uncredited)
- Love Is a Headache as Waiter (uncredited)
- The Rage of Paris as Opera House Usher (uncredited)
- Hard to Get as Carl - Richards' Butler (uncredited)
- Invisible Enemy as Kamarov's Butler
1937
- A Star Is Born as Burke's Butler (uncredited)
- Shall We Dance as First Steward (uncredited)
- Maid of Salem as Townsman (Uncredited)
- Easy Living as Hornsby - Mary's Chauffeur (uncredited)
- The Firefly as Secretary (uncredited)
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge as Steward
- The Emperor's Candlesticks as Maria's Footman (uncredited)
- Call It a Day as Flower Shop Owner (uncredited)
- The Wrong Road as Waiter (Uncredited)
- Fight for Your Lady as Densmore's Servant (uncredited)
- She Had to Eat as Waiter (uncredited)
- Criminal Lawyer as Wilson - Walker's Butler (uncredited)
- Rhythm in the Clouds as Butler
- A Night at the Movies as Movie Patron (uncredited)
- Breakfast for Two as Clarence - Blair's Butler (uncredited)
- The Littlest Diplomat as Adjutant Potter
- Three Smart Boys as O.T. Hertz, the veterinary doctor
1936
- San Francisco as Burley's Butler Allen (uncredited)
- Wife vs. Secretary as Butler at Club (uncredited)
- The Voice of Bugle Ann as Court Clerk (uncredited)
- Isle of Fury as Sam
- Charlie Chan at the Race Track as Waiter on ship
- The Preview Murder Mystery as Du Beck's Valet (Uncredited)
- Trouble for Two as Noel's Henchman (Uncredited)
- Sworn Enemy as Waiter (uncredited)
- Sinner Take All as Lampier's Butler (uncredited)
- One Rainy Afternoon as George, Butler (Uncredited)
- Second Childhood as Hobson
- Murder at Glen Athol as Jenkins - Butler (uncredited)
- Sutter's Gold as Smythe - Sutter's Accountant
- Changing of the Guard as Grayson, the Butler
1935
- Les Misérables as Mayor's Clerk
- Anna Karenina as Vronsky's Valet
- Let 'em Have It as Butler at Spencer Home
- Rendezvous as Jackson's Assistant (uncredited)
- The Winning Ticket as Bank Employee
- The Casino Murder Case as Waiter (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
- Magnificent Obsession as Butler
1934
- Broadway Bill as Higgins' 2nd Butler (uncredited)
- The Vanishing Shadow as Denny
- Mills of the Gods as Chauffeur
- I'll Fix It as Reporter
- The Notorious Sophie Lang as Waiter (uncredited)
- Our Daily Bread as Rent Collector
- What Every Woman Knows as Constituent Shouting 'Three Cheers' (uncredited)
- A Very Honorable Guy as Waiter
- Outcast Lady as Napier's Butler
- He Was Her Man as Waiter
- Forsaking All Others as Paula's Chauffeur (Uncredited)
- The Poor Rich as Arbuthnot
- Massacre as Norma's Butler (uncredited)
- The 9th Guest as Hawkins
- Many Happy Returns as Movie Butler (uncredited)
- Laughing Boy as White Father
1933
- Duck Soup as Mrs. Teasdale's Butler (uncredited)
- Corruption as Dr. Robbins
- The Little Giant as Butler
- Only Yesterday as Second Butler (Uncredited)
- Saturday's Millions as Butler
- The Intruder as Carlo - Valet
- What! No Beer? as Dr. Smith (uncredited)
- Broken Dreams as Hopkins
- The Phantom of the Air as James Munson
- Back Page as Edgar Ashe
- The Woman Who Dared as Tom
1932
- Freaks as Hans' Butler (uncredited)
- Red-Headed Woman as Man Wanting to Use Phone Booth (uncredited)
- Letty Lynton as Waiter (Uncredited)
- The Greeks Had a Word for Them as The Waiter
- Little Orphan Annie as Butler (as Sidney Bracy)
- Tangled Destinies as McGinnis, posing as Professor Marmont
- The Monster Walks as Herbert Wilkes
- Speak Easily as Jenkins
- The Washington Masquerade as Benedict
- The Airmail Mystery as Driscoll
1931
- Dance, Fools, Dance as Albert (uncredited)
- Ten Cents a Dance as Wilson, Carlton's Butler
- Thundering Tenors as The Butler
- A Dangerous Affair as Plunkett
- Parlor, Bedroom and Bath as Butler
- The Avenger as Windy
- Inspiration as Waiter (uncredited)
- The Phantom of Paris as Volunteer from Audience (uncredited)
- Sporting Blood as The Tout (uncredited)
- Reducing as Beasley's Butler
- Shanghaied Love as The Rat
- Subway Express as Herman Stevens
- The Lion and the Lamb as Stanton
1930
- Redemption as Waiter
- Doughboys as Recruiter (uncredited)
- Playboy of Paris as Irate Customer (uncredited)
- Along Came Youth as Bit Role (uncredited)
- Monte Carlo as Hunchback at Casino (uncredited)
- Children of Pleasure as Miles the Butler (uncredited)
- Oh Darling!
- Follow Thru as Doctor (uncredited)
- Wild Company as Waiter
- The Second Floor Mystery as Alfred
- The Flirting Widow as The Second Butler (uncredited)
- Anybody's Woman as Butler
- Free Love as Butler
1929
- The Honeymoon as Navratil
- His Captive Woman
- Queen Kelly as Prince Wolfram's Lackey (uncredited)
- Sioux Blood as Cheyenne Jones
- The Bishop Murder Case as Pyne (as Sydney Bracey)
1928
- The Cameraman as Editor
- The Crowd as John's Supervisor (uncredited)
- Show People as Dramatic Director
- The Wedding March as Navratil
- While the City Sleeps as Short Order Cook
- Midnight Madness as Bream's Valet
- The Haunted House as Tully
- The Matinee Idol as Don's Valet (uncredited)
- Home, James as Haskins (the butler)
- Win That Girl as Larry Brawn I
- Man-Made Women as Owens
1927
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans as Dance Hall Manager (uncredited)
- The Woman on Trial as Brideaux
- My Best Girl as Butler Serving Dinner (uncredited)
- Birds of Prey as Gaston
- Painting the Town as Secretary
- The 13th Juror as The Butler
1926
- The Merry Widow as Danilo's Footman (uncredited)
- My Official Wife as Valet to Sascha
- You Never Know Women as Manager
- The Blackbird as Bertie's No. 1 Man
- The Mystery Club as Detective
- The Devil's Circus
- A Man Four-Square as Homer Webb
- A Bankrupt Honeymoon as The Butler
1925
- A Slave of Fashion as Hobson (as Sidney Bracy)
- Her Market Value as Banks
1924
- Why Men Leave Home as Sam Neilson
- So This Is Marriage? as Hawkins
- By Divine Right as The Hireling
- Leap Year as Loris Keene's Press Agent (uncredited)
- Her Night of Romance as Butler
- Being Respectable as Philip Deaby
1923
- Merry-Go-Round as Gisella's Groom
- Nobody's Bride as Smithy
- Ruggles of Red Gap as Sam Henshaw
- The Social Buccaneer as Bentley Craven
- The Wild Party as Jasper Johnston
1922
- Manslaughter as Member of the Jury (uncredited)
- Is Matrimony a Failure? as Bank President
- One Wonderful Night as Juggins
- The Dictator as Henry Bolton
1921
- Morals as Stinson
- Passion Fruit as The Ancient
- The March Hare as Meadows
- The Outside Woman as Mr. Cambridge
- Crazy to Marry as Col. Landis
1920
- The Invisible Ray as Jean Deaux
- Food for Scandal as Padre
- An Amateur Devil as Hopkins
1918
- My Own United States as Capt. Rene Gautier
- The House of Mirth as Percy Gryce
- A Man's World as Emile Grimeaux
1917
- The Deemster as Bishop, Father of Dan
- Crime and Punishment as Andreas Valeskoff
- The Long Trail as Paul Graham
1916
- A Huntress of Men as Ned Ashley
- Little Miss Happiness as Jim Butterfield
- The Ragged Princess as Toby Rice
- Temptation and the Man as Jim Crosby
- Caprice of the Mountains
- Elusive Isabel as Luiigi
- The Man Inside as Winthrop
- The Path of Happiness as Grekko
1915
- God's Witness as Leo Darcy
1914
- The Million Dollar Mystery as Jones - Hargreave's Butler / Stanley Hargreave
- Zudora as Tom Hunt
1913
- Omens and Oracles
- Robin Hood as The Baron
- Uncle's Namesakes as Uncle John