Bobby Burns (actor)

Bobby Burns
Bobby Burns Inscribed Photo
Born
Robert Paul Burns

(1878-09-01)September 1, 1878
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 16, 1966(1966-01-16) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California
OccupationsActor
Film director
Years active1908–1952

Robert Paul Burns (September 1, 1878 – January 16, 1966) was an American film actor and director. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1908 and 1952 and also directed 13 films between 1915 and 1916.[1][2]

Burns was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in Los Angeles, California.

Career

Burns played Pokes in the Pokes and Jabbs silent comedies of the mid 1910s, with Walter Stull as Jabbs[3][4] and frequently featuring Babe (Oliver) Hardy. Later he supported Hardy in his partnership with Stan Laurel at the Hal Roach Studios in several of their early short comedies and feature films.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ "Empire Theater," in "Entertainments." Hartford, Connecticut: The Hartford Daily Courant, July 19, 1916.
  2. ^ "Burns and Stull in The Tangles of Pokes and Jabbs." Rapid City, South Dakota: The Rapid City Daily Journal, August 8, 1915.
  3. ^ "Star Theatre Tonight: Best Photoplays." Cherryvale, Kansas: The Daily Republican, January 30, 1917.
  4. ^ Burns and Stull, in "Pluck and Luck," in "The Star." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, March 17, 1916, p. 5.
  5. ^ "Frenzied Finance (1916)". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  6. ^ Lussier, Richard F. (December 18, 1915). "Footlights and Screen". Birmingham Post-Herald. p. 2. Retrieved February 11, 2026.