Trivia

He was cremated at the Los Angeles County Crematory on March 3, 1948.

Signed a five year contract with F.B.O. Studios in 1925.

Appeared in the Los Angeles play "Cradle Snatchers" in 1926.

Born William Eugene McClellan in 1902 and schooled in San Francisco, he was the son of John H. and Rebecca (Avis) Shannon McClellan and was the brother of Jack (who died in 1918 at age 19), Hugh (who became a newspaper man) and Thomas McClellan.

Billy Eugene's career was sidelined after 1934 by alcohol problems and several arrests (for check forgery, public intoxication, begging on the streets). It is probable that he became homeless. Little was learned about the comedy actor and his eventual whereabouts until an investigator, Bill Cappello, unearthed information and reported his findings in Classic Images film magazine, November 2012.

Once an usher in a San Francisco theatre.

Portrayed Edgar Kennedy's irritating brother-in-law in several of the actor's RKO short film comedies of the early 1930s. He was later replaced by Jack Rice. Florence Lake played Kennedy's wife and Dot Farley his mother-in-law in these short features.

Had a vaudeville background.