Some of them were inspired by his scene-stealing characterization from Irene -- the gag roles of fey choreographers, prissy interior decorators, and delicate couturiers fell to Bobby Watson.

But he proved his versatility by playing professional men and officious types: military officers, hotel managers, detectives, carnival barkers, and manservants.

[citation needed] Today's audiences know him as the enthusiastic diction coach in Singin' in the Rain (1952)[4] and Fred Astaire's butler in The Band Wagon (1953).

This typecast him as the dictator for a time; Watson would appear as Hitler in nine films altogether.

He starred in one feature film, Paramount's The Hitler Gang (1944), a serious dramatization of Nazi politics, with the actor billed as Robert Watson.