Ordell was probably born in Calcutta, India, seventh child of Victorian-born parents William Odell Raymond Buntine, drover, and his wife Susanna, née Mawley.
[1] He worked extensively on stage and screen as an actor in the 1910s and 1920s, playing Dad Rudd twice for Raymond Longford and Dad Hayseed – a similar role – three times for Beaumont Smith.
He was the original "Ginger Mick" in the stage version of The Sentimental Bloke.
[2] He turned director with The Kid Stakes (1927), based on the cartoon character Fatty Finn.
[3] His son Robin, who was killed during the Second World War, worked with him on the film and radio projects.