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Essay

A tragic comedian

These days I find myself intoxicated by silent movies. Flickering badly and playing oddly fast, the films are often both overexposed and underexposed. They require some effort to watch and almost dare you to dismiss them.

To modern eyes, the acting techniques used in old films often look melodramatic in the extreme. But this over-the-top-acting holds up pretty well in slapstick comedies.

One of my favorite comedians is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. He was among the biggest and best-loved stars of the silent era. Though he spent his career making people laugh, his own life was hugely tragic.

The baby-faced comedian weighed over 130 kg, yet he was incredibly agile, and never used his weight to get a cheap laugh. One of the first stars to direct his own films, Roscoe Arbuckle was mentor and friend to another silent comedy great, Buster Keaton. He also gave Charlie Chaplin the idea for his famous little tramp costume with a small hat and too-short trousers.

In 1921 Arbuckle was making $1 million a year, a tremendous amount of money at the time, and filming at a breakneck pace. He was on top of the world — but not for long.

Arbuckle needed a break and in September he decided to take a trip to San Francisco where he threw a wild party that would forever change his life.

The star and two friends checked into the St. Francis Hotel. They invited a number of guests and held a raucous party. One of the guests, a bit-part actress named Virginia Rappe, became violently ill and died in hospital four days later.

In what was to become one of Hollywood's first big celebrity scandals, Arbuckle was accused of raping the woman and causing the injuries that led to her death. He was arrested for murder and later tried for manslaughter three times.

In the first trial the jury was deadlocked 10-2 for acquittal. The case was tried again and the jury was deadlocked 10-2 for conviction. Finally a third trial was held and at last Arbuckle was found "not guilty."

His ordeal was not over. After the trial his films were banned and he was forbidden to work in Hollywood. His old friend Buster Keaton helped him out whenever he could, and Arbuckle spent nearly 10 years directing films under an assumed name.

Finally in 1932, Arbuckle appeared in six short films for Warner brothers, and on June 29, 1933, he signed a contract to star in a full-length feature film.

"This is the best day of my life," he told his third wife as they celebrated both the contract and their first wedding anniversary.

Happy at last, Arbuckle was back on top.

He died of a heart attack that night.

Many of the big funnyman's classic videos are readily available to watch online. Please check him out.

Shukan ST: March 6, 2009

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Essay A tragic comedian By Steve Ford These days I find myself intoxicated by silent movies. Flickering badly and playing oddly fast, the films are often both overexposed and underexposed. They require some effort to watch and almost dare you to dismiss them. To modern eyes, the acting techniques used in old films often look melodramatic in the extreme. But this over-the-top-acting holds up pretty well in slapstick comedies. One of my favorite comedians is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. He was among the biggest and best-loved stars of the silent era. Though he spent his career making people laugh, his own life was hugely tragic. The baby-faced comedian weighed over 130 kg, yet he was incredibly agile, and never used his weight to get a cheap laugh. One of the first stars to direct his own films, Roscoe Arbuckle was mentor and friend to another silent comedy great, Buster Keaton. He also gave Charlie Chaplin the idea for his famous little tramp costume with a small hat and too-short trousers. In 1921 Arbuckle was making $1 million a year, a tremendous amount of money at the time, and filming at a breakneck pace. He was on top of the world — but not for long. Arbuckle needed a break and in September he decided to take a trip to San Francisco where he threw a wild party that would forever change his life. The star and two friends checked into the St. Francis Hotel. They invited a number of guests and held a raucous party. One of the guests, a bit-part actress named Virginia Rappe, became violently ill and died in hospital four days later. In what was to become one of Hollywood's first big celebrity scandals, Arbuckle was accused of raping the woman and causing the injuries that led to her death. He was arrested for murder and later tried for manslaughter three times. In the first trial the jury was deadlocked 10-2 for acquittal. The case was tried again and the jury was deadlocked 10-2 for conviction. Finally a third trial was held and at last Arbuckle was found "not guilty." His ordeal was not over. After the trial his films were banned and he was forbidden to work in Hollywood. His old friend Buster Keaton helped him out whenever he could, and Arbuckle spent nearly 10 years directing films under an assumed name. Finally in 1932, Arbuckle appeared in six short films for Warner brothers, and on June 29, 1933, he signed a contract to star in a full-length feature film. "This is the best day of my life," he told his third wife as they celebrated both the contract and their first wedding anniversary. Happy at last, Arbuckle was back on top. He died of a heart attack that night. Many of the big funnyman's classic videos are readily available to watch online. Please check him out. Shukan ST: March 6, 2009 (C) All rights reserved