Arbuckle and Keaton

Arbuckle and Keaton
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2015-02-18
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476609993

From 1917 to 1919, Joseph Schenck produced a series of Comique comedies starring master movie comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and featuring an apprentice, Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton. These films were initially deemed significant by modern archivists for representing the first movie appearances of Keaton, widely considered one of the most important figures in motion picture history. But the Comique films also remain the most important of Arbuckle's career because they feature him at the height of his cinematic genius and powers. The 14 short comedies starring Arbuckle and Keaton are incredibly important to the history of cinema and are analyzed in this book. After two chapters of biographical introductions, the rest of the book discusses their collaborative efforts and reveals the way in which the films evolved from Arbuckle's wild slapstick to feature more of the subtlety and cleverness of Keaton. Closing sections discuss what became of Arbuckle and Keaton afterward, commenting significantly on the scandal that undermined Arbuckle's career.

Early Charlie Chaplin

Early Charlie Chaplin
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2012
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0810882426

Before making a name for himself as an undisputed master of cinema, Charlie Chaplin first developed his acting, writing, and directing skills at Keystone Studios. This book examines each of these films, assessing the important early work of a comedian who became a timeless icon.

The Papers of Will Rogers: The final years, August 1928-August 1935

The Papers of Will Rogers: The final years, August 1928-August 1935
Author: Will Rogers
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 724
Release: 2006-10-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780806137681

This fifth and final volume of The Papers of Will Rogers traces the career of Oklahoma’s beloved entertainer during his most popular years and extends beyond his death in 1935. By 1928, the Oklahoma humorist and commentator had reached national prominence through his newspaper columns, silent films, sound recordings, books, philanthropic endeavors, and lecture tours. His fame, fortune, and influence, however, had yet to crest. This volume showcases a wide variety of documents, including correspondence with some of the most significant figures of the day, revealing Rogers’s rise to fame as the nation’s leading social and political commentator and as a hugely popular star of radio, stage, and film. Rogers’s multifaceted career ended abruptly when he and the famous aviator Wylie Post died in an airplane crash in northernmost Alaska. This documentary history of his final years includes transcripts of radio broadcasts, contracts, and business documents, as well as nearly two hundred telegrams and letters to family, friends, and notable public figures—the majority of which have never before been published. It also covers the aftermath of his fatal airplane accident: the certificate of death, a first-person account of his funeral, settlement of his estate, efforts to pay tribute to his memory, and unauthorized attempts to capitalize on his fame.

The Charley Chase Talkies

The Charley Chase Talkies
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2013-09-05
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 081089162X

Charley Chase began his film career in early 1913 working as a comedian, writer, and director at the Al Christie studios under his real name, Charles Parrott. Chase then joined Mack Sennett's Keystone studio in 1914, costarring in early films of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, as well as directing the frenetic Keystone Cops. By 1924 he was starring in a series of one-reel comedies at Hal Roach studios, graduating to two-reel films the following year. In 1929, he made the transition to sound films. Along with the continuing popularity of his own short comedies, Chase often directed the films of others, including several popular Three Stooges efforts. In The Charley Chase Talkies: 1929-1940, James L. Neibaur examines, film-by-film, the comedian's seventy-nine short subjects at Roach and Columbia studios. The first book to examine any portion of Chase’s filmography, this volume discusses the various methods Chase employed in his earliest sound films, his variations on common themes, his use of music, and the modification of his character as he reached the age of forty. Neibaur also acknowledges the handful of feature film appearances Chase made during this period. A filmmaker whom Time magazine once declared was receiving the most fan mail of any comedian in movies, Charley Chase remains quite popular among classic film buffs, as well as historians and scholars. A detailed look into the work of an artist whose career straddled the silent and sound eras, The Charley Chase Talkies will be appreciated by those interested in film comedy of the 1920s and 30s.

Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters

Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters
Author: Everett Aaker
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 673
Release: 2024-10-17
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476606366

Any episode of a crime or mystery series involves some or all of the following: the perpetration of a crime; its investigation; the analytical process which involves the determination of the villain; the arrest and trial of the culprit; and the handing out of the appropriate punishment. Such series involving the exploits of a wide variety of courageous heroes and heroines were very popular during the 1950s, and they featured a host of actors and actresses, including famous television detectives (e.g., Raymond Burr), those famous in other genres (e.g., Boris Karloff, Charles Bronson), and over 250 other players with recurring roles. This reference work lists every player who had a regular role in a crime or mystery series during the early era of television. All covered series offered live or filmed episodes of a crime or mystery nature, and all were shown on American television. All series had either regular stars or a recognizable host. Entries cover the player's real name, family information and education; how the player originally broke into show business; the player's career preceding the series; and his or her marriage, children, death date, and film and television credits. Appendices provide a catalog of American mystery series and a list of regular mystery series players whose roles began after December 31, 1959.

The Fall of Buster Keaton

The Fall of Buster Keaton
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2010-07-16
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0810876833

Born into a family of vaudevillians, Buster Keaton made his first film appearance in 1917 at the age of 21. By the early 1920s, he had established himself as one of the geniuses of silent cinema with such films as Sherlock, Jr. and The Navigator and his 1925 work, The General, placed at number 18 in the American Film Institute's poll of the 100 greatest features, the highest ranked silent film on the survey. But with the advent of sound in the late 1920s, silent stars like Keaton began to fall out of favor and the great comedian's career began to decline. In The Fall of Buster Keaton, James Neibaur assesses Keaton's work during the talking picture era, especially those made at MGM, Educational, and Columbia studios. While giving some attention to the early part of Keaton's career, Neibaur focuses on Keaton's contract work with the three studios, as well as his subsequent work as a gagman, supporting player, and television pitchman. The book also recounts the resurgence of interest in Keaton's silent work, which resulted in a lifetime achievement Oscar and worldwide recognition before his death in 1966. This fascinating account of an artist's struggle and triumph during the more challenging period of his career will be of interest to anyone wanting to learn about one of film's most influential performers.

The Andy Clyde Columbia Comedies

The Andy Clyde Columbia Comedies
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2018-07-25
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476630976

Andy Clyde starred in the second-longest series of shorts at Columbia Pictures (after the Three Stooges), with nearly 80 productions from 1934 to 1956. This film-by-film analysis of Clyde's Columbia short comedies features introductory chapters on his early life, stage work, silent films and early talkies, as well as concluding chapters on his appearances in feature films--including several Hopalong Cassidy westerns--and his television roles on such shows as Lassie and The Real McCoys. Rare photos and graphics are included.

Magill's Cinema Annual

Magill's Cinema Annual
Author: Michelle Banks
Publisher: UXL
Total Pages: 738
Release: 2000-08-08
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9780787629038

Magill's Cinema Annual provides comprehensive information on the theatrical releases of each year. Featured are extensive essays, cast and character listings, production credits, running time, country of origin, MPAA rating, nine comprehensive indexes and more.

The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly

The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2018-12-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476634319

Hoping to follow his Laurel and Hardy success with a female comedy team, producer Hal Roach paired Thelma Todd with ZaSu Pitts in a 1931 series of two-reel shorts. Pitts left the studio for other pursuits, was replaced by Patsy Kelly and the series continued to be successful. Todd died under mysterious circumstances in 1935 and Kelly tried to carry on, first with Pert Kelton, then with Lyda Roberti. When Roberti died in 1938, the series ended. This book takes the first film-by-film look at each of the comedies these women made, how they responded to different directors and how production adapted to changes along the way. Credits, production information, period reviews, and critical assessments are included.

Silent Film Necrology

Silent Film Necrology
Author: Eugene Michael Vazzana
Publisher:
Total Pages: 602
Release: 2001
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

This greatly expanded (over 18,500 entries versus 9,000 in the earlier edition) and updated edition includes everyone from John Aasen, an 8-foot, 9-inch circus star who appeared in silent film comedies, to Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, who invented the iconoscope and kinescope that together constituted the first all-electronic television system. This is the most complete necrology available on people from the silent era. The entries are arranged alphabetically by professional name, and include birth and death dates, the place of birth and death, real name when it differs from the professional name, married name for women, birth certificate date when available, age at death, and bibliographic data of any autobiography or biography. When available the cause of death is also provided. Following these data, there is a reference to any obituary printed in The New York Times, Variety or, occasionally, another publication, including the obituary's headline.