Roscoe Arbuckle
- Acting
- March 22, 1887 · Smith Center, Kansas, USA
- June 29, 1933
Biography
Roscoe Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 - June 29, 1933), widely known to audiences as “Fatty” Arbuckle, was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd as well as with his nephew, Al St. John. He also mentored Charlie Chaplin, Monty Banks and Bob Hope, and brought vaudeville star Buster Keaton into the movie business. Arbuckle was one of the most popular silent stars of the 1910s and one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time. In one of the earliest Hollywood scandals, Arbuckle was the defendant in three widely publicized trials between November 1921 and April 1922 for the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe had fallen ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel in September 1921, and died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. The first two trials resulted in hung juries, but the third acquitted Arbuckle. The third jury took the unusual step of giving Arbuckle a written statement of apology for his treatment by the justice system. Despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the scandal largely halted his career and has mostly overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian.
Known for
Filmography
- A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride · Self
- Wonder Dogs! Canine Stars of the Silent Era (1898-1928)
- Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty · archive footage
- Looking for Mabel Normand · Self
- The Parrott Chase · (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema · Self
- Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts · (archive footage)
- So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM · Self
- Chaplin Today: The Gold Rush · Self
- Murders of Hollywood · Self
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies · Self
- The Casting Couch
- The Chaplin Puzzle · (archive footage)
- Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies · (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Muppets Go to the Movies · Keystone Kop (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood · Self
- Crazy Days · Various (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Days of Thrills and Laughter · Self
- When Comedy Was King · (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Happy Times and Jolly Moments · (archive footage)
- Tomalio · Wilbur
- In the Dough · Slim
- Close Relations · Wilbur Wart
- How've You Bean?
- Buzzin' Around · Cornelius
- It's a Cinch · Director
- Hey, Pop! · Fatty
- Niagara Falls · Director
- Gigolettes · Director
- Hollywood Lights · Director
- Mother's Holiday · Director
- Hollywood Luck · Director
- Bridge Wives · Director
- Keep Laughing · Director
- Anybody's Goat · Director
- Moonlight and Cactus · Director
- Stars of Yesterday · Self
- Smart Work · Director
- Idle Roomers · Director
- The Tamale Vendor · Director
- Once a Hero · Director
- Queenie of Hollywood · Director
- One Quiet Night · Director
- That's My Meat · Director
- Take 'em and Shake 'em · Director
- Beach Pajamas · Director, Writer
- Up Pops the Duke · Director
- Honeymoon Trio · Director
- That's My Line · Writer, Director
- The Lure of Hollywood · Director
- The Back Page · Director
- Windy Riley Goes Hollywood · Director
- Crashing Hollywood · Director
- Ex-Plumber · Writer, Director
- Pete and Repeat · Director
- Marriage Rows · Director, Story
- Three Hollywood Girls · Director
- Up a Tree · Director, Story
- Won by a Neck · Director
- Si Si Senor · Director
- The Cuckoos · Writer
- Character Studies · Self, Director
- Special Delivery · Director
- Listen Lena · Fat man with strategically covered face (unconfirmed)
- Peaceful Oscar · Director
- The Red Mill · Director
- One Sunday Morning · Writer, Director
- His Private Life · Writer, Director
- Fool's Luck · Director, Writer
- Home Cured · Director
- My Stars · Mailman (uncredited), Director
- The Fighting Dude · Director, Writer
- Cleaning Up · Director
- Go West · Woman in Department Store (uncredited)
- The Movies · Director, Writer
- The Tourist · Director
- Curses · Director, Writer
- The Iron Mule · Director
- Dynamite Doggie · Writer, Director
- Lovemania · Director