Big Otto - My Love for Roscoe Arbuckle

I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon watching my dvd set, "The Forgotten Films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.  I am so grateful to the Laughsmith and Mackinaw Media for producing this amazing collection. I have owned it about eight years, and I have watched it over and over and over.  What a lovely, lovely, man he was.  Do you remember only one thing about Roscoe?  That he was somehow involved in the death of a woman?  Labor Day Weekend 1921 was when Roscoe decided to go to San Francisco -- he should have taken Buster Keaton up on the trip on his boat.  
There are quite a few things I love about Roscoe.  He was not fat--he was STRONG.  In truth, his weight was never really out of control, he was amazing.  He swam like a fish--there is a story about him swimming with dolphins and I can believe that!  There is a photo of him diving--he had wings in the water.
He loved his dog-- and his dog was brilliant.

That is Buster Keaton, Roscoe, (his friends never called him Fatty), Luke, and Al St. John his nephew and a brilliant comedian himself!
I think the best of his shorts (and this is my opinion) is "Coney Island" and any of his Keystones.  I love "Coney Island" because it shows the amusement park as it was in the teens, a warm place where people had fun.

Just a taste--go to You Tube to see the rest.  He is the BEST cross dresser of the silent era, although Buster and Charlie Chaplin are a close second.  I think that Roscoe was a person who was in love with the world until the world turned against him.

He doesn't just move in his films, he floats. Louise Brooks said dancing with Roscoe was like floating in the center  (I may miss-quote) giant donut.  He was tender with his friends, and so kind.  Look, I may only have read about him, and seen his films, but you see, his friends never forgot what a good person he was.  Buster Keaton defended him til the day he died.  "Roscoe could not have done this thing," Chaplin said the day he was told about the arrest.
A girl did die, Virginia Rappe.  She was a actress, she attended a party in Roscoe's suite at the hotel in San Francisco.  Her bladder ruptured and she died of peritonitis several days later.  At the time, people believed the papers, the news.  What they said had to be the truth?  Right?  No.  It was proven, after a fashion that Roscoe was innocent and free of all blame.  Will Hayes had him banned from film.  Women's Groups were very influential then.  VERY.  One time, Roscoe was just out, I forget if it was a movie or a premiere.  One of a crowd of these crows said, "Women, do your duty!" and they spat on him.
Children loved Roscoe's films.  Women loved him.  I love him, I love his wide smile, and his blue eyes, although I have never seen a color photo of him, I still love those lovely eyes.

When Roscoe lost his career, his friends helped him.  Buster Keaton gave him part of his income, he directed.  Paul Gierucki said he was a brilliant director, and from what I've seen of the collection of films I have he was good.  This is my favorite photo of Roscoe.

This was a happy day.  Even Buster was smiling!  The sun was warm on their heads.  A carefree day, a day that everything went right.  You ever see three happier men?

I'm In Love With Ned Sparks....
What the hell is she talking about, you may ask?  Who is Ned Sparks?  Good grief, is your head in the sand?  He's a HUNKASAURAUS REX!  And darned cute, too!

He had a voice somewhere between a leaky drainpipe and a frog with high pitch.  Low key, sarcastic, always frowning (although not in this photo!) and once in a while appearing to be the only person who really knows what is going on.  I guess I fell in love with him when I saw him in the 1934 version of "Imitation of Life".   He was in Mary Pickford's last film, "Secrets" and was wonderful, intense, a wonderful proof of what a fine actor he was.   Barney in "Goldiggers of 1933" and "42nd St".  Every sweet story needs a Ned Sparks.  As food does not taste good without salt, a good musical needs something to flavor it.  As I glanced through his credits I found he was in my favorite musical of all time, "Going Hollywood"!

Who stands out?  Ned does.  Sure Bing Crosby can sure sing a tune, and M-G-M can really stage 'em, but look at Ned!!  He's the whole scene...ok, in my opinion.  And sexy?  Who needs these so-called cute guys nowadays?  Not me.  I want Ned.  What a guy!  Who needs adorable when you got character?

Just a little to whet the appetite.  For once we have a hero that knows how to tell 'em where to go and how to get there!  He lights up the room.  And sometimes, during a program film like those Busby Berkeley films seemed to be, Ned is the one and only person (with perhaps the exception of Guy Kibbee and Bebe Daniels) who makes the film REAL and takes it out of the fluffy fantasy that a lot of the musicals of the period seem to be.  Ned has that down the nose look DOWN.  Right down and BOOM!  Drops a bomb on 'em.  Even Walt Disney knew there was a magnificent opportunity to animate the man.  From a guy that was so still, so damned smart and sassy, and probably one of the greatest characters we will always love and enjoy.  You just rock, Ned.