Rediscovering Roscoe: The Careers of "Fatty" Arbuckle
April 20–May 15, 2006

From 1914 to 1921, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was a king of silent screen comedy. His character of the fun-loving fat boy was loved all over the world and second only to Charlie Chaplin in box office popularity. He was the first slapstick clown to move from shorts to feature films, but a scandalous accusation (of which he was ultimately found innocent) left him banished from the screen and effectively buried his reputation for the next eighty years. This retrospective covering the complete arc of his career provides an opportunity to not only appreciate Arbuckle as an immensely likeable performer but also to discover his neglected work behind the camera as gag writer and director during his exile, as well as his return to the screen in the sound era.  Included are many appearances with Arbuckle’s contemporaries, including Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Buster Keaton, Louise Fazenda, Edgar Kennedy, Al St. John, and Eddie Cantor. Arbuckle scholars and experts will introduce each program.

Organized by Ron Magliozzi, Assistant Curator Research and Collections, Department of Film and Media; Steve Massa, film historian and author; and Ben Model, film historian and accompanist. Special thanks to Box 5 LLC, Cineteca del Friuli, George Eastman House, Laughsmith Entertainment, The Library of Congress, Lobster Films, Nederlands Filmmuseum, Norsk Filminstitutt, Warner Bros., Robert Arkus, Serge Bromberg, Brian Gari, Paul E. Gierucki, Bob Geoghegan, Jane Gillooly, Mark Heller, Bruce Lawton, Elif Rongen-Kaynakci, Dave Stevenson, David Shepard, Ken Winokur, and David Wyatt.

Please note: The entire "Fatty" Arbuckle program repeats in May 2006. Screening times for those showings will be available shortly.

Program 1: Career Overview
Arbuckle seen from his debut at Keystone to the retooling of his comedic skills for a comeback in sound films.
The Gangsters. 1913. USA. Directed by Henry Lehrman. With Fred Mace. Approx. 10 min.
Fatty and Mabel’s Married Life. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 10 min.
Fatty’s New Role. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mack Swain. Approx. 10 min.
The Waiter’s Ball. 1916. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
The Iron Mule. 1925. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, Grover Jones. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
Buzzin’ Around. 1933. USA. Directed by Alf Goulding. With Al St. John, Pete the pup. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 90 min. All but Buzzin’ Around silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model.
Thursday, April 20, 6:00; Monday, May 1, 6:00. T2

Program 2: Early Keystones
Starring in a one-reeler almost every week, Arbuckle soon took over direction, mastering the art of physical comedy in a clean and precise manner.
A Noise from the Deep. 1913. USA. Directed by Mack Sennett. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 10 min.
Mabel’s New Hero. 1913. USA. Directed by Mack Sennett. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 10 min.
His Sister’s Kids. 1913. USA. Directed by George Nichols. With Minta Durfee. Approx. 10 min.
A Flirt’s Mistake. 1914. USA. Directed by George Nichols. With Edgar Kennedy. Approx.10 min.
A Bath House Beauty. 1914. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Minta Durfee. Approx. 10 min.
Those Country Kids. 1914. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 10 min.
The Rounders. 1914. USA. Directed by Charles Chaplin. With Chaplin. Approx. 10 min. Program approx. 80 min. Silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model (April) and Stuart Oderman (May).
Thursday, April 20, 8:00; Wednesday, May 3, 6:00. T2

Program 3: Box Office Star
Having reached the heights of popularity, Arbuckle was free to explore facets of his "Fatty" character—even appearing in drag as a rich heiress.
Lover’s Luck. 1914. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Minta Durfee. Approx. 10 min.
Fatty’s Jonah Day. 1914. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Norma Nichols. Approx. 10 min.
Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 20 min.
Wished on Mabel. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 10 min.
Miss Fatty’s Seaside Lovers. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Harold Lloyd. Approx. 10 min.
Fatty’s Tintype Tangle. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Louise Fazenda, Edgar Kennedy. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 90 min. Silent, with piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin (April) and Philip Carli (May).
Friday, April 21, 6:00; Thursday, May 4, 8:30. T2

Program 4: The Sophisticated Director
With better-developed stories than the usual Keystone fare, and far from Mack Sennett at Triangle’s East Coast studio, Arbuckle became one of the industry’s best directors of comedy.
Fatty’s Reckless Fling. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. Approx. 10 min.
That Little Band of Gold. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling. Approx. 20 min.
He Did and He Didn’t. 1916. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 20 min.
His Wife’s Mistake. 1916. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Minta Durfee. Approx. 20 min.
A Reckless Romeo. 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 95 min. Silent, with accompaniment by Donald Sosin (piano), Joanna Seaton (vocals), Peter Gordon (saxophone and keyboard), Susan Heerema (violin), and Martin Piecuch (reeds) (April). The May 4 program features piano accompaniment by Philip Carli.
Friday, April 21, 8:00; Saturday, May 6, 4:00. T2

Program 5: A New Freedom
Signing with producer Joseph Schenck’s Comique film company, Arbuckle’s The Butcher Boy began a new series, marking the film debut of Buster Keaton, who became Roscoe’s best friend and most important collaborator.
The Butcher Boy. 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton. Approx. 20 min.
The Rough House. 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton. Approx. 20 min.
His Wedding Night. 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
Coney Island. 1917. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Al St. John. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 90 min. Silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model.
Saturday, April 22, 6:00; Sunday, May 7, 1:00. T2

Program 6: Spoofs and Farces
With his new freedom and the addition of Keaton to his unit, Arbuckle created a group of shorts that amount to slapstick ballets.
Out West. 1918. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
Moonshine. 1918. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
Good Night, Nurse. 1918. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
The Cook. 1918. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Al St. John. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 90 min. Silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model.
Saturday, April 22, 8:00; Monday, May 8, 6:00. T2

Program 7: Late Shorts and Features [part 1]
By 1919, Arbuckle was so popular that he moved exclusively into features.
The Hayseed. 1919. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Buster Keaton, Jack Coogan, Sr. Approx. 20 min.
The Round-Up. 1920. USA. Directed by George Melford. With Tom Forman, Jean Acker, Wallace Beery. Arbuckle’s feature debut has him in a straight role in a serious Western. Approx. 70 min. Program approx. 95 min. Silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model (April) and Stuart Oderman (May).
Sunday, April 23, 2:00; Wednesday, May 10, 6:00. T2

Program 8: Late Shorts and Features [part 2]
Two rediscovered shorts and the rarely screened feature Life of the Party present Arbuckle at the peak of his performing career.
Camping Out. 1919. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
Love. 1919. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Al St. John. Approx. 20 min.
The Life of the Party. 1920. USA. Directed by Joseph Henabery. With Viora Daniel, Roscoe Karns. In his second feature, Arbuckle plays a lawyer battling a milk trust. Approx. 50 min. Program approx. 95 min. Silent, with organ accompaniment by Ben Model.
Sunday, April 23, 5:00; Thursday, May 11, 6:00. T2

Program 9: Directing after the Scandal [part 1]
When scandal brought his acting career to a halt, industry friends formed Reel Comedies, Inc., to produce shorts that Arbuckle wrote and directed anonymously.
Special Delivery. 1922. USA. Directed by Al St. John. With St. John, Vernon Dent. Approx. 20 min.
No Loafing. 1923. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Poodles Hanneford, Joe Roberts. A fragment of the two-reel short. Approx. 8 min.
Stupid But Brave. 1924. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, Al St. John. With St. John, George Davis. Approx. 20 min.
The Movies. 1925. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Lloyd Hamilton. Approx. 20 min.
Curses. 1925. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, Grover Jones. With Al St. John, Bartine Burkett. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 95 min. Silent, with piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin (April) and Ben Model (May).
Monday, April 24, 8:30; Saturday, May 13, 8:30.  T2

Program 10: Directing after the Scandal [part 2]
Hired by Educational Pictures, Arbuckle adopted the pseudonym of William Goodrich and piloted shorts for some of the studio’s biggest stars.
Dynamite Doggie. 1925. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, Grover Jones. With Al St. John, Pete the pup. Approx. 20 min.
His Private Life. 1926. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Lupino Lane, George Davis. Approx. 20 min.
Home Cured. 1926. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Johnny Arthur, Virginia Vance. Approx. 20 min.
Fool’s Luck. 1926. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Lupino Lane, George Davis. Approx. 20 min. Program approx. 90 min. Silent, with piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin (April) and Stuart Oderman (May).
Wednesday, April 26, 6:30; Sunday, May 14, 2:30. T2

Program 11: Directing after the Scandal [part 3]
After Arbuckle directed The Red Mill with Marion Davies and Special Delivery, studio interference caused him to retire for several years.
My Stars. 1926. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Johnny Arthur, Virginia Vance. Approx. 20 min.
Special Delivery. 1927. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Eddie Cantor, Jobyna Ralston, William Powell. A mailman becomes an amateur detective and is hot on the trail of a wanted criminal. Approx. 60 min. Silent, with piano accompaniment by Stuart Oderman (April) and Ben Model (May). The April program is introduced by Cantor’s daughter Janet Cantor Gari and his grandson Brian Gari.
Thursday, April 27, 8:30 (introduced by J. and B. Gari); Sunday, May 14, 5:00. T2

Program 12: Career Recap
Covering the final stage of Arbuckle’s career as director and star of sound shorts, this program also includes a rare World War I Liberty Bond promo and a tinted version of the famed Fatty and Mabel Adrift.
Fatty’s Faithful Fido. 1915. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Luke. Approx. 10 min.
Scraps of Paper. 1918. USA. With Al St. John. Approx. 5 min.
Bridge Wives. 1932. USA. Directed by William Goodrich. With Al St. John, Fern Emmett. Approx. 10 min.
How’ve You Bean? 1933. USA. Directed by Alf Goulding. With Fritz Hubert. Approx. 20 min.
Tomalio. 1933. USA. Directed by Ray McCarey. With Charles Judels. Approx. 20 min.
Fatty and Mabel Adrift. 1916. USA. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. With Mabel Normand. Approx. 30 min. Program approx. 100 min. All sound except Fatty’s Faithful Fido, Scraps of Paper, and Fatty and Mabel Adrift, which are silent, with piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin (April) and Ben Model (May).
Saturday, April 29, 8:30; Monday, May 15, 6:00. T2

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