“My Name is Roscoe: The Life and Legacy of ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle” by Joe Ramoni
I love movies. Because of my love of film I search out older movies. Thanks to TCM that’s not as hard to do as it once was. So whenever there’s an older film that I think I might like I check it out.
I’ve watched a lot of silent films. I started with the horror films and then worked my way to comedies. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are considered the comedy kings of the silent film era. As I began to watch and learn more about this time period, I was surprised to find that funny man Fatty Arbuckle wasn’t better known. The films I saw with him were as good as any other comedian of the time.
When I came to learn that Arbuckle was the first comedian to be paid one million dollars from a studio, that Arbuckle had mentored both Chaplin and Keaton, that he started his own studio, that he wrote and directed films… well, I needed to know more about this man. What I discovered was pretty sad.
Joe Ramoni has created an excellent overview of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s career. It is worth a watch.
He mentored Charlie Chaplin, discovered Buster Keaton, and changed film comedy forever – before a scandal destroyed his career. His name was Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Though you may recognize his name or face, few know the heartbreaking story of his life. This documentary short takes a look back at his controversial life & career to highlight what an instrumental figure he was in the evolution of cinema and why he should be more remembered today.
Written, Compiled and Presented by Joe Ramoni
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