Smile when the Raindrops Fall: The Story of Charley ChaseAt the age of 10, Charley Chase was singing and dancing on the street corners of Baltimore. The coins that tenement dwellers tossed his way helped the young boy support his impoverished family. Charley eventually became a local vaudeville attraction, but Baltimore could not contain the ambitious young man. After a brief but memorable stint in New York, Chase landed in Los Angeles in 1912. His timely arrival coincided with the birth of the film industry, and Charley Chase became a major force in shaping the evolution of motion picture comedy. A human dynamo, Charley's talent and creativity seemed inexhaustible. As a writer-director-actor, Charley started out at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. Working with Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin, Chase quickly became one of Sennett's top directors. Later, at other studios, he directed, then starred in, his own series of funny and inventive two-reelers. Behind the scenes, Charley Chase was instrumental in shaping the careers of both Laurel & Hardy and The Three Stooges. Writer, producer, director, and comedian, Charley Chase may have been the most versatile performer in the history of motion pictures. Smile When the Raindrops Fall examines the life and career of one of Hollywood's great comedy innovators. |
Contents
On the Streets 723 | 17 |
Two Boys from Nutsville | 35 |
Do a Lighthouse | 49 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Smile When the Raindrops Fall: The Story of Charley Chase Brian Anthony,Andy Edmonds Limited preview - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
actors Andy Edmonds Angeles Anita Garvin Art Lloyd Arthur Seid BeBe Billy Gilbert Billy West Bud Jamison Chaplin Charles Parrott Charley Chase Charley's Charlie Hall Chase and Hugh Chase comedies Chase series Chester Conklin Columbia comedian Del Lord Dialogue by H. M. director Edgar Kennedy Edited by Richard Edited by William Elmer Raguse Elwood Ullman feature Filmed circa funny gags girls H. M. Walker Hal Roach Harold Lloyd Harry Bernard Harry Bowen Hollywood Hugh McCollum James Finlayson James Parrott Jimmy Parrott Jimmy's Keystone Laurel and Hardy Leo McCarey Leo Willis Love Marvin Hatley movie Music Nick Cogley Noah Young NOTE Oliver Hardy one-reelers Paul Parrott performed Photographed by Art play Polly produced Recording Engineer reels Richard Currier Richard Jones Roach lot Roach Studios scene Snub Pollard Song Stan Laurel star Stooges Supervised by F theater Thelma Todd Titles by H. M. two-reelers vaudeville William Terhune