Smile When the Raindrops Fall: The Story of Charley ChaseAt the age of ten, Charley Chase was singing and dancing on the street corners of Baltimore. 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 finally 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 the shaping 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. Chase's personal life paralleled his film work. At first he was energetic and optimistic—as was the infant film industry itself. As the movie grew up, Charley got older too. Chase's career, marred by family problems and alcoholism, mirrored the decline of the short film. Includes photographs and a detailed filmography. |
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Page ii
... directors -- United States - Biography . I. Edmonds , Andy . II . Title . III . Series . PN2287.C519A58 1998 791.43'028'092 - dc21 [ B ] 97-25443 CIP ISBN 0-8108-3377-8 ( cloth : alk . paper ) TM The paper used in this publication meets ...
... directors -- United States - Biography . I. Edmonds , Andy . II . Title . III . Series . PN2287.C519A58 1998 791.43'028'092 - dc21 [ B ] 97-25443 CIP ISBN 0-8108-3377-8 ( cloth : alk . paper ) TM The paper used in this publication meets ...
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... Directors increasingly used natural locations to get away from false backdrops and painted backgrounds . Edendale was favored for its hilly settings , Santa Monica for its beach scenes , and Echo Park for its romantic lake and park ...
... Directors increasingly used natural locations to get away from false backdrops and painted backgrounds . Edendale was favored for its hilly settings , Santa Monica for its beach scenes , and Echo Park for its romantic lake and park ...
Page 23
... directors were hungry for performers with comedic backgrounds . Many vaude- villians who were out of work shortly before were able to find paying jobs . As the year progressed , film comedies became more popular than the dramatic shorts ...
... directors were hungry for performers with comedic backgrounds . Many vaude- villians who were out of work shortly before were able to find paying jobs . As the year progressed , film comedies became more popular than the dramatic shorts ...
Page 25
... director would thrash out a story that incorporated the footage , then shoot any linking material still needed . The ... directors at Keystone , and it was Henderson who led Charley into the Sennett fold . Charley Parrott was hired by ...
... director would thrash out a story that incorporated the footage , then shoot any linking material still needed . The ... directors at Keystone , and it was Henderson who led Charley into the Sennett fold . Charley Parrott was hired by ...
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... director wanted it to look like we were working hard , to impress Sennett , but it was impossible with all the rain . I didn't want to put on any more shoe polish and protested . The director became upset , screaming 26 ☆ Chapter 4.
... director wanted it to look like we were working hard , to impress Sennett , but it was impossible with all the rain . I didn't want to put on any more shoe polish and protested . The director became upset , screaming 26 ☆ Chapter 4.
Contents
Its a Lovely Day for Something | 135 |
Sons of the Desert | 143 |
On the Wrong Trek | 153 |
Have you ever seen anything so Beautiful | 159 |
Columbia | 163 |
A Firehouse Mouse | 169 |
On the Hill | 179 |
Epilogue | 185 |
57 | |
Fancy Pants and Droopy Drawers | 67 |
Jimmy Jump and Leo the Lawyer | 73 |
OneTake Charley | 81 |
An Occupational Hazard | 93 |
The Talkers and a Severe Cold | 105 |
Gangway Charley | 117 |
Rough Seas | 129 |
A Note about the Films | 187 |
Charley Chase Filmography | 191 |
Sony Credits | 239 |
Bibliography | 243 |
Index | 247 |
About the Authors | 255 |
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Common terms and phrases
actors 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 Henderson Hollywood Hugh McCollum James Finlayson James Parrott Jimmy Parrott Jimmy's Keystone 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 ranch Recording Engineer reels Richard Currier Richard Jones Roach lot Roach Studios scene Snub Pollard Song Stan Laurel star Stooges Story and screenplay Supervised by F theater Thelma Todd Titles by H. M. two-reelers vaudeville William Terhune