Book Review: Rediscovering Roscoe

There is a lot to unpack when reviewing a 700-page book about anyone, much less someone whose life and career is so significant to film history. Steve Massa's book on the films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, from Bear Manor, is an enormously thorough look at one of the true icons of silent cinema.

Arbuckle was one of the leading stars of comedy movies during the teens, and as the twenties began, his career was about to soar with starring feature films. Then a 1921 party in which a woman was fatally injured resulted in a scandal that destroyed Arbuckle's career. He lived another dozen years, directing under a pseudonym and returning to screen acting in talkies of the early 1930s shortly before he died. Sadly, if Arbuckle is known at all, it is for being accused of raping and murdering a starlet, despite his being acquitted and receiving a written note of apology from the jury.

Roscoe Arbuckle was a massive presence with a winning screen persona and great knockabout agility -- perfect ingredients for a silent screen comedian. His very presence was funny, and he eschewed the garish makeup utilized by so many screen comics of the same era. His performances are still funny over 100 years later, and his direction shows a real vision for visual acuity and crackerjack timing.

Massa begins with informative, insightful commentary on Arbuckle's early films with producer Francis Boggs, who brought Roscoe to the screen. We learn many details about these elusive, important short films, with established stage actor Arbuckle first leaning how to perform for the more intimate movie camera. This leads us to his work for Mack Sennett, and the revelation that Arbuckle's first Keystone film features him very prominently (not in a "glorified bit part" as is claimed in other studies) and that his screen persona was already pretty well established.

Throughout the Keystone period, Arbuckle continued to learn about the cinematic process as he came up with a succession of comedy bits to further define his screen character. Massa doesn't engage too much in film theory, but provides a wealth of information on the supporting players and various craftsmen on each short. This info is usually either new to film history and scholarship, or expanded beyond what previous studies have provided. Much is said regarding Arbuckle's many films working opposite Sennett studio darling Mabel Normand -- a cute, skillful comedian and an insightful director in her own right, whose work as a filmmaker is the foundation of so much that has come along since.

When it comes to the many films that are unfortunately lost, Massa provides as much information as can be found on each production. His descriptions, photos, and ad graphics allow us to appreciate films we cannot see, and it is somewhat maddening that these comedies, filled with such potential, remain elusive. It is also interesting to see how many films have protected elements in various archives.

Roscoe Arbuckle reached a level, as had Charlie Chaplin before him and Harry Langdon afterward, to leave Sennett and head his own unit. Hired by Joseph Schenck, Arbuckle's films would be produced for his own company, Comique, over which he would have full creative control. He was able to take all he'd learned thus far and refine it with a series of clever ideas that extended beyond knockabout gags. Arbuckle had already started this cinematic refinement with later Sennett productions like "Fatty and Mabel Adrift," "The Waiter's Ball," and "He Did and He Didn't."

When Buster Keaton joined Comique, his creative ideas were sometimes a bit too lofty for Arbuckle's tastes, but he indulged the newcomer and acted as master to his apprentice. Al St John, Arbuckle's nephew, who had come over from Sennett with Roscoe, continues to be a striking presence with his amazing stunt work. Arbuckle the director utilized expansive wide-frame establishing shots, and rhythmic edits during knockabout sequences that cinematically enhanced the visuals.

By 1920, after spending the teens exploring, creating, and refining the concept of slapstick comedy, Roscoe was elevated to feature film production (the studio was left in the hands of Buster Keaton, who embarked on an amazing career in comedy filmmaking). A year later, the party where Virginia Rappe was injured and later died, resulted in terrible rumors, negative publicity, and blame which caused the features Arbuckle completed to be withdrawn from American distribution.

The surviving, accessible features -- "The Round Up," "Life of the Party," and "Leap Year" -- are fascinating examples of how Arbuckle approached a more situational style of comedy in long form. But what is most interesting about Massa's book are the details he provides for movies that are unavailable (they rest comfortably in overseas archives) or considered lost. The fact that a good portion of Arbuckle's filmography is inaccessible makes it daunting for any real assessment, but Massa provides so much info from heavy research, we get a solid understanding of this period.

Finally, while Arbuckle was in exile, his fertile mind was sated with projects he directed or contributed to under a pseudonym. When he made his comeback in talkies, his two-reelers for Vitaphone reminded audiences how clever and funny he could be. "Hey Pop" and "Buzzin' Around" are among his best work. The boycott no longer existed at the box office, and Warner Brothers planned to begin a series of feature-length comedies starring Arbuckle, but he died before that could happen (the Joe E Brown vehicle "Earthworm Tractors" was originally planned to be a Roscoe Arbuckle film).

The text of this book, along with the preface, foreword, and concluding assessments (such as a fascinating comparison/contrast between Arbuckle and other rotund comedians), amounts to one of the truly priceless studies on screen comedy history. The fact that an expert in the field like Steve Massa took the time to undertake this massive project is beneficial to any student of film history, and every established historian. He takes us on an enlightening, informative, and fascinating journey through the many films in which Roscoe Arbuckle was involved. We understand each film's historical placement, aesthetic artistry, and importance to the career of this silent comedy icon.

Highly recommended for libraries, research centers, film societies, historians, and fans of silent comedy.