Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle's photo

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle

Born: 1887-03-22 in Smith Center, Kansas, USA

Died: 1933-06-29

Known For: Acting

Biography

Roscoe Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 - June 29, 1933), widely known to audiences as “Fatty” Arbuckle, was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd as well as with his nephew, Al St. John. He also mentored Charlie Chaplin, Monty Banks and Bob Hope, and brought vaudeville star Buster Keaton into the movie business. Arbuckle was one of the most popular silent stars of the 1910s and one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time. In one of the earliest Hollywood scandals, Arbuckle was the defendant in three widely publicized trials between November 1921 and April 1922 for the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe had fallen ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel in September 1921, and died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. The first two trials resulted in hung juries, but the third acquitted Arbuckle. The third jury took the unusual step of giving Arbuckle a written statement of apology for his treatment by the justice system. Despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the scandal largely halted his career and has mostly overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian.

Filmography

2016

Buster Keaton The Shorts Collection 1917-1923

2015

Looking for Mabel Normand as Self (archive footage)

2007

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema as Self (archive footage)

2006

Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts as (archive footage)

2004

So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM as Self (archive footage)

2003

Chaplin Today: 'The Gold Rush' as Self (archive footage)
Murders of Hollywood as Self (archive footage)

2001

Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume One as Various
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume Two as Various

1992

The Chaplin Puzzle as (archive footage)

1988

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

1962

Crazy Days as Various (archive footage) (uncredited)

1961

Days of Thrills and Laughter as Self (archive footage)

1960

When Comedy Was King as edited from 'Fatty & Mabel Adrift' (archive footage)

1943

Happy Times and Jolly Moments as (archive footage)

1933

Buzzin' Around as Cornelius
Close Relations as Wilbur Wart
How've You Bean?
Tomalio as Wilbur
In the Dough as Slim

1932

Niagara Falls ... (Director)
Gigolettes ... (Director)
Hey, Pop! as Fatty
Keep Laughing ... (Director)
Moonlight and Cactus ... (Director)
Hollywood Lights ... (Director)
Hollywood Luck ... (Director)
It's a Cinch ... (Director)
Anybody's Goat ... (Director)
Mother's Holiday ... (Director)
Bridge Wives ... (Director)

1931

Beach Pajamas ... (Director)
Smart Work ... (Director)
Idle Roomers ... (Director)
Crashing Hollywood ... (Director)
Ex-Plumber ... (Writer)
Take 'em and Shake 'em ... (Director)
Stars of Yesterday as Self
That's My Line ... (Writer)
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood ... (Director)
One Quiet Night ... (Director)
The Lure of Hollywood ... (Director)
Queenie of Hollywood ... (Director)
Three Hollywood Girls ... (Director)
The Back Page ... (Director)
The Tamale Vendor ... (Director)
Once a Hero ... (Director)
Marriage Rows ... (Director)
Up Pops the Duke ... (Director)
That's My Meat ... (Director)
Pete and Repeat ... (Director)
Honeymoon Trio ... (Director)

1930

The Cuckoos ... (Writer)
Si Si Senor ... (Director)
Won by a Neck ... (Director)
Up a Tree ... (Director)

1927

Special Delivery ... (Director)
The Red Mill ... (Director)
Peaceful Oscar ... (Director)
Character Studies as Self (uncredited)
Listen Lena as Fat man with strategically covered face (unconfirmed)

1926

My Stars as Mailman (uncredited)
Fool's Luck ... (Director)
Home Cured ... (Director)
His Private Life ... (Writer)
One Sunday Morning ... (Writer)

1925

Go West as Woman in Department Store (uncredited)
Curses ... (Director)
The Tourist ... (Director)
Dynamite Doggie ... (Writer)
The Movies ... (Director)
The Fighting Dude ... (Director)
Cleaning Up ... (Director)
The Iron Mule ... (Director)

1924

Lovemania ... (Director)
His First Car ... (Director)
Leap Year as Stanley Piper
Stupid, but Brave ... (Director)

1923

Hollywood as Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
No Loafing ... (Director)

1922

Day Dreams ... (Story)
Special Delivery ... (Director)
The Fast Freight as Ras Berry

1921

Traveling Salesman as Bob Blake
Brewster's Millions as Monte Brewster
Crazy to Marry as Dr. Hobart Hupp
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20) as Himself
Gasoline Gus as Gasoline Gus
The Dollar-a-Year Man as Franklin Pinney

1920

The Round-Up as Slim Hoover
The Life of the Party as Algernon Leary (as Roscoe Arbuckle)
The Garage as Mechanic / Fireman

1919

Back Stage as Stagehand
Love as Fatty
The Pullman Porter
The Hayseed as Mailman
A Desert Hero as The Sheriff, the Desert Hero
Camping Out
The Bank Clerk

1918

The Cook as The Chef
The Sheriff as Cook
Out West as Train Rider, Bartender
Moonshine as Revenue Agent
The Bell Boy as Bellboy, barber
Good Night, Nurse! as Fatty
A Scrap of Paper as Fatty

1917

Coney Island as Fatty
Oh, Doctor! as Dr. Fatty Holepoke
The Butcher Boy as Fatty / Saccharine
A Reckless Romeo as The Husband
The Late Lamented as Cameo Appearance (unconfirmed)
The Rough House as Mr. Rough
A Country Hero as Village Blacksmith
His Wedding Night as Gas station employee

1916

Fatty and Mabel Adrift as Fatty
He Did and He Didn’t as The Doctor
Bright Lights as Fatty
His Wife's Mistakes as The Janitor
The Waiters' Ball as The Cook
A Creampuff Romance
The Other Man as Fatty the Tramp (dual role)

1915

Mabel’s Wilful Way as Fatty
Wished on Mabel as Fatty
Fatty’s Faithful Fido as Fatty
Fatty’s Plucky Pup as Fatty
That Little Band Of Gold as Fatty - the Husband
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition as Fatty
Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life as Roscoe
Fatty's New Role as Fatty
Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance as Fatty
Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day as Fatty
Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life as Fatty
Mabel, Fatty and the Law as Fatty
Fatty and the Broadway Stars as Fatty - Studio Janitor
Fickle Fatty's Fall as Fatty
Fatty’s Reckless Fling as Fatty
Fatty's Tintype Tangle as Fatty
When Love Took Wings as Reckless Fatty
Miss Fatty's Seaside Lovers as Finnegan's Daughter
A Glimpse of the San Diego Exposition as Himself
The Little Teacher as Fat Unruly Student
Hogan's Romance Upset as Fight Spectator
Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco as Himself
A Village Scandal as Eddie - the Country Boy

1914

The Rounders as Mr. Fuller
The Knockout as Pug (uncredited)
Tango Tangles as Clarinetist
The Masquerader as Film actor
Fatty Again as Fatty Felix
The Chicken Chaser as The Hired Man
Leading Lizzie Astray as Fatty
A Film Johnnie as Self
Fatty and the Heiress as Fatty
His Favorite Pastime as Shabby Drunk
Fatty's Magic Pants as Fatty
Rebecca's Wedding Day as Rebecca
Lover's Luck as Fatty
Those Country Kids as Fatty
Fatty's Finish as Fatty
The Alarm
The Baggage Smasher as (unconfirmed)
Zip, the Dodger as Zip
In the Clutches of the Gang as Cop
A Bath House Beauty as Fatty
An Incompetent Hero as Fatty
Fatty's Jonah Day as Fatty
A Flirt's Mistake as Husband (uncredited)
That Minstrel Man as Belle
Where Hazel Met the Villain as Fatty
The Sky Pirate as The Heiress
Love and Bullets as Film Actor (uncredited)
Their Ups and Downs as Fatty
The Under-Sheriff as The Under-Sheriff
Bombs and Bangs as The Farmer's Daughter
A Robust Romeo as Fatty
A Rowboat Romance as (unconfirmed)
Shotguns That Kick as Fatty
Fatty's Gift as Fatty
His New Profession as Bartender Smoking Cigar
A Misplaced Foot as Fatty
The Water Dog as Fatty
A Brand New Hero as The Tramp
Barnyard Flirtations as The Cop
Lovers' Post Office as Fatty
Twixt Love and Fire as The Iceman
Fatty's Wild Night
Fatty's Wine Party as Fatty
The Sea Nymphs as Fatty
Fatty and Minnie He-Haw as Fatty
Those Happy Days as Fatty
A Suspended Ordeal as The Cop
Our Country Cousin as The Country Boy (unconfirmed)
A Rural Demon
Fatty's Debut as Fatty
How Old Are You?
Caught in a Flue as (unconfirmed)

1913

The Gangsters as Cop
A Bandit as Bully
The Riot as Cohen - Jewish Neighborhood Leader
Wine as The Waiter
Murphy's I.O.U. as (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Some Nerve as The Jealous Man
A Quiet Little Wedding as Fatty
Peeping Pete as Pete's Wife
Love and Rubbish as Fat Boy
Almost a Rescue as Jimmie
Mother's Boy as Mother's Boy
Fatty Joins the Force as Fatty
The Speed Kings as Masher
Fatty at San Diego as Fatty
Mabel's New Hero as Fatty
Professor Bean's Removal as Man with Moustache
His Sister's Kids as Dr. J. Jacobs
Help! Help! Hydrophobia! as Jim Brown
Two Old Tars as First Old Tar
A Noise from the Deep as Bob
Safe in Jail as Neighbor Woman
A Ride for a Bride as Fatty
The Woman Haters as 1st Old Tar
The Telltale Light as Tom aka Fatty
Fatty's Flirtation as Fatty
Alas! Poor Yorick! as Player in Female Costume
Love and Courage as The Country Boy
The Milk We Drink as The Dairy Farmer
Passions, He Had Three as Henry
Mabel's Dramatic Career as Man in Audience
For the Love of Mabel as Suitor
The Gypsy Queen as Fatty
Fatty's Day Off as Fatty
He Would a Hunting Go as Count Chicori
When Dreams Come True as The Man
The Waiters' Picnic as Oscar - the Waiter
Rastus and the Game Cock as Spectator
A Small Time Act as Theatre Owner
The Fatal Taxicab as Mabel's Sweetheart

1912

A Voice from the Deep as Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

1910

The Sanitarium as Charley Wise

1909