he died of sadness
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Pamfino — 21 years ago(May 11, 2004 04:14 PM)
If he had died of sadness, then he would have done so during the 20s, in the wake of the rape case (read David A. Yallop's book, 'The Day The Laughter Stopped', to understand just how framed and stitched-up Roscoe was). In that last year, his life was transforming he'd done a successful series of two-reelers for Jack Warner, he'd married again (to Addie McPhail, who died only last year at the age of 98), and, the night before he died, he'd signed to do a feature-length movie. The stress (distress, more like) that he must have been under in the years after the court case will no doubt have contributed to his early death, but he was most unlikely to have been sad in that final year as so many things were finally going right for him. The sadness is that he didn't live to enjoy his 'comeback' for very long.
If there is a movie about him, I hope that it's based on the facts and helps to put the record straight. It's a shame that after three trials and total exoneration, the man is still thought of as a lecher and a rapist over eighty years after the event. -
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Pamfino — 21 years ago(August 10, 2004 06:01 AM)
He shouldn't have been stitched up by a ruthless, ambitious DA (and many others who jumped on the bandwagon in the 'Get Fatty' feeding frenzy that went on) and YOU shouldn't comment on a matter that you obviously have no real knowledge of try reading an unbiased, properly researched book to get your information (such as the David Yallop book I mentioned above) instead of gutter press and trashy, sensationalist magazines and when you've done that, I hope you hang your head in shame at your puerile comment that helps to perpetuate the foul slur on an innocent man's name that three trials, total exoneration and time seem to be unable to remove - thanks to people like you!
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde -
Sunflower007 — 21 years ago(August 10, 2004 11:04 PM)
~ Look I am not going to lower myself to you idiotic level
. Like what a very wise person
once said "Remember, winning an argument on the internet is like coming in first at the Special Olympics: You may have victory, but you're still retarded."
~
~
~* -
The-Silent-Photoplayer — 21 years ago(August 10, 2004 11:13 PM)
You
do
realize that Arbuckle was found "Not Guilty" by a court of law, right?
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com/ -
Pamfino — 21 years ago(August 12, 2004 03:03 AM)
Re Talia5's post above Buster also believed, of course, that his friend was totally innocent, and he always kept a picture of Roscoe above his work desk at home. Even if I hadn't bothered (like some!) to find out the facts re the spurious case against Mr Arbuckle, the fact that Buster believed him to be innocent would have been good enough for me, as Buster knew the man better than most. However, any intelligent, fair-minded person who takes the trouble to find out some of the details of what happened to Roscoe cannot fail to be appalled at the injustice that was done to him.
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde -
wmorrow59 — 21 years ago(August 12, 2004 05:08 PM)
Anyone who is interested in the facts of this terribly sad case should read David Yallop's fascinating book
The Day the Laughter Stopped
. The book makes a damning case against Arbuckle's accusers, and paints a convincing portrait of Arbuckle himself as a decent man who was in the wrong place at the worst possible time.
On the other hand, message board trolls aren't interested in facts or research. I find that the "Ignore" button makes an effective troll-killer. -
Pamfino — 21 years ago(August 13, 2004 04:08 AM)
Another notable book is 'Frame Up' by Andy Edmonds she had many interviews in the late 1970s with Minta Durfee, Roscoe's first wife.
But to return to the title of this thread, I think that the final word to dismiss the idea that 'He died of sadness' should come from Addie McPhail; she always contended that Roscoe was a happy man when he died.
She told the Guardian newspaper in 2000: "I believe Roscoe died happy. He was with a girl who loved him, and Hollywood had forgiven him and welcomed him back."
I don't think there is anyone, alive or dead, who can be better qualified than Ms McPhail to comment on how Roscoe was feeling at the end of his life, as she was his wife at the time and was with him on the night he died.
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde
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Pamfino — 21 years ago(August 13, 2004 08:12 AM)
By the way, thanks for the tip re the 'troll-killer' button, wmorrow59, I may use that soon! The only good thing about cyberspace pond life, such as the example above, is that it can give those of us with more than two brain cells to rub together a good excuse to present s16d0ome facts about matters such as the one in question here.
There is a lovely picture of Mr Arbuckle on
http://www.silent-movies.com/Arbucklemania/home.html
It's a colourised picture of him, standing with Buster and his other costar (and nephew) Al StJohn. It's a charming picture in which, I think, the true nature of the man shines through. It's an effective antidote to the widely seen, falsified pictures of him put out at the time of the court case and beyond. It's my personal favourite of this delightful and talented performer.
Quote: Minta Durfee - "My dear, we
never
called him Fatty."
(PS: The link no longer goes to the picture I described above; however, it does go to the Arbuklemania home page, which opens with another lovely colourised picture of Roscoe. Anyone interested in Mr Arbuckle and his career should take a look at the site.)
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde
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wmorrow59 — 21 years ago(August 16, 2004 06:34 PM)
First, thanks Pamfino for the link to that nice picture. Today at the Performing Arts Library in NYC I happened to see a rare photo of Roscoe Arbuckle taken in June of 1933. He's standing with a Warner Brothers executive, grinning into the camera. Someone has written on the back of the photo that it was taken the day Roscoe died, and although I have no way of knowing whether that's true it could be assumed that this was pretty close to the end. I assume also that the photo was taken around the time arrangements were being made for Roscoe to commence a new series of feature-length comedies for Warners.
Roscoe doesn't look like a broken man in the photo. He's certainly older, but he's smiling, and he looks pretty happy. The years after the scandal were undoubtedly bad but the guy looks like he's ready for his comeback. Not a bad way to go out . . .