Who were the movie stars of silent cinema in 1912

[John Clifford]

For Mary Pickford, I read how she decided to retire in the 1930s, and constantly pulled out of movie projects planned as "comebacks", if not having some other actress being deemed as more desirable.
She then became more and more reclusive, and even had a special Academy Awards honor, in 1976, taped, instead of appearing live, and it was not a memorable performance. She died three years later, but left an estate of $50 Million dollars.

Pickfair, her Beverly Hills home, was "the sight to see" for a few years. Too bad Jerry Buss did not retain it; could have made for many a memorable Lakers event.

My book source is "The Hollywood Book of Death", written by James Robert Parish.

 

[sashka pozzetti]

Are there none of Mary Pickfords clothes anywhere? I cant believe someone washed them, and they fell to bits, surely someone must have realized how important they were? It is too appalling to want to believe!

 

[George L. Lorton]

Sashka,

Unfortunately this was after she had just died and most people, well those who bought the clothes didn't really know how to take care of them. Maybe there are certain articles of hers lying around but most of her movie costumes were destroyed when people but them in the washer. At the time of her death most people were like "Mary Pickford who?"

John,

Too bad indeed about Pickfair being torn down. It could have been monument to early Hollywood. History really doesnt count for much in Hollywood I guess. Pickfair was a one time was called the second Whitehorse. Odd story of Hollywood. A steamer trunk of Mabel Normand's with some articles of clothing ended up being saved in of all things a police station or jailhouse. My source is Mabel Normand: The first I don't care girl. Read it years ago don't remember who the Author was. Betty Smith or something?

 

[sashka pozzetti]

I am not saying that it is wrong that they were destroyed, but \I can hardly believe that this could happen. Is it actually recorded somewhere, or do you think it might be an urban myth? I just look at all those beautiful delicate clothes, and wonder how anyone could be so dumb!

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Mary's costumes weren't all destroyed. What happened was a group of investors bought several costumes at the Pickfair auction and tried to stop payment for the transactions when the costumes came apart in the washing machine. Their ideas about preservation were a bit primitive.

 

[sashka pozzetti]

Well that was a dumb investment. Those guys obviously weren't the geniuses we are led to believe investors are. They probably spent ages looking for the care label! It is so bad. I wonder where the other costumes went!

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Hopefully to collectors who knew how to restore them.

 

[Tarn Stephanos]

Buster Keaton seemed to have a stable career- one would think Fatty Arbuckle's being blackballed would have affected his career, as Keaton & Arbuckle worked together in so many silent films...
There is a great 'Twilight Zone" episode with Buster Keaton, having played a character who traveled to 1962 from the 1890s, thanks to a time helmut...It was one of the few speaking roles I have seen Keaton appear in- I think he was was also on an episode of 'I Love lucy".
After parting ways with Fatty Arbuckle, did Keaton have many starring roles?
I wonder how many stars from the age of silent cinema would one day find themselves on 1950s & 60s television shows..

 

[George L. Lorton]

Good question Tarn, public relations probably saved Keaton. He knew some real big wigs including his Brother-in-law. In 1921, he married Natalie Talmadge, sister-in-law of his boss, Joseph Schenck, and sister of actresses Norma Talmadge and Constance Talmadge.

Sashka- lol care labels. Your probably right, Sashka. Now that was a duh moment in history. Idiot "Keep looking that care label is on there somewhere."

Jim- I'm glad to know Jim, that they weren't all ruined.

 

[Jim Kalafus]

>After parting ways with Fatty Arbuckle, did Keaton have many starring roles?

All of his best work came after his association with Fatty Arbuckle.

Fatty, I suspect, was more a victim of changing cinematic taste than he was of the bad publcity generated by his rape trials. If you view his films next to those of Keaton and Lloyd and Chaplin, you can see that he did not "evolve" as the others did (a 1915 Arbuckle film and a 1920 Arbuckle film really aren't all that different) and I suspect that the studios viewed the trial as a way of getting rid of a highly salaried star whose career was on the wane.

>public relations probably saved Keaton.

No. Box office did, for the duration of the 1920s. But, association with Arbuckle was not by any means a career death knell. Mabel was already 'slipping' at the box office even before the three scandals she was drawn into, and none of his other high-powered friends saw as much as a glitch in their careeer momentum post Virginia Rappe.

You do know that he was given a "comeback" of sorts a year after the trials? There was a blockbuster comedy titled "Hollywood" produced in 1923 that starred several dozen of the biggest names in film. Twas about a young girl's struggles to make it big in film, and everybody who was anybody did a cameo. Fatty was given a sad true-to-life moment (The girl is on line at a casting office. The man ahead of her is rejected for a part. He turns around and it is Fatty Arbuckle) but if the scene was not cut (there is debate on that point) it did nothing to jump start his career. Hollywood, unfortunately, is a lost film.

 

[George L. Lorton]

Didn't Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle direct comedy shorts for Hal Roach under the moniker William B. Goodrich. Get it, Will Be Good. It was a running joke in Hollywood. Everyone who knew Arbuckle knew he wasn't a rapist and that Virginia Rappe(Rapaye) was a tramp. She ended up dyeing from a blotched abortion and V.D., her uterus was a mess according to the Doctor who treated her. Don't get me started on Maude Belmont. Some star witness for the prosecutions she turned out to be. She said her name was Maude Belmont but the Police knew her by other names.