|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 10, 2013 19:15:35 GMT -5
I'd seen odd 1920s and 1930s movies on TV in the past but once I discovered Our Gang I became much more interested in that time period. Thanks to Alfalfa & Harry Spear I've felt encouraged to investigate other child stars of the period. I haven't managed to 'get into' Mickey McGuire at all or any of the other Our Gang wannabe movies of the time. I can see why Jackie Coogan was a big star in his day but I'm not a huge fan of his either. However I'm now a confirmed fan of Tommy Bupp, he was a real character in some of his movies, seemingly enjoying playing the part of a snide, spoiled brat and doing it really well. Another firm favorite is Junior Coghlan (AKA Frank Coghlan Junior). He started out in silent movies playing scruffy little waifs and moved seamlessly into the talkies. Over in England we had cheeky & cheerful cockney Harry Fowler who, if he'd still been alive, would have celebrated his 87th birthday today (10th December). My latest discovery is Benny Bartlett, a really cheeky looking kid who might have fitted in perfectly with the Rascals. I've already got a fair collection of photos and DVDs of Tommy, Junior & Harry Fowler. Unfortunately so far I've only managed to find one of Benny's early movies on DVD but I'm sure I'll locate others eventually.     Has anyone else got any favorites from the interwar eras outside of The Rascals? |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 14, 2013 7:56:56 GMT -5
Since I wrote the first post I've discovered two more stars of yesteryear. Both of these little guys were pretty big stars in their day but it seems that celluloid immortality has it's limitation 'cos both are probably virtually unknown today. Matty Roubert had his own "Universal Boy" series of movies WAY back in the 1910s. I think Jackie Coogan may well have been influenced by Matty's 'look.' Matty actually appeared in one of the Rascals movies, he was one of the caddies in Divot Diggers.  I've managed to find a vintage fan photo of him but his early films seem just a little elusive.  My other discovery is Buzz Barton. Buzz was a cowboy whose gimmick was that he was a boy. He starred in a whole load of westerns at a young teenager and was so popular that Buzz was actually the first movie star who daisy, the BB gun manufacturer, produced celebrity gun named after. Unfortunately most of his early movies, in which he was the star player, seem to be unavailable on DVD but I have managed to find a fan photo of him and a DVD in which he co-starred with Rin-Tin-Tin!  |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 14, 2013 8:00:03 GMT -5
Buzz advertising the Buzz Barton daisy BB gun...  Buzz co-starring with Rin-Tin-Tin  Buzz advertising a Bradley 'low cut' knitted 'speed model' swimsuit...  |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 14, 2013 8:05:53 GMT -5
Here are posters for two of Buzz's starring movies...  Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by mickeygubitosifan on Dec 15, 2013 0:57:46 GMT -5
I love that second photo of Matty Roubert, and yes, I am familiar with his work even though I've never seen him in action on the screen. Is that actually a handsigned postcard you own?
|
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 15, 2013 7:57:04 GMT -5
I love that second photo of Matty Roubert, and yes, I am familiar with his work even though I've never seen him in action on the screen. Is that actually a handsigned postcard you own? Hi, unfortunately I think it's only a preprinted autograph. The fact that it's white is pretty much a dead give away, the original signature was probably written in black Indian ink on the negative. I'd never heard of Matty until a couple of hours before I wrote that post. I was looking at various websites searching for info about Buzz and just happened across some stuff about Matty, so I did a search on eBay and came up with the fan photo and just bought it on impulse. Then I bought the photo of Buzz too. I'm not sure if the signature on Buzz' photo is real or preprinted, I guess I'll know when it arrives. I think Buzz is the only child actor of the period who doesn't seem to have appeared in any Our Gang movies at all, or at least I haven't seen any mention of him being in one, yet.  |
|
|
|
Post by mickeygubitosifan on Dec 16, 2013 0:03:12 GMT -5
I don't think Arthur Trimble ever appeared in an Our Gang film, either. Or Malcolm Sebastian, for that matter.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 16, 2013 7:48:57 GMT -5
I don't think Arthur Trimble ever appeared in an Our Gang film, either. Or Malcolm Sebastian, for that matter. Apparently neither did Mickey Rooney or Shirley Temple  Although according to occasionally eBay sellers insist that Mickey Rooney was an Our Gang regular... Vintage Our Gang photo |
|
rascalstooge
Full Member
10 years this coming November.
Posts: 242
|
Post by rascalstooge on Dec 20, 2013 10:40:43 GMT -5
Nor did Nanette Fabray, despite what various sources claim.
|
|
|
|
Post by mtw12055 on Dec 20, 2013 17:21:48 GMT -5
I don't think Arthur Trimble ever appeared in an Our Gang film, either. Or Malcolm Sebastian, for that matter. Sebastian (better known to 1920's movie-goers as "Big Boy") has a cameo in 1930's "Shivering Shakespeare". By then, his career was pretty much over. ourgang.wikia.com/wiki/Malcolm_SebastianMy latest discovery is Benny Bartlett, a really cheeky looking kid who might have fitted in perfectly with the Rascals. I've already got a fair collection of photos and DVDs of Tommy, Junior & Harry Fowler. Unfortunately so far I've only managed to find one of Benny's early movies on DVD but I'm sure I'll locate others eventually. Bartlett's career is rather interesting. As a child, he wrote over 20 piano compositions, and had his own orchestra. In later years, Bartlett was briefly a member of the East Side Kids (alongside Sunshine Sammy), and after the war costarred in a ripoff series called the Gas House Kids (with Alfalfa and Butch). After the failure of the Gas House Kids films, Bartlett was hired to replace Bobby Jordan in the Bowery Boys series (an offshoot of the East Side Kids). Unfortunately, he and most of the other members of the 'gang' took a considerable backseat to stars Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall (there were times when Benny didn't get a single line of dialogue). He remained with the series until his retirement from acting in 1955. Funny how he went from a talented child prodigy to an overlooked 'prop' in a B-movie series. |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Dec 26, 2013 9:09:55 GMT -5
Yeah Benny Bartlett was a pretty interesting guy. He played the part of a piano prodigy in his first movie appearance. It seems that he also played the trumpet, sang and even fronted his own orchestra as well as writing music. I wonder if any of his compositions are still available? It would be interesting to hear them. So far I've managed to watch only one movie in which he appeared; The Texas Rangers (1936)The Texas Rangers (1936) at IMDbIt's basically a B movie but shot on a bigger than usual budget. It's entertaining enough and interesting for the novelty value of seeing Fred McMurray playing in a western. Benny was entertaining as the kid who admires the hero. The DVD is an official Universal Studios release and probably because of this the picture quality is far superior to many other DVD releases of this period. |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Feb 11, 2014 15:46:18 GMT -5
I picked up this vintage lobby card for The Vagabond Cub, starring Buzz Barton (born William Andrew Lamoreaux) a week or so ago. I just love the titles of some of his movies. The Freckled Rascal is such a classic name, but then so is The Little Buckaroo, and The Vagabond Cub sure takes some beating.  |
|
|
|
Post by Hard-boiled Harry on Apr 20, 2014 16:49:02 GMT -5
My latest Buzz acquisition is this vintage pencil portrait of him done in a very art deco style.  |
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Feb 26, 2018 9:34:02 GMT -5
I see someone beat me to Tommy Bupp but I'll still give him a mention. One of my favourite Tommy Bupp movies is Little Men (1934) which also includes among the cast Dickie Moore, along with several other teenage and younger stars of the period such as Junior Durkin, Frankie Darro, David Durand, Tad Alexander, Buster Phelps and Dickie Jones.   I've mentioned him in another thread but I'll mention him in this one too, Joe Butterworth was really good in The Good Bad Boy (1924).  |
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Mar 9, 2018 7:38:41 GMT -5
I just bought a vintage photo of Joe Butterworth getting ready to smack Mary Pickford on the head with his boot. It's a publicity still from Little Annie Rooney (1924).  It seems that back in 1924 they used the same image as the basis for the movie poster.  |
|
