|
Post by Buppster on Mar 13, 2018 15:32:11 GMT -5
After watching a few Big Boy shorts I'm quite taken with the acting of Jack McHugh and I'm having a look around online to see if I can find any of his movies and shorts that I can download. Jack's the one who isn't fat and isn't a girl
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Mar 15, 2018 5:46:06 GMT -5
I found a capture of Jack McHugh in what may have been his first on screen performance, as an uncredited street kid, in the 1920 version of Doctor Jekyll And Mister Hyde. Jack would have been around seven years old at the time and although he possibly looks a little older than seven in the picture he is missing his top front teeth, which fits in with him being that sort of age.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Mar 15, 2018 7:01:35 GMT -5
While searching for Jack McHugh movies online I found this one. It's called The Shakedown (1929) and features Our Gang's own Jack Hanlon as Clem, an orphan boy, taken under the wing of a boxer, played by James Murray. According to IMDb Jack McHugh has an uncredited role as 'Boy Who Fight's Clem.' This is a rare Italian print of the movie, which was edited slightly differently. It has optional English subtitles.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Mar 28, 2018 18:12:20 GMT -5
I've just watched Sparrows starring Mary Pickford. It's a 1926 tinted, silent movie that must have been one of the first in a genre that was later named Southern Gothic. Yes, tinted, many of the swamp shots are tinted purple or green, while indoors shots are often a rich warm yellow. The movie is unlike anything else that Mary did before or after and it's probably the best movie that she ever appeared in. For a film that's ninety years old it still packs a punch and it's still an engrossing, unusual and at times even exciting movie. The sets are suitably Southern Gothic, with swamps and Spanish moss a plenty. The acting is top notch silent movie work at it's best with subtlety and nuance. The casting is spot on, with a villain evil enough to give kids nightmares and the kids who dominate the film are all perfect for their roles. Most of the kids are in this still, with the exception of the stuttering Sputters, played by one time Our Ganger Monty O'Grady. Monty managed to get onto some of the film posters with Mary though. If you haven't seen it it's well worth spending the 92 minutes that it takes to watch it. Don't take my word for it. Click on the link below to read a review. Sparrows (1926) A Silent Film Review
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 1, 2018 10:56:35 GMT -5
I'm currently reading The Keystone Kid a book written by Coy Watson Jr about his early life in Edendale, California and the fledgling movie industry. Click on the link below for more information about Edendale. Edendale, CaliforniaThe Keystone Kid is a really interesting book. It's fairly large, soft cover with over 300 pages and plenty of photos. It's easy to find on Amazon or eBay and can be picked up pretty cheaply. If you haven't read it, it's a must read for anyone who's interested in the early days of the movie industry. Coy Jr was the eldest of the nine Watson children, who all appeared in movies and clocked up over a thousand appearances between them. His younger brothers included Delmar and Bobs, who both appeared in Our Gang shorts.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 2, 2018 14:04:25 GMT -5
I just saw an original lobby card for one of Coy Watson's movies on eBay but at over $100 it's a little too expensive for me. It was described as and Our Gang copy cat movie, however as it was dated 1922 it could easily predate Our Gang. Especially as there was another, damaged but much cheaper, Coy Watson lobby card from the same series of short movies, which was dated 1921 and I bought for $10. So the series actually started before Our Gang did. In the shorts he had a dog and a pet monkey called Josephine.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 3, 2018 15:58:54 GMT -5
I've mentioned Jack McHugh, Monty O'Grady & Coy Watson jr so far in the thread. Wouldn't it be easier if there was a movie that they were all in together? There is. In 1926 Buck Jones released The Flying Horseman and in it eight boys play the sons of a character called Happy Joe. Buck Jones facing (left to right) Rusty Tolbert, Coy Watson Jr, Leon Holmes, Jack McHugh, Monty O'Grady, Billy Butts and finally to quote from Coy Watson Jr in his book, " Little Harry Spear." There was an eighth boy played by George Dunning who isn't in that photo. They collectively played the eight sons of a character called 'Happy Joe.' I'd love to watch the movie but I haven't been able to find it anywhere.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 4, 2018 8:20:12 GMT -5
Here's a scan from Coy Watson's book showing a scene from the same movie, which he wrongly listed as White Eagle (1933). It obviously isn't from that at all as in White Eagle Buck Jones played an 'Indian' and in 1933 Harry Spear was 11 and Coy Watson was 20, which they plainly aren't in the photo. The still is from The Flying Horseman (1926).
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 4, 2018 8:31:48 GMT -5
Here are two scans from Coy Watson Jr's book showing him with his on screen pet dog (he had a dog of his own at home) in one of the shorts from his Education Pictures kid comedy series. This one was A Nick Of Time Hero (1921)
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 4, 2018 8:37:00 GMT -5
At nine years of age Coy Watson Jr even made a pretty convincing bully, in Assorted Heroes (1921) Coy used a similar expression when he squared up to Jackie Coogan in Buttons (1927)
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 6, 2018 17:19:40 GMT -5
Earlier in this thread I posted a link to the movie The Shakedown (1929) which features James Murray as a boxer, with Jack Halon as an orphan who he takes under his wing. I've just watched it and although it has a different writer than Conflict (1934), which was written by Jack London, essentially both movies tell the same story. The main character, our hero, comes to a town and gets a job. Over the space of a month he establishes himself as a nice guy, a friend to everyone. A prize fighter arrives in the town, gets flirty with a local girl and our hero publicly puts the fighter in his place. One of the bystanders organises a boxing match so that the two men can iron out their differences. Of course all the locals place bets on our hero to win, they know him, he's a nice guy and they've just seen him floor the professional boxer. Unfortunately for them the whole thing was a set up and our hero then proceeds to throw the fight, pocketing a nice wad of cash from the promoter (who'd earlier pretended to be the bystander who organised the fight). Our hero moves to another town, to start the process over again. However this time he meets and befriends an orphan boy and he also falls for a girl. That's when things become complicated. I won't reveal any more of the plot, watch the movie or better still watch them both. In Conflict John Wayne played the role of the hero boxer and Tommy Bupp was the orphan who he befriended. I'm a big fan of Tommy and the Duke was a great actor too, so obviously I really like that movie but after watching The Shakedown, in which Jack McHugh did have a fight with Jack Halon, I was totally bowled over by Jack Halon's acting, the boy was a star, he could really act. So from my point of view there is no loser, both movies win as they are both equally as good. Jack Vs Jack
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 7, 2018 17:45:16 GMT -5
After watching Jack McHugh making an appearance in the silent movie The Shakedown (1929) last night, tonight I got to see him in a talkie, made the same year. In total Jack's screen time was probably less than ten minutes, in a 72 minutes movie, but he rated fourth place on the billing and his role was pretty memorable. The film was initially filmed as a silent movie but in 1929 talkies were the latest thing in town so most of the actors returned to the studio, before the movie's release, to record dialogue for their characters, with the exception of the female lead, whose voice was dubbed by another actress. Anyway the movie was called Chinatown Nights and was based on a book called Tong Wars, which pretty much sums up the story. One tong was lead by a Chinese chap called Boston Charlie (who was actual played by a white actor wearing make up) and the rival tong being lead by an Irishman called Chuck Riley. If you want to know more watch the movie for free on YouTube. For a 15/16 year old Jack McHugh had a surprising high pitched voice but I think puberty started later back then so presumably his voice hadn't broke.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 12, 2018 5:36:26 GMT -5
Jack McHugh certainly didn't have things his own way. He was shot in one movie, given as good as he got by Jack Hanlon in another and really put in his place when he stole an egg from a four year old boy called Ginger in Sea Scamps. How do you get even with a twelve year old who stole your egg, when you're only four? You even things up a bit first. A little lower might have been even more effective. But it did the trick.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on Apr 25, 2018 16:38:59 GMT -5
I just watched the Big Boy short Kid Tricks (1927). As one of the later shorts in the series there was no neighbourhood gang of kids and no Harry Spear. Malcolm Sebastian was the center of attention, but when he went to stay with his rich father I was pleased to discover that the housekeeper's nasty son was played by Jack McHugh, who as always, when given the opportunity, put in an excellent slapstick performance. He did his best to land Big Boy in a lot of bother but all of his nasty tricks backfired and poor Jack ended up getting soaked (twice), crashing through a chair and landing on his ar5e, falling down stairs and even getting an electric fan down the back of his trousers. For me Jack was the highlight of the short but perhaps of more interest to members here was the uncredited appearance of Jannie 'Mango' Hoskins, in a brief scene at the end of the short. The short is available to watch on YouTube and also on The Internet Archive.
|
|
|
Post by Buppster on May 4, 2018 4:49:59 GMT -5
Who's a Pretty Boy then?As I mentioned in another thread, about attractive Our Gangers, as a kid of ten or so back in the early 1940s I can easily imagine collecting arcade cards with pictures of Darryl Hickman and Johnnie Downs on them, while my classmates were collecting cards with screen cowboys and sportsmen on them. Undoubtedly my parents would have worried a little but probably consoled themselves that handsome Johnnie and Darryl were excellent, clean cut, well spoken and tidy role models for a boy. However I think that their concerns would have ramped up to 11 on the dial once I put my first movie poster featuring Vozidar "Bobby" Samarzich on my bedroom wall. Bobby is the one, second from left, who you thought was a girl. He wasn't so much handsome as darn purty. And yes, that is Scotty Beckett next to him. Bobby might have been pushing the boundaries of acceptability but I think that my parents would have had disowned me if I'd put a picture or two of Ra Hould (AKA Ronald Sinclair) on my bedroom wall. He was so pretty, with delicate and very feminine features, that he made girls look positively clumpy and drab in comparison. Poor Judy Garland didn't stand a chance. Ra had it all, stunning good looks, a career in the movies and he was also a violin prodigy, before he ever became an actor at the grand old age of twelve. But to top it all he even appeared in a movie with Tommy Bupp (Dangerous Holiday). Some guys have all the luck.
|
|