90 years ago today: The beginning of the end for Fatty Arbuckle

It was Sept. 5, 1921, in Room 1219 of the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, that a young woman fell ill while partying with silent film star Fatty Arbuckle (she died shortly thereafter). It was Hollywood's first real scandal, and ruined Arbuckle's career.

Interesting story on the incident from bbc.com:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14640719

Always heard Chris Farley wanted to produce and star in an Arbuckle biopic, but obviously he never got the chance. Would still be an interesting subject for someone.

 

Imagine someone billing himself as Fatty nowadays.

 

Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) is set to play Arbuckle in a tv movie directed by Barry Levinson.

 

Farley as Fatty would have been tremendous. He rarely got the chance to show off his dramatic chops, but I think it could have been his defining role.

Arbuckle's career almost certainly would have been over a few years later, of course. Talkies ruined quite a few better silent-film actors than him.

 

While it doesn't have to do with Fatty Arbuckle, this looks like quite an interesting idea:

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I read a good book on Arbuckle and the case a few years back. Arbuckle hated the nickname (for obvious reasons), and friends knew not to call him that.

Arbuckle went through three trials in the case. The first two, if I recall correctly, were hung juries or mistrials in which most of the jury thought of him not guilty. The third trial found him not guilty, then the leaders of Hollywood flat-out took their cue from Judge Landis and declared that regardless of the jury's decision, no studio would be allowed to hire him, and that any theater that showed his films would never receive another movie again. It lasted a few years, until a few people showed some guts and let him back in the business. But by then, it was too late.

Hard to believe in this day and age that Arbuckle wouldn't have sued those guys' asses for depriving him of making a living. His career was ruined, although, as Buck noted, talkies would have probably ended his run anyways.

 

Rudolph Valentino for one. He could barely speak English.

From what I've ever heard on the deal, History Channel type shows mainly, Fatty pretty much got hosed in the whole deal.

 

Who in Hollywood could do it now? In the heavyweight division, you've got John Goodman, who is probably too old to do it now. Kevin James? Jack Black? Kevin Smith? Maybe Kevin Spacey could go on the double-scoop diet and put on a bunch of weight ...

 

Philip Seymour Hoffman seems like a good choice.

 

Jonah Hill no longer qualifies:

 

Hill woulda been my pick ... Goodman would be OK .. I saw him as Babe Ruth ...

At least Arbuckle had a sense of humor about the whole thing ... He directed under the name Will B. Good.

 

John Goodman is 20 years too old.

I'm kind of intrigued by Hoffman, actually. He's have to gain a little weight, though.