Roscoe Arbuckle
Acting • Born 1887-03-22 – Died 1933-06-29
Biography
Roscoe Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 - June 29, 1933), widely known to audiences as “Fatty” Arbuckle, was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd as well as with his nephew, Al St. John. He also mentored Charlie Chaplin, Monty Banks and Bob Hope, and brought vaudeville star Buster Keaton into the movie business. Arbuckle was one of the most popular silent stars of the 1910s and one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time. In one of the earliest Hollywood scandals, Arbuckle was the defendant in three widely publicized trials between November 1921 and April 1922 for the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe had fallen ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel in September 1921, and died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. The first two trials resulted in hung juries, but the third acquitted Arbuckle. The third jury took the unusual step of giving Arbuckle a written statement of apology for his treatment by the justice system. Despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the scandal largely halted his career and has mostly overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian.
Filmography
188 credits
The Masquerader
Movie • 1914
Film actor
Hollywood
Movie • 1923
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
Back Stage
Movie • 1919
Stagehand
The Bell Boy
Movie • 1918
Bellboy, barber
Coney Island
Movie • 1917
Fatty
Good Night, Nurse!
Movie • 1918
Fatty
His Wedding Night
Movie • 1917
Gas station employee
Zip, the Dodger
Movie • 1914
Zip
Out West
Movie • 1918
Train Rider, Bartender
The Rough House
Movie • 1917
Mr. Rough
The Hayseed
Movie • 1919
Mailman
The Garage
Movie • 1920
Mechanic / Fireman
The Cook
Movie • 1918
The Chef
The Butcher Boy
Movie • 1917
Fatty / Saccharine
Oh, Doctor!
Movie • 1917
Dr. Fatty Holepoke
Moonshine
Movie • 1918
Revenue Agent
Tango Tangles
Movie • 1914
Clarinetist
A Film Johnnie
Movie • 1914
Self
The Knockout
Movie • 1914
Pug (uncredited)
His Favorite Pastime
Movie • 1914
Shabby Drunk
His New Profession
Movie • 1914
Bartender Smoking Cigar
The Rounders
Movie • 1914
Mr. Fuller
Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day
Movie • 1915
Fatty
A Country Hero
Movie • 1917
Village Blacksmith
Stars of Yesterday
Movie • 1931
Self
Fatty and Mabel Adrift
Movie • 1916
Fatty
When Comedy Was King
Movie • 1960
edited from 'Fatty & Mabel Adrift' (archive footage)
Fatty's Tintype Tangle
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Brewster's Millions
Movie • 1921
Monte Brewster
Crazy Days
Movie • 1962
Various (archive footage) (uncredited)
A Flirt's Mistake
Movie • 1914
Husband (uncredited)
Fatty Joins the Force
Movie • 1913
Fatty
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Fatty's New Role
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Leading Lizzie Astray
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Murphy's I.O.U.
Movie • 1913
(uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Caught in a Flue
Movie • 1914
(unconfirmed)
Love and Bullets
Movie • 1914
Film Actor (uncredited)
Those Happy Days
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Fatty's Finish
Movie • 1914
Fatty
A Suspended Ordeal
Movie • 1914
The Cop
Our Country Cousin
Movie • 1914
The Country Boy (unconfirmed)
A Rowboat Romance
Movie • 1914
(unconfirmed)
The Sky Pirate
Movie • 1914
The Heiress
Fatty's Gift
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Fatty and the Heiress
Movie • 1914
Fatty
That Minstrel Man
Movie • 1914
Belle
The Baggage Smasher
Movie • 1914
(unconfirmed)
Fatty Again
Movie • 1914
Fatty Felix
Their Ups and Downs
Movie • 1914
Fatty
A Brand New Hero
Movie • 1914
The Tramp
Bombs and Bangs
Movie • 1914
The Farmer's Daughter
How Old Are You?
Movie • 1914
Shotguns That Kick
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Fatty's Wild Night
Movie • 1914
A Village Scandal
Movie • 1915
Eddie - the Country Boy
Buzzin' Around
Movie • 1933
Cornelius
Peeping Pete
Movie • 1913
Pete's Wife
Mabel's New Hero
Movie • 1913
Fatty
A Bandit
Movie • 1913
Bully
The Other Man
Movie • 1916
Fatty the Tramp (dual role)
A Creampuff Romance
Movie • 1916
The Late Lamented
Movie • 1917
Cameo Appearance (unconfirmed)
Listen Lena
Movie • 1927
Fat man with strategically covered face (unconfirmed)
My Stars
Movie • 1926
Mailman (uncredited)
Miss Fatty's Seaside Lovers
Movie • 1915
Finnegan's Daughter
Those Country Kids
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Fatty's Magic Pants
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Mabel’s Wilful Way
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Mabel, Fatty and the Law
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Wished on Mabel
Movie • 1915
Fatty
A Glimpse of the San Diego Exposition
Movie • 1915
Himself
The Little Teacher
Movie • 1915
Fat Unruly Student
That Little Band Of Gold
Movie • 1915
Fatty - the Husband
Fatty’s Reckless Fling
Movie • 1915
Fatty
When Love Took Wings
Movie • 1915
Reckless Fatty
Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Fatty’s Plucky Pup
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Fatty’s Faithful Fido
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life
Movie • 1915
Roscoe
He Did and He Didn’t
Movie • 1916
The Doctor
Love
Movie • 1919
Fatty
Leap Year
Movie • 1924
Stanley Piper
Fatty and Minnie He-Haw
Movie • 1914
Fatty
A Scrap of Paper
Movie • 1918
Fatty
His Wife's Mistakes
Movie • 1916
The Janitor
Fatty's Jonah Day
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Lover's Luck
Movie • 1914
Fatty
In the Dough
Movie • 1933
Slim
The Gangsters
Movie • 1913
Cop
A Voice from the Deep
Movie • 1912
Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Ben's Kid
Movie • 1909
Fatty Carter
The Sanitarium
Movie • 1910
Charley Wise
Passions, He Had Three
Movie • 1913
Henry
Alas! Poor Yorick!
Movie • 1913
Player in Female Costume
Making It Pleasant for Him
Movie • 1909
Mrs. Jones' Birthday
Movie • 1909
Help! Help! Hydrophobia!
Movie • 1913
Jim Brown
The Waiters' Picnic
Movie • 1913
Oscar - the Waiter
The Speed Kings
Movie • 1913
Masher
For the Love of Mabel
Movie • 1913
Suitor
Almost a Rescue
Movie • 1913
Jimmie
Professor Bean's Removal
Movie • 1913
Man with Moustache
Love and Courage
Movie • 1913
The Country Boy
Rastus and the Game Cock
Movie • 1913
Spectator
Safe in Jail
Movie • 1913
Neighbor Woman
A Noise from the Deep
Movie • 1913
Bob
Love and Rubbish
Movie • 1913
Fat Boy
The Telltale Light
Movie • 1913
Tom aka Fatty
Mabel's Dramatic Career
Movie • 1913
Man in Audience
The Fatal Taxicab
Movie • 1913
Mabel's Sweetheart
The Riot
Movie • 1913
Cohen - Jewish Neighborhood Leader
Fatty's Day Off
Movie • 1913
Fatty
The Gypsy Queen
Movie • 1913
Fatty
When Dreams Come True
Movie • 1913
The Man
A Quiet Little Wedding
Movie • 1913
Fatty
Mother's Boy
Movie • 1913
Mother's Boy
A Small Time Act
Movie • 1913
Theatre Owner
The Milk We Drink
Movie • 1913
The Dairy Farmer
Fatty at San Diego
Movie • 1913
Fatty
Two Old Tars
Movie • 1913
First Old Tar
Wine
Movie • 1913
The Waiter
A Ride for a Bride
Movie • 1913
Fatty
The Woman Haters
Movie • 1913
1st Old Tar
Some Nerve
Movie • 1913
The Jealous Man
Fatty's Flirtation
Movie • 1913
Fatty
His Sister's Kids
Movie • 1913
Dr. J. Jacobs
He Would a Hunting Go
Movie • 1913
Count Chicori
A Misplaced Foot
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Rebecca's Wedding Day
Movie • 1914
Rebecca
A Robust Romeo
Movie • 1914
Fatty
The Under-Sheriff
Movie • 1914
The Under-Sheriff
In the Clutches of the Gang
Movie • 1914
Cop
Twixt Love and Fire
Movie • 1914
The Iceman
Where Hazel Met the Villain
Movie • 1914
Fatty
The Chicken Chaser
Movie • 1914
The Hired Man
A Bath House Beauty
Movie • 1914
Fatty
A Rural Demon
Movie • 1914
Barnyard Flirtations
Movie • 1914
The Cop
Go West
Movie • 1925
Woman in Department Store (uncredited)
Chaplin Today: The Gold Rush
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
A Reckless Romeo
Movie • 1917
The Husband
The Waiters' Ball
Movie • 1916
The Cook
Hey, Pop!
Movie • 1932
Fatty
The Chaplin Puzzle
Movie • 1992
(archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Movie • 2007
Self (archive footage)
The Life of the Party
Movie • 1920
Algernon Leary (as Roscoe Arbuckle)
Traveling Salesman
Movie • 1921
Bob Blake
The Round-Up
Movie • 1920
Slim Hoover
The Dollar-a-Year Man
Movie • 1921
Franklin Pinney
Gasoline Gus
Movie • 1921
Gasoline Gus
Crazy to Marry
Movie • 1921
Dr. Hobart Hupp
The Fast Freight
Movie • 1922
Ras Berry
So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts
Movie • 2006
(archive footage)
Days of Thrills and Laughter
Movie • 1961
Self (archive footage)
How've You Bean?
Movie • 1933
Close Relations
Movie • 1933
Wilbur Wart
Tomalio
Movie • 1933
Wilbur
Character Studies
Movie • 1927
Self (uncredited)
Fatty's Debut
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Fatty's Wine Party
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923
Movie • 2016
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
Movie • 1943
(archive footage)
Looking for Mabel Normand
Movie • 2015
Self (archive footage)
Fickle Fatty's Fall
Movie • 1915
Fatty
Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco
Movie • 1915
Himself
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume One
Movie • 2001
Various
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume Two
Movie • 2001
Various
Fatty and the Broadway Stars
Movie • 1915
Fatty - Studio Janitor
Camping Out
Movie • 1919
The Pullman Porter
Movie • 1919
The Bank Clerk
Movie • 1919
A Desert Hero
Movie • 1919
The Sheriff, the Desert Hero
The Sheriff
Movie • 1918
Cook
An Incompetent Hero
Movie • 1914
Fatty
The Sea Nymphs
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Lovers' Post Office
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Bright Lights
Movie • 1916
Fatty
The Alarm
Movie • 1914
The Water Dog
Movie • 1914
Fatty
Hogan's Romance Upset
Movie • 1915
Fight Spectator
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)
Movie • 1921
Himself
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Movie • 1988
Murders of Hollywood
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
The Parrott Chase
Movie • 2009
Himself - archival footage
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty
Movie • 2020
archive footage