https://www.thoughtco.com/fatty-arbuckle-scandal-1779625 (accessed March 4, 2023). One of the rooms occupied by Arbuckle and his guests in the days after the infamous party. And the man charged with her death was Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Hollywood's first one-million-dollar star. [6], Arbuckle was nearly two when his family moved to Santa Ana, California. Rappe was not hospitalized until two days after the incident.[3]. Arbuckle later wrote a premise for a film parodying Hart as a thief, bully, and wife beater, which Keaton purchased from him. Fatty Arbuckle's was modelled on American diners, and had a retro Hollywood theme. However, Arbuckle was still unable to secure work as an actor. [3], Most exhibitors still declined to show Arbuckle's films, several of which now have no copies known to have survived intact. She died one day after her hospitalization from peritonitis caused by a ruptured bladder. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. [citation needed], Arbuckle was regarded by those who knew him closely as a good-natured man who was shy around women; he has been described as "the most chaste man in pictures". Around 3 o'clock, Arbuckle retired from the party in order to get dressed to go sight-seeing with a friend. Among the guests was Virginia Rappe, a 30-year-old struggling actress who suffered from chronic cystitis, a bladder inflammation. Jury Nullification: Definition and Examples, Charles Manson and the Tate and LaBianca Murders, How Conservative Hollywood Became a Liberal Town, Profile of Death Row Inmate Brenda Andrew, Overview of the Jury Trial Stage of a Criminal Case, Profile of Husband Killer Kelly Gissendaner, Murder of Helen Jewett, Media Sensation of 1836, B.A., History, University of California at Davis. "Scandal hits industry," blared a Sept. 16, 1921, Variety. [citation needed], Arbuckle and Dan Coombs, one of Culver City's first mayors, re-opened the Plantation Club near the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios on Washington Boulevard as Roscoe Arbuckle's Plantation Caf on August 2, 1928. Fatty Arbuckle began his film career the Selig Polyscope Company. Brady at first used Delmont as his star witness during the indictment hearing. In the scene, Valentino picks up starlet Jean Acker (played by Carol Kane) off a table in which she is sitting in front of Fatty and dances with her, enraging the spoiled star, who becomes apoplectic. On the heels of million-dollar comedian Fatty Arbuckle's manslaughter charge, and actor Wallace Reid's drug-related death, Taylor's murder spurred a newfound interest in Hollywood scandal. With the scandal as front-page news on almost every newspaper, it was difficult to get an unbiased jury. Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection. The scandal that followed her death had nothing to do with the fame, or lack of it, of the pretty actress - it was her link to the man who was known as "America's Funnyman . [12][13] They made a strange couple, as Minta was short and petite while Arbuckle tipped the scales at 300lbs. Film actor William S. Hart, who had never met or worked with Arbuckle, made a number of damaging public statements in which he presumed that Arbuckle was guilty. After three trials Arbuckle was finally acquitted on April 12, 1922 but not until his reputation was destroyed and his movies were banned. The first two cases ended in hung juries. [44], In 1929, Doris Deane sued for divorce from Arbuckle in Los Angeles, charging desertion and cruelty. 05 Feb. 2012. The poor man was completely framed for the murder of Vriginia Rappe. On September 5, 1921, Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle, known as Fatty, a known comedian, actor, director and screen writer, and two others rented three rooms in the St. Francis Hotel. Ultimately, the judge found no evidence of rape. He just sat in his director's chair like a dead man. Director: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. After three manslaughter trials, Arbuckle was formally acquitted; his acquittal in the third trial was accompanied by an unprecedented statement of apology from the jury stating, in part, that, "Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. Whatever happened that night, Virginia Rappes condition had still not improved three days afterward. The main prosecution witness, Zey Prevon, had escaped house arrest and left the country. According to Buster Keaton, Hearst boasted that Arbuckle's story sold more papers than thesinking of the Lusitania. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. Dear Mick: You state, regarding the Fatty Arbuckle alleged rape-murder incident, "That crime never happened." However, since you were not there, you can't truthfully say it "never happened." The first two trials ended in hung juries, indicating that the evidence was not open and shut. [17], In 1914, Paramount Pictures made the then unheard-of offer of US$1,000 a day plus twenty-five percent of all profits and complete artistic control to make movies with Arbuckle and Normand. Are you sure Roscoe Arbuckle is getting one today? However, since many of Lehrman's films are lost, the exact number of roles she performed for him cannot be determined. "[27] Buster Keaton reportedly did make one public statement in support of Arbuckle's innocence, a decision which earned him a mild reprimand from the studio where he worked. "The "Fatty" Arbuckle Scandal." Rooms 1219 and 1221 were for them, and room 1220 was to be used for a party room. [3] Arbuckle hired as his lead defense counsel Gavin McNab, a competent local attorney. Farley's film was signed with Vince Vaughn as his co-star. Read about our approach to external linking. "Everyone had believed the stars were covered in fairy dust. [6] This film was not released until 1920, when Balshofer recut it and released it under the title An Adventuress, and later in 1922, after Rappe's death, as The Isle of Love.[7]. In response to the Arbuckle scandal, Hollywood established a self-policing organization that was to be known as the "Hays Office.". In 1913, at the age of 26, Arbuckle hit the big time when he signed with Mack Sennett's Keystone Film Company and became one of the Keystone Kops. Arbuckle's rehabilitation was finally complete when Warner Bros offered him a feature-film contract in 1933. Arbuckle testified, repeating his side of the story. [citation needed], This article is about the actor Roscoe Arbuckle. Working mostly in bit parts, Rappe died after attending a party with actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who was accused of manslaughter and rape in connection with her death, though he was ultimately acquitted of both charges. To calm Rappe down, they placed her in a bathtub of cool water. Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle. Arbuckle greeted visitors in his pajamas and though this was during Prohibition, large quantities of liquor werebeing drunk. That night he died of a heart attack in the arms of his third wife. Though as Fatty Arbuckle was taking the world by storm with his movie career, a new face was just beginning to make the rounds in Hollywood. [3], Arbuckle's attorneys later concentrated their attention on one woman named Helen Hubbard, who had told jurors that she would vote guilty "until hell freezes over". [3], By the time of Arbuckle's third trial, his films had been banned, and newspapers had been filled for the past seven months with stories of Hollywood orgies, murder, and sexual perversion. He had also requested that all showings and bookings of Arbuckle films be canceled, and exhibitors complied. THE LONG FALL OF ROSCOE "FATTY" ARBUCKLE. [3] Virginia was then raised by her grandmother. From then until 1913, Roscoe was on the stage, performing as an . Because the first trial ended with a hung jury, Arbuckle was tried again. Virginia Rappe was a 26-year old aspiring actress and model, originally from Chicago, who had a reputation as something of a party girl. Today we continue with the ruination of Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle, circa 1921. It also didnt help Delmonts credibility that shed sent telegrams to attorneys saying WE HAVE ROSCOE ARBUCKLE IN A HOLE HERE CHANCE TO MAKE SOME MONEY OUT OF HIM.. In his room, Arbuckle discovered Rappe in the bathroom vomiting into the toilet. After five days and over forty hours of deliberation, the jury returned on February 3, deadlocked with a 102 majority in favour of conviction, resulting in another mistrial. After this look at Fatty Arbuckle and the Virginia Rappe case, read up on other old Hollywood scandals including the murder of William Desmond Taylor and the tragic downfall of Frances Farmer. But by this time, the scandal had so devastated Arbuckles career that the jury who acquitted him felt obliged to read an apologetic statement that concluded with We wish him success and hope that the American people will take the judgment of fourteen men and women that Roscoe Arbuckle is entirely innocent and free from all blame.. It was on 5 September 1921, that Arbuckle ended up at a party in a luxury suite on the 12th floor of the St Francis, after taking a break from a hectic filming schedule. Video, 'Trump or bust' - grassroots Republicans are still loyal, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Ukraine repels 'numerous attacks' in Bakhmut, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Biden had skin cancer lesion removed - White House, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. By 1916, at the age of 21, she was earning $4,000 a year ($66,000 today) from her dress designs. The funeral of Earl Hamilton Frye, of whose death at St. Paul, Jan. 18, we reported last week, was held last Thurs Who Was Fatty Arbuckle? Showing Editorial results for fatty arbuckle. He was in the habit of singing while he worked, and a professional singer heard him and invited him to perform in an amateur talent show. ThoughtCo, Sep. 2, 2021, thoughtco.com/fatty-arbuckle-scandal-1779625. [32], The second trial began January 11, 1922, with a new jury, but with the same legal defense and prosecution as well as the same presiding judge. [citation needed], During the whole trial, the prosecution presented medical descriptions of Rappe's bladder as evidence that she had an illness. comment. After famed operatic tenor Enrico Caruso heard him sing, he urged the comedian to "give up this nonsense you do for a living, with training you could become the second greatest singer in the world. The first Arbuckle trial began on November 1921 and charged Arbuckle with manslaughter. Good). Mississippi-based Arbuckle historian David Pearson says the star was the inspiration to many overweight comics, such as John Belushi, Benny Hill, John Candy and Chris Farley. Minta Durfee, the actress who was married to Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle and became Charlie Chaplin's first motionpicture leading lady, died Tuesday in Woodland Hills, a Los Angeles suburb. His stage name was Fatty Arbuckle, and he was a big, graceful actor with acrobatic ingenuity and a befuddled. Truly exotic conditions, such as tuberculous cystitis weren't mentioned during the three trials. On Thursday, Rappe was taken to the Wakefield Sanitorium, a maternity hospital known for giving abortions. Hearst was gratified by the profits he accrued during the Arbuckle scandal, and he later said that it had "sold more newspapers than any event since the sinking of the Lusitania. [61] The 1963 novel Scandal in Eden by Garet Rogers[62] is a fictionalized version of the Arbuckle scandal. Because alcohol was consumed at the party, Arbuckle was forced to plead guilty to one count of violating the Volstead Act and had to pay a $500 fine. Despite his popularity, no future Arbuckle films were to be released, the letter stated. Arbuckle, whose real name was Roscoe, had allegedly locked Rappe in a room and crushed her with his 19 stone body weight and raped her. The doctor examined Rappe but found no evidence of rape. "[21], On September 5, 1921, Arbuckle took a break from his hectic film schedule and, despite suffering from second-degree burns to both buttocks from an on-set accident, drove to San Francisco with two friends, Lowell Sherman and Fred Fishback. Arbuckle's father had always treated him harshly[8] and now refused to support him, so he got work doing odd jobs in a hotel. [38] Arbuckle married Doris Deane on May 16, 1925. He suffered a heart attack later that night and died in his sleep. Mack Sennett, when recounting his first meeting with Arbuckle, noted that he "skipped up the stairs as lightly as Fred Astaire" and that he "without warning went into a feather light step, clapped his hands and did a backward somersault as graceful as a girl tumbler". Paramount Pictures had paid him an unprecedented $3 million over three years to star in 18 silent films, and he'd just. Roscoe Arbuckle in FATTY'S WILD RIDE TUESDAY Geo. Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 - June 29, 1933) was an American silent movie actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Prices $1.50, $1.00, 75 cents. What happened in the following ten minutes is disputed. By . Then, at some point during the revelry, Arbuckle and Rappe were briefly in the same hotel room together. Some articles stated Arbuckle had crushed Rappe with his weight, while others said he had raped her with a foreign object (the papers went into graphic details). [citation needed] In December of the same year, under public pressure, Hays elected to lift the ban. There she met dress designer Robert Moscovitz and they became engaged, but shortly afterward he was killed in a streetcar accident, and Rappe moved to Los Angeles. Delmont was touring the country giving one-woman shows as, "The woman who signed the murder charge against Arbuckle", and lecturing on the evils of Hollywood. [citation needed], Fatty Arbuckle's was an American-themed restaurant chain in the UK named after Arbuckle. [3] The defense had also obtained a letter from Delmont admitting to a plan to extort payment from Arbuckle. [45] On June 21, 1932, Roscoe married Addie Oakley Dukes McPhail (later Addie Oakley Sheldon, 19052003) in Erie, Pennsylvania. The next day he signed a contract with Warner Bros. to star in a feature-length film. Jennifer Rosenberg is a historian and writer who specializes in 20th-century history. "Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915," database, FamilySearch (, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:12, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WC-F8M, "The Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920", "Sausalito News 12 November 1921 California Digital Newspaper Collection", "Fatty Arbuckle and the Death of Virginia Rappe", Crime Library Article on the Rappe/Arbuckle case, Film researcher discusses the Fatty Arbuckle trial, Allan Ellenberger blog entry on Virginia Rappe, 'Fatty' Arbuckle and Hollywood's first scandal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virginia_Rappe&oldid=1140848504, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:12. Although Arbuckle was able to keep his leg, he was prescribed morphine against the pain; he would later be accused of being addicted to it. Public safetyLast week a 34-year-old mother was killed in North Rhine-Westphalia when a German-born man with Serbian roots pushed her into the path of an oncoming train. The jury began deliberations April 12 and took only six minutes to return with a unanimous not-guilty verdict; five of those minutes were spent writing a formal statement of apology to Arbuckle for putting him through the ordeal, a dramatic move in American justice. [33] It was eventually released in Europe. [28][29], The prosecutor, San Francisco District Attorney Matthew Brady, an intensely ambitious man who planned to run for governor, made public pronouncements of Arbuckle's guilt and pressured witnesses to make false statements. in the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Censors cited the ten-year-old scandal and refused to grant an exhibition certificate. Virtually the only indisputable facts seem to be that on September 5, 1921, there was a party at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco where alcohol was in abundance (despite Prohibition laws) and that both Arbuckle, then age 33, and a woman named Virginia Rappe were in attendance. Buster Keaton is said to have been in the courtroom and provided important evidence to prove Arbuckle's innocence; Delmont was involved in prostitution, extortion, and blackmail. 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. Evidence can be lost, witnesses change their stories, and criminals can lie, making cases very difficult to decide. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, onscreen, discovered an empty whisky bottle and gives it a decent burial, using flowers he had gathered for his girlfriend. The star, thought to have weighed about 260lb (118kg), was portrayed as a fat brute who had pinned down his prey, rupturing her bladder. Arbuckle calmly maintained that he never physically hurt or sexually assaulted Rappe in any way during the party, and he also stated that he never made any inappropriate sexual advances against any woman in his life. [11] He was 46. [6] Arbuckle then joined the Morosco Burbank Stock vaudeville company and went on a tour of China and Japan, returning in early 1909. During the second week of September 1921, like Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, motion picture executives placed a ban on any motion pictures in which Rappe appeared. [n 1] Although his large size was undoubtedly part of his comedic appeal, Arbuckle was self-conscious about his weight and refused to use it to get "cheap" laughs like getting stuck in a doorway or chair. The main character in the story is Dashiell Hammett, a Pinkerton detective in San Francisco at the time of the trials. After helping her onto the bed, he and several other guests summoned the hotel doctor, who determined that Rappe was just heavily intoxicated and took her into another hotel room to sleep it off. Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (/rbkl/; March 24, 1887 June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Courtroom trials are rarely cut and dry. A second Fatty Arbuckle's restaurant was opened in Bournemouth in 1985. He appeared sporadically in Selig one-reelers until 1913, moved briefly to Universal Pictures, and became a star in producer-director Mack Sennett's Keystone Cops comedies. After hearing testimony from one of the party guests, Zey Prevon, that Rappe told her "Roscoe hurt me" on her deathbed, the judge decided that Arbuckle could be charged with first-degree murder. (2021, September 2). Fatty Arbuckle's mug shot. [58] Like Farley, comedians John Belushi and John Candy also considered playing Arbuckle, but each of them died before a biopic was made. had grocery-store gags reminiscent of Arbuckle's 1917 short The Butcher Boy, with vaudeville comic Fritz Hubert as his assistant, dressed like Buster Keaton. Any trauma in the abdominal area could have caused the rupture. Like many experts on the case, Pearson is convinced Arbuckle did not harm Rappe. At the hospital, Rappe's companion at the party, Bambina Maude Delmont, told a doctor that Arbuckle had raped her friend. Dr. Heinrich's claim to have found fingerprints was cast into doubt after McNab produced a maid from the St. Francis Hotel who testified that she had thoroughly cleaned the room before the investigation took place. The media had a field day with the story . [40] The same year, in Photoplay's August issue, James R. Quirk wrote: "I would like to see Roscoe Arbuckle make a comeback to the screen." During a party held on Labor Day, September 5, 1921, in Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's suite at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Rappe allegedly suffered a trauma. [3] At a later press conference, Rappe's manager, Al Semnacher, accused Arbuckle of using a piece of ice to simulate sex with Rappe, thus leading to her injuries.