Arbuckle hardscraple life began when his father refused to support his son at 11 years old upon the death of his mother. A velvety singing voice opened up doors for the young boy, introducing him to an early acting career in vaudeville. Touring internationally throughout the early 1900's, Arbuckle latched on to Chicago's Selig Polyscope Company in 1909 before signing on with Keystone in 1913. The over 300-pound comedian refused to be in skits involving his weight, like getting stuck in doorways, and lobbied to emphasize his physical dexterity, of which he was super coordinated for his size.
Sennett remembers first seeing Arbuckle, that he "skipped up the stairs as lightly as Fred Astaire and without warning went into a feather light step, clapped his hands and did a backward somersault as graceful as a girl tumbler."
Fatty's physicality was shown in "Adrift" is his personally-directed June 1916 freewheeling movie "The Waiter's Ball." Arbuckle plays a cook who displays a pancake juggling act throughout his kitchen duty. Actor St. John, a waiter, again plays foil to Roscoe's plans to attend a ball for restaurant professionals. This allows Arbuckle to cross dress as a woman, a schtick Fatty used a number of times, to go incognito to catch St. John in the act of stealing his formal ball suit.
Arbuckle eventually left Keystone and formed his own production company before signing a very lucrative contract with Paramount Pictures in 1918.
Sennett remembers first seeing Arbuckle, that he "skipped up the stairs as lightly as Fred Astaire and without warning went into a feather light step, clapped his hands and did a backward somersault as graceful as a girl tumbler."
Fatty's physicality was shown in "Adrift" is his personally-directed June 1916 freewheeling movie "The Waiter's Ball." Arbuckle plays a cook who displays a pancake juggling act throughout his kitchen duty. Actor St. John, a waiter, again plays foil to Roscoe's plans to attend a ball for restaurant professionals. This allows Arbuckle to cross dress as a woman, a schtick Fatty used a number of times, to go incognito to catch St. John in the act of stealing his formal ball suit.
Arbuckle eventually left Keystone and formed his own production company before signing a very lucrative contract with Paramount Pictures in 1918.