Puffy's Lunch Break

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Rob Farr
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Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Rob Farr » Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:12 pm

Found this in a box at a DC used bookstore on Sunday morning. The slug on the back says, "Puffie Comedies, Universal 1928". Nothing says comedy more than a fat man stuffing a sandwich into his face. Image.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Louie Despres
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Louie Despres » Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:42 am

WOW! Great photo, Rob!

Eric Stott
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Eric Stott » Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:05 pm

Has anyone actually seen a Charles Puffy comedy? I've only seen him in Fritz Lang films, plus a small part in OPEN ALL NIGHT.

Steve Massa
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Steve Massa » Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:49 am

I've seen a couple of Puffy comedies - TIGHT CARGO and an unidentified one at the Nederlands Filmmuseum - and they were enjoyable.

BTW, in the photo I think that's Harry Sweet in the middle foreground in the hat and striped tie, and to the right of him Bud Jamison in blackface.

Steve

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:52 am

Eric Stott wrote:Has anyone actually seen a Charles Puffy comedy? I've only seen him in Fritz Lang films, plus a small part in OPEN ALL NIGHT.


Sure, I have a print of TIGHT CARGO (1926) which Blackhawk had for a short time. He's okay, but it ain't that memorable. My favorite role for Puffy is the Cook in MOCKERY (1927), where he and Lon Chaney have a scene together where they have fo war for who has the worst table manners. It's obvious that they are trying to outdo each other in gross eating, and I'll bet there were some great outtakes where they cracked each other up.

Yeah, now that I look at athe photo that's definitely Jamison in blackface, possibly Sweet, he was thinner in silent days.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Steve Massa
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Steve Massa » Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:22 pm

Hi guys
Harry Sweet's one of my favorite overlooked people of silent comedy (thanks to the loss of about 95% of his films). I've been leisurely gathering information on him for a while in the hopes of putting together an article and filmography, but in the meantime we're going to show the 1926 short WHAT! NO SPINACH? that he directed and starred in for producer Joe Rock at our March 21st Silent Clowns show. In this he looks just like he does in Rob's photo. (By the time he appears in the sound short JUST A PAIN IN THE PARLOR ('32) he's gone way beyond "chubby.") Anyway, here's a little tribute I've written for our upcoming show:

WHAT! NO SPINACH? stars and is directed by Harry Sweet, one of the most neglected comedy creators of the silent era. He began appearing in Century Comedies right out of high school in 1919, and became one of their most popular comics of the early 20s where he was often teamed up with the likes of Brownie the wonder dog or the Century Lions. Sadly most of his work is lost, but in his few surviving shorts from that time, like LION JAWS AND KITTEN PAWS ('20), he's a slightly pudgy young goof with an offbeat sense of timing. After a sojourn at Fox he moved behind the camera in 1925 and jumped around to Sennett, Jack White, Joe Rock and Universal directing quirky little comedies for Stan Laurel, Monty Collins, A Ton of Fun, and Charles Puffy. As a director he developed a sort of woolgathering style - where an ever-mounting accumulation of mishaps befall his comic heroes. When sound arrived he still made occasional screen appearances, but found a home at the RKO shorts deapartment where he helped launch Edgar Kennedy's long lasting two-reel series. Sweet was killed at age thirty-two when a plane he was piloting crashed in 1933.

Steve

Eric Stott
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Eric Stott » Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:30 pm

Harry Sweet really had an interesting sense of rhythm and timing, and movements across the screen. one of the best ones I've seen (can't recall the title) had a plot similar to Seven Chances with Harry outracing unwanted brides and facing off against landlady Gail Henry in a tiny apartment. The whole thing was flawlessly choreographed.

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Puffy's Lunch Break

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:17 pm

Eric Stott wrote:Harry Sweet really had an interesting sense of rhythm and timing, and movements across the screen. one of the best ones I've seen (can't recall the title) had a plot similar to Seven Chances with Harry outracing unwanted brides and facing off against landlady Gail Henry in a tiny apartment. The whole thing was flawlessly choreographed.



That's WHAT, NO SPINACH, the one Steve Massa is talking about.

RICHARD M ROBERTS


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