This very unique short is included in the four DVD set of THE FORGOTTEN FILMS OF ROSCOE "FATTY" ARBUCKLE. The exact date for this short and why it was made are unknown, but it is odd in that Fatty makes a brief appearance AFTER the famous rape scandal. The commentary on the DVD guesses that perhaps this was a movie made by United Artists (the studio owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks) to show to their friends at parties and was not ORIGINALLY intended to be shown to general audiences. However, a few years later, the film was released to the public.
Carter DeHaven, an actor pretty much forgotten with time, is the star of the short. He is standing on a stage and announces he will be doing some impersonations of celebrities. He has a chest in front of him and he pretends to be taking makeup and props out of it and ducks down--when, with trick camera-work, he emerges as an exact copy of the original. Actually, the camera relatively seamlessly stops and the ACTUAL celebrity is featured--i.e., pretending to be an imitation while it's really the original. This is a cute idea and such very famous stars are featured as Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle, Rudolph Valentino and ultimately a young Jackie Coogan! Wow--that Carter DeHaven sure seems versatile!!! The short is an absolute must for lovers of silent cinema.
Carter DeHaven, an actor pretty much forgotten with time, is the star of the short. He is standing on a stage and announces he will be doing some impersonations of celebrities. He has a chest in front of him and he pretends to be taking makeup and props out of it and ducks down--when, with trick camera-work, he emerges as an exact copy of the original. Actually, the camera relatively seamlessly stops and the ACTUAL celebrity is featured--i.e., pretending to be an imitation while it's really the original. This is a cute idea and such very famous stars are featured as Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle, Rudolph Valentino and ultimately a young Jackie Coogan! Wow--that Carter DeHaven sure seems versatile!!! The short is an absolute must for lovers of silent cinema.