| Mack Sennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Sinnott January 17, 1880 Richmond, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | November 5, 1960 (aged 80) Woodland Hills, California |
| Occupation | producer, actor, director, screenwriter, presenter, composer, cinematographer |
| Years active | 1908 - 1949 |
Mack Sennett (January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Richmond, population 3336 (2006 is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke, Quebec and Drummondville Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Woodland Hills is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy. "
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Early life
Born Michael Sinnott in Richmond, in the province of Quebec, Canada Sennett was a son of Irish Catholic immigrant farmers; his father was a blacksmith in the small Eastern Townships village. Richmond, population 3336 (2006 is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke, Quebec and Drummondville Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Irish Catholics is a term used to describe people of Roman Catholic background who are Irish or of Irish descent. The Eastern Townships ( French: Cantons de l'Est) is a historical region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of At age 17 his family moved to Connecticut. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.
The family lived for a time in the Massachusetts town of Northampton, where, according to his autobiography, Sennett first got the idea to go on stage after seeing a vaudeville show. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. He claimed that the most respected lawyer in town, sometime Northampton mayor and later president of the United States Calvin Coolidge, and Sennett's mother tried to talk him out of his theatrical ambitions. John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929
In New York City, Sennett became a singer, dancer, clown, actor (mostly playing low comedy parts, usually oafish rural types), set designer and director for Biograph. The City of New York Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by their Grotesque appearance colored wigs stylistic makeup, outlandish Costumes unusually An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Scenic design (also known as stage design, set design or production design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as Film or A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928
Keystone Studios
With financial backing from Adam Kessel and Charles O. Bauman of the New York Motion Picture Company, in 1912 Sennett founded Keystone Studios in Edendale, California, (which is now a part of Echo Park). Keystone Studios was an early Movie studio founded in Edendale California in 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Edendale is a historical name for a district in Los Angeles California, northwest of downtown in what is known today as Echo Park and the eastern edge of Silver The original main building, the first totally enclosed film stage and studio in history, is still there. Many important actors started their careers with Sennett, including Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin, Raymond Griffith, Gloria Swanson, Ford Sterling, Andy Clyde, The Keystone Kops, Bing Crosby, and W. C. Fields. Mabel Normand ( November 9, 1892 - February 23, 1930) was an American Film actress and the most popular Raymond Griffith ( January 23 1895 - November 25 1957) was one of the great Silent movie comedians Gloria Swanson (March 27 1899 – April 4 1983 was an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American Hollywood Ford Sterling ( November 3, 1882 – October 13, 1939) was an American actor Andrew "Andy" Clyde ( March 25, 1892 — May 18, 1967) was a Scottish movie and TV actor whose career spanned more than The Keystone Cops was a series of Silent film comedies featuring a totally incompetent group of Policemen produced by Mack Sennett for his Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor
Sennett's slapstick comedies were noted for their wild car chases and custard pie warfare. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with A custard pie is any type of uncooked Custard mixture added to an uncooked or partially cooked crust and baked together His first comedienne was Mabel Normand, who became a major star (and with whom he embarked on a tumultuous personal relationship). Mabel Normand ( November 9, 1892 - February 23, 1930) was an American Film actress and the most popular His films featured a bevy of girls known as the Sennett Bathing Beauties which included Juanita Hansen and Phyllis Haver. Juanita Hansen ( March 3, 1895 – September 26, 1961) was an American Motion picture actress. Phyllis Haver ( January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American Actress of the Silent film era Sennett also developed the Kid Comedies, a forerunner of the Our Gang films and in a short time his name became synonymous with screen comedy. "The Little Rascals" redirects here For other uses see The Little Rascals (disambiguation. In 1915 Keystone Studios became an autonomous production unit of the ambitious Triangle Pictures Corporation, as Sennett joined forces with movie bigwigs D. W. Griffith and Thomas Ince. David Llewelyn Wark "D W" Griffith (January 22 1875 &ndash July 23 1948 was a premier pioneering Academy Award -winning American Film director. Thomas Harper Ince ( November 6, 1882 – November 19, 1924) was an American Silent film Actor, director
In 1917 Sennett gave up the Keystone trademark and organized his own company, Mack Sennett Comedies Corporation. (Sennett's corporate bosses retained the Keystone trademark and produced a cheap series of comedy shorts that were "Keystones" in name only: they were unsuccessful, and Sennett had no connection with them. ) Sennett went on to produce more ambitious comedy short films and a few feature-length films. During the 1920s his short subjects were in much demand, with stars like Billy Bevan, Andy Clyde, Harry Gribbon, Vernon Dent, Alice Day, Ralph Graves, Charlie Murray, and Harry Langdon. Andrew "Andy" Clyde ( March 25, 1892 — May 18, 1967) was a Scottish movie and TV actor whose career spanned more than Vernon Bruce Dent ( February 16, 1895 - November 5, 1963) was a comic actor who co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures Alice Day b Jacquiline Alice Newlin ( November 7, 1905 &ndash May 25, 1995) was a film actor who began her career Harry L Langdon ( June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American Comedian who appeared in Vaudeville, He produced several features with his brightest stars, such as Ben Turpin and Mabel Normand. Ben Turpin ( September 19, 1869 Vaudeville He worked in Vaudeville, Burlesque Mabel Normand ( November 9, 1892 - February 23, 1930) was an American Film actress and the most popular
Many of Sennett's films of the early 1920s were inherited by Warner Brothers when Warners merged with the original distributor, First National. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Warner added music and commentary to several of these shorts, but eventually destroyed the original elements for storage space. As a result many Sennett films, especially those from his most productive and creative period, no longer exist.
Move to Pathé
In the mid-1920s Sennett moved over to Pathé distribution. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Pathé had a huge market share but made bad corporate decisions, such as attempting to sell too many comedies at once (including those of Sennett's main competitor, Hal Roach). Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and In 1927 Paramount and MGM, Hollywood's two top studios, noting the profits being made by companies like Pathé and Educational, both re-entered the production and distribution of short subjects after several years. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Roach signed with MGM but Sennett found himself and Pathé in hard times because the hundreds of exhibitors who had previously rented their shorts had switched to the new MGM or Paramount products.
Experiments, awards, and bankruptcy
Sennett made a reasonably smooth transition to sound films, releasing them through Earle Hammons's Educational Pictures. For the current and unrelated company of the same name see Educational Pictures (image archive Sennett occasionally experimented with color and was the first to get a talkie short subject on the market, in 1928. In 1932 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in the comedy division for producing The Loud Mouth (with Matt McHugh, in the sports-heckler role later taken in Columbia Pictures remakes by Charley Chase and Shemp Howard), and he won in the novelty division for his film Wrestling Swordfish. This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974 }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company Charley Chase ( October 20, 1893 - June 20, 1940) was an American Comedian, Screenwriter and Film director Shemp Howard ( March 04, 1895[http //shempcompanycom/Media/death_cert
Sennett often clung to outmoded techniques, making his early-1930s films seem dated and quaint. This doomed his attempt to re-enter the feature film market with Hypnotized (starring blackface comedians Moran and Mack, "The Two Black Crows"). Blackface in the narrow sense is a style of theatrical Makeup that originated in the United The Two Black Crows (also called The Black Crows and Moran and Mack) was a Blackface Comedy act popular in the 1920s and 30s However, Sennett enjoyed great success with short comedies starring Bing Crosby; these films were probably instrumental in Sennett's product being picked up by a major studio, Paramount Pictures. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. W. C. Fields conceived and starred in four famous Sennett-Paramount comedies. W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor
Sennett's studio did not survive the Great Depression; the Sennett-Paramount partnership lasted only one year, and Sennett was forced into bankruptcy in November 1933. His last work, in 1935, was as a producer-director for Educational Pictures; he directed Buster Keaton in The Timid Young Man and Joan Davis in Way Up Thar. For the current and unrelated company of the same name see Educational Pictures (image archive Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton ( October 4 1895 &ndash February 1 1966) was an Academy Award -winning American The Timid Young Man is a 1935 short Comedy film featuring Buster Keaton. Joan Davis ( June 29, 1907 &ndash May 22, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned Vaudeville He went into semi-retirement at the age of 55, having produced more than 1,000 silent films and several dozen talkies during a 25-year career. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. His studio property was purchased by Mascot Pictures (later part of Republic Pictures), and many of his former staffers found work at Columbia Pictures. The Mascot Pictures Corporation was a minor film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing Film serials and B-westerns. Republic Pictures (also known as Republic Entertainment Inc) is an independent film television and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company
In March 1938, Sennett was presented with an honorary Academy Award. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.
Later projects
Rumors abounded that Sennett would be returning to film production (a 1938 publicity release indicated that he would be working with Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy), but apart from Sennett reissuing a couple of his Bing Crosby two-reelers to theaters, nothing happened. Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Sennett did appear in front of the camera, however, in Hollywood Cavalcade (1939), itself a thinly disguised version of the Mack Sennett-Mabel Normand romance. Mabel Normand ( November 9, 1892 - February 23, 1930) was an American Film actress and the most popular In 1949 he provided film footage for, and appeared in, the first full-length comedy compilation, Down Memory Lane (1949), which was written and narrated by Steve Allen. Steve Allen, born Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen ( December 26 1921 – October 30 2000) was an American Sennett was profiled in the television series This is Your Life in 1956, and made a cameo appearance (for $1,000) in Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955). This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer Ralph Edwards. Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops is a 1955 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. He contributed to the radio program Biography in Sound, broadcast February 28, 1956. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Death
He died on November 5, 1960 in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 80 and was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Woodland Hills is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. Holy Cross Cemetery is located at 5835 W Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California. Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County California.
Tributes
For his contribution to the motion picture industry Sennett was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Also in 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Fictional portrayals
Sennett was portrayed by Dan Aykroyd in the 1992 film Chaplin. Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning Canadian-American He was also portrayed by Robert Preston in the 1974 Broadway musical Mack & Mabel, by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart, about his long-term, on-again/off-again romance with Mabel Normand (who was portrayed in the Broadway production by Bernadette Peters). Jerry Herman (born July 10, 1931) is an American Composer / Lyricist of the Broadway Musical theater. Michael Stewart may refer to Michael Stewart Baron Stewart of Fulham, British Cabinet Minister Michael Stewart (playwright, playwright Mabel Normand ( November 9, 1892 - February 23, 1930) was an American Film actress and the most popular Bernadette Peters (born February 28 1948 is an American Actress and Singer from New York City.
The Keystone legacy
Today the name of Mack Sennett is still highly recognizable (even to those who have no contact with his films) and the term "Keystone Cops" has become part of the language, describing incompetent buffoons with supposed authority. The Keystone Cops was a series of Silent film comedies featuring a totally incompetent group of Policemen produced by Mack Sennett for his Some historians even credit Sennett's films with having been responsible for municipal police forces across North America altering their uniforms to include military style officers' caps since by the 1920s tall, English-style hats had become so indelibly associated with slapstick comedy.
Henry Mancini's score for the 1963 film, The Pink Panther, the original entry in the series, contains a segment called "Shades of Sennett". Henry Mancini ( April 16, 1924 &ndash June 14, 1994) was an Academy Award winning American Composer, conductor The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, is a Comedy film, starring David Niven It is played on a silent film era style "honky tonk" piano, and accompanies a climactic scene in which the incompetent police detective Inspector Clouseau is involved in a multi-vehicle chase with the antagonists. A honky tonk (also called a honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is a type of bar with musical entertainment that is common in the Southwestern Inspector Jacques Clouseau (later chief inspector is a fictional Detective in Blake Edwards 's Pink Panther series
In 1974, Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman wrote the musical Mack & Mabel, chronicling the romance between Sennett and Mabel Normand. Michael Stewart ( August 1 1924 &ndash September 20 1987) was an American Playwright and Librettist. Jerry Herman (born July 10, 1931) is an American Composer / Lyricist of the Broadway Musical theater. Mack & Mabel is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.
Peter Lovesey's 1983 novel Keystone is a whodunnit set in the Keystone Studios and involving (among others), Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle and the Keystone Cops. Peter (Harmer Lovesey (born 1936 in Whitton Middlesex) is a British writer of historical and contemporary crime novels and short stories A whodunit or whodunnit (for "Who done it?" is a complex plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest
See also
External links
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