Topic: Who's the Mystery Actor?

[Giff me dat fill-em!]

If you take a second or two to look at my reply, you will see that it has a link to Bennett's Stooge-filmography in this website's Cast Database.

And, he starred as 'Tarzan' in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN (1935), an independent production done with the cooperation of the Burroughs Estate.  Unlike the MGM and RKO films, it was generally faithful to ERB's stories, depicting him as the well-educated 'Lord Greystoke.'

While wondering about the final Tarzan ... I remembered Ron Ely playing the TV Tarzan and then ran across this youtube vid ... thought it was interesting
http://youtu.be/McX8zhipmko

[Signor Spumoni]

Sig,you certainly have seen Bruce Bennet in a few movies. I remember him best from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. He played the interloper that wanted to join the three prospectors but was killed by Senor "We don't need no stinking badges!" after they decided to kill him themselves.

Thanks, Sven.  You're right; I have seen Mr. Bennett in that very movie.  It's been a long time since I saw that one.

Thank you, GMDF, for the link to the interview.  It was good to see those actors, and it was interesting.  I'd been thinking about Ron Ely, too, because I said to myself he was too young to have been in any Stooges shorts unless he'd been just a little fellow at the time.  Seeing Fess Parker reminded me of the running joke on "The Golden Girls" about how Dorothy (Bea Arthur) looked like Fess Parker.  FP appeared in a short film which explained voir dire to potential jurors; I saw it in the '90s when I was summoned (but not chosen).  Anyway, thanks, GMDF.

[Signor Spumoni]

This mystery actor was an almost ubiquitous character actor, gravitas personified, most of the time.  In the photo, he appears at the right in the front row.

[Svengarlic]

Man! That's a tough one. You wouldn't try to slip Lon Chaney past us would you? That's just a wild guess as the kid has a horse-head, but the picture strikes me as British kids. So I guess I'll need another clue. 

[BeAStooge]

[Signor Spumoni]

All right, BAS, turn in your crystal ball!    

That was record time.  Did you know him instantly or have you seen this photo somewhere else?

Thanks for the Stooge-Deacon photo - - that's a neat touch.

[Signor Spumoni]

Cute kid.  Who is this?

[Paul Pain]

I will not answer as I stood no chance without Google.

[Giff me dat fill-em!]

This kid resembles Vivian Vance (can't be her, though, the hair color is wrong)

[Signor Spumoni]

This kid resembles Vivian Vance (can't be her, though, the hair color is wrong)

It's not Vivian Vance, GMDF.  Was VV a natural blonde?  I don't know.   

I do know that VV was somewhat older than this child.  This performer appeared in many shorts even performing the stunts required in the films.

[hiramhorwitz]

Cute kid.  Who is this?

This looks like either Baby Peggy or Rose Marie.  Both have vaudeville ties to the Stooges.  Rose Marie claims that Jerome Howard was dubbed "Curley," based on her stage name of Rose Marie Curley. 

[Signor Spumoni]

Hello, Hiram Horwitz!  One of your ideas is correct.  And, yes, I, too, think the two girls you named resembled one another, at least in this pose.  I didn't know Baby Rose Marie ever used a surname, even a stage surname.

So...which one do you pick?

[Svengarlic]

Holy shit Sig! You gotta be a tad more generous with the clues if you're gonna put up baby pictures! With the bug eyes she resembles "Mary" from the old little Rascals, but since she never amounted to anything I know it's not her. 

[Svengarlic]

OK...I have to go with Peggy, since she looks nothing like Rose Marie, but I don't know who Baby Peggy was. 

[Signor Spumoni]

Right you are, Sven, it's Baby Peggy.  During the silent movie years, the first three child stars were Jackie Coogan, Baby Marie and Baby Peggy.  Sadly enough, all three ended up broke through no fault of their own.

Baby Peggy, nee` Peggy-Jean Montgomery, was only 1 1/2 years old when she was "discovered."  She made a multitude of shorts as well as a number of features, earning up to one million dollars a year, a huge fortune for the time.  Most of her films are no longer in existence.  Here's a clip from one of her movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwri32dW5mM

You can read more about her here:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0045133/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

As an adult, she took the name Diana Serra Cary.  She is a published author of film history books.  Baby Peggy will turn 96 on the 29th of this month.

[Svengarlic]

Holy shit! Moe stole Baby Peggy's haircut. Anyway, if I ever knew of her, I've forgotten. BTW, the dog stole the spotlight in that short. He hopped up into that high window like it was nothing. Is he still living too?

[Svengarlic]

On the child actor subject, I did a search to see who's still kicking from the Little Rascals. I'm not sure if it's accurate, but I found that Robert Blake (Micky) is the only boy. And Jean Darling (from the silents) the only girl.

[Signor Spumoni]

Holy shit! Moe stole Baby Peggy's haircut. Anyway, if I ever knew of her, I've forgotten. BTW, the dog stole the spotlight in that short. He hopped up into that high window like it was nothing. Is he still living too?

Moe and thousands of others had that "spittoon" haircut, as they called it in a Stooges short.   Yes, that dog is still alive at 693 years old - - of course, that's in dog years.   

HiramHorwitz, you narrowed this photo down fast and well!  You also know Baby Rose Marie, not common knowledge.  I'm impressed.  Are you a silent movie buff, a Baby Peggy/Diana Serra Cary fan, a Vaudeville buff or all of those?  I thought we might find some silent movie mavens when I posted this.  Please tell us the Vaudeville connection between Baby Peggy and the Stooges.

[Signor Spumoni]

On the child actor subject, I did a search to see who's still kicking from the Little Rascals. I'm not sure if it's accurate, but I found that Robert Blake (Micky) is the only boy. And Jean Darling (from the silents) the only girl.

That's interesting, Sven.  Thank you.  I wonder how old she is today.

[BeAStooge]

I did a search to see who's still kicking from the Little Rascals. I'm not sure if it's accurate, but I found that Robert Blake (Micky) is the only boy. And Jean Darling (from the silents) the only girl.

It is not accurate.  Over 30 of the Gang are still with us.

Of the major players from the Hal Roach Studios era (1922 - 1938) we have Lassie Lou Ahern, Jean Darling, Dickie Moore, Sidney 'Woim' Kibrick, Jerry Schatz (aka Jerry Tucker) and Mildred Kornman.  Plus Robert Blake from the reviled MGM years (1938 - 1944).

Minor players that may be familiar names are the Hickman brothers (Darryl and Dwayne), TV director/producer Gene Reynolds (M*A*S*H, ROOM 222, MY THREE SONS) and Margaret Kerry (THE NEW 3 STOOGES, THE RUGGLES, CLUTCH CARGO, Walt Disney's PETER PAN).

[Svengarlic]

Moe and thousands of others had that "spittoon" haircut, as they called it in a Stooges short.   Yes, that dog is still alive at 693 years old - - of course, that's in dog years.   

HiramHorwitz, you narrowed this photo down fast and well!  You also know Baby Rose Marie, not common knowledge.  I'm impressed.  Are you a silent movie buff, a Baby Peggy/Diana Serra Cary fan, a Vaudeville buff or all of those?  I thought we might find some silent movie mavens when I posted this.  Please tell us the Vaudeville connection between Baby Peggy and the Stooges.

Holy shit! You did the math! But...um...that would be in human years.  (just thought I would slip that in before BeA had a chance!)

I read that the Rascal girl was 92, but that may have been an old article.

[hiramhorwitz]

HiramHorwitz, you narrowed this photo down fast and well!  You also know Baby Rose Marie, not common knowledge.  I'm impressed.  Are you a silent movie buff, a Baby Peggy/Diana Serra Cary fan, a Vaudeville buff or all of those?  I thought we might find some silent movie mavens when I posted this.  Please tell us the Vaudeville connection between Baby Peggy and the Stooges.

I'm a fan of all of the above.  Baby Peggy shared the vaudeville stage with Ted Healy and His Stooges, circa 1928-1929.  In her words, that's when Ted's Stooges were Moe, Larry, and Shemp.  Baby Peggy was not a fan of the Stooges act, but she has positive memories of Healy.  She was a child at the time and found the Stooge's act to be "rude."  In later life, she encountered Larry Fine at the Motion Picture Home -- and he recognized her as the former Baby Peggy.  The details of Baby Peggy's encounter with the Stooges is chronicled on pages 36-41 of Stooges Among Us.  Rose Marie's story of the Stooges is chronicled in the same book, on pages 60-63.  To add insult to injury, my encounter with the Stooges is chronicled in the same book on pages 111-147.  Definitely required reading if you wish to pass my class.   

[Svengarlic]

Are you the author, Hiram?

[hiramhorwitz]

Are you the author, Hiram?

The book contains seventeen formal chapters, each chapter written by a different individual.  I wrote the chapter extending from page 111 to page 147.  Other contributors include Lon Davis, Baby Peggy, Bob Bernet, Steve Stoliar, Rose Marie, Sandie Howard, Adam West, Rick Lertzman, Ed Busch, Mark Evanier, Joan Howard, John Cawley, Eric Lamond, Randy Skretvedt, Gary Owens, and Gary Lassin.  I'm guessing you may recognize some of these names.  Leonard Maltin wrote the Foreward.

[Svengarlic]

Kudos Hiram. Looks like your's was a major contribution. How about a brief teaser of your Stooge encounter while I search for the book? BTW, I only recognized six of those names.