Roscoe Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 - June 29, 1933), widely known to audiences as “Fatty” Arbuckle, was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd as well as with his nephew, Al St. John. He also mentored Charlie Chaplin, Monty Banks and Bob Hope, and brought vaudeville star Buster Keaton into the movie business. Arbuckle was one of the most popular silent stars of the 1910s and one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time.
In one of the earliest Hollywood scandals, Arbuckle was the defendant in three widely publicized trials between November 1921 and April 1922 for the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe had fallen ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel in September 1921, and died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. The first two trials resulted in hung juries, but the third acquitted Arbuckle. The third jury took the unusual step of giving Arbuckle a written statement of apology for his treatment by the justice system. Despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the scandal largely halted his career and has mostly overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian.
Known For
Disclosure
(2020)
(archive footage)
Go West
(1925)
Woman in Department Store (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
Ben's Kid
(1909)
Fatty Carter
Making It Pleasant for Him
(1909)
Mrs. Jones' Birthday
(1909)
The Sanitarium
(1910)
Charley Wise
A Voice from the Deep
(1912)
Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Fatty Joins the Force
(1913)
Fatty
A Bandit
(1913)
Bully
Mabel's New Hero
(1913)
Fatty
Peeping Pete
(1913)
Pete's Wife
Passions, He Had Three
(1913)
Henry
Mother's Boy
(1913)
Mother's Boy
Alas! Poor Yorick!
(1913)
Player in Female Costume
The Gangsters
(1913)
Cop
Help! Help! Hydrophobia!
(1913)
Jim Brown
The Waiters' Picnic
(1913)
Oscar - the Waiter
The Speed Kings
(1913)
Masher
Almost a Rescue
(1913)
Jimmie
Love and Rubbish
(1913)
Fat Boy
For the Love of Mabel
(1913)
Suitor
Rastus and the Game Cock
(1913)
Spectator
Fatty's Day Off
(1913)
Fatty
The Gypsy Queen
(1913)
Fatty
A Noise from the Deep
(1913)
Bob
Love and Courage
(1913)
The Country Boy
Safe in Jail
(1913)
Neighbor Woman
The Telltale Light
(1913)
Tom aka Fatty
Professor Bean's Removal
(1913)
Man with Moustache
The Fatal Taxicab
(1913)
Mabel's Sweetheart
Mabel's Dramatic Career
(1913)
Man in Audience
The Riot
(1913)
Cohen - Jewish Neighborhood Leader
When Dreams Come True
(1913)
The Man
Fatty at San Diego
(1913)
Fatty
A Quiet Little Wedding
(1913)
Fatty
A Small Time Act
(1913)
Theatre Owner
The Milk We Drink
(1913)
The Dairy Farmer
Two Old Tars
(1913)
First Old Tar
Wine
(1913)
The Waiter
He Would a Hunting Go
(1913)
Count Chicori
Fatty's Flirtation
(1913)
Fatty
Some Nerve
(1913)
The Jealous Man
The Woman Haters
(1913)
1st Old Tar
His Sister's Kids
(1913)
Dr. J. Jacobs
A Ride for a Bride
(1913)
Fatty
Murphy's I.O.U.
(1913)
(uncredited) (unconfirmed)
The Masquerader
(1914)
Film actor
Tango Tangle
(1914)
Clarinetist
The Rounders
(1914)
Mr. Fuller
His New Profession
(1914)
Bartender Smoking Cigar
His Favorite Pastime
(1914)
Shabby Drunk
A Film Johnnie
(1914)
Self (uncredited)
The Knockout
(1914)
Pug (uncredited)
A Flirt's Mistake
(1914)
Husband (uncredited)
Leading Lizzie Astray
(1914)
Fatty
Fatty's Magic Pants
(1914)
Fatty
Those Country Kids
(1914)
Fatty
Fatty and Minnie He-Haw
(1914)
Fatty
Lover's Luck
(1914)
Fatty
Fatty's Jonah Day
(1914)
Fatty
Rebecca's Wedding Day
(1914)
Rebecca
A Misplaced Foot
(1914)
Fatty
The Under-Sheriff
(1914)
The Under-Sheriff
In the Clutches of the Gang
(1914)
Cop
Twixt Love and Fire
(1914)
The Iceman
A Robust Romeo
(1914)
Fatty
Where Hazel Met the Villain
(1914)
Fatty
A Rural Demon
(1914)
A Bath House Beauty
(1914)
Fatty
The Chicken Chaser
(1914)
The Hired Man
Barnyard Flirtations
(1914)
The Cop
Fatty's Wine Party
(1914)
Fatty
Fatty's Debut
(1914)
Fatty
An Incompetent Hero
(1914)
Fatty
The Sea Nymphs
(1914)
Fatty
The Alarm
(1914)
The Water Dog
(1914)
Fatty
Lovers' Post Office
(1914)
Fatty
Zip, the Dodger
(1914)
Zip
A Suspended Ordeal
(1914)
The Cop
Our Country Cousin
(1914)
The Country Boy (unconfirmed)
Fatty and the Heiress
(1914)
Fatty
Fatty's Finish
(1914)
Fatty
Love and Bullets
(1914)
Film Actor (uncredited)
A Rowboat Romance
(1914)
(unconfirmed)
The Sky Pirate
(1914)
The Heiress
Those Happy Days
(1914)
Fatty
That Minstrel Man
(1914)
Belle
Caught in a Flue
(1914)
(unconfirmed)
Fatty's Gift
(1914)
Fatty
The Baggage Smasher
(1914)
(unconfirmed)
A Brand New Hero
(1914)
The Tramp
Bombs and Bangs
(1914)
The Farmer's Daughter
Fatty Again
(1914)
Fatty Felix
Their Ups and Downs
(1914)
Fatty
Shotguns That Kick
(1914)
Fatty
How Old Are You?
(1914)
Fatty's Wild Night
(1914)
Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty's Tintype Tangle
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty's New Role
(1915)
Fatty
Miss Fatty's Seaside Lovers
(1915)
Finnegan's Daughter
A Glimpse of the San Diego Exposition
(1915)
Himself
Fatty’s Plucky Pup
(1915)
Fatty
Wished on Mabel
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life
(1915)
Roscoe
Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance
(1915)
Fatty
Mabel, Fatty and the Law
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty’s Faithful Fido
(1915)
Fatty
That Little Band Of Gold
(1915)
Fatty - the Husband
When Love Took Wings
(1915)
Reckless Fatty
The Little Teacher
(1915)
Fat Unruly Student
Mabel’s Wilful Way
(1915)
Fatty
Fatty’s Reckless Fling
(1915)
Fatty
Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life
(1915)
Fatty
Fickle Fatty's Fall
(1915)
Fatty
Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco
(1915)
Himself
Fatty and the Broadway Stars
(1915)
Fatty - Studio Janitor
Hogan's Romance Upset
(1915)
Fight Spectator
A Village Scandal
(1915)
Eddie - the Country Boy
Fatty and Mabel Adrift
(1916)
Fatty
He Did and He Didn’t
(1916)
The Doctor
His Wife's Mistakes
(1916)
The Janitor
The Waiters' Ball
(1916)
The Cook
Bright Lights
(1916)
Fatty
The Other Man
(1916)
Fatty the Tramp (dual role)
A Creampuff Romance
(1916)
Coney Island
(1917)
Fatty
His Wedding Night
(1917)
Gas station employee
The Rough House
(1917)
Mr. Rough
Oh, Doctor!
(1917)
Dr. Fatty Holepoke
The Butcher Boy
(1917)
Fatty / Saccharine
A Country Hero
(1917)
Village Blacksmith
A Reckless Romeo
(1917)
The Husband
The Late Lamented
(1917)
Cameo Appearance (unconfirmed)
The Bell Boy
(1918)
Bellboy, barber
Good Night, Nurse!
(1918)
Fatty
Out West
(1918)
Train Rider, Bartender
Moonshine
(1918)
Revenue Agent
The Cook
(1918)
The Chef
A Scrap of Paper
(1918)
Fatty
The Sheriff
(1918)
Cook
Back Stage
(1919)
Stagehand
The Hayseed
(1919)
Mailman
Love
(1919)
Fatty
Camping Out
(1919)
The Pullman Porter
(1919)
The Bank Clerk
(1919)
A Desert Hero
(1919)
The Sheriff, the Desert Hero
The Garage
(1920)
Mechanic / Fireman
The Round-Up
(1920)
Slim Hoover
The Life of the Party
(1920)
Algernon Leary (as Roscoe Arbuckle)
Crazy to Marry
(1921)
Dr. Hobart Hupp
Brewster's Millions
(1921)
Monte Brewster
Traveling Salesman
(1921)
Bob Blake
Gasoline Gus
(1921)
Gasoline Gus
The Dollar-a-Year Man
(1921)
Franklin Pinney
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)
(1921)
Himself
The Fast Freight
(1922)
Ras Berry
Hollywood
(1923)
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
Leap Year
(1924)
Stanley Piper
Go West
(1925)
Woman in Department Store (uncredited)
My Stars
(1926)
Mailman (uncredited)
Character Studies
(1927)
Himself (uncredited)
Listen Lena
(1927)
Fat man with strategically covered face (unconfirmed)
Stars of Yesterday
(1931)
Self
Hey, Pop!
(1932)
Fatty
How've You Bean?
(1933)
Buzzin' Around
(1933)
Cornelius
In the Dough
(1933)
Slim
Close Relations
(1933)
Wilbur Wart
Tomalio
(1933)
Wilbur
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
(1943)
(archive footage)
When Comedy Was King
(1960)
edited from 'Fatty & Mabel Adrift' (archive footage)
Days of Thrills and Laughter
(1961)
Self (archive footage)
Crazy Days
(1962)
Various (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
(1987)
(archive footage)
The Chaplin Puzzle
(1992)
(archive footage)
The Casting Couch
(1995)
(archive footage)
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume One
(2001)
Various
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume Two
(2001)
Various
Chaplin Today: 'The Gold Rush'
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM
(2004)
Self (archive footage)
Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts
(2006)
(archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
Looking for Mabel Normand
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
Buster Keaton The Shorts Collection 1917-1923
(2016)
Disclosure
(2020)
(archive footage)
Directing
Leading Lizzie Astray
(1914)
Director
Those Country Kids
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Magic Pants
(1914)
Director
Fatty and Minnie He-Haw
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Jonah Day
(1914)
Director
Lover's Luck
(1914)
Director
The Chicken Chaser
(1914)
Director
Barnyard Flirtations
(1914)
Director
A Bath House Beauty
(1914)
Director
Where Hazel Met the Villain
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Debut
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Wine Party
(1914)
Director
An Incompetent Hero
(1914)
Director
The Alarm
(1914)
Director
The Water Dog
(1914)
Director
Lovers' Post Office
(1914)
Director
Zip, the Dodger
(1914)
Director
A Suspended Ordeal
(1914)
Director
Fatty and the Heiress
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Finish
(1914)
Director
Love and Bullets
(1914)
Director
A Rowboat Romance
(1914)
Director
The Sky Pirate
(1914)
Director
Those Happy Days
(1914)
Director
That Minstrel Man
(1914)
Director
Fatty's Gift
(1914)
Director
A Brand New Hero
(1914)
Director
Bombs and Bangs
(1914)
Director
Fatty Again
(1914)
Director
Their Ups and Downs
(1914)
Director
Shotguns That Kick
(1914)
Director
Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day
(1915)
Director
Fatty's Tintype Tangle
(1915)
Director
Fatty's New Role
(1915)
Director
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
(1915)
Director
Miss Fatty's Seaside Lovers
(1915)
Director
When Love Took Wings
(1915)
Director
Mabel’s Wilful Way
(1915)
Director
Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance
(1915)
Director
Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life
(1915)
Director
Fatty’s Reckless Fling
(1915)
Director
Mabel, Fatty and the Law
(1915)
Director
That Little Band Of Gold
(1915)
Director
Wished on Mabel
(1915)
Director
Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life
(1915)
Director
Fatty’s Faithful Fido
(1915)
Director
Fatty’s Plucky Pup
(1915)
Director
Fickle Fatty's Fall
(1915)
Director
Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco
(1915)
Director
Fatty and the Broadway Stars
(1915)
Director
A Village Scandal
(1915)
Director
Fatty and Mabel Adrift
(1916)
Director
The Waiters' Ball
(1916)
Director
He Did and He Didn’t
(1916)
Director
His Wife's Mistakes
(1916)
Director
Bright Lights
(1916)
Director
A Creampuff Romance
(1916)
Director
Coney Island
(1917)
Director
His Wedding Night
(1917)
Director
The Rough House
(1917)
Director
Oh, Doctor!
(1917)
Director
The Butcher Boy
(1917)
Director
A Country Hero
(1917)
Director
A Reckless Romeo
(1917)
Director
The Bell Boy
(1918)
Director
Good Night, Nurse!
(1918)
Director
Out West
(1918)
Director
The Cook
(1918)
Director
Moonshine
(1918)
Director
A Scrap of Paper
(1918)
Director
The Sheriff
(1918)
Director
Back Stage
(1919)
Director
The Hayseed
(1919)
Director
Love
(1919)
Director
Camping Out
(1919)
Director
The Pullman Porter
(1919)
Director
The Bank Clerk
(1919)
Director
A Desert Hero
(1919)
Director
The Garage
(1920)
Director
Special Delivery
(1922)
Director
No Loafing
(1923)
Director
Leap Year
(1924)
Director
Lovemania
(1924)
Director
Stupid, but Brave
(1924)
Director
His First Car
(1924)
Director
The Movies
(1925)
Director
The Iron Mule
(1925)
Director
Curses
(1925)
Director
The Fighting Dude
(1925)
Director
Dynamite Doggie
(1925)
Director
The Tourist
(1925)
Director
Cleaning Up
(1925)
Director
Fool's Luck
(1926)
Director
My Stars
(1926)
Director
His Private Life
(1926)
Director
Home Cured
(1926)
Director
One Sunday Morning
(1926)
Director
The Red Mill
(1927)
Director
Special Delivery
(1927)
Director
Character Studies
(1927)
Director
Peaceful Oscar
(1927)
Director
Si Si Senor
(1930)
Director
Won by a Neck
(1930)
Director
Up a Tree
(1930)
Director
Honeymoon Trio
(1931)
Director
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood
(1931)
Director
Once a Hero
(1931)
Director
Crashing Hollywood
(1931)
Director
Three Hollywood Girls
(1931)
Director
The Lure of Hollywood
(1931)
Director
Queenie of Hollywood
(1931)
Director
Marriage Rows
(1931)
Director
Pete and Repeat
(1931)
Director
Ex-Plumber
(1931)
Director
The Back Page
(1931)
Director
That's My Line
(1931)
Director
Up Pops the Duke
(1931)
Director
Beach Pajamas
(1931)
Director
Smart Work
(1931)
Director
Idle Roomers
(1931)
Director
The Tamale Vendor
(1931)
Director
One Quiet Night
(1931)
Director
That's My Meat
(1931)
Director
Take 'em and Shake 'em
(1931)
Director
Bridge Wives
(1932)
Director
Gigolettes
(1932)
Director
Anybody's Goat
(1932)
Director
Hollywood Luck
(1932)
Director
Hollywood Lights
(1932)
Director
It's a Cinch
(1932)
Director
Keep Laughing
(1932)
Director
Niagara Falls
(1932)
Director
Mother's Holiday
(1932)
Director
Moonlight and Cactus
(1932)
Director
Writing
The Alarm
(1914)
Writer
Fatty and Mabel Adrift
(1916)
Writer
Coney Island
(1917)
Story
His Wedding Night
(1917)
Story
The Rough House
(1917)
Story
The Butcher Boy
(1917)
Story
A Country Hero
(1917)
Story
A Reckless Romeo
(1917)
Story
The Bell Boy
(1918)
Screenplay and Story
Good Night, Nurse!
(1918)
Story
Out West
(1918)
Writer
Moonshine
(1918)
Story and Screenplay
The Cook
(1918)
Story
The Sheriff
(1918)
Writer
The Pullman Porter
(1919)
Writer
The Bank Clerk
(1919)
Writer
A Desert Hero
(1919)
Writer
Camping Out
(1919)
Writer
Day Dreams
(1922)
Story
His First Car
(1924)
Writer
Curses
(1925)
Writer
The Movies
(1925)
Writer
The Fighting Dude
(1925)
Writer
Dynamite Doggie
(1925)
Writer
My Stars
(1926)
Writer
Fool's Luck
(1926)
Writer
His Private Life
(1926)
Writer
One Sunday Morning
(1926)
Writer
The Cuckoos
(1930)
Writer
Up a Tree
(1930)
Story
Marriage Rows
(1931)
Story
Ex-Plumber
(1931)
Writer
That's My Line
(1931)
Writer
Beach Pajamas
(1931)
Writer