Al St. John (September 10, 1892 â€" January 21, 1963) was an early
American film comedian, and nephew of Roscoe “Fatty†Arbuckle,
with whom he often appeared. He was employed by Mack Sennett and
worked with many leading players such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster
Keaton and Mabel Normand. In the talkies, he played the scruffy comedy
relief character "Fuzzy Q. Jones" who appeared in dozens of films,
including the Producers Releasing Corporation's "Billy the Kid" series
from 1940 to 1946, and their "Lone Rider" series from 1941 to
1943.Born in Santa Ana, California to Walter St. John and Nora
Arbuckle, he entered silent films around 1912 and soon rose to
co-starring and starring roles in short comic films from a variety of
studios. His uncle on his mother's side, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, may
have helped him in his early days at Mack Sennett Studios, but talent
kept him working. He was also an acrobat.St. John frequently appeared
as Arbuckle's mischievously villainous rival for the attentions of
leading ladies such as Mabel Normand and Minta Durfee. He worked with
Arbuckle and Charles Chaplin in The Rounders (1914), although his most
critically praised film during this period with Arbuckle remains Fatty
and Mabel Adrift (1916). In France, he was billed as "Picratt."When
Arbuckle formed his own production company, he brought St. John with
him and recruited stage star Buster Keaton into his films, creating a
formidable roughhouse trio. After Arbuckle was involved in a widely
publicized scandal that prevented him from appearing in movies, he
pseudonymously directed his nephew Al as a comic leading man in silent
and sound films such as The Iron Mule (1925) and Bridge Wives (1932).
Dozens of St. John's early films were screened during the 56-film
Arbuckle retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in
2006.
American film comedian, and nephew of Roscoe “Fatty†Arbuckle,
with whom he often appeared. He was employed by Mack Sennett and
worked with many leading players such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster
Keaton and Mabel Normand. In the talkies, he played the scruffy comedy
relief character "Fuzzy Q. Jones" who appeared in dozens of films,
including the Producers Releasing Corporation's "Billy the Kid" series
from 1940 to 1946, and their "Lone Rider" series from 1941 to
1943.Born in Santa Ana, California to Walter St. John and Nora
Arbuckle, he entered silent films around 1912 and soon rose to
co-starring and starring roles in short comic films from a variety of
studios. His uncle on his mother's side, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, may
have helped him in his early days at Mack Sennett Studios, but talent
kept him working. He was also an acrobat.St. John frequently appeared
as Arbuckle's mischievously villainous rival for the attentions of
leading ladies such as Mabel Normand and Minta Durfee. He worked with
Arbuckle and Charles Chaplin in The Rounders (1914), although his most
critically praised film during this period with Arbuckle remains Fatty
and Mabel Adrift (1916). In France, he was billed as "Picratt."When
Arbuckle formed his own production company, he brought St. John with
him and recruited stage star Buster Keaton into his films, creating a
formidable roughhouse trio. After Arbuckle was involved in a widely
publicized scandal that prevented him from appearing in movies, he
pseudonymously directed his nephew Al as a comic leading man in silent
and sound films such as The Iron Mule (1925) and Bridge Wives (1932).
Dozens of St. John's early films were screened during the 56-film
Arbuckle retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in
2006.
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