22. Charlie Chaplin’s Hollywood Pal
Charlie Chaplin’s BFF in Hollywood used to be Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle. Better known as Fatty Arbuckle (1887 – 1933), he was a comedian, director, screenwriter, and early superstar actor in the silent film era. A heavy man who weighed about 300 pounds, Arbuckle incorporated his heft into his comedy as he moved gracefully, tumbled, threw pies, and behaved as an all-around lovable and jolly fat guy. In addition to being an actor, Arbuckle was a Hollywood mover and shaker. He mentored Charlie Chaplin, with whom he formed a close personal friendship.
Arbuckle also discovered and launched the careers of future stars such as Buster Keaton and Bob Hope. Things got awkward for the Chaplin-Arbuckle friendship, however, when a scandal struck and destroyed Fatty’s career and reputation. It began with a wild party at a San Francisco hotel, where Arbuckle and friends rented adjacent luxury suites in September of 1921. Several women were invited, and at some point amidst the revelry, an aspiring actress, Virginia Rappe, was found seriously ill in one of the suites.
