Lloyd Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Vernon Hamilton was a major silent film star. Hamilton is best remembered as the stocky half of silent comedy's "Ham and Bud" (opposite diminutive Bud Duncan), and later, his own series of short comedies. Hamilton's skill was admired by his fellow comedians, thus contributing to his reputation as a comedian's comedian—according to Oscar Levant
, Charlie Chaplin
singled him out as the one actor of whom he was jealous, Buster Keaton
in an interview praised him as "one of the funniest men in pictures," while Charley Chase
, who early in his career had directed Hamilton in a number of short subjects, stated that he would often ask himself "how would 'Ham' Hamilton play this?" before shooting a scene.
In his solo comedies, the husky Hamilton adopted the persona of a slightly prissy, overgrown boy, and his films often have surreal touches: in The Movies he tearfully bids goodbye to his mother to go to the city, turns his back on the family farm, and steps directly into the city which is right next door. In Move Along he neatly lays his trousers in the street, to have a steamroller press them. Few of Hamilton's silent comedies survive; they were produced by Educational Pictures
, which suffered a laboratory fire in 1937. Those of Hamilton's films that do exist are often prized by comedy collectors and silent-film enthusiasts.
Hamilton was a heavy drinker, and it has long been claimed that he would often turn rather violent when intoxicated (however, in Anthony Balducci's recent biography on Hamilton (McFarland & Company, 2009) the author argues that there exists no evidence anywhere of this having been the case). In the late 1920s he was in a speakeasy when a boxer was murdered (Hamilton was not a suspect), and after the incident the motion picture authorities banned him from pictures. By 1929 he was back on screen in talking pictures (his speaking voice being a nasal tenor that fit his finicky screen character) but his continued drinking affected his health. Meanwhile, his alcoholism also affected his family life; he was married twice, first to Ethel Lloyd and later to Irene Dalton, but each marriage turned disastrous and did not last long.
Hamilton's last starring series was a string of two-reel comedies produced by Mack Sennett
. He continued to play the hapless victim of circumstance, as in Too Many Highballs where Hamilton tries to park his car and keeps getting boxed in by motorists. When the Sennett series lapsed, there was talk of Hamilton joining the Hal Roach
studio, but Roach knew of Hamilton's notorious alcohol abuse and declined to hire him. Hamilton's facial features had acquired deep lines and hollows from heavy drinking, and he no longer looked like the "overgrown boy" in his final films.
In 1935 he died during an operation for what was described as "stomach troubles."
Hamilton has a "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
Oscar Levant
Oscar Levant was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than for his music.-Life and career:...
, Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
singled him out as the one actor of whom he was jealous, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
in an interview praised him as "one of the funniest men in pictures," while Charley Chase
Charley Chase
Charley Chase was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his work in Hal Roach short film comedies...
, who early in his career had directed Hamilton in a number of short subjects, stated that he would often ask himself "how would 'Ham' Hamilton play this?" before shooting a scene.
In his solo comedies, the husky Hamilton adopted the persona of a slightly prissy, overgrown boy, and his films often have surreal touches: in The Movies he tearfully bids goodbye to his mother to go to the city, turns his back on the family farm, and steps directly into the city which is right next door. In Move Along he neatly lays his trousers in the street, to have a steamroller press them. Few of Hamilton's silent comedies survive; they were produced by Educational Pictures
Educational Pictures
Educational Pictures was a film distribution company founded in 1919 by Earle Hammons . Educational primarily distributed short subjects, and today is probably best known for its series of 1930s comedies starring Buster Keaton, as well as for a series of one-reel comedies featuring Shirley...
, which suffered a laboratory fire in 1937. Those of Hamilton's films that do exist are often prized by comedy collectors and silent-film enthusiasts.
Hamilton was a heavy drinker, and it has long been claimed that he would often turn rather violent when intoxicated (however, in Anthony Balducci's recent biography on Hamilton (McFarland & Company, 2009) the author argues that there exists no evidence anywhere of this having been the case). In the late 1920s he was in a speakeasy when a boxer was murdered (Hamilton was not a suspect), and after the incident the motion picture authorities banned him from pictures. By 1929 he was back on screen in talking pictures (his speaking voice being a nasal tenor that fit his finicky screen character) but his continued drinking affected his health. Meanwhile, his alcoholism also affected his family life; he was married twice, first to Ethel Lloyd and later to Irene Dalton, but each marriage turned disastrous and did not last long.
Hamilton's last starring series was a string of two-reel comedies produced by Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
. He continued to play the hapless victim of circumstance, as in Too Many Highballs where Hamilton tries to park his car and keeps getting boxed in by motorists. When the Sennett series lapsed, there was talk of Hamilton joining the Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
studio, but Roach knew of Hamilton's notorious alcohol abuse and declined to hire him. Hamilton's facial features had acquired deep lines and hollows from heavy drinking, and he no longer looked like the "overgrown boy" in his final films.
In 1935 he died during an operation for what was described as "stomach troubles."
Hamilton has a "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
External links
- http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4159-4