Slim Summerville
Encyclopedia
Slim Summerville was an American film actor, best known as a comedy performer.
, Summerville began his career as a "Keystone Kop
" in 1912. His tall, gangly appearance was well utilised in numerous short comedy films during the silent film era, and in addition to his many acting roles, he directed more than 50 short films.
Occasionally he played in dramatic films, such as All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and Jesse James
(1939), but was most successful in comedy films, including several with ZaSu Pitts
.
on January 5, 1946 in Laguna Beach, California
. Following his death his house became "The Beach House" restaurant, which is still in business. But sadly, decades after the popular film actor's death, his grave remains UNmarked at Inglewood Park Cemetery
in South Los Angeles
community of Inglewood, California
.
Life and career
Born George Joseph Summerville in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, Summerville began his career as a "Keystone Kop
Keystone Kops
The Keystone Kops were incompetent fictional policemen, featured in silent film comedies in the early 20th century. The movies were produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. The idea came from Hank Mann who also played police chief Tehiezel in the first film...
" in 1912. His tall, gangly appearance was well utilised in numerous short comedy films during the silent film era, and in addition to his many acting roles, he directed more than 50 short films.
Occasionally he played in dramatic films, such as All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and Jesse James
Jesse James (1939 film)
Jesse James is a western movie directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, and Randolph Scott. Written by Nunnally Johnson, the film is loosely based on the life of the notorious outlaw for which the film derives its name...
(1939), but was most successful in comedy films, including several with ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
.
Sudden Death
Slim Summerville died of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on January 5, 1946 in Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
. Following his death his house became "The Beach House" restaurant, which is still in business. But sadly, decades after the popular film actor's death, his grave remains UNmarked at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery was founded in 1905 in Inglewood, California. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed here.-List of notable and celebrity interments at Inglewood Park:...
in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
community of Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
.
Selected filmography
- Niagara FallsNiagara Falls (1941 film)Niagara Falls is a 1941 American comedy of errors film directed by Gordon Douglas that was one of Hal Roach's Streamliners.- Plot summary :A peanut vendor sights a man named Sam Sawyer attempting suicide by jumping off a cliff into the waters below...
(19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
) - Western UnionWestern Union (film)Western Union is a 1941 western feature film directed by Fritz Lang. Filmed in Technicolor on location in Arizona and Utah, Western Union tells the story of a reformed outlaw named Vance Shaw who tries to make good by joining the team wiring the Great Plains for telegraph service in 1861...
(19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
) - Jesse JamesJesse James (1939 film)Jesse James is a western movie directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, and Randolph Scott. Written by Nunnally Johnson, the film is loosely based on the life of the notorious outlaw for which the film derives its name...
(1939) - Charlie Chan in Reno (19391939 in filmThe year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
) - Rebecca of Sunnybrook FarmRebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938 film)Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a 1938 American musical film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, and Bill Robinson. The screenplay by Don Ettlinger and Karl Tunberg is loosely based on Kate Douglas Wiggin's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm...
(19381938 in filmThe year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
) - Captain JanuaryCaptain January (1936 film)Captain January is a 1936 American comedy drama film directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Sam Hellman, Gladys Lehman, and Harry Tugend is based on the story The Lighthouse at Cape Tempest by Laura E. Richards. The film stars Shirley Temple, Guy Kibbee, and Sara Haden in a story about a...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - AirmailAirmail (film)Air Mail is a 1932 American adventure film directed by John Ford and starring Ralph Bellamy and Gloria Stuart.-Cast:* Ralph Bellamy - Mike Miller* Gloria Stuart - Ruth Barnes* Pat O'Brien - Duke Talbot...
(19321932 in film-Events:*Cary Grant's film career begins*Katharine Hepburn's film career begins*Shirley Temple's film career begins*Disney released Flowers and Trees, the first cartoon in three-strip Technicolor film.*Santa, first sound film made in Mexico released....
) - The Bad SisterThe Bad SisterThe Bad Sister is a 1931 American drama film directed by Hobart Henley. The screenplay by Edwin H. Knopf, Tom Reed, and Raymond L. Schrock is based on the 1913 novel The Flirt by Booth Tarkington, which previously was filmed in 1916 and 1922...
(19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - All Quiet on the Western Front (19301930 in film-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
) - Strong BoyStrong BoyStrong Boy is a comedy film directed by John Ford. It was a silent film with a synchronized music track. The film is now considered to be a lost film. A trailer for the film was discovered in the New Zealand Film Archive in 2010.-Cast:...
(19291929 in film-Events:The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.*January 20 - The movie In Old Arizona is released. The film is the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors....
) - One Hysterical NightOne Hysterical NightOne Hysterical Night is an American comedy film directed by William James Craft and starring Reginald Denny, Nora Lane, Walter Brennan and Peter Gawthorne.-Plot:...
(1929) - The Beloved RogueThe Beloved RogueThe Beloved Rogue is a 1927 American silent film, loosely based on the life of the 15th century French poet, François Villon. The film was directed by Alan Crosland for United Artists....
(1927) - Hearts and SparksHearts and SparksHearts and Sparks is a 1916 silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Gloria Swanson.-Cast:* Billie Bennett* Nick Cogley* Albert T. Gillespie* Tom Kennedy* Joe Lee* Hank Mann* Slim Summerville* Gloria Swanson...
(1916) - Fatty and the Broadway StarsFatty and the Broadway StarsFatty and the Broadway Stars is a 1915 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Ivy Crosthwaite* Mack Sennett* Joe Weber* Lew Fields* Sam Bernard* William Collier Sr.* Joe Jackson* Brett Clark...
(19151915 in filmThe year 1915 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 8 : D.W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks box office and film length records, running at a total length of 3 hrs 10 minutes.* June 18 : The Motion Picture Directors...
) - Their Social SplashTheir Social SplashTheir Social Splash is a 1915 short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd.-Cast:* Slim Summerville - Harold* Dixie Chene - Gladys* Charles Murray - Hogan* Polly Moran - Polly* Frank Hayes - The Father* Harold Lloyd - The Minister* Harry Gribbon...
(1915)
- That Little Band of GoldThat Little Band of GoldThat Little Band of Gold is a 1915 short comedy film directed by Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and starring Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, and Ford Sterling.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Hubby* Mabel Normand - Wifey* Ford Sterling - Gassy Gotrox...
(1915) - Fatty's New RoleFatty's New RoleFatty's New Role is a 1915 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Hobo* Mack Swain - Ambrose Schnitz* Joe Bordeaux* Glen Cavender* Luke the Dog* Bobby Dunn* Billy Gilbert* Frank Hayes...
(1915) - Fatty and Minnie He-HawFatty and Minnie He-HawFatty and Minnie He-Haw is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Fatty* Minnie Devereaux - Minnie He-Haw* Edward Dillon - * Minta Durfee - Minta...
(19141914 in filmThe year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....
) - Fatty's Magic PantsFatty's Magic PantsFatty's Magic Pants is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Fatty* Charley Chase - Fatty's Rival* Minta Durfee - The Girl* Harry McCoy - Party Guest* Bert Roach - Party Guest...
(1914) - Leading Lizzie AstrayLeading Lizzie AstrayLeading Lizzie Astray is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - A Farm Boy* Minta Durfee - Lizzie, the Farm Boy's Fiancée* Ed Brady - A City Slicker* Mack Swain - In from the Mines...
(1914) - Tillie's Punctured RomanceTillie's Punctured Romance (1914 film)Tillie's Punctured Romance is the first feature-length comedy film from Keystone Film Company and the Christie Film Company, produced in 1914. A silent film directed by Mack Sennett, the film stars Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, and the Keystone Cops...
(1914) - Dough and DynamiteDough and DynamiteDough and Dynamite is a 1914 American comedy silent film made by Keystone Studios starring Charlie Chaplin.- Plot :The story involves Chaplin and Chester Conklin working as waiters at a restaurant where the cooks go on strike...
(1914) - Lover's LuckLover's LuckLover's Luck is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Fatty* Minta Durfee - The Girl* Al St. John - Fatty's Rival* Josef Swickard - The Girl's Father* Phyllis Allen - The Girl's Mother...
(1914) - Laughing GasLaughing Gas (1914 film)Laughing Gas is a 1914 film starring Charlie Chaplin. It is also known as "Busy Little Dentist", "Down and Out", "Laffing Gas", "The Dentist", and "Tuning His Ivories".-Plot:...
(1914) - A Rowboat RomanceA Rowboat RomanceA Rowboat Romance is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Slim Summerville* Mack Swain* Josef Swickard...
(1914) - Fatty and the HeiressFatty and the HeiressFatty and the Heiress is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Edward Dillon - * Minta Durfee* Al St. John* Slim Summerville...
(1914) - Mabel's Busy DayMabel's Busy DayMabel's Busy Day is a 1914 short comedy film starring Mabel Normand and Charles Chaplin; the film was also written and directed by Mabel Normand. The supporting cast includes Chester Conklin, Slim Summerville, Edgar Kennedy, Al St. John, Charley Chase, and Mack Sennett.-Synopsis:Mabel tries to...
(1914)