Lot 583
Fatty Arbuckle - Photo & Negative Never Seen By Him. Utterly charming 8 x 10 in. photo of Arbuckle, playing the guitar. The rotund, multi-talented Arbuckle also had a lovely singing voice and was very light on his feet. Signed in the plate at lower left by photographer Herbert Mitchell. Matted and framed to 14 x 17 in. Accompanied by the negative which has only been used to produce this photo.
Born Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933), Fatty was a multi-talented pioneer of Hollywood comedy, becoming one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. In 1921 he was accused of raping and accidentally killing a young woman at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Although he was acquitted in 1922 after three trials, his career was ruined and he never recuperated from the scandal.This is one of the photos Arbuckle had celebrity photograph Mitchell take in 1933, in an attempt to jump-start his career, but Arbuckle dropped dead of a heart attack before he could pick them up. This photo was never seen by Fatty Arbuckle and was never released to the public. It has remained in Mitchell's files for almost 80 years!
Estimated Value $200 - 300.
Ex: Private collection of Herbert Mitchell.
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| Realized $120 |
