Jiggs and Maggie (Bringing Up Father)at UCLA

[David Denton]

Last Sunday at the UCLA Festival of Preservation, they showed two films based on George McManus'cartoon strip "Bringing Up Father" The second, JIGGS AND THE SOCIAL LION (1920) was produced by Al Christie for International Film Service Co. Inc (i.e. W. Randolph Hearst). Directed by Reggie Morris, it starred Johnny Ray and Margaret Cullington Fitzroy as Jiggs and Maggie and Laura LaPlante as their daughter, supported by Ward Caulfield, Eddie Baker, Gino Corrado, Billy Bletcher and Gus Leonard. Jiggs (especially Jiggs) and Maggie are presented in exaggerated makeup to more closely resemble their cartoon counterparts.
Preceding JIGGS AND THE SOCIAL LION, they showed 'Outtakes/unedited shots for uncompleted BRINGING UP FATHER short' c.1916'. That was the only information supplied. Like the later Johhny Ray films, Jiggs has exaggerated makeup. There's nothing about it on IMBD or on websites about the strip. Thank heaven for the Media History Digital Library and LANTERN.
In February 1916, VARIETY said "John T. Kelly, whose contract with Vita expired Jan. 1, has been re-engaged by that company, to be featured in a series of comedies based on the George McManus stories entitled "Bringing Up Father". Kelly will resume work in a fortnight."
In March 1916, VARIETY said "John T. Kelly and his director, Lawrence Seamon [Larry Semon], are working hard to complete the new serial comedy by the Vitagraph Co. entitled "Bringing Up Father".
I like the Vitagraph connection. I thought I recognized longtime Vitagraph player George Cooper as the guy who rescued the corned beef and cabbage from the dumbwaiter.......BUT
April 1916- VARIETY: HEARST'S FILM ACTIVITIES. "....the International is to filmize George McManus' "Bringing Up Father" which has been running in cartoon form in the "American." The film serial is to be issued in weekly installments of two reels each. The scenario is to be re-written in fiction form and seventeen daily papers throughout the country are to run it. A studio has been secured at 146th street and Seventh avenue. For the cast of the picture Bill Sloane, Lillian Lee and Grace Darling [aka 'Beatrice Fairfax'] have been engaged. Tom McEvoy has been given the directorship of the serial and Frank Bates, who was formerly with the Biograph, will act as his assistant."
April 8, 1916-THE NEW YORK CLIPPER: "Tom McEvoy and a full acting company have been engaged by the Hearst International Film Service Corporation to put on "Bringing Up Father" in picture serial form..."
Later in April 1916-VARIETY: FIRST FATHER REEL FINISHED. The first reel of the 'Bringing Up Father" serial which is to be released by the William Randolph Hearst International Film Service was finished last week. Will H. Sloane is the comedian and George Bunny, son of the late famous John Bunny is grinding the camera for the film. (Is he the director or cameraman?)
December 30, 1916-MPW: " a series of comedies to be entitled "Bringing Up Father" after the cartoons by George McManus, are to be filmed by a new company headed by John Brennan, who gained a reputation by his work with the old Kalem comedies".
In conclusion, sort of, it seems obvious that Hearst was determined to get 'Bringing Up Father" to the screen. It appears that this did not happen until 1917, when IFS produced an animated series directed by Gregory LaCava.
The last blurb by MPW suggests that the previous efforts were un-released and probably un-completed. What did we see? Vitagraph with Kelly or Int. Film Service with Sloane? Either is possible, but I lean slightly towards the latter with a supposedly completed first reel. Hearst was involved with both and presumably unsatisfied with both.

[Richard M Roberts]

And let us not forget that this aborted version of BRINGING UP FATHER was most likely the one offered to the Three Keatons and turned down by Papa Joe.

Glad to see that another of those Christie-made Jiggs and Maggies has been preserved. Johnny Ray is one creepy-looking bugger in those.


RICHARD M ROBERTS (come to think of it, the singer Johnnie Ray was a creepy-looking dude too. )

[Tommie Hicks]

The LOC has A LAUNDRY MIX-UP. I remember Ray be so eerie looking. My notes say Steele's Film Corp.

[Steve Massa]

LOC also has the Johnny and Emma Ray comedy MUGGSY IN BAD ('17), where shrimp Johnny is picked on and bossed around by his enormous wife, but after getting hit by a car he receives a blood transfusion from a tough cop that turns into a lion. The rest of the short has him giving his wife the what-for, while the cop, turned into a wimp by Muggsy's blood, tries to re-do the transfusion.

Popular vaudeville performers (Ford Sterling had supported them), the Rays formed their own film company, the Reserve Photo Plays Co of Cleveland (later Cleveland Comedy Co.), and made one-reelers in Cleveland, Jacksonville, Florida, and Cliffside, New Jersey that came out in 1916 and 1917. Built around his signature character of Casey or Muggsy, titles include CASEY'S DREAM, CASEY'S WEDDING DAY (both 1916), CASEY THE FIREMAN, COUGHING HIGGINS, and MUGGSY IN SOCIETY (all 1917). The last thing Johnny did before his 1927 death was the Al Christie BRINGING UP FATHER shorts, but the large Emma did bits until her death in 1935.

[David Denton]

When THE AL JOY FAN CLUB was located in the West, I managed to see CASEY THE DETECTIVE with the Rays. I don't remember it. It was the same day as my initial viewing of HELPLESS HELPER with Al Joy and Mack Flucker. That probably explains why.