C.L. Chester's ROARS AND UPROARS

[Thomas Reeder]

Can anyone shed any light on this film? It appears on the DVD "Old Time Comedy Classics 3," and once you mute the annoying music track the comedy itself is quite good, slickly done, with some comparitively elaborate sets and some great gags. The opening credits - which look to be originals - state that it's a C.L. Chester production from 1922, but it doesn't appear to have been copyrighted (under this title, at least), nor have I found any references to it. I thought Chester was primarily involved with Snooky and kid/animal comedies, and IMDb stops dead with two Snooky comedies in '22.

ROARS AND UPROARS is a lions-on-the-loose comedy, and while no director credit is given, Chester's oft-time director William Campbell had plenty of experience with lions, having directed Lehrman's ROARING LIONS & WEDDING BELLS and WILD WOMEN AND TAME LIONS at Fox Sunshine back in 1917 and '18. The animated "snoring" of the two porters evokes memories of Lehrman and Jack White, as well.

You guys are so good at identifying some of these lesser comedians, here's your opportunity to further educate me. Screen grabs follow:

Opening credits:


Adam Nutt and his smoking dog:


Prospective bridegroom #1:


Hazel Nutt and prospective bridegroom #2:


Prospective bridegroom #3 and #2:


The wedding party with Adam Nutt's choice for bridegroom:


The two sleeping porters:


The porter "angel" after his tangle with a lion:


My pencil and pad are at the ready!

Tom Reeder

[Richard M Roberts]

Jack Cooper in the top hat, Bobby Ray in the light-colored derby.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Steve Massa]

Hi guys
In the sixth scan the wedding groom (on the left with hair parted down the middle, moustache, and horn-rimmed glasses) is Ernie Shields, veteran of Joker, Century, and Fox comedies.

In the fifth scan of the perspective grooms, the fellow on the left of Bobby Ray turned up in a ebay still with Virginia Rappe that was thought to perhaps be from A GAME LADY. There was some speculation that it's Jimmy Savo, but I don't know.

Steve

[Thomas Reeder]

Shields and Cooper - I knew they looked familiar! I'm going to have to get myself better acquainted with these comedians - looks like I'll contact Bill Sprague in the morning. And looking at IMDb I see that Bobby Ray was formerly Bobby Fuehrer, Universal Ike Jr. - ya learn something new every day. Thanks for the input.

Tom Reeder

[Frank Flood]

In the fifth scan of the perspective grooms, the fellow on the left of Bobby Ray turned up in a ebay still with Virginia Rappe that was thought to perhaps be from A GAME LADY. There was some speculation that it's Jimmy Savo, but I don't know.

I have a still from this vintage of a Sunshine Comedy with Jimmy Savo (PARDON ME, released 12/21) and Savo is younger and has a somewhat rounder face.

How many of these Chesters didn't feature Snooky?

Frank

[Steve Massa]

Thanks Frank. I thought that the guy was too old and angular looking to be Savo.

Steve

[Tommie Hicks]

I opine that this film was originally a Universal and for some reason was not released by Universal but sold to Chester. A friend of mine has seen a Universal lion comedy from 1921that takes place in the same lobby with the same signs on the wall.

[Thomas Reeder]

I opine that this film was originally a Universal and for some reason was not released by Universal but sold to Chester. A friend of mine has seen a Universal lion comedy from 1921that takes place in the same lobby with the same signs on the wall.

That's very interesting, Tommie, but it kind of deflates a theory I had going.

Lehrman ran into all sorts of financial problems with his own studio, Henry Lehrman Comedies, in 1920. C.L. Chester was his business manager in May '20, but had severed his connection with Lehrman by the end of July. Lehrman had a huge monetary debt to Chester and several others during this time, and the thought had crossed my mind that perhaps this film might have been an unfinished sixth Lehrman effort that changed hands in lieu of payment. Chester's director William Campbell had made several "lion" films for Lehrman back at Sunshine, and most of the identified actors had appeared in random Lehrman productions over the previous few years (including the unidentified "Savo" actor, but not, to my knowledge, Bobby Ray).

At any rate, if your friend has identified this as a Universal effort that shoots holes in my half-baked theory. Why, though, would Universal transfer a film to Chester? I could see them potentially dumping a sub-standard production, but this particular film is quite good. Or at least in my humble opinion it is.

Tom