I went to the Library of Congress today to see what 'Reel Life', the Mutual Exhibitors Weekly, had to say about 'Her Friend the Bandit'. 'Reel Life' carried trade ads for the Keystone releases and posted an occasional review (with cast credits!). Alas, 'Her Friend...' was released in May and the Library didn't have that volume. But if any of our friends in New York [Hooman?] get to the Lincoln Center NYPL, they have it on microfilm. It's volume 4. With luck you'll see a trade ad and a photo from it. I went through the issues spanning Nov. 1913 through March 1914 hoping to catch a still of Mabel in her 'Bessy frame' costume or set but again, no luck.
The one tidbit of interest I found was a trade ad in the March 7, 1914 issue: 'THREE A WEEK KEYSTONE COMEDIES' The ad lauds 'Keystone Mabel' Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle (Fatty) [ed. note: I'm quoting the ad, David], the 'Kid' Comedies with 'Little Billy' Jacobs, Thelma Slater, Charlotte Fitzpatick and Gordon Griffith. From the ad: 'LAST BUT NOT LEAST: CHAS. CHAPLIN our new comedian, who up to date has only worked in four pictures, and yet we have received tons of mail from both Exhibitors and Public congratulating us on our business acumen.'
I'm sure this is hyperbole (I doubt they got all *that* much mail congratulating them on their 'business acumen'
, but it indicates the early interest in CC was almost immediate.
So that's the news from the research trenches. Not much to show for a day's work, but that's how it goes.
BTW, I looked at 'Hello, Mabel' again. She is wearing one costume throughout and it's not the one in the Bessy still. Any fresh ideas for leads I can persue next time I'm at the LoC?
Rob Farr
