"Life of the Party" movie about the Arbuckle scandal

[millbrookmusic]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944837/

Preston Lacey as Roscoe Arbuckle

Chris Kattan as Buster Keaton

I was so excited to hear that they were making a movie about the Roscoe Arbuckle scandal (with great casting for the role of Fatty) which was sympathetic to Fatty's plight but now I hear that due to the writer's strike, the film ran into a string of problems and died. Hopefully it's misinformation as I'd LOVE to see this movie made.

 

[Doctor Strange]

They probably looked at the dismal box-office performance of The Cat's Meow and decided that there was no audience for films about 1920s Hollywood scandals!

Of course, the Arbuckle scandal is a heckuva story with a sad ending, and no doubt a great film could be made about it...

 

[millbrookmusic]

That's true...but I swear I'd blame it all on Izzard's interpretation on Chaplin. But then again the 1920's era "Leatherheads" bombed as well too. Didn't 92's "Chaplin" fare well though ?

(and while we're on the subject, I've hardly seen worse make up in movies than the job they did making up R. Downey Jr. to look like the older version of Chaplin)

 

[The Wolf]

it's a movie I would pay to see.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Doh!]

I don't have another choice in mind right now, but Kattan as Keaton seems like a bad idea to me. For one thing, we all know Keaton had a foghorn of a voice. Kattan's... isn't.

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

Seems like something that could be handled really well by HBO.

I don't have another choice in mind right now, but Kattan as Keaton seems like a bad idea to me. For one thing, we all know Keaton had a foghorn of a voice. Kattan's... isn't.

I agree; I can't think of someone else, but just ....not him.

 

[sixsexsix]

Is Preston Lacey a real actor now? Have I missed something?[huh]

 

[millbrookmusic]

I agree about the casting of Keaton. But I worry if my radar is off as I cringed when I first heard Joaquin Phoenix was playing Cash but I ended up loving his performance.

I think that perhaps Jimmy Fallon would be a better Keaton:

And though his voice is completely wrong for the part, I think Rufus Wainwright's face would be good match:

 

[RIOT]

Is Preston Lacey a real actor now? Have I missed something?[huh]

I was thinking that same thing. Hey if Johnny Knoxville can do it, why not? [huh]

He will always be a Jackass to me!

 

[CAL-NOIR]

What about Johnny Depp as Keaton ? He did a Keatonesque performance in 'Benny & Joon ' .

Jerry Stahl's book I FATTY is a MUST by the way !

 

[Mike in Seattle]

This "project" has been in the works and shopped around Hollywood repeatedly for over 25 years. First it was going to be starring John Belushi, then Chris Farley...all they've done is keep talking about making the movie and "filming's definitely beginning next spring." I think it's just someone with gradiose ideas who manages to get some journalist to write up a piece on his idea every few years and that's as far as it'll ever go.

 

[millbrookmusic]

This "project" has been in the works and shopped around Hollywood repeatedly for over 25 years. First it was going to be starring John Belushi, then Chris Farley...all they've done is keep talking about making the movie and "filming's definitely beginning next spring." I think it's just someone with gradiose ideas who manages to get some journalist to write up a piece on his idea every few years and that's as far as it'll ever go.

I hope you're not right but I fear that you may be. Though a terrible and tragic story, it's an amazing story none the less that seems like it would translate well to the big screen.

I just read Keaton's autobiography and it was quite interesting to get Keaton's take on it (though his book is not a tell-all by any means) and what he tried to do for Arbuckle during and after the whole scandal.

And Cal-Noir, I think Depp could be a great candidate for Keaton's role...though in my opinion he's getting a little long in the tooth to play the quirky misfits he's famous for... and not exactly sure a 40-something year old Depp could play a convincing 20-something Keaton. Maybe I'd cast him as Mack Sennett or something

 

[Mike in Seattle]

There seems to be a few Hollywood scandals that'll never end up on the big screen, because Hollywood studios don't like showing the seamier underside of their hometown. They'll do any other story but anything putting Hollywood in a bad light seems to be a bit of a taboo. Fatty Arbuckle's one of the biggies, but another is the death of Thelma Todd (admittedly, it did make it to a TV movie decades ago) and a few may have heard of William Desmond Taylor. There were big name directors who wanted to film the latter and ran into way too much opposition to overcome. Was Jean Harlow's husband's death caused by murder or suicide? And what a coincidence - his ex-wife's body is found floating in the Sacramento River the next day. The Greystone Mansion & death of Ned Doheny and the ties to the Teapot Dome scandal. And the list goes on.

 

[millbrookmusic]

True - Good point and I hadn't thought of that. But there was "The Cat's Meow" based on Tommy Ince's death.