Roscoe Arbuckle, professionally known as "Fatty" Arbuckle, was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter born on March 24, 1887, and passed away on June 29, 1933. He began his career at the Selig Polyscope Company before moving to Keystone Studios, where he collaborated with notable figures such as Mabel Normand, Harold Lloyd, and his nephew Al St. John.
Arbuckle also mentored several renowned comedians, including Charlie Chaplin, Monty Banks, and Bob Hope, and introduced vaudeville star Buster Keaton to the film industry. During the 1910s, he was one of the most popular silent stars and earned the distinction of being one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time.
However, Arbuckle's career was marred by one of the earliest and most infamous Hollywood scandals. Between November 1921 and April 1922, he faced three highly publicized trials for the alleged rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe fell ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel in September 1921 and died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her, leading to two hung juries before he was eventually acquitted in the third trial.
The third jury went beyond the typical verdict by issuing a written statement of apology to Arbuckle for his treatment by the justice system. Despite his acquittal, the scandal largely halted Arbuckle's career and has overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian in the silent film era.
