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James Gibbons Parrott is a Actor, Director and Scriptwriter American born on 1 august 1897 at Baltimore (USA)

James Gibbons Parrott

James Gibbons Parrott
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Nationality USA
Birth 1 august 1897 at Baltimore (USA)
Death 10 may 1939 (at 41 years) at Los Angeles (USA)

James Parrott (August 2, 1897 – May 10, 1939) was an American actor and film director; and the younger brother of film comedian Charley Chase.

Biography

Early years
James Gibbons Parrott was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Charles and Blanche Thompson Parrott. In 1903, his father died from a heart attack, leaving the family in bad financial shape, which forced them to move in with a relative. Charley Jr. quit school, so he could go to work, in order to support his mother and brother. Eventually the call of the stage beckoned him, and Charley Jr. left home at age 16 to travel the vaudeville circuit as a singer and comedic performer. By the time James had reached his teens, he too, had quit school, and became involved with the street gangs of Baltimore.

Later, Charley's connections in the film industry helped get his younger brother established in movies, and he would appear during the 1920s in a series of relatively successful comedies for producer Hal Roach. He was billed first as "Paul Parrott," then "Jimmie Parrott." Approximately 75 comedies were produced from 1921 to 1923, with titles continuing to be released through Pathé until 1926. Frequent co-stars included Marie Mosquini, Jobyna Ralston, Eddie Baker, and Sunshine Sammy.

Parrott is probably best known as a comedy director. As "James Parrott," he specialized in the two-reel misadventures of Laurel and Hardy, including the Oscar-winning classic The Music Box, and Helpmates.


Later years
During the 1930s Parrott had acquired serious drinking and drug problems (his diet medications were really addictive amphetamines) and although still able to direct quality shorts, he had developed a reputation as unreliable. By the mid-1930s his work was spotty: Stan Laurel used him sporadically to contribute gags to the Laurel and Hardy features, and he would direct an Our Gang short in 1934, plus several acceptable entries in Thelma Todd-Patsy Kelly series.


Death
By 1937, Parrott was accepting any jobs that came his way. He could no longer be counted on to direct or write, and relied on his brother to support him financially. There was a brief marriage to Ruby Ellen McCoy in 1937, but as his various addictions worsened, so did his state of mind.

Parrott died at the age of 41 of heart failure. His brother Charley was devastated, and died 13 months later.

Best films

The Music Box (1932)
(Director)

Usually with

Hal Roach
Hal Roach
(97 films)
Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
(50 films)
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
(45 films)
H. M. Walker
H. M. Walker
(48 films)
Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
(44 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of James Gibbons Parrott (105 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Washee Ironee
Directed by James Gibbons Parrott
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Children's films
Actors Wally Albright, George McFarland, Stymie Beard, Scotty Beckett, Tommy Bond, Leonard Kibrick
Roles Man walking by laundry
Rating69% 3.4679353.4679353.4679353.4679353.467935
On the day that he is scheduled to perform a violin solo at a swank bridge luncheon held by his social-climbing mother, rich kid Waldo opts instead to play football with the gang. With Waldo's help, the kids win the game, but his expensive clothes are covered with mud. Spanky declares that he and his pals are perfectly capable of washing Wally's duds on their own—and the result is a slapstick smorgasbord, culminating in a typically outsized Hal Roach traffic jam.
Pardon Us
Pardon Us (1931)

Directed by James Gibbons Parrott
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Prison films, Buddy films
Actors Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Walter Long, June Marlowe, James Finlayson, Wilfred Lucas
Roles Marching Prisoner Next to Hardy (uncredited)
Rating67% 3.3980253.3980253.3980253.3980253.398025
During Prohibition, beer barons Laurel and Hardy are sent to prison for concocting their own home brew. They are put in a cell with "Tiger" Long, the roughest, toughest and meanest of all inmates. Stan has a loose tooth that causes him to emit a razzberry at the end of every sentence; the inmate interprets this as a coolly defiant attitude and is impressed — nobody else ever stood up to him like that. He and Stan and Ollie become fast friends.
The Caretaker's Daughter, 20minutes
Directed by Leo McCarey
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Charley Chase, George Siegmann, Katherine Grant, James Gibbons Parrott, James Finlayson, Symona Boniface
Roles The Caretaker (as Jimmie Parrott)
Rating71% 3.583693.583693.583693.583693.58369
Sittin' Pretty, 14minutes
Directed by Leo McCarey
Genres Comedy
Actors Charley Chase, James Gibbons Parrott, Leo Willis
Roles Bearded Lunatic
Rating70% 3.507913.507913.507913.507913.50791
Ask Father
Ask Father (1919)
, 13minutes
Directed by Hal Roach
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Snub Pollard, Marie Mosquini, Bud Jamison, James Gibbons Parrott
Rating68% 3.4416353.4416353.4416353.4416353.441635
Lloyd is a serious young middle-class guy on the make, who wants to marry the boss’ daughter. The problem is getting in to see the boss so that he can ask for her hand in marriage; the office is guarded by a bunch of comic, clumsy flunkies who throw everyone out who tries to get in. When Lloyd gets into the boss’ office, the latter uses trap doors and conveyor belts to expel him; Lloyd then goes to the costume company next door, tries to get in wearing drag (no success), and then in medieval armor – that works, since he bangs everyone over the head with his club, but then he finds out that the daughter has eloped with another suitor. Lloyd decides to be sensible and he settles for the cute switchboard operator (Daniels) instead. The film includes a brief wall climbing sequence. Light-hearted, short, fast-paced.
Don't Shove, 11minutes
Directed by Alfred J. Goulding
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Bud Jamison, Sammy Brooks, Noah Young, Marie Mosquini
Roles Party Guest
Rating56% 2.8135352.8135352.8135352.8135352.813535