Lloyd Hamilton: Poor Boy Comedian of Silent Cinema

by Anthony Balducci

Overview

At first glance, Lloyd Hamilton was a large, baby-faced comic who walked like a duck. To the trained eye, Hamilton demonstrated keen timing and an inventive mind, providing wry humor rich in emotion during his 20 year career. Perhaps most importantly, Hamilton was greatly admired by his fellow comics, receiving praise from the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

This book explores Hamilton's life and work, beginning with his conservative, middle-class childhood and continuing through the comic's entry into show business as a theatre extra, his most memorable role as half of silent comedy's "Ham and Bud" duo, and his first feature film, The Darker Self. The author examines Hamilton's private life and alcoholism and the decline of his health and career, which led to his death at the age of 43. The book includes exclusive photographs from the Hamilton family, a filmography with detailed plot descriptions, many behind-the-scenes facts, and an analysis of Hamilton's critical lost feature film A Self-Made Failure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786441594
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	07/31/2009
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Anthony Balducci studied journalism at Baruch College and holds a University of Florida criminology degree. He has written three previous books and numerous articles on film comedy as well as online contributions to Feet of Mud, World Cinema Paradise and other websites. He lives in New Port Richey, Florida.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     

1. An Oakland Boy     
2. Stage to Screen     
3. The Rapid Advancement of an Earnest and Inventive Player     
4. Part of a New Wave     
5. New Vision     
6. Business Suicide     
7. The New Mentor     
8. Dances with Lions     
9. Further Adventures on an Ostrich Farm     
10. A Fresh Start     
11. Lloyd on His Own     
12. The Man in Blackface     
13. The Manageable Chaplin     
14. Tumbling Back to Shorts     
15. Erratic Behavior     
16. Ain’t It a Crime?     
17. “Drank Himself Out”     
18. The Vagrant     
19. The Comeback     
20. The Final Fade     
21. In Reference to Relics     

Appendix I: Profiles of Select Sunshine Personnel     
Appendix II: Profiles of Select Hamilton’s Associates     
Appendix III: Filmography     
Chapter Notes     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

Anthony Balducci has filled an enormous void with his biographical assessment of Hamilton’s life and work, offering information that even the most learned comedy film historians had not known. It is not only the first book about this fascinating comedian, it is also the definitive study. Any comedy film buff’s library is incomplete without it”—Rogue Cinema; “a worthwhile, first ever look at a notable though neglected figure...goes a long way in returning the spotlight to a gifted comedian”—www.examiner.com; “is a very good biography of a greatly gifted comedian. It makes you want to go out and watch Lloyd Hamilton movies.”—pbpulse.com; “this long-overdue biography illuminates the life and career of a talented comic innovator who has remained obscure for far too long”—charleychase.50webs.com.

From the Publisher

is a very good biography of a greatly gifted comedian. It makes you want to go out and watch Lloyd Hamilton movies.

pbpulse.com

a worthwhile, first ever look at a notable though neglected figure...goes a long way in returning the spotlight to a gifted comedian

www.examiner.com

Anthony Balducci has filled an enormous void with his biographical assessment of Hamilton's life and work, offering information that even the most learned comedy film historians had not known. It is not only the first book about this fascinating comedian, it is also the definitive study. Any comedy film buff's library is incomplete without it

Rogue Cinema