Fred C. Fishback (born Moscu Fischback; January 18, 1894January 6, 1925) was a film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer of the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. Following the 1921 scandal surrounding

Roscoe Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked ...

, in which he was involved, Fishback worked mostly under the pseudonym Fred Hibbard.

Biography

Fred Fishback was born Moscu Fischback (sometimes spelled Fischbach) on January 18, 1894, in Bucharest, Romania.Fred (Moscu) Fischbach Or Fishbach, United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940.
/ref> He immigrated to the United States around 1900, and made his motion picture debut with

Thomas H. Ince Thomas Harper Ince (November 16, 1880 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent film - era filmmaker and media proprietor. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films. He revolutionized the mot ...

in 1912. As Freddy Fischbach, he became a cameraman at

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

's Keystone studio, where he worked with comedy star

. Sennett promoted Fischbach to director, with his surname Americanized to Fred Fishback. Anyone with Keystone credentials was welcomed by lesser comedy studios, and Fishback secured a job directing comedy shorts for

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, many of them featuring former Keystone and

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

bit player

Lige Conley Lige Conley (born Elijah Crommie; December 5, 1897 – December 11, 1937) was an American actor of the silent film, silent era. He appeared in 140 films between 1915 and 1938. Biography As Lige Crommie, the curly-haired young comedian joi ...

. Both Arbuckle and Fishback were hired to direct at

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational pr ...

. Fishback, reunited with Lige Conley, helped to develop Conley into a comedy star in a lengthy series of slapstick short subjects. Fishback also directed one of Educational's leading comedians,

Lloyd Hamilton Lloyd Vernon Hamilton (August 19, 1891 – January 19, 1935) was an American film comedian, best remembered for his work in the silent era. Career Having begun his career as an extra in theatre-productions, Hamilton first appeared on film in ...

. Fishback died at the age of 30 of cancer; his last films were released posthumously.

Select filmography

Actor

Director

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fishback, Fred 1894 births 1925 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California Romanian emigrants to the United States American film directors American male screenwriters American film producers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters