Joe Rock (born Joseph Simberg, December 25, 1893 – December 5, 1984) was an American film producer, director, actor,
[Obituary '']Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', December 12, 1984, page 63. and screenwriter. He produced a series of 12 two reel
short subject
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
comedies starring
Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...
in the 1920s.
Career
![Vamps and Variety](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Vamps_and_Variety.jpg)
Joe Rock began his career as a stunt double for
Mary Pickford
Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...
. He soon became a comedian in
silent films
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, whe ...
working under his real name, Joe Simberg. He had a broad grin and protruding ears, which gave him a comical appearance – but soon found greater success as a producer.
A short-lived career with
Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...
as a comedian teamed with
Earl Montgomery
Earl Triplett Montgomery (May 24, 1894 – October 28, 1966) was a film director, writer, and comedian who performed in silent films including as the character Hairbreadth Harry. He established the producing company Earl Montgomery Comedy Company. ...
in countless comedy shorts such as ''Hash and Havoc'' (1916), ''Stowaways and Strategy'' (1917), ''Farms and Fumbles'' (1918), ''Harems and Hookum'' (1919), ''Zip and Zest'' (1919), ''Vamps and Variety'' (1919), ''Rubes and Robbers'' (1919), ''Cave and Coquettes'' (1919), ''Throbs and Thrills'' (1920), ''Loafers and Lovers'' (1920), and ''Sauce and Senoritas'' (1920).
In the book ''Comedy is a Man in Trouble: Slapstick in American Movies'' by Alan Dale, Joe Rock described the two-reelers he made with Earl Montgomery saying, "We always finished our comedies with a shot of us running away from a cop, a schoolteacher, or a principal, and then running smack into them again. If we'd run away from cops, we'd run back into cops."
Rock then enlisted in the U.S. Army for infantry service in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Stan Laurel
By 1924,
Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...
had forsaken the stage for full-time film work, and was still involved with actress
Mae Dahlberg
Mae Charlotte Dahlberg (24 May 1888 – 1969), also known as Mae Laurel, was an Australian-born vaudeville performer and actress. She was Stan Laurel's professional partner and common-law wife from 1917 to 1925.
Childhood and career in Austral ...
. Among the films in which they jointly appeared was the 1922 parody, ''
Mud and Sand
''Mud and Sand'' is a silent film starring Stan Laurel.
The title spoofs the Rudolph Valentino film ''Blood and Sand (1922 film), Blood and Sand'', and many scenes directly parody that film: Dona Sol is replaced by Filet de Sole and Carmen is ...
''. Around this time, Mae started interfering with Laurel's work and was holding him back. Laurel insisted (no doubt with pressure from her) that she be in his every picture, but audiences didn't like her. When Joe Rock put Laurel under contract for twelve two-reel comedies, the contract had one unusual stipulation, that Dahlberg was not to appear in any of the films. It was felt that her temperament was hindering his career. When she balked, Rock held firm, finally offering her a most unusual and humiliating deal. He would give her several thousand dollars, along with some jewels she had pawned, if she would go back to Australia. When Stan showed no inclination to demur, she accepted the offer. The ship's purser had strict instructions: Mae would not receive her payment until the ship was a day out at sea. Stan was finally free. Without any distractions, Stan finished the twelve films ahead of schedule, although he was still technically under contract to Joe Rock. Stan next joined the Hal Roach studio as a writer and director, but due to the contract with Joe, could not act in any of the films.
The twelve two-reel comedies were ''
Mandarin Mix-Up'' (1924), ''
Detained'' (1924), ''
Monsieur Don't Care
''Monsieur Don't Care'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel as "Rhubarb Vaselino". The film is a parody of the Rudolph Valentino film '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1924).
Cast
* Stan Laurel as Rhubarb Vaselino
* Melba Brow ...
'' (1924), ''
West of Hot Dog
''West of Hot Dog'' is a 1924 American comedy film starring Stan Laurel.
Plot
Stan's stagecoach is robbed on his way to Hot Dog for the reading of his uncle's will. Every time he raises his hands his pants fall down. The robbers ride off and ...
'' (1924), ''
Somewhere in Wrong
''Somewhere in Wrong'' is a 1925 American film starring Stan Laurel.
Cast
* Stan Laurel as A Tramp
* Max Asher as A Tramp
* Julie Leonard as The Farmer's Daughter
* Charles King as A Suitor
* Pete the Dog (as Pete the Pup)
See also
* List of ...
'' (1925), ''
Twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
'' (1925), ''
Pie-Eyed
''Pie-Eyed'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel. The film is made at the peak of the Prohibition era so is dealing with "illegal activity" even if it is in a humorous manner. The club owner appears a mix of Gene Tunney ...
'' (1925), ''
The Snow Hawk
''The Snow Hawk'' is a 1925 film directed by Scott Pembroke and Joe Rock and starring Stan Laurel.
Cast
* Stan Laurel - Mountie
* Glen Cavender - Midnight Mike
* Julie Leonard - Storekeeper's daughter
See also
* List of American films of 192 ...
'' (1925), ''
Navy Blue Days
''Navy Blue Days'' is a 1925 American film starring Stan Laurel.
Cast
* Stan Laurel as Stan
* Julie Leonard as Grenadine
* Glen Cavender as Pete Vermicelli
See also
* List of American films of 1925
* Stan Laurel filmography This is a list of f ...
'' (1925), ''
The Sleuth'' (1925), ''
Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde
''Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde'' is a 1925 American silent, black-and-white comedy film, directed by Scott Pembroke and Joe Rock (also the producer).
The film itself is both a spoof of the previous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde films (e.g. ''Dr. Jekyl ...
'' (1925), ''
Half a Man
One half ( : halves) is the irreducible fraction resulting from dividing one by two or the fraction resulting from dividing any number by its double. Multiplication by one half is equivalent to division by two, or "halving"; conversely, ...
'' (1925).
Ton of Fun
From the Joe Rock Studios came the "
A Ton of Fun" series of comedy shorts, promoted at the time as 'starring the three fattest men on the screen'. The series was launched in 1925 and ran two years. Alternatively known as The Three Fatties, they were played in order of girth by
Hilliard "Fat" Karr,
Kewpie Ross and
Frank "Fatty" Alexander. The films were ''Tailoring'' (1925), ''All Tied Up'' (1925), ''Three Wise Goofs'' (1925), ''Heavy Love'' (1926), ''The Heavy Parade'' (1926), ''Three of a Kind'' (1926), ''Old Tin Shoes'' (1927), ''Three Missing Links'' (1927), and ''Campus Romeos'' (1927). Produced by Joe Rock, the shorts were made by Poverty Row studio Standard Photoplay Company and released by
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and was the patriarch of the Irish-American Ken ...
's
Film Booking Offices of America
Film Booking Offices of America (FBO), registered as FBO Pictures Corp., was an American film studio of the Silent film, silent era, a midsize producer and distributor of mostly low-budget films. The business began in 1918 as Robertson-Cole, an ...
, (F.B.O.).
Ironically, comedian-turned-producer Joe Rock, who created the series, did not think The Three Fatties were fat enough. Frank Alexander and Kewpie Ross were actually padded far beyond their natural waistlines. Built on the premise that three fat men were funnier than one, Rock created a surprising number of outlandish situations for the trio during the series long run.
Elstree Studios
The Neptune Film Company opened the first studios in Borehamwood in 1914. It contained just a single small windowless stage (the first "dark stage" in England), relying entirely on electricity from a gas powered generator for lighting. Production ceased during 1917 and the studio was sold to the
Ideal Film Company
The Ideal Film Company (often known as Ideal Films or simply Ideal) was a British film production and distribution company that operated between 1911 and 1934.
The company, based in Soho, London, was started by the two Jewish brothers Harry Mos ...
who used the site up until 1924. During 1928 the studio was sold to
Ludwig Blattner
Ludwig Blattner (1881 – 30 October 1935) was a German-born inventor, film producer, director and studio owner in the United Kingdom, and developer of one of the earliest magnetic sound recording devices.
Career
Ludwig Blattner, also kno ...
. The Blattner Studio was leased to Joe Rock Productions during 1934 and 2 years later they purchased the site. Joe Rock appointed Ludwig Blattner's son
Gerry
Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
*Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice presi ...
as the studio manager.
"The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History"
edited by William D. Rubinstein
William D. Rubinstein (born 12 August 1946) is a historian and author. His best-known work, ''Men of Property: The Very Wealthy in Britain Since the Industrial Revolution'', charts the rise of the ' super rich', a class he sees as expanding ex ...
, Michael Jolles, Hilary L. Rubinstein
Hilary L. Rubinstein (born 1946) is an Australian historian and author. She researches and writes on British naval history and modern Jewish history.
Biography
She graduated with a BA(Hons) in economics, history and politics at Keele Universi ...
Palgrave Macmillan, 15 Mar 2011, Rock Productions built 4 new large stages and began making films including the feature ''The Edge of the World
''The Edge of the World'' is a 1937 British film directed by Michael Powell, loosely based on the evacuation of the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. It was Powell's first major project. The title is a reference to the expression '' ultima Th ...
'' (1937). These studios would eventually (in 1984) become BBC Elstree Centre
The BBC Elstree Centre, sometimes referred to as the BBC Elstree Studios, is a television production facility, currently owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The complex is located between Eldon Avenue and Clarendon Road in Boreh ...
, Clarendon Road Studios, Borehamwood.
Michael Powell
In 1935 Rock met director Michael Powell
Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a serie ...
. In return for Powell agreeing to direct ''The Man Behind the Mask
''The Man Behind the Mask'' is a 1936 British mystery film directed by Michael Powell and starring Hugh Williams, Jane Baxter, Ronald Ward, Maurice Schwartz, George Merritt, Henry Oscar and Peter Gawthorne. A man assaults and switches places wi ...
'', Rock agreed to back the filming of what would become ''The Edge of the World
''The Edge of the World'' is a 1937 British film directed by Michael Powell, loosely based on the evacuation of the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. It was Powell's first major project. The title is a reference to the expression '' ultima Th ...
'', Powell's directorial breakthrough.
Krakatoa
As a boy, Rock was an avid reader. He had been very impressed by a book that described the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. In that year, an obscure island in Indonesia exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of recorded history: the explosion was heard thousands of miles away, and many people died. In 1933, for the fiftieth anniversary of the eruption, Joe Rock produced a documentary titled ''Krakatoa
Krakatoa (), also transcribed (), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa archipelago) comprising four islands. Tw ...
'': partly about the island's history before and after the eruption, but mostly about the eruption. Making the documentary was a challenge, because Joe had no film footage of the island and he was unable to locate any witnesses who recalled the original 1883 event. After making this movie on a very low budget and releasing it, Joe went on a trip to England. He had formed a production company to make ''Krakatoa
Krakatoa (), also transcribed (), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa archipelago) comprising four islands. Tw ...
'', but he permitted that company to go out of business because he had no further projects envisioned for it.
Academy Award
Rock has the unenviable distinction of holding one of filmdom's more bizarre records: the longest wait between winning an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and actually receiving it. Rock produced the 1933 film ''Krakatoa
Krakatoa (), also transcribed (), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa archipelago) comprising four islands. Tw ...
'', a documentary about the volcanic eruption of 1883. This film won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Novelty) in 1933. However, Rock was in Europe at the time that the award was announced, and had no representative to claim the trophy. Rock's name did not appear in the film's credits. Meanwhile, his production company had failed, and when he returned to the United States he could no longer document that he was the head of the production company named in the film's credits. Almost fifty years later, while sorting out some of his papers, Rock located documents which established his proprietary claim ... and the Academy belatedly gave him his statuette.
Later years
In 1955, Rock co-produced a documentary exploitation film
An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...
about the Mau Mau uprising
The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the ''Mau Mau'', an ...
called '' Mau Mau''.
Personal life
Joe Rock was married to actress Louise Granville. They had two children actress Felippa Rock born in 1923 and writer Phillip Rock born in 1926. His grandson is actor Christopher Pate.
Selected filmography
*'' A Ghostly Night'' (1924)
* '' A Woman's Heart'' (1926)
* ''A Desperate Moment
''A Desperate Moment'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Jack Dawn and starring Wanda Hawley, Theodore von Eltz, and Sheldon Lewis
Sheldon Lewis (April 20, 1868 – May 7, 1958) was an American actor of the silent era best kno ...
'' (1926)
* ''The Call of the Wilderness
''The Call of the Wilderness'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Jack Nelson and starring Edna Marion, Sidney De Gray and Albert J. Smith. Location shooting took place around Newhall in California.
Cast
* Lewis Sargent as ...
'' (1926)
* ''Pretty Clothes
''Pretty Clothes'' is a 1927 American silent drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Jobyna Ralston, Gertrude Astor, and Johnnie Walker (actor), Johnny Walker, and was released on October 15, 1927.
Cast list
*Jobyna Ralston
Jobyna Ralst ...
'' (1927)
* '' Stranded'' (1927)
* ''Outcast Souls
''Outcast Souls'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Louis Chaudet and starring Priscilla Bonner, Charles Delaney and Ralph Lewis.Munden p.579
Cast
* Priscilla Bonner as Alice Davis
* Charles Delaney
Charles Delaney (August ...
'' (1928)
* ''Burning Up Broadway
''Burning Up Broadway'' is a 1928 American silent drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Helene Costello, Robert Frazer, and Sam Hardy, and was released February 1928.
Plot
Spike and Nick own a speakeasy in New York, where the chief chor ...
'' (1928)
* ''Krakatoa
Krakatoa (), also transcribed (), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa archipelago) comprising four islands. Tw ...
''
* ''Strictly Illegal
''Strictly Illegal'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Ralph Ceder and starring Leslie Fuller, Betty Astell and Georgie Harris. It was made at Cricklewood Studios.Wood p.84
Cast
* Leslie Fuller as Bill the Bookie
* Betty Astell as Mrs. ...
'' (1935)
* ''The Man Behind the Mask
''The Man Behind the Mask'' is a 1936 British mystery film directed by Michael Powell and starring Hugh Williams, Jane Baxter, Ronald Ward, Maurice Schwartz, George Merritt, Henry Oscar and Peter Gawthorne. A man assaults and switches places wi ...
'' (1936)
* ''Cotton Queen
''Cotton Queen'', also known as ''Crying Out Loud'', is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Bernard Vorhaus, and starring Stanley Holloway, Will Fyffe, and Mary Lawson.
Production
The film was directed by Vorhaus at Elstree Studios for the ...
'' (1937)
* '' Boys Will Be Girls'' (1937)
* ''Rhythm Racketeer
''Rhythm Racketeer'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by James Seymour and starring Harry Roy, Princess Pearl and James Carew. It was made at Rock Studios, Elstree, by the independent producer Joe Rock.Wood p.96
Cast
* Harry Roy as Harry ...
'' (1937)
* ''Sing as You Swing
''Sing as You Swing'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Redd Davis and starring Charles Clapham, Bill Dwyer and Claude Dampier. It was made as a quota quickie and features turns from a variety of radio and revue stars with little bac ...
'' (1937)
* '' Mau Mau''
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock, Joe
1893 births
1984 deaths
American male film actors
American male comedians
American film producers
American film directors
American male screenwriters
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters