James Parrott

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 his younger brother to become 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 actually 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. He is interred at Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park, the same cemetery where his brother, Charley Chase rests.
His brother Chase had refused to help him financially until he cleaned up his act. Parrott's death at 41 was attributed to a heart attack, but former Hal Roach associates maintained he committed suicide. Guilt-ridden over his brother's tragic end, Chase drank himself to death a year later.

Filmography

Actor

* 1918 : '' Hit Him Again''
* 1918 : '' A Gasoline Wedding''
* 1918 : '' Look Pleasant, Please''
* 1918 : '' Here Come the Girls''
* 1918 : ''Let's Go''
* 1918 : ''On the Jump''
* 1918 : '' Follow the Crowd''
* 1918 : '' Pipe the Whiskers''
* 1918 : '' It's a Wild Life''
* 1918 : ''Hey There!''
* 1918 : '' Kicked Out''
* 1918 : '' Two-Gun Gussie''
* 1918 : '' Fireman Save My Child''
* 1918 : ''Sic 'Em, Towser''
* 1918 : '' Somewhere in Turkey''
* 1918 : ''An Ozark Romance''
* 1918 : '' Kicking the Germ Out of Germany''
* 1918 : '' That's Him''
* 1918 : '' Bride and Gloom''
* 1918 : '' Two Scrambled''
* 1918 : ''No Place Like Jail''
* 1918 : '' Why Pick on Me? (1918 film), Why Pick on Me?''
* 1918 : '' Just Rambling Along''
* 1918 : '' Hear 'Em Rave''
* 1918 : '' She Loves Me Not''
* 1919 : ''An Auto Nut''
* 1919 : '' Do You Love Your Wife?''
* 1919 : '' Wanted - $5,000''
* 1919 : '' Going! Going! Gone!''
* 1919 : ''Hustling for Health''
* 1919 : '' Hoots Mon!''
* 1919 : '' I'm on My Way''
* 1919 : '' The Dutiful Dub''
* 1919 : ''A Sammy in Siberia''
* 1919 : ''Young Mr. Jazz''
* 1919 : '' Crack Your Heels''
* 1919 : ''Ring Up the Curtain''
* 1919 : ''Si, Senor''
* 1919 : ''Pistols for Breakfast''
* 1919 : '' Swat the Crook''
* 1919 : '' Off the Trolley''
* 1919 : ''At the Old Stage Door''
* 1919 : '' A Jazzed Honeymoon''
* 1919 : ''Count Your Change''
* 1919 : '' Chop Suey & Co.''
* 1919 : '' Heap Big Chief''
* 1919 : ''Don't Shove''
* 1920 : ''His First Flat Tire''
* 1921 : '' Big Town Ideas''
* 1922 : '' Try, Try Again''
* 1922 : ''Paste and Paper''
* 1922 : ''Loose Change''
* 1922 : '' Rich Man, Poor Man''
* 1922 : ''Stand Pat''
* 1922 : '' Friday the Thirteenth''
* 1922 : '' The Late Lamented''
* 1922 : '' A Bed of Roses''
* 1922 : '' The Sleuth''
* 1922 : ''Busy Bees''
* 1922 : ''The Bride-to-Be''
* 1922 : ''Take Next Car''
* 1922 : '' Touch All the Bases''
* 1922 : '' The Truth Juggler''
* 1922 : ''Rough on Romeo''
* 1922 : ''Wet Weather''
* 1922 : ''The Landlubber''
* 1922 : '' Bone Dry''
* 1922 : ''Soak the Shiek''
* 1922 : '' Face the Camera''
* 1922 : ''The Uppercut''
* 1922 : '' Shiver and Shake''
* 1922 : '' The Golf Bug''
* 1922 : ''Shine 'Em Up!''
* 1922 : ''Washed Ashore''
* 1922 : ''Harvest Hands''
* 1922 : '' The Flivver''
* 1922 : '' Blaze Away''
* 1922 : ''I'll Take Vanilla''
* 1922 : ''Fair Week''
* 1922 : '' The White Blacksmith''
* 1922 : ''Fire the Fireman''
* 1923 : '' Post No Bills''
* 1923 : '' Watch Your Wife''
* 1923 : '' Mr. Hyppo''
* 1923 : '' Don't Say Die''
* 1923 : ''Jailed and Bailed''
* 1923 : ''A Loose Tightwad''
* 1923 : '' Tight Shoes''
* 1923 : ''Do Your Stuff''
* 1923 : '' Shoot Straight''
* 1923 : ''For Safe Keeping''
* 1923 : '' Bowled Over''
* 1923 : '' Get Your Man''
* 1923 : '' The Smile Wins''
* 1923 : '' Good Riddance''
* 1923 : ''Speed the Swede''
* 1923 : ''Sunny Spain''
* 1923 : ''For Art's Sake''
* 1923 : ''Fresh Eggs''
* 1923 : '' Uncovered Wagon''
* 1923 : '' For Guests Only''
* 1923 : '' Live Wires''
* 1923 : ''Take the Air''
* 1923 : ''Finger Prints''
* 1923 : '' Winner Take All''
* 1923 : ''Dear Ol' Pal''
* 1923 : ''Join the Circus''
* 1924 : '' Get Busy''
* 1925 : ''Whispering Lions''
* 1925 : ''The Caretaker's Daughter''
* 1925 : '' Are Parents Pickles?''
* 1925 : '' Whistling Lions''
* 1926 : ''Between Meals''
* 1926 : ''Don't Butt In