The Expressions of Jimmy Aubrey (1920) 🇬🇧

Jimmy Aubrey is one of our most popular screen comedians. Like Charlie Chaplin, and other fun-makers of less renown, he was one of the band of Fred Karno comedians who left this country to try their luck in America.

They nearly all made good in some way or other. Although Aubrey has played before the camera for a number of years now, he had to struggle for recognition and the success which he deserves.

He has an original style of humour, and his actions and expressions cause roars of laughter when lie is performing his antics on the screen.

Those of you who have seen “Mumming Birds” will be interested to know that it was James Aubrey who first created the part of the funny wrestler in this skit on variety turns. This classic sketch has been the vehicle which has brought many artistes into prominence. Two more well-known screen comedians who come to mind who also played in Mumming Birds in this country and in America were Syd Chaplin, Billie Ritchie, and Billy Reeves.

A Busy Man.

Aubrey is busy turning out Vitagraph comedies at the rate of about two a week, and it is impossible for him to take a very, long holiday, but he declares that it is his intention to visit his native land at the first possible opportunity.

By the way, it is a strange fact, but, nevertheless, true, that the majority of leading lights in the film-fun world are British by birth.

Once upon a time Jimmy tried to dignified, and desired his admirers when they wrote to him to address him as “James.” He also tried to get the people round the studio to do the same.

This, you see, was the name bestowed upon him by his fond parents when they had visions of their son becoming the manager of a bank, or a butler, or something equally respectable. But it didn’t work.

“Jimmy,” the film comedian is still, and probably always will be, to those who know and admire him.

Every boy for miles around the Vitagraph Studios knows Jimmy, and when word was given that some fifty boys were wanted to help in one of his comedies every youth within walking distance applied for a job. And they were all engaged to make a big pile on top of Jimmy when he fell down. They never had such a lovely time in all their lives, and the boys will remember the treat for many a long day. They did not spare Jimmy’s feelings in the least, and when he got up at last, a bent and battered wreck, he said, “Well, perhaps it was worth it; it will make a good film!”

In spite of the success, financial and otherwise, which has come to him, Jimmy Aubrey is not a bit swollen-headed, and he is popular with everybody with whom he has dealings.

Jimmy, like many other film comedians, has found to his sorrow that making comedies for the screen is sometimes painful and often dangerous work, but he suffers in order that others may smile.

The other day, Jimmy was playing the part of a tenant, and he had to elude the blows of an angry landlord. The comedian was standing in front of a safe, and when the villain of the piece shot out his fist, Jimmy Aubrey endeavoured to dodge it.

He was successful, and the man landed his fist on the hard iron of the safe instead of Jimmy’s face. There was a little chase, and then the pair repeated the performance.

This time they were standing in front of a large pillar which supported the supposed house where they were playing their parts.

Dodging the Trouble.

Once more the angry landlord missed his punch, and there was some force behind it. When he hit the pillar the house built for the occasion came tumbling down.

Some of the players standing around were badly injured by the falling debris; but Jimmy, who is an expert acrobat, managed to dodge the trouble this time.

The result, however, was good, and it made a very successful film. Very often the unexpected happenings in a comedy film turn out best.

One of Jimmy’s latest pictures deals with dentists. As you can imagine, Jimmy Aubrey as a dentist is screamingly funny. One morning he is busily engaged giving gas to a patient, and the unfortunate man gets so much that he starts floating upwards.

There is another amusing scene in one of his latest films, entitled “Pals and Pugs.” The villain of the piece happened to be standing beneath a painter’s scaffold.

As the villain was strolling along with his head in the air he managed to knock against a rope hanging down. With a mighty crash, down came the paint, painters, and scaffold, and you can well understand that the well-dressed villain looked a terrible mess when he managed to get up.

There is not the slightest doubt that a screen comedian’s life is far from a happy one.

—

Jimmy Aubrey, Vitagraph comedian.
If you wish to write to him, his address is:
Vitagraph Studios,
Hollywood,
Los Angeles,
California.
Mention the “Picture Show” to ensure an early reply.

—

Photo Captions:

• Fed up.
• Happy.
• Furious.
• Be Careful.
• Indeed?
• Hallo!
• Oh, Dear!
• So Worried.
• My Word!
• Really?

—

(Special to the “Picture Show.”)

Collection: Picture Show Magazine, September 1920