Charles H. Puffy — Just “Puffy” Himself (1925) 🇺🇸

Add to the list of famous last words — “He’s the Charlie Chaplin of Europe!”

Say it in the presence of Charles H. Puffy [Károly Huszár], Universal Pictures comedian, and he will recite all the English words he knows in rapid succession — a sort of cataract of sounds and phrases, to make you understand he isn’t. He’s Charles Puffy from Budapest, Hungary, where his father is a professor in the Budapest University and where he, himself, was educated. He isn’t any Charlie Chaplin of Europe, not by a jugful. He’s just “Puffy” and he spent sixteen years on the speaking stage in Europe to establish his reputation as an individual, and he does not wish to be regarded as a second edition of any one else, no matter how famous that one may be.

When Carl Laemmle, president of Universal Pictures, was negotiating for “The Last Laugh” in Berlin, he saw some of Puffy’s work. The Hungarian comedian had put in about five years in pictures over there and about ten months in this country. His rôle in “Rose of Paris” with Mary Philbin will be recalled by many.

Mr. Laemmle was so impressed by Puffy that he annexed him to Universal’s staff for a period of five years and he has completed a half dozen or more comedies. Among them are “City Bound,” “Nearly Rich,” “Rolling Stone,” “Unwelcome,” “Oh, Nurse!” and “Nicely Rewarded.” There is a humor about him remindful of and some of the mannerisms of Chaplin. But understand you, they’re his own; not copied!

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Collection: Picture Play Magazine, October 1925