James Parrott, Directing - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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James Parrott
Directing

James Parrott
Known For
Directing
Birthday
1897-08-01,Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
From Wikipedia James Parrott (August 2, 1897 – May 10, 1939) was an American actor and film director; and the younger brother of film comedian Charley Chase. 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 get his younger brother 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. During the 1930s Parrott had acquired serious drinking and drug problems (his diet medications were really 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. 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.

Filmography

7

Big Town Ideas
1921-05-20

0

Way Out West
1920-01-01

8

Between Meals
1926-01-03

5.2

Shine 'Em Up
1922-11-04

7.333

Post No Bills
1923-08-05

Paste and Paper

10

Paste and Paper
1923-01-13

Are Parents Pickles?

9

Are Parents Pickles?
1925-11-08

An Ozark Romance

0

An Ozark Romance
1918-07-06

The Uncovered Wagon

6

The Uncovered Wagon
1923-07-07

0

Shoot Straight
1923-03-10

10

Blaze Away
1922-12-03

6.5

Harvest Hands
1922-11-19

5.92

Young Mr. Jazz
1919-04-20

Don't Park Here

7

Don't Park Here
1919-08-01

0

The Sleuth
1922-07-16

10

Dear Ol' Pal
1923-11-11

9

Soft Pedal
1926-01-31

7.25

The Golf Bug
1922-10-30

Jailed and Bailed

9

Jailed and Bailed
1923-02-11

A Deep Sea Panic

10

A Deep Sea Panic
1924-09-28

Count Your Change

6.667

Count Your Change
1919-08-10

7

An Auto Nut
1919-01-01

4.333

The King
1930-06-14

6.722

Hey There
1918-04-28

6.143

Don't Shove
1919-08-31

Shiver and Shake

0

Shiver and Shake
1922-10-22

Do You Love Your Wife?

5.7

Do You Love Your Wife?
1919-01-05

Touch all the Bases

7

Touch all the Bases
1922-08-13

Watch Your Wife

8

Watch Your Wife
1923-01-07

6.5

The Landlubber
1922-09-09

Hustling for Health

5.231

Hustling for Health
1919-02-02

7

Sittin' Pretty
1924-09-27

The Caretaker's Daughter

4

The Caretaker's Daughter
1925-10-10

9

Take Next Car
1922-07-29

8

Bone Dry
1922-09-17

0

Hit Him Again
1918-02-17

Fireman Save My Child

5.5

Fireman Save My Child
1918-05-25

Look Pleasant, Please

5

Look Pleasant, Please
1918-03-10

Just Rambling Along

5.2

Just Rambling Along
1918-11-03

Pay the Cashier

9

Pay the Cashier
1926-02-14

Bride and Gloom

0

Bride and Gloom
1918-08-18

His First Flat Tire

7

His First Flat Tire
1920-01-02

0

No Pets
1923-10-07

9

Tight Shoes
1923-02-25

Join the Circus

7

Join the Circus
1923-12-02

8

Take the Air
1923-09-09

7.5

Get Busy
1924-04-27

8

Don't Butt In
1926-01-17

0

The Smile Wins
1923-04-08

The House of Flickers

0

The House of Flickers
1925-03-15

Face the Camera

0

Face the Camera
1922-10-01

A Sammy in Siberia

5.75

A Sammy in Siberia
1919-04-06

0

Let's Go
1918-03-24

A Gasoline Wedding

5.8

A Gasoline Wedding
1918-03-03

0

Beat It
1918-02-24

0

The Lamb
1918-02-03

It's a Wild Life

5

It's a Wild Life
1918-04-21

Pipe the Whiskers

5

Pipe the Whiskers
1918-04-14

Here Come the Girls

2

Here Come the Girls
1918-03-17

The Parrott Chase

0

The Parrott Chase
2009-07-28