Be careful, you're eyes just might stick that way; permanently! Did you ever have your mother tell you that when you crossed your eyes and made faces at your older brother or sister? Most of us did in my day. Mothers were always warning us of the consequences of whatever juvenile antics we may try to enjoy. I won't even go into the whole "you'll go blind" thing.
However, there was a man who did have his eyes permanently crossed after suffering an accident as a young adult. Though it isn't actually clear how this occurred, he soon turned his distinctive ocular deformity into an asset in entertainment. Working in vaudeville and burlesque, he quickly became a recognizable character on stage, and later on the silver screen.
Marty Feldman was another googly-eyed film actor familiar to later generations of movie fans. Appearing in films such as Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, he was eventually immortalized in the song Marty Feldman Eyes, a parody of the Kim Carnes' song She's got Betty Davis Eyes. Ben never got his own song, but movie critic Leonard Maltin once said of him "to the end, Ben Turpin's face was his fortune." He said of himself that he was so crossed-eyed "when he cried, tears rolled down his back."
His wiry frame was well suited for the slapstick comedy that he pioneered along with other silent film stars like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. The pratfall, that staple of physical comedy, was a Ben Turpin trademark. He was master of a sight gag he called the "Hundred and Eight" which consisted of a backwards somersault that left the actor in a seated position, appearing dazed and confused. This was something he did better than most. Astonishingly, Ben was able to perform this stunt well into his 60s.
Born in the post Civil War South of 1869, young Ben had grown up the son of a New Orleans candy store owner. It was a period of reconstruction that reshaped the former Confederacy and no doubt influenced Ben's character. His father then moved his family about the country to suit his modest financial status.
It is speculated that he spent part of his early adult years as a hobo. Having squandered the hundred dollars he been given to make his start in life, it is thought that he took to hopping freight trains rather than face his father's wrath. Many of these facts of his early life are hazy at best. His initial work in show business, as well as his hobo career and the events contributing to his eye condition, is sketchy. This is probably due to his own changing version of biographical details.
As a man of comedy he suffered heartbreak in his personal life. His first wife, actress Carrie Le Mieux, contracted influenza in 1923 which resulted in hearing loss, and she eventually became an invalid. The heartbroken Turpin took his wife all the way to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre' in Quebec with the hope of healing her. Despite putting his own career on hold in order to care for her, Carrie passed away from her infirmities in 1925.
His entertainment career had begun when a newspaper ad caught his eye (no pun intended) seeking comedy acts. He was able to book shows along with a partner. But getting into the movie business also meant working as a janitor at Essanay Studios in 1907. Languishing in relative obscurity, he spent two years there appearing sporadically in comedy shorts.
Turpin's initial appearances were lackluster and it was not until he was teamed with rising star Charlie Chaplin that his fortunes improved dramatically. Chaplin, who had joined Essanay in 1915, introduced Turpin to Mack Sennett two years later. Though he did not appear in as many films as other of Sennett's top comedians he quickly became the studio's most popular star. His film credits between 1907 and 1940 include about 200 movies and film shorts.
Some of his most popular and successful movies were parodies of other, more serious, Hollywood idols such of Rudolph Valentino. Because of his lampooning of such greats as Erich Von Stroheim, some lauded as a satiric genius. Others would credit him with merely being adept at translating into action the routines provided by the writing staff. Ace pranksters like Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) and Mal St. Clair are considered the true talent behind the actor. He was thought by some to be only as good as the material written for him.
Unlike many of today's Hollywood Celebs, Ben was no prima donna. He seemed to care little for the fact that grander opportunities had passed him by. To the contrary, Ben was content to have made $3,000 a week - a hefty sum in those days - during his tenure as a film star. So much so that he unabashedly shared this fact with total strangers on the street.
Ben's frugality, no doubt a trait acquired from his humble beginnings, allowed Ben to save and invest much of his earnings. He was savvy enough to invest in real estate and properties. How could you go wrong with real estate in California? Working as a janitor in his own posh apartment buildings, just to save a few bucks a month, is an example of his thrift and work ethic.
Interesting to note is the fact that Ben's eye's were not truly crossed. This is evidenced in Hollywood Cavalcade, a partially fictionalized movie depicting the silent film era. Ben's sequence shows him reporting for a typical day's work. In his dressing room, as he prepares for the cameras, he is shown checking himself in the mirror. It is clearly shown that he intentionally crosses his left eye to match the misaligned right eye, as part of his onscreen persona.
In his final film appearance, Turpin portrays a myopic apartment house plumber. Titled Saps at Sea (1940), it starred comic greats Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. His professional incompetence resulted in crossed wires and pipes that produced music playing refrigerators and ice encrusted radios.
Ben's passing in 1940 was due to a heart attack. He was 70 years old. Eulogized in a Requiem Mass by Father J.P. Concannon as "a fine member of his church, strong in faith." he was taken from the Beverly Hills Church of the Good Shepherd to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery for interment in Glendale, California.
Ben Turpin would perhaps be an unlikely candidate for stardom today, but being in the right place at the right time earned him a place in the hearts of millions; the millions of movies fans that found laughter in his slapstick comedy, and escape from the sorrow and boredom of their daily lives. His comic characterizations have made him American Classic.
However, there was a man who did have his eyes permanently crossed after suffering an accident as a young adult. Though it isn't actually clear how this occurred, he soon turned his distinctive ocular deformity into an asset in entertainment. Working in vaudeville and burlesque, he quickly became a recognizable character on stage, and later on the silver screen.
Marty Feldman was another googly-eyed film actor familiar to later generations of movie fans. Appearing in films such as Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, he was eventually immortalized in the song Marty Feldman Eyes, a parody of the Kim Carnes' song She's got Betty Davis Eyes. Ben never got his own song, but movie critic Leonard Maltin once said of him "to the end, Ben Turpin's face was his fortune." He said of himself that he was so crossed-eyed "when he cried, tears rolled down his back."
His wiry frame was well suited for the slapstick comedy that he pioneered along with other silent film stars like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. The pratfall, that staple of physical comedy, was a Ben Turpin trademark. He was master of a sight gag he called the "Hundred and Eight" which consisted of a backwards somersault that left the actor in a seated position, appearing dazed and confused. This was something he did better than most. Astonishingly, Ben was able to perform this stunt well into his 60s.
Born in the post Civil War South of 1869, young Ben had grown up the son of a New Orleans candy store owner. It was a period of reconstruction that reshaped the former Confederacy and no doubt influenced Ben's character. His father then moved his family about the country to suit his modest financial status.
It is speculated that he spent part of his early adult years as a hobo. Having squandered the hundred dollars he been given to make his start in life, it is thought that he took to hopping freight trains rather than face his father's wrath. Many of these facts of his early life are hazy at best. His initial work in show business, as well as his hobo career and the events contributing to his eye condition, is sketchy. This is probably due to his own changing version of biographical details.
As a man of comedy he suffered heartbreak in his personal life. His first wife, actress Carrie Le Mieux, contracted influenza in 1923 which resulted in hearing loss, and she eventually became an invalid. The heartbroken Turpin took his wife all the way to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre' in Quebec with the hope of healing her. Despite putting his own career on hold in order to care for her, Carrie passed away from her infirmities in 1925.
His entertainment career had begun when a newspaper ad caught his eye (no pun intended) seeking comedy acts. He was able to book shows along with a partner. But getting into the movie business also meant working as a janitor at Essanay Studios in 1907. Languishing in relative obscurity, he spent two years there appearing sporadically in comedy shorts.
Turpin's initial appearances were lackluster and it was not until he was teamed with rising star Charlie Chaplin that his fortunes improved dramatically. Chaplin, who had joined Essanay in 1915, introduced Turpin to Mack Sennett two years later. Though he did not appear in as many films as other of Sennett's top comedians he quickly became the studio's most popular star. His film credits between 1907 and 1940 include about 200 movies and film shorts.
Some of his most popular and successful movies were parodies of other, more serious, Hollywood idols such of Rudolph Valentino. Because of his lampooning of such greats as Erich Von Stroheim, some lauded as a satiric genius. Others would credit him with merely being adept at translating into action the routines provided by the writing staff. Ace pranksters like Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) and Mal St. Clair are considered the true talent behind the actor. He was thought by some to be only as good as the material written for him.
Unlike many of today's Hollywood Celebs, Ben was no prima donna. He seemed to care little for the fact that grander opportunities had passed him by. To the contrary, Ben was content to have made $3,000 a week - a hefty sum in those days - during his tenure as a film star. So much so that he unabashedly shared this fact with total strangers on the street.
Ben's frugality, no doubt a trait acquired from his humble beginnings, allowed Ben to save and invest much of his earnings. He was savvy enough to invest in real estate and properties. How could you go wrong with real estate in California? Working as a janitor in his own posh apartment buildings, just to save a few bucks a month, is an example of his thrift and work ethic.
Interesting to note is the fact that Ben's eye's were not truly crossed. This is evidenced in Hollywood Cavalcade, a partially fictionalized movie depicting the silent film era. Ben's sequence shows him reporting for a typical day's work. In his dressing room, as he prepares for the cameras, he is shown checking himself in the mirror. It is clearly shown that he intentionally crosses his left eye to match the misaligned right eye, as part of his onscreen persona.
In his final film appearance, Turpin portrays a myopic apartment house plumber. Titled Saps at Sea (1940), it starred comic greats Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. His professional incompetence resulted in crossed wires and pipes that produced music playing refrigerators and ice encrusted radios.
Ben's passing in 1940 was due to a heart attack. He was 70 years old. Eulogized in a Requiem Mass by Father J.P. Concannon as "a fine member of his church, strong in faith." he was taken from the Beverly Hills Church of the Good Shepherd to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery for interment in Glendale, California.
Ben Turpin would perhaps be an unlikely candidate for stardom today, but being in the right place at the right time earned him a place in the hearts of millions; the millions of movies fans that found laughter in his slapstick comedy, and escape from the sorrow and boredom of their daily lives. His comic characterizations have made him American Classic.
Richard Quindry writes fiction and non-fiction on his website. He can be contacted via email at the email address shown below. He accepts free lance assignments and enjoys researching topics of every sort. He is an avid reader of many other Blogs and likes to share ideas with other writers. You're invited to join Hugh and the Gang at Hugh Cares and become part of the discussion.
His favorite books include mysteries, science-fiction and biographies. He also enjoys writing poetry, a talent he acquired from his grandfather. He has authored a children's book soon to be released that will be the first in a series.
His favorite books include mysteries, science-fiction and biographies. He also enjoys writing poetry, a talent he acquired from his grandfather. He has authored a children's book soon to be released that will be the first in a series.
