James Parrott

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For the 18th Century runner, see James Parrott (runner).
James Parrott
Jobyna Ralston with Parrott in The White Blacksmith, 1922
Born(1897-08-02)August 2, 1897
Baltimore, Maryland
DiedMay 10, 1939(1939-05-10) (aged 41)
Los Angeles, California
Other namesPaul Parrott
Occupation(s)Film director, actor
Years active1913–1939
Clockwise from top: Parrott, Oliver Hardy, and Stan Laurel, c. 1930

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[edit]

Early years[edit]

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.

James was forced to leave school at a young age,in order to earn money to support the family. His first job was as a bellboy at the age of 10.Two years later, he was a driver of a horse-drawn carriage. He later became a prop man, whilst his brother Charley was director at Fox Films.

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.

Spouses[edit]

  • Clara Miller m. 1921-?
  • Ruby Ellen McCoy m. 1937-1939

Later years[edit]

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[edit]

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 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[edit]

Actor[edit]

Director[edit]

Writer[edit]

References[edit]


Marriage License for James Parrott and his first wife Clara Miller. The Sons of the Desert-Twice Two Tent St Neots, UK, have been researching James Gibbons Parrott. He directed our favourite Laurel and Hardy shorts.We discovered James Parrott married Clara Miller iin 1921. However, there is scant information about her. No date of birth, only that she's a housewife. We couldn't even locate a photograph of her. We traced them living together in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately the trail runs cold by 1930.With lack of evidence, we can only speculate what happened next to the couple. We have found no evidence of divorce papers.


James&clara202

This is a piece of evidence showing James Parrott and his wife Clara Miller. In 1922 they were living together in Los Angeles, where James Parrott had a successful career as an actor. Clara Miller was registered here as a housewife. It is the only file we can locate with James and Clara after their wedding in 1921.We have not managed to locate any other files after this.

External links[edit]

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