Greetings once again family, friends and neighbors. Today's story, "Second Banana", is a bit of silent film history that took place right here in Niles a century ago.......lights, camera, action! Bill
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Historical Ramblings
SECOND BANANA*
*A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight
man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.
Bernard “Ben” Turpin arrived in the village of Niles, California in
1913 under contract with The Essanay Film Manufacturing
Company and took up residence in one of the studios bungalows
on Second Street with his wife Carrie. The forty four year old
Turpin, an experienced comedian and silent screen actor, was
signed by old friend Gilbert Anderson to appear in Essanay’s
Snakeville Comedies directed by Wallace Beery. The popular one-
reel films were to be shot in and around Essanay’s Niles studio,
while “Broncho Billy” Anderson was busy cranking out Western
films in Niles Canyon. Anderson had discovered the talented short
wiry former vaudevillian with the signature brush mustache and
crossed eyes six years earlier in Chicago’s Essanay Studios where
he was working as a janitor, carpenter and occasionally called
upon to perform comic bits in front of the camera.
Anderson signed new up and coming filmmaker Charlie Chaplin in
1915 who’s first film shot in Niles “A Night Out” featured Turpin as
his “second banana” performing carefully choreographed drunken
hits, kicks and prat falls. Turpin appeared in Chaplin’s His New
Job, A Night Out, and The Champion but the duo didn’t last long
with Chaplin’s slow intuitive creative style competing with Turpin’s
vigorous physical slapstick comedy. Never enamored with the
backwater town of Niles, Chaplin moved on after a few months to
bigger and better opportunities in Hollywood’s growing movie
industry. Ben and Carrie Turpin remained in Niles for about a year
and a half performing in front of the camera, making many friends
and being active in the community until the studio’s closing in
1916.
Following a brief period producing a series of two reel films for
Vogue Comedy Company, Turpin joined Mack Sennett Studio,
Hollywood’s leading comedy company in 1917 where he became
one of film’s most popular comics. Wisely investing his earnings in
real estate during his twelve year tenure with Sennett, financially
stable Turpin chose to retire to a comfortable life rather than
adapting his slapstick skills for the “talkies”. Film producers would
occasionally seek him out for brief cameo’s for a $1000 flat fee.
His final appearance was in 1940 in Laurel and Hardy’s Saps at
Sea where he had sixteen words of dialog and a brief shot of his
face and signature crossed eyes. Sadly, Ben Turpin passed before
a planned reuniting with Chaplin in the classic film The Great
Dictator three decades after being his “second banana” at
Essanay in Niles.
-Bill 7/24
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