Fraidy Cat

Actor/director/screenwriter Charley Chase (1893-1940) is often considered an unsung hero in the field of movie comedy. Baltimore-born Chase achieved his greatest popularity as a comic in a series of two-reel comedies of the mid-1920s in which he most often played a dapper but shy man-about-town or a mild-mannered, henpecked husband. Before that, Chase had paid his dues in vaudeville and as a supporting actor in Mack Sennett comedies, including several starring Charlie Chaplin. In 1915 Chase began directing some of his own comedies as well of those of Fatty Arbuckle and Ford Sterling. Under his real name, Charles Parrott, he directed some of the most inventive comedies from the Hal Roach Studios with such featured comics as Snub Pollard. Working in collaboration with director Leo McCarey in the mid-1920s, Chase created what are considered some of the cleverest two-reel comedies of their day: The Fraidy Cat (1924) marked the movie debut of the Little Rascals, and has them tormenting Charley until he fights back. In Bad Boy (1925), he's a shy guy who ends up performing a parody of an Isadora Duncan dance. Chase, who had a pleasant voice in both speech and song, made the transition to talkies, playing supporting roles in features while continuing to act in and direct comedy shorts. He died prematurely at age 46 of a heart attack; alcoholism was said to be a contributing factor. The films in TCM's salute to Charley Chase are The Fraidy Cat (1924), Bad Boy (1925), What Price Goofy? (1925), Be Your Age (1926), Mum's the Word (1926) and Dog Shy (1926). by Roger Fristoe