#jess dandy

Spirate, o iniqui marmi … Voi d'un figlio from Ariosti's Caio Marzio Coriolano, sung by Jess Dandy.

Woman played by Peggy Page, man Jess Dandy.

In 1914 Charlie Chaplin signed his first ever film contract. A one year contract with Keystone Productions, owned by Mack Sennett known for the Keystone Cops comedy shorts. Of course Fatty Arbuckle was already a star at Keysone. But Fatty Arbuckle wasn’t what Charlie needed. When Charlie and Fatty were in a film it was generally a co-protagonists. Charlie needed a large antagonist that he could torment. That antagonist was Jess Dandy was appeared in 9 comedy shorts with Charlie Chaplin and only 4 without Charlie and replaced with Mack Swain. Charlie Chaplin moved on to another production company in 1915 and Jess Dandy’s contract was not renewed and he never worked in film again. I don’t know if Jess offended Charlie or if Charlie was not impressed with him.  

Charlie sitting in the park reading his paper, so he can get some money to hit the bar and accepts a job looking after a man in a wheel chair. The tramp always had his priorities 🙂 well the early tramp anyway, he softened a bit as time went on and that is the tramp most people are familiar with but his Keystone tramp is pretty funny…he seemed to have 2 things on his mind - women and drink…

His 23rd film for the company. Woman played by Peggy Page, man Jess Dandy.

“Cara sposa”  Georg Friedrich Händel, “Rinaldo” Contralto: Jess Dandy Pianist: Michael Waldron Sound Engineer: Bobby Williams Cara sposa, amante cara, dove sei? Deh! ritorna a’ pianti miei. Del vostro erebo sull’ara Colla face del mio sdegno Io vi sfido o spirti rei!.

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Charlie & Jess Dandy in His New Profession; Keystone c.1914