George Arbuckle

Arbuckle enjoyed a long and illustrious career in Canadian art. He was an honorary member of both the Ontario Society of Artists and Royal Canadian Academy.

He was an accomplished commercial artist whose paintings remain sought-after today. His specialty lay in historical subjects and landscapes painted with varying degrees of realism.

Early Life and Education

Early life and education are vitally important in a child’s development. Young minds are highly impressionable, so it is essential to provide them with stimulating environments which will foster their growth and maturation.

George Arbuckle was raised in an environment that instilled him with the value of hard work and thriftiness. Additionally, he received a superb education.

He attended the Ontario College of Art, studying under J.W. Beatty and J.E.H MacDonald. Additionally, he took summer classes at Franz Johnston’s Art School at Georgian Bay.

After graduation, he began selling his paintings and eventually turned his focus towards commercial work. Even during leaner times, his success continued to grow until he was considered one of Canada’s greatest commercial artists.

Professional Career

A career is the series of roles a person assumes throughout their lifetime, such as education, training, jobs and work profiles. It also shapes one’s outlook on work, commitment level and drive to grow professionally.

Arbuckle began his professional baseball career as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies at 27 years old, driven by his passion for the game and an ambition to learn everything possible about it. This passion eventually led him into management within the sport at age 29.

He went on to become one of baseball’s greatest scouts, working for both the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. While managing a division I baseball program and serving as director of player development for both teams, he also volunteered his services with their youth baseball program and served as an active philanthropist. In his free time he enjoyed spending time with family members as well.

Achievements and Honors

Arbuckle was not only one of Hollywood’s earliest comedy stars, but he also left an indelible mark on business history. His business acumen helped shape a new kind of comedy film comedy that relied more on psychology than physical comedy routines.

He had the unique gift of capturing characters’ emotions, and could inhabit any scenario. A fearless performer, he would try anything for laughs.

His films ranged from the dark comedy Good Night, Nurse to The Round Up’s satires on modern society and domestic comedies that set the standard for today’s sitcoms. Arbuckle was one of the first comedy actors to transition from short subjects into feature films as well as having an influential role in shaping Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton’s careers.

Personal Life

George Arbuckle was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served as bishop for 11 years in Granite Stake, Utah.

He was an accomplished artist and illustrator, creating paintings that depicted various subjects. Additionally, he designed several large-scale tapestries for the Royal Bank of Canada headquarters in Toronto.

Throughout his career, he received numerous honors and awards. In 1936, he was elected an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy, followed by full membership in 1945.

He was tried three times for the sexual misconduct and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe; his first two trials ended with hung juries, while his third resulted in an acquittal. Following this verdict, he was banned from making films; eventually returning to work but his popularity diminished.

Net Worth

He once enjoyed great success as a silent comedy king and was one of cinema’s most beloved stars, but his career was tragically cut short due to an unfortunate scandal and false rumors.

Arbuckle first achieved success on the vaudeville circuit, before transitioning to movies where he quickly achieved stardom. He achieved greater success than Charlie Chaplin and, at his peak, earned over $1 million annually. Sadly, Arbuckle’s stardom faded away during World War I; however, his legacy lives on today through other successful actors like Jackie Cooper.

In September 1921, he and some friends were staying at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco for a Labor Day party.