Clyde Bruckman
Encyclopedia
Clyde A. Bruckman was an American
writer
and director of comedy
film
s during the late silent era as well as the early sound era of cinema. Bruckman collaborated with such comedian
s as Buster Keaton
, W.C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy
, The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello
and Harold Lloyd
.
, Sherlock Jr., The Navigator, Seven Chances
, The Cameraman
and The General, which Bruckman also co-directed.
Bruckman continued directing comedies during the sound era, his most famous credit being The Fatal Glass of Beer
, W. C. Fields
' esoteric satire of Yukon
melodramas. Unfortunately for his career path, Bruckman's fondness for alcohol caused production delays that cost him directorial assignments. From 1935 forward, Bruckman would be limited to writing scripts.
' short-subject department. (Bruckman was instrumental in Columbia's hiring his old boss Buster Keaton in 1939.) Bruckman continued to write new material for The Three Stooges and other comics, but as time went by he resorted to borrowing gags from Harold Lloyd's and Buster Keaton's silents. After Bruckman lifted the magician's-coat sequence from Lloyd's Movie Crazy
for the Three Stooges' Loco Boy Makes Good
, and the "loosely basted tuxedo" routine from Lloyd's The Freshman
for the Stooges' Three Smart Saps
, Lloyd sued Columbia and won.
Bruckman was hired by Universal Pictures
to write comedy scenes for the studio's B musical features. This was a lucrative assignment that paid better than short subjects. He continued recycling gags but on a larger scale, now lifting entire sequences from older films. Bruckman inserted the tuxedo routine into Universal's "B" musical-comedy feature Her Lucky Night. Bruckman adapted material from Lloyd's Welcome Danger into Universal's Joan Davis
-Leon Errol
comedy She Gets Her Man, and again consulted Movie Crazy for Universal's "B" comedy So's Your Uncle. Lloyd, outraged by three "wholesale infringements" within months, filed suit for $1,700,000. (The court validated Lloyd's claim but not the damages he sought; Lloyd received $40,000.) Bruckman was fired, and never worked on a feature film again.
Demoralized, Bruckman returned to Columbia, where his work was now so slipshod that he would simply hand in an old script, without any attempt at updating or revising it.
, and its constant need for broadcast material, gave Bruckman a new start. Abbott and Costello
launched a filmed television series in 1951. Having used up most of their own familiar routines during the show's first season, the comedians hired Clyde Bruckman, and his mental storehouse of gags saw them through a second season. Although Bruckman received credit for several scripts, these turned out to contain reworkings of old Keaton and Lloyd gags. Again, Lloyd filed suit, naming Abbott & Costello's production company as a party to the suit. As a result, other producers were unwilling to hire Bruckman.
Bruckman's only safe haven was Columbia, but producer Jules White
had already filled his quota of scripts for that season, and had no immediate need for Bruckman's services.
from Buster Keaton, claiming to need it for a hunting trip. On the afternoon of January 4, 1955, Bruckman, a resident of Santa Monica, California
, parked his car outside a local restaurant, entered a restroom, and shot himself in the head.
Some reports claim the location was Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, but according to his January 5 obituary it was the city of Santa Monica and the decedent left a typewritten note for the "gentlemen of the Santa Monica Police Department." Neither Jules White nor Buster Keaton had any inkling of Bruckman's intentions.
Bruckman was survived by his wife, Gladys.
Season 3 episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
" features a character, played by Peter Boyle
, who foresees how other people die. Two detective characters on that episode are named Havez and Cline, after Jean Havez
and Eddie Cline
, two other writers who also worked with Buster Keaton. As with his real-life namesake, Boyle's Bruckman character commits suicide.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and director of comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s during the late silent era as well as the early sound era of cinema. Bruckman collaborated with such comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s as Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, W.C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
and Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
.
Career
Bruckman may be best known for his collaborations with Buster Keaton, as Bruckman co-wrote several of Keaton's most popular films, including Our HospitalityOur Hospitality
Our Hospitality is a silent comedy directed, produced, written by and starring Buster Keaton. Released in 1923 by Metro Pictures Corporation, the movie uses slapstick and situational comedy to tell the story of Willie McKay, a city slicker who gets caught in the middle of the infamous Canfield &...
, Sherlock Jr., The Navigator, Seven Chances
Seven Chances
Seven Chances is a 1925 American comedy silent film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, based on a play written by Roi Cooper Megrue, produced in 1916 by David Belasco. Additional casts members include T. Roy Barnes, Snitz Edwards, Ruth Dwyer, and others. The film also stars Jean Arthur, a...
, The Cameraman
The Cameraman (1928 film)
The Cameraman is a 1928 American silent comedy directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton. The picture stars Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin, and others.The Cameraman was Keaton's first film with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
and The General, which Bruckman also co-directed.
Bruckman continued directing comedies during the sound era, his most famous credit being The Fatal Glass of Beer
The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933 film)
The Fatal Glass of Beer is a short film released in 1933, starring W. C. Fields and produced by Mack Sennett. It was released theatrically by Paramount Pictures.-Story:...
, W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
' esoteric satire of Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
melodramas. Unfortunately for his career path, Bruckman's fondness for alcohol caused production delays that cost him directorial assignments. From 1935 forward, Bruckman would be limited to writing scripts.
Recycling gags
Bruckman's wealth of silent-comedy experience earned him a steady position in Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
' short-subject department. (Bruckman was instrumental in Columbia's hiring his old boss Buster Keaton in 1939.) Bruckman continued to write new material for The Three Stooges and other comics, but as time went by he resorted to borrowing gags from Harold Lloyd's and Buster Keaton's silents. After Bruckman lifted the magician's-coat sequence from Lloyd's Movie Crazy
Movie Crazy
- Plot :Harold Hall, a young man with little or no acting ability, desperately wants to be in the movies.After a mix-up with his application photograph, he gets an offer to have a screen-test, and goes off to Hollywood. At the studio, he does everything wrong and causes all sorts of trouble...
for the Three Stooges' Loco Boy Makes Good
Loco Boy Makes Good
Loco Boy Makes Good is the 60th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
, and the "loosely basted tuxedo" routine from Lloyd's The Freshman
The Freshman (1925 film)
The Freshman is a 1925 comedy film that tells the story of a college freshman trying to become popular by joining the school football team. It stars Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Brooks Benedict and James Anderson. It remains one of Lloyd's most successful and enduring films.The movie was written...
for the Stooges' Three Smart Saps
Three Smart Saps
Three Smart Saps is the 64th short film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
, Lloyd sued Columbia and won.
Bruckman was hired by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
to write comedy scenes for the studio's B musical features. This was a lucrative assignment that paid better than short subjects. He continued recycling gags but on a larger scale, now lifting entire sequences from older films. Bruckman inserted the tuxedo routine into Universal's "B" musical-comedy feature Her Lucky Night. Bruckman adapted material from Lloyd's Welcome Danger into Universal's Joan Davis
Joan Davis
Joan Davis was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy, I Married Joan, Davis had a successful earlier career as a B-movie actress and a leading star of 1940s radio comedy.Born as Madonna Josephine...
-Leon Errol
Leon Errol
Leon Errol , was an Australian-born American comedian and actor, popular in the first half of the 20th century.-Biography:...
comedy She Gets Her Man, and again consulted Movie Crazy for Universal's "B" comedy So's Your Uncle. Lloyd, outraged by three "wholesale infringements" within months, filed suit for $1,700,000. (The court validated Lloyd's claim but not the damages he sought; Lloyd received $40,000.) Bruckman was fired, and never worked on a feature film again.
Demoralized, Bruckman returned to Columbia, where his work was now so slipshod that he would simply hand in an old script, without any attempt at updating or revising it.
The 1950s
The advent of televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and its constant need for broadcast material, gave Bruckman a new start. Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
launched a filmed television series in 1951. Having used up most of their own familiar routines during the show's first season, the comedians hired Clyde Bruckman, and his mental storehouse of gags saw them through a second season. Although Bruckman received credit for several scripts, these turned out to contain reworkings of old Keaton and Lloyd gags. Again, Lloyd filed suit, naming Abbott & Costello's production company as a party to the suit. As a result, other producers were unwilling to hire Bruckman.
Bruckman's only safe haven was Columbia, but producer Jules White
Jules White
Jules White born Julius Weiss was a film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring the Three Stooges.-Early years:...
had already filled his quota of scripts for that season, and had no immediate need for Bruckman's services.
Death
With nowhere else to turn, the desolate Bruckman borrowed a .45-calibre pistolPistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
from Buster Keaton, claiming to need it for a hunting trip. On the afternoon of January 4, 1955, Bruckman, a resident of Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, parked his car outside a local restaurant, entered a restroom, and shot himself in the head.
Some reports claim the location was Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, but according to his January 5 obituary it was the city of Santa Monica and the decedent left a typewritten note for the "gentlemen of the Santa Monica Police Department." Neither Jules White nor Buster Keaton had any inkling of Bruckman's intentions.
Bruckman was survived by his wife, Gladys.
Cultural references
The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
Season 3 episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is the fourth episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on October 13, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by David Nutter...
" features a character, played by Peter Boyle
Peter Boyle
Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
, who foresees how other people die. Two detective characters on that episode are named Havez and Cline, after Jean Havez
Jean Havez
Jean Havez , was an American writer of novelty songs and silent era comedy films. In his film career, Havez worked with comedians Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.-Career:...
and Eddie Cline
Edward F. Cline
Edward Francis Cline was a screenwriter, actor, writer and director. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and died in Hollywood.-Career:...
, two other writers who also worked with Buster Keaton. As with his real-life namesake, Boyle's Bruckman character commits suicide.
External links
- Clyde Bruckman at Allmovie