James B. Adams (October 4, 1888 – December 19, 1933) was an American silent-screen comedian and actor.

Career

In 1921, Adams starred in two-reel comedies for

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational p ...

and

Al Christie Charles Herbert Christie (April 13, 1882 – October 1, 1955) and Alfred Ernest Christie (November 23, 1886 – April 14, 1951) were Canadian motion picture entrepreneurs. Early life Charles Herbert Christie was born between April 13, ...

. The slightly built, pencil-mustached Adams has been described by historian Kalton C. Lahue as "a poor man's

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

." Like Chase, and unlike the other comics at Educational, Adams favored situational comedy over slapstick. He briefly replaced

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American producer, director, actor, and studio head who was known as the "King of Comedy" during his career. Born in Danville, Quebec, he started acting i ...

comic

Harry McCoy Harry McCoy (December 10, 1893 – September 1, 1937) was an American film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1912 and 1935. Early years McCoy was born on December 10, 1893, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ...

in the cartoon-inspired ''Hall Room Boys'' series (produced by

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His fath ...

and Jack Cohn, later of

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

). By 1924, Adams was back with Educational. Christie hired Adams for six comedies released in 1926 and 1927. The Christie comedies were more polite and less extreme than the slam-bang comedies of other studios, but Christie's soft-pedal comedy style did find an audience. Star comedians Jimmie Adams,

Bobby Vernon Bobby Vernon (born Sylvion de Jardin) (March 9, 1897 – June 28, 1939) was an American comedic actor in silent films. He later became a writer and comedy supervisor at Paramount for W. C. Fields and Bing Crosby, when the sound era arrived. Blu ...

, Lige Conley, Neal Burns, and Billy Dooley constituted a lineup that was no threat to

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

, but nevertheless entertained millions with a style than neither Roach or

could or would provide. Adams was also a singer. In 1930, he co-starred with burly comic

Bud Jamison William Edward "Bud" Jamison (February 15, 1894 – September 30, 1944)Okuda, Ted, and Edward Watz. 1999. The Columbia Comedy Shorts: Two-reel Hollywood Film Comedies 1933–1958'. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. . was an American film actor. ...

as ''

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

'', a pair of singing vagabonds touring America. Adams also sang with The Ranch Boys, a musical group featured in

comedies.

Death

Adams died of

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at age of 45, in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

Partial filmography

* An Accidental Champion (1922) * '' Hold Your Breath'' (1924) *'' Triumph'' (1924) * ''

Stop Flirting ''Stop Flirting'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Scott Sidney and starring Wanda Hawley, John T. Murray, and Ethel Shannon. It is based on the 1923 West End play of the same title, which itself is based on the original 192 ...

'' (1925) * '' Her Man o' War'' (1926) *'' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1928) *'' The Office Scandal'' (1929) * '' The Grand Parade'' (1930)

External links

* 1888 births 1933 deaths 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Paterson, New Jersey American male silent film actors {{US-film-actor-1880s-stub