Joseph Henry Roberts (February 2, 1871 – October 28, 1923) was an American comic actor who appeared in 16 of Buster Keaton's 19 silent

short films A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

of the 1920s. "Big Joe" Roberts, as he was known in vaudeville, toured the country with his first wife, Lillian Stuart Roberts, as part of a rowdy act known as Roberts, Hays, and Roberts. Their signature routine was "The Cowboy, the Swell and the Lady." At this time, the first decade of the twentieth century, Buster Keaton's father,

Joe Keaton Joseph Hallie Keaton (July 6, 1867 – January 13, 1946) was an American vaudeville performer and silent film actor. He was the father of actor Buster Keaton and appeared with his son in several films. Life and career Keaton was born a few mil ...

, had a summer Actors' Colony for vaudevillians between

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that ...

and

Muskegon Lake Muskegon Lake is a fresh-water lake in Muskegon County, Michigan, USA. Located in the lower peninsula at the mouth of the Muskegon River, Muskegon Lake forms a broad harbor along the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is on ...

in Michigan, where Roberts got to know the Keaton family.Members of the Muskegon Actors' Colony
at www.actorscolony.com When Buster's apprenticeship with

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

came to an end and Keaton began making his own short films in 1920, he asked Roberts to join him. The hefty Roberts, usually playing a menacing heavy or authority figure, made an amusing contrast next to thin, Keaton. Roberts played "Roaring Bill" Rivers in 1922's ''

The Primitive Lover ''The Primitive Lover'' is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by and starring Constance Talmadge and distributed by Associated First National (later First National Pictures). Sidney A. Franklin served as the director of the movie and Fra ...

'' starring Keaton's sister-in-law

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, to poor p ...

and silent film actor

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...

. He also played a drill master in the Clyde Cook comedy ''The Misfit'', released in March 1924, after Roberts' death. When Keaton began making feature films in 1923, he apparently intended to keep working with Roberts. Roberts had roles in Keaton's ''

Three Ages ''Three Ages'' is a 1923 black-and-white American feature-length silent comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton and Wallace Beery. The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in (unlike ''The Saphead'', in which he only ...

'' and ''

Our Hospitality ''Our Hospitality'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Buster Keaton and John G. Blystone. Starring Keaton, Joe Roberts, and Natalie Talmadge and distributed by Metro Pictures Corporation, it uses slapstick and situational come ...

'' (both 1923). During the latter's filming, Roberts had a stroke but insisted on returning to the set to finish shooting. After completion, he suffered another stroke and died shortly thereafter, aged 52.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Joe Roberts
at

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Online
Joe Roberts
at th
Actors' Colony in Muskegon, MI
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Joe 1871 births 1923 deaths American male silent film actors Vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery