Eddie Gribbon: Canvasback

Today, a tribute to Eddie Gribbon (1890-1965), younger brother to the better known but still obscure Harry.  Eddie broke into silent comedies a couple of years after his brother, playing supporting roles for Mack Sennett, Al Christie and others circa 1917. Notable pictures he appeared in include A Small Town Idol (1921) with Ben Turpin and Jimmy Finlayson; Molly O (1921) with Mabel Normand;The Bat (1926);The Callahans and the Murphys (1927) with Marie Dressler and Polly Moran; They Learned About Women (1930) with Van and Schenck; The Phantom Rider (1936), a Buck Jones serial; Idiot’s Delight (1939); Gold Rush Maisie(1940); Chaplin’s The Great Dictator(1940); the all-star Li’l Abner (1940); and the Joe Palooka film series (1946-51), in which he enjoyed perhaps his plummest role, Canvasback. One of Gribbon’s last credits was a 1951 episode of Buster Keaton’s local TV show out of Los Angeles. All told he appeared in some 200 movies over a 30+ year career, with most of the major comedians of his time.

For more on silent and slapstick comedy film, please check out my book: Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube — now also available on audiobook!