View source for James Parrott

{{short description|American actor and director (1897–1939)}}
{{for|the 18th Century runner|James Parrott (runner)}}
{{No footnotes|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = James Parrott
| image       = The White Blacksmith (1922) - 1.jpg
| caption     = [[Jobyna Ralston]] with Parrott in ''The White Blacksmith'', 1922
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1897|08|02}}
| birth_place  = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1939|05|10|1897|08|02}}
| death_place  = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| othername   = Paul Parrott
| occupation  = Film director, actor
| yearsactive = 1913&ndash;1939
}}        

[[File:James Parrott, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.jpg|thumb|Clockwise from top: Parrott, [[Oliver Hardy]], and [[Stan Laurel]], c. 1930]]
'''James Parrott''' (August 2, 1897 – May 10, 1939) was an American actor and [[film director]]; and the younger brother of film [[comedian]] [[Charley Chase]].

==Biography==
===Early years===
'''James Gibbons Parrott''' was born in [[Baltimore]], Maryland, to Charles and Blanche Thompson Parrott. In 1903, his father died from a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], leaving the family in bad financial shape, which forced them to move in with a relative. Charley Jr. quit school, so he could go to work, in order to support his mother and brother. Eventually the call of the stage beckoned him, and Charley Jr. left home at age 16 to travel the [[vaudeville]] circuit as a [[Singing|singer]] and comedic performer. 

James was forced to leave school at a young age, in order to earn money to support the family. His first job was as a bellboy at the age of 10.Two years later, he was a driver of a horse-drawn carriage. He later became a prop man when his brother Charley was a director at [[Fox Film|Fox]]. 

Later, Charley's connections in the [[film industry]] helped his younger brother to become established in [[Film|movies]], and he would appear during the 1920s in a series of relatively successful [[Comedy film|comedies]] for producer [[Hal Roach]]. He was billed first as "Paul Parrott", then "Jimmie Parrott". Approximately 75 comedies were produced from 1921 to 1923, with titles continuing to be released through [[Pathé]] until 1926. Frequent co-stars included [[Marie Mosquini]], [[Jobyna Ralston]], [[Eddie Baker]], and [[Ernest Morrison|Sunshine Sammy]].

Parrott is probably best known as a comedy director. As "James Parrott", he specialized in the [[Short film|two-reel]] misadventures of [[Laurel and Hardy]], including ''[[Helpmates]]'' (1931) and the [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-[[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|winning]] classic ''[[The Music Box]]'' (1932).

===Later years===
During the 1930s Parrott had acquired serious [[Alcoholism|drinking]] and [[Substance abuse|drug problems]] (his [[Dietary supplement|diet medications]] were actually addictive [[amphetamine]]s) and although still able to direct quality shorts, he had developed a reputation as unreliable. By the mid-1930s his work was spotty: [[Stan Laurel]] used him sporadically to contribute [[Visual gag|gags]] to the Laurel and Hardy features, and he would direct an ''[[Our Gang]]'' short in 1934, plus several acceptable entries in [[Thelma Todd]]–[[Patsy Kelly]] series.

===Death===
By 1937, Parrott was accepting any jobs that came his way. He could no longer be counted on to direct or write, and relied on his brother to support him financially. There was a brief marriage to Ruby Ellen McCoy in 1937, but as his various addictions worsened, so did his state of mind.

James Parrott died in 1939. His brother Charley was guilt-ridden; he had refused to help James financially until he overcame his substance-abuse problems. Parrott's death at 41 was attributed to a heart attack, but former Hal Roach associates maintained he committed suicide. Chase drank heavily to cope with his loss, and died the following year. Both brothers are interred at [[Glendale, California|Glendale]]'s [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]].

===Spouses=== 
*Clara Miller m. 1921-?
*Ruby Ellen McCoy m. 1937-1939

[[File:James&Clara.jpg|thumb|Marriage License for James Parrott and his first wife Clara Miller.]]

[[The Sons of the Desert]]'s ''Twice Two'' tent (St Neots, UK), researching James Gibbons Parrott, discovered that he married Clara Miller in 1921. However, there is scant information about her: no date of birth, only that she was a housewife, with no available photograph. The tent traced them living together in Beverly Hills, but the trail runs cold by 1930. With lack of evidence, one can only speculate what happened next to the couple; thus far there is no evidence of divorce papers.

[[File:James&clara202.jpg|thumb|James&clara202]]
This is a piece of evidence showing James Parrott and his wife Clara Miller. In 1922 they were living together in Los Angeles, where James Parrott had a successful career as an actor. Clara Miller was registered here as a housewife. It is the only file located thus far with James and Clara after their wedding in 1921.

==Filmography==

=== Actor ===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* 1918 : ''The Big Idea''
* 1918: ''The Lamb''
* 1918: ''Hello Teacher''
* 1918: ''Beat It''
* 1918: ''The Non-Stop Kid''
* 1918: ''The City Slicker''
* 1918: ''Are Crooks Gishonest?''
* 1918: ''Fire The Cook''
* 1918: ''Beach Nuts''
* 1918: ''Bees In His Bonnet''
* 1918: ''Swing Your Partners''
* 1918: ''Check Your Baggage''
* 1918 : ''[[Hit Him Again]]''
* 1918 : ''[[A Gasoline Wedding]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Look Pleasant, Please]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Here Come the Girls (1918 film)|Here Come the Girls]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Let's Go (1918 film)|Let's Go]]''
* 1918 : ''[[On the Jump]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Follow the Crowd (film)|Follow the Crowd]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Pipe the Whiskers]]''
* 1918 : ''[[It's a Wild Life]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Hey There!]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Kicked Out (film)|Kicked Out]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Two-Gun Gussie]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Fireman Save My Child (1918 film)|Fireman Save My Child]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Sic 'Em, Towser]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Somewhere in Turkey]]''
* 1918 : ''[[An Ozark Romance]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Kicking the Germ Out of Germany]]''
* 1918 : ''[[That's Him]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Bride and Gloom (film)|Bride and Gloom]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Two Scrambled]]''
* 1918 : ''[[No Place Like Jail]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Why Pick on Me? (1918 film)|Why Pick on Me?]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Just Rambling Along]]''
* 1918 : ''[[Hear 'Em Rave]]''
* 1918 : ''[[She Loves Me Not (1918 film)|She Loves Me Not]]''
* 1919 : ''[[An Auto Nut]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Do You Love Your Wife?]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Wanted - $5,000]]''
* 1919 : ''Love's Young Scream''
* 1919 : ''[[Going! Going! Gone!]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Hustling for Health]]''
* 1919 : ''Ask Father''
* 1919 : ''On The Fire''
* 1919 : ''[[Hoots Mon! (1919 film)|Hoots Mon!]]''
* 1919 : ''[[I'm on My Way (film)|I'm on My Way]]''
* 1919 : ''Look Out Below!''
* 1919 : ''[[The Dutiful Dub]]''
* 1919 : ''Next Aisle Over''
* 1919 : ''[[A Sammy in Siberia]]''
* 1919 : ''Just Dropped In''
* 1919 : ''[[Young Mr. Jazz]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Crack Your Heels]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Ring Up the Curtain]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Si, Senor]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Pistols for Breakfast]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Swat the Crook]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Off the Trolley]]''
* 1919 : ''[[At the Old Stage Door]]''
* 1919 : ''[[A Jazzed Honeymoon]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Count Your Change]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Chop Suey & Co.]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Heap Big Chief]]''
* 1919 : ''[[Don't Shove]]''
* 1919 : ''All At Sea''
* 1920 : ''[[His First Flat Tire]]''
* 1920 : ''[[Black Eyes and Blue]]''
* 1921 : ''[[Big Town Ideas]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Try, Try Again (film)|Try, Try Again]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Paste and Paper]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Loose Change (1922 film)|Loose Change]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man (1922 film)|Rich Man, Poor Man]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Stand Pat]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Friday the Thirteenth (film)|Friday the Thirteenth]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Late Lamented]]''
* 1922 : ''[[A Bed of Roses (film)|A Bed of Roses]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Sleuth (1922 film)|The Sleuth]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Busy Bees]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Bride-to-Be]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Take Next Car]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Touch All the Bases]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Truth Juggler]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Rough on Romeo]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Wet Weather]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Landlubber]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Bone Dry (1922)|Bone Dry]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Soak the Shiek]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Face the Camera]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Uppercut]]''
* 1922 : ''Out On Bail''
* 1922 : ''[[Shiver and Shake (film)|Shiver and Shake]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Golf Bug]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Shine 'Em Up!]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Washed Ashore (film)|Washed Ashore]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Harvest Hands]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The Flivver]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Blaze Away (1922 film)|Blaze Away]]''
* 1922 : ''[[I'll Take Vanilla]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Fair Week (1922 film)|Fair Week]]''
* 1922 : ''[[The White Blacksmith]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Fire the Fireman]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Post No Bills (1923 film)|Post No Bills]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Watch Your Wife (1923 film)|Watch Your Wife]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Mr. Hyppo]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Don't Say Die (1923 film)|Don't Say Die]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Jailed and Bailed]]''
* 1923 : ''[[A Loose Tightwad]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Tight Shoes (1923 film)|Tight Shoes]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Do Your Stuff]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Shoot Straight]]''
* 1923 : ''[[For Safe Keeping]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Bowled Over (film)|Bowled Over]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Get Your Man (1923 film)|Get Your Man]]''
* 1923 : ''[[The Smile Wins (1923 film)|The Smile Wins]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Good Riddance (1923 film)|Good Riddance]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Speed the Swede]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Sunny Spain]]''
* 1923 : ''[[For Art's Sake]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Fresh Eggs]]''
* 1923 : ''Dogs Of War!''
* 1923 : ''[[Uncovered Wagon]]''
* 1923 : ''[[For Guests Only]]''
* 1923 : ''Jack Frost''
* 1923 : ''[[Live Wires (1923 film)|Live Wires]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Take the Air]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Finger Prints (1923 film)|Finger Prints]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Winner Take All (1923 film)|Winner Take All]]''
* 1923 : ''No Pets''
* 1923 : ''[[Dear Ol' Pal]]''
* 1923 : ''[[Join the Circus]]''
* 1924 : ''[[Get Busy (film)|Get Busy]]''
* 1924 : ''Sittin' Pretty''
* 1925 : ''[[Whispering Lions]]''
* 1925 : ''[[The Caretaker's Daughter]]''
* 1925 : ''[[Are Parents Pickles?]]''
* 1925 : ''[[Whistling Lions]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Between Meals]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Don't Butt In]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Soft Pedal]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Pay the Cashier]]''
* 1926 : ''[[The Only Son (1926 film)|The Only Son]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Hired and Fired (1926 film)|Hired and Fired]]''
* 1926 : ''[[The Old War-Horse]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Pardon Us]]''
* 1934 : ''[[Washee Ironee]]''
{{div col end}}

===Director===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* 1921 : ''[[The Pickaninny]]''
* 1922 : ''[[Mixed Nuts (1922 film)|Mixed Nuts]]''
* 1924 : ''[[Just a Minute (film)|Just a Minute]]''
* 1924 : ''Hard Knocks''
* 1924 : ''[[Love's Detour]]''
* 1924 : ''[[The Fraidy Cat]]''
* 1924 : ''[[Don't Forget (film)|Don't Forget]]''
* 1925 : ''[[Should Sailors Marry?]]''
* 1926 : ''[[The Cow's Kimona]]''
* 1926 : ''[[On the Front Page]]''
* 1926 : ''[[There Ain't No Santa Claus]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Many Scrappy Returns]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Are Brunettes Safe?]]''
* 1927 : ''[[A One Mama Man]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Forgotten Sweeties]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Bigger and Better Blondes]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Fluttering Hearts]]''
* 1927 : ''[[What Women Did for Me]]''
* 1927 : ''[[The Sting of Stings]]''
* 1927 : ''[[The Lighter That Failed]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Now I'll Tell One]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Us (1927 film)|Us]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Assistant Wives]]''
* 1927 : ''[[Never the Dames Shall Meet]]''
* 1928 : ''[[All for Nothing (film)|All for Nothing]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Galloping Ghosts]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Their Purple Moment]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Should Married Men Go Home?]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Two Tars]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Habeas Corpus (1928 film)|Habeas Corpus]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Chasing Husbands]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Ruby Lips]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Lesson No. 1 (film)|Lesson No. 1]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Happy Birthday (1929 film)|Happy Birthday]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Furnace Trouble]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Stewed, Fried and Boiled]]''
* 1929 : ''[[Perfect Day (1929 film)|Perfect Day]]''
* 1929 : ''[[They Go Boom|They Go Boom!]]''
* 1929 : ''[[The Hoose-Gow]]''
* 1930 : ''[[La Vida nocturna]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Une nuit extravagante]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Tiembla y Titubea]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Der Spuk um Mitternacht]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Radiomanía]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Noche de duendes]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Feu mon oncle]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Night Owls (1930 film)|Night Owls]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Blotto (1930 film)|Blotto]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Brats (1930 film)|Brats]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Below Zero (1930 film)|Below Zero]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Hog Wild (1930 film)|Hog Wild]]''
* 1930 : ''[[The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case]]''
* 1930 : ''[[Another Fine Mess (1930 film)|Another Fine Mess]]''
* 1931 : ''[[La Señorita de Chicago]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Los Presidiarios]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Be Big!]]''
* 1931 : ''[[The Pip from Pittsburgh]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Monerías]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Rough Seas]]''
* 1931 : ''[[One of the Smiths]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Pardon Us]]''
* 1931 : ''[[The Panic Is On]]''
* 1931 : ''[[Skip the Maloo!]]''
* 1931 : ''[[What a Bozo!]]''
* 1932 : ''[[Helpmates]]''
* 1932 : ''[[The Music Box]]''
* 1932 : ''[[The Chimp (1932 film)|The Chimp]]''
* 1932 : ''[[County Hospital (film)|County Hospital]]''
* 1932 : ''[[Young Ironsides]]''
* 1932 : ''[[Girl Grief]]''
* 1932 : ''[[Now We'll Tell One]]''
* 1932 : ''[[Mr. Bride]]''
* 1933 : ''[[Twice Two]]''
* 1933 : ''[[Twin Screws]]''
* 1934 : ''[[Mixed Nuts (1934 film)|Mixed Nuts]]''
* 1934 : ''[[A Duke for a Day]]''
* 1934 : ''[[Benny from Panama]]''
* 1934 : ''[[Washee Ironee]]''
* 1934 : ''[[Opened by Mistake (1934 film)|Opened by Mistake]]''
* 1935 : ''[[Treasure Blues]]''
* 1935 : ''[[Sing, Sister, Sing]]''
* 1935 : ''[[The Tin Man (1935 film)|The Tin Man]]''
* 1935 : ''[[The Misses Stooge]]''
* 1935 : ''[[Do Your Stuff]]''
{{div col end}}

===Writer===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* 1925 : ''[[Chasing the Chaser]]''
* 1925 : ''[[Unfriendly Enemies]]''
* 1925 : ''[[Laughing Ladies]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Your Husband's Past]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Wandering Papas]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Say It with Babies]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Never Too Old (1926 film)|Never Too Old]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Along Came Auntie]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Should Husbands Pay?]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes]]''
* 1926 : ''[[Get 'Em Young]]''
* 1926 : ''[[On the Front Page]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Galloping Ghosts]]''
* 1928 : ''[[Should Married Men Go Home?]]''
* 1937 : ''[[Way Out West (1937 film)|Way Out West]]''
* 1938 : ''[[Swiss Miss (film)|Swiss Miss]]''
* 1938 : ''[[Block-Heads]]''
{{div col end}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|name=James Parrott|id=0663613}}
*{{Find a Grave|11561}}
*[http://charleychase.50webs.com/jparrottbio.htm James "Paul" Parrott: The Other Parrott Brother]

{{James Parrott}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parrott, James}}
[[Category:Hal Roach Studios actors]]
[[Category:Hal Roach Studios filmmakers|Parrot, James]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1939 deaths]]
[[Category:Silent film comedians]]
[[Category:Male actors from Baltimore]]
[[Category:American comedy film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Maryland]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:Comedians from California]]
[[Category:Comedians from Baltimore]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]