Early in his film career Keaton worked under Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and became one of Arbuckle’s closest allies. When Arbuckle was accused in the scandal surrounding Virginia Rappe’s death—a sensational trial that nearly destroyed Arbuckle’s career and led to three hung juries before a later acquittal—Keaton was among the rare public defenders. Alongside figures like Charlie Chaplin, Keaton testified to Arbuckle’s character and stood against the moral panic that gripped the industry and the press. The episode was a crucible for Hollywood: reputations were trashed, censorship pressures mounted, and studios tightened moral clauses and public relations control. Keaton’s support was risky; it tied him to a pariah for a time and provided an early lesson in how quickly off‑screen scandals could imperil careers in the tightly policed moral economy of the studio era.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1910s–1920s
Defending Fatty Arbuckle: Keaton's Risky Loyalty During Hollywood's Biggest Scandal
Buster Keaton / Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle / 1910s–1920s
Early in his film career Keaton worked under Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and became one of Arbuckle’s closest allies. When Arbuckle was accused in the scandal surrounding Virginia Rappe’s death—a sensational trial that nearly destroyed Arbuckle’s career and led to three hung juries before a later acquittal—Keaton was among the rare public defenders. Alongside figures like Charlie Chaplin, Keaton testified to Arbuckle’s character and stood against the moral panic that gripped the industry and the press. The episode was a crucible for Hollywood: reputations were trashed, censorship pressures mounted, and studios tightened moral clauses and public relations control. Keaton’s support was risky; it tied him to a pariah for a time and provided an early lesson in how quickly off‑screen scandals could imperil careers in the tightly policed moral economy of the studio era.
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