Introducing...John Bunny

In 1909 two great men entered flickers: Fatty Arbuckle, and John Bunny. It took until a move to Universal in 1913 for Fatty to really make a name for himself. But by 1913 John Bunny was already a bonafide superstar. By 1915 he would be dead, from a kidney disease then call 'Bright's Disease'. He was 51 and his death was front page news all over the world.

During his short career Bunny made almost 200 shorts, many with a tiny beak nosed woman named Flora Finch. Their films were extremely popular and they were called 'BunnyFinches'. Though eventually forgotten the pair was a huge influence on the new generation of movie goers, apparently Spencer Tracy referred to Katherine Hephburn as a 'Flora Finch'...a joke most kids these days would not get.

Very few of either Finch or Bunny's films exist, one of the easiest to find is "A Cure for Pokeritis" which is on several DVDs as well as youtube. Click here to watch it. Another is "Troublesome Secretaries" which also stars Mabel Normand. Click here to watch it.

Interesting things about John Bunny

*Bunny and Finch's films were based off the exasperated wife and boyish husband formula. This may very well make them the first duo to portray such a formula, and certainly the first 'fat husband/thin wife' team which to this day is a comedic staple (Fatty and Mabel, Honeymooners, King of Queens)

*Bunny was said to weigh near 250-300lbs at the time of his film career

*Bunny was a rebellious child and did not enter into the family sea captain biz. Instead he worked as a grocery clerk and eventually entered vaudeville, where he performed for likely 20 or so years. He wanted starring roles but was not given them...likely the cause of his departure for flickers.

*He quit the theater for flickers and took a pay cut of $150 to $40 a week as well as a respectability cut as well (flickers were a step down from 'legit' theater). Bunny originally offered to act for free but was given $5 a day to begin with.

*Of his first role in flickers Bunny said, "I had a thousand don'ts fired at me in the first five minutes: don't get so near the camera, don't get out of the scene, don't turn away there - apparently, don't do everything I was about to do. But they never had to tell me the same thing more than once. And presently I got on to it."

*In 1913 Bunny travelled to England to make a version of Dickens "The Pickwick Papers". It still survives and was released on DVD. Click here to purchase.

*Went back on the road with "John Bunny in Funnyland" in 1914 but it was not a success and he returned to pictures

*Was mobbed by fans wherever he went

*Bunny eventually made $1000 a week at Vitagraph, being said to be the man who 'makes more money than the President'

*Bunny forseen the power of pictures telling a paper in 1913, "I believe the time is coming when motion picture machines will be a part of the equipment of every school and college in the country, and many branches of learning now so objectionable to children will be made interesting by the use of motion pictures. My principal worry is the fact that I can’t hope to live long enough to do all the work that I’ve mapped out for myself. I have planned fifty years of activity in the motion picture business, which I fear I will not live to carry out entirely. I want to see Latin and Greek mythology taught in every school and college in the United States by the use of films. It can and will be done and will be one of the biggest gifts to mankind the world has ever known"

*Was extremely revered with an article on his death in the New York Times stating, "The name John Bunny will always be linked to the movies" and Vachel Lindsey considering him the greatest comedian of early cinema

*Was not a well liked man. Most people who worked with him couldn't stand him, with one recalling he and Finch 'cordially hated each other'. However others claim Mabel adored him (like an Uncle).

*Bunny died in 1915 of 'brights disease' or kidney disease. It's also likely his weight, diabetes, and alcoholism contributed to his demise as he took ill suddenly. He's buried in the Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn.

*After his death Finch continued on making her own pictures. However she flopped miserably, regulated to extra bits by the arrival of talkies. One of her last appearances was as an extra in "The Women".

*Bunny married Clara Scallen in 1890. They had a son named George in 1893, and another named John Jr. George died in 1958, John Jr died in 1971.

*The Bunny Theatre in New York was made in his honor. It still stands with several of the bunnies still in place. It is now called Nova, and is located at 3589 Broadway between 147th & 148th St

*Featured Mabel Normand in his 1911 film "Troublesome Secretaries" one of her first roles...

*Anthony Slide has written the most of Bunny...but its very nasty. The man slights Bunny every which way and basically pulls a Kenneth Anger on him. Sadly this is the best available source on Bunny.

Much to my surprise I found a John Bunny site, though it hasn't been updated in 2 years. Same thing with Nita till we fixed that. Anyways click here for a lovely site full of information, pics, and interviews.

I must admit before this article I had never seen a film of his, and surely my only recognition of him came from that horrible Slide book which I had to put down after his interview with Alice Terry pissed me off (Valentino was not gay. The end.) I watched "Troublesome Secretaries" and quite enjoyed it, especially with a young no0b Mabel. No he wasn't Chaplin, but he wasn't a Semon either! A really great comedian even if he was a jerk...he still deserves to be remembered!