Benjamin Harrison and Me
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Benjamin Harrison is best known as the President of the United States who served between the two terms of Grover Cleveland. As the 23rd President, he served from 1889-1893, entering the office without winning the popular vote and then losing his bid for re-election. Harrison is also the only Grandson of a President to hold the office and the Great-Grandson of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence. (Harrison’s Dad John Scott Harrison must have felt like a total loser, only serving in the House of Representatives for Ohio!)
Charley Chase is an unjustly forgotten comedy star from the 1930’s who worked at the Hal Roach Studios at the same time that Laurel and Hardy and the Our Gang did. In fact, in their day, they might be considered the ‘big three’ comedy short subject stars. Although it is difficult to find Chase comedies in the mainstream world, videos of his films along with ‘real’ 16mm and Super 8 film have long circulated in the collector world. Chase’s films are among some of my favorites. Sadly, Charley Chase himself died quite young in 1940, but I was especially happy to find that my friend Bob had an address for Mrs. June Hargis, Charley’s second and youngest daughter.