Thomas Benton Roberts was the only celebrity at the Hollywood ’80 Sons of the Desert convention who signed my autograph book twice. I reckon that I had him do this because I really had no idea who he was at the time. Later on I realized that he appeared in the classic Laurel and Hardy silent film Two Tars as the hapless victim of Stan’s gushy tomato. Still later, I found out that Thomas Benton Roberts actually meant much more to the production of the L&H films. He was what was referred-to-as a ‘stand-by carpenter’ – a less-than-glamourous term for a special effects artist.
His specialty was providing boats for the Roach pictures, but he also helped design many of the mis-shaped and hopelessly destroyed cars that can be seen in so many of the films. In fact that is why he was on the set of Two Tars, a picture centering on a giant-scale traffic fracas. His appearance in the film was merely fortuitous.
My encounter – or shoud I say encounters – with T.B. Roberts were brief at Hollywood ’80 as I had him sign my little blue autograph book on both August 1 and August 2, during a couple of the celebrity meet-and-greets. I got to spend considerably more time with him when he came to the 1986 Valley Forge convention.
One of the two signatures of Thomas Benton Roberts
By then, my knowledge was much greater and my desire to amass a respectable autograph collection was stronger. I intended to break out of my shell at this convention, and Thomas Benton Roberts was my first victim. I approached him in the hotel lobby where he was sitting alone and struck up a conversation. While chatting, I inquired as to where I might find a photograph of him to sign for me. He referred me to his tent’s Grand Shiek Bob Satterfield as being the official photo-supplier for this convention. So although Bob may have reservations about thanking him, it was indirectly T.B. Roberts who was responsible for Bob and I becoming longtime friends.
Here is the photo that T.B. signed for me at that time…and the photo I took of him in the hotel lobby.
After receiving the tomato in Two Tars (1928)
T.B. Roberts at Valley Forge. He passed away less than a year later on May 11, 1987.
Continue with the celebs of 1980…
Return to the Valley Forge convention…
Benton Roberts was our neighbor on Banning Boulevard in Wilmington when my family lived there from 1965 to 1974. My father, brother, and myself visited his home and saw table lamps made from musical instruments (mostly woodwinds as I recall), many pictures of old boats, and home movies containing L&H segments and the expanding and misshapen cars. We knew him more as a musician and music lover than an engineer and carpenter. I bought a signed copy of “Roll ‘Em” in a bookstore here in Riverside and then learned how extensive his movie experience was.
Bob Powers
March 30th, 2008
My Father, Wes Ledig worked with Uncle Benton at his boat yard…and we knew Lois and Mary May (?) I wish I had some of the old pictures my parents had of them and their boat yard…
Lauren Ledig Klingbiel
September 15th, 2018