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| Owen Evans |
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born:
09 April 1878 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America |
died:
10 September 1924 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (age 46) |
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Short, acrobatic American silent comedy actor, stuntman, and assistant director with a prominent nose, also known as Bob Evans. Working in films, primarily in comedies, for about a decade, he racked up a decent career all over the silent comedy map (Kalem, L-KO, Vogue, Vitagraph, Educational, Roach...) before his untimely death in 1924, at age 46. His parents were Owen E. Hoffman and Isabella (Collom) Hoffman (c. 1856-1883), who married in 1873. The younger Owen had at least one brother, John (or Jonathan) L. Hoffman (1873-????). 27-year old Isabella succumbed to tuberculosis when young Owen was only five years old. By 1900, the younger Owen is working as a milk wagon driver. Between 1900 and 1905, Owen moved from his hometown of Philadelphia to Los Angeles, California; his death certificate says he had been in California for 20 years, suggesting that he arrived around 1904. At some point during that early 1900s timeframe, he married Margaret "Margie" Riehl [or other spelling variants] (d. before 1917), with whom he had a daughter, Edna May Hoffman (m. Richards, 1905-1997). On 14 May 1917, widowed Owen re-married to 22-year old Edna Mercadante of California; Owen E. Hoffman, an actor, removes 11 years from his actual age (given as 28) and lists his parents as Owen E. Hoffman and Mary Collins [sic]. They're still together in September 1918, when Owen filled out his World War I draft registration card, but the union doesn't appear to have lasted for long, for Owen and Edna are living separately in the 1920 Census -- Owen with his 14-year old daughter Edna, listing himself as married, and wife Edna with her widowed mother (also named Edna!), listing herself as single. According to this Motion Picture Studio Directory bios, Evans had stage experience in vaudeville and musical comedy, with a 1916 biography noting that he "has done everything on the legitimate stage." He entered films in 1915 with Kalem, where he supported Bud Duncan in comedies. From there, he briefly worked for L-KO, followed by a more prominent stint at Vogue alongside Ben Turpin, Paddy McGuire, and Rube Miller; Vogue press referred to Evans as "the company's dare devil." He reportedly worked for Keystone at one point, departing from there to play in "Stanley Comedies," starring one Stan Jefferson -- soon to be known forever after as Stan Laurel; Evans was among those supporting Stan in his film debut, "Nuts in May." In early 1918, Evans supported Larry Semon at Vitagraph, again working with Laurel. Owen Evans Hoffman's World War I draft registration card (dated 12 Sep 1918) sees him acting for Biograph Film Co., followed shortly by another stint at L-KO. Come mid-1919, he is again at Vitagraph, this time in support of Earl Montgomery & Joe Rock. Some tidbits concerning Evans give an idea of the perils of performing slapstick: while filming a Kalem comedy in late 1915, Evans fell about 20 feet from a swinging scaffold and ended up with one or four (reports vary) broken toes. Later, in June 1917, while filming a "Stanley Comedy" (presumably "Nuts in May"), Evans was rehearsing a scene on a ladder when he fell 20 feet and hit his head on a stone; when he came to, he remarked that it would "make a dandy bit of action, anyway"... only to learn that cameraman Harry Fowler had not been filming the scene. On the inverse, Variety reported in January 1918 that Evans replaced a recuperating Peter Aramonda (later known as Pete Gordon) in a Vitagraph comedy (presumably one of Semon's) after Pete broke his ankle attempting a jump. By 1920, Evans is playing in "Mermaid Comedies," produced by Jack White and distributed by Educational, starring Lloyd Hamilton and Jimmie Adams. In addition to playing roles in the Mermaid comedies, Evans also worked behind the scenes on the comedies as an assistant director, including to Hamilton's director Charles Parrott (later known, of course, as Charley Chase). Owen's death certificate confirms that he and "Bob Evans" are one and the same. Owen may have begun using the name "Bob Evans" as early as 1919. Trades mention him as Owen Evans playing in support of Montgomery & Rock at Vitagraph, as well as Blanche Payson, Louise Granville, Max Asher, and Billy Fay. An ad for the M&R comedies in "Wid's Year Book 1919" lists supporting cast members including Granville, Asher, Fay... and Bob Evans. He joined the Hal Roach Studios around 1921, again doubling as an actor and assistant director, now fully going under the name "Bob Evans." He served as AD on Snub Pollard and Paul Parrott comedies. Again, he often assisted fellow Roach newcomer Charles Parrott, suggesting that Evans followed Parrott over from Jack White/Educational, as well as directors Ray Grey, Ralph Ceder, and William Beaudine. A May 1921 newspaper article highlighting a newly-formed Roach studio band has Evans on flute. Evans continued to work both in front of and behind the camera at Roach over the next couple of years. In the 1924 book "The Truth About the Movies," there is a chapter titled "Comedy Production" credited to "Charles Chase Parrott" (Charley splitting the difference between his real and stage names). At one point, it reads, "Everyone connected with a comedy outfit must act from the property man up to the director. For over two years, I had an assistant—Bob Evans—who also played important parts in every picture. The reason for this drastic economy in comedy is that the comedy picture can only realize so much return. As we all know, it is used as a filler or a trailer or whatever subsidiary position on the programme it may occupy." One can imagine that, in addition to Charley, Evans may have also been well-acclimated with Stan Laurel; in addition to their aforementioned collaborations in "Nuts in May" and both working at Vitagraph with Larry Semon in 1918, Evans then worked with Stan in "The Lucky Dog" in 1921, and later Evans appears in a number of Stan's 1923-24 Roach solo comedies. For "bonus points," Evans also appeared in "April Fool," a 1920 Lloyd Hamilton comedy, which also featured Stan's brother Teddy in the cast. At 6pm on 10 September 1924, "Owen E. Hoffman, (known as Bob Evans)" (as his death certificate lists his name) passed away in Los Angeles. The cause of death is given as "Perforative duodenal ulcer with acute generalized peritonitis." His death certificate doesn't really provide specifics about where exactly he died, though it notes he had been under a doctor's care since the previous day, that an autopsy was performed, and the address of the doctor in question is given as "[Los Angeles County] General Hospital," suggesting that perhaps that's where Evans succumbed; it doesn't even name the informant who provided the information (though maybe the hospital provided the information). He is listed as married, though the line where his spouse would be named is instead filled with "Separated." Owen's parents are listed as Owen Evans (no "Hoffman," unless such was supposed to be implied) and Elizabeth Collins [sic]. His occupation is given, rather uniquely, as "Movie Acrobat." Three days later, Owen E. Hoffman was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. |
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Real name: Owen Evans Hoffman Height: 5'6" |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography; plus all films with Stan Laurel. |
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