LUPINO LANE (1892-1959)

CAREER OVERVIEW / THE CRITICS RAVE / THE CRITICS RAGE / A GAG FOR THE AGES / LUPINO IN THE NEWS  / (they will frequently change) / FILMOGRAPHY

Upon his death, Lupino Lane was remembered primarily as a stage comedian rather than for his years as a silent film comedian. This was a shame because Lane's film career revealed him to be both a brilliant comic and an accomplished acrobat. Lane's characterizations never approached the depth and humanity that any of the top comedians achieved. Rather, Lane depended on eye-popping physical stunts to get laughs.

In his first film for his Educational series, Maid in Morocco (1925), Lane actually runs in a complete loop up, under and down the inside of a proscenium arch. Almost every short gave "Nip" (his usual character name) the opportunity to do a full split and pull himself upright through sheer leg power.

Lane flexed his directorial muscles as well. As "Henry George" (his given and middle names) Lane helmed most of his short subjects from 1927 through 1929 followed by a lengthy career in the 1930's directing musicals in Great Britain.

Ernst Lubitsch's The Love Parade (1929), shows off Lane's talents as singer/clown/dancer and acrobat. In 1930, by choice, he left Hollywood forever to make films and star in West End shows in London. Those wonderful stage performances can only be reconstructed by yellowed reviews and fading memories. But the legacy of Lupino Lane's film work is still with us for future generations to savor.

CAREER OVERVIEW:

• June 16, 1892: Born in London, England
• 1913?-1920: Acted in British shorts, including the experimental Mr. Butterbuns series.
• 1920-1922: Starred in Broadway show Afgar.
• 1922-1923: Acted in shorts and features for Fox
• 1924: Acted in D.W. Griffith's feature Isn't Life Wonderful?
• 1925-1929: Acted and directed shorts for Educational
• 1929-1930: Played supporting roles in U.S. features
• 1930-1940: Directed and acted in British features
• 1939-1959: On stage and television in England.
• November 10, 1959: Died in London, England.

THE CRITICS RAVE:

"Stunning (Alice) Delysia, however, was obliged to share the honors of the evening with Lupino Lane, one of those Lupinos whose comedy and knockabout talents have so long provided the most amusing interludes of the London pantomimes. He is not of a style familiar on this side of the water; he is perhaps best comparable to Fred Stone. He has all of Stone's comedy knack and a good deal of his acrobatic talent, if not his versatility. Last night his acrobatics definitely halted the show in the first act."

"Lupino Lane's unique skill as a comedian scores again in this Fox release in two reels. As a minstrel in Venice, he is a ragged romanticist, realizing the narrow line between pathos and humor, that always marks the work of the most successful comedian."

"Lupino Lane shows to excellent advantage and adds to his laurels both as a comedian and an acrobat in this second of his series for Education(al)...Lane certainly takes a lot of hard knocks and uses his acrobatic ability to advantage. He is a finished artist in his work and gets the most out of every situation. A corking good comedy that will cause a lot of genuine laughter, and should convulse any audience."

THE CRITICS RAGE:

"Among the newcomers was Lupino Lane, an English comedian and eccentric dancer. Concerning Mr. Lane's dancing there was a unanimous verdict of approval, but his comic offerings will also probably have to be subjected to deletion and replacement."

"Lane still reminds one of India-rubber, and there are few better in taking comedy falls, but without good material he fared none too well in the next-to-closing spot at the matinee."

A GAG FOR THE AGES:

The most eye-popping stunt in the entire Lane lexicon climaxes his merry chase in Maid in Morocco (1925). He literally runs up and down the inside of a proscenium archway, making a full 360 degree loop.

LUPINO IN THE NEWS:

CHURCHILL SPEAKS IN LONDON STREETS. "Street meetings are entering Winston Churchill's electoral campaign in the Abbey Division of Westminster. They are something of a novelty for an ex-minister running in a London constituancy, but three held today in Covent Garden, in Soho and at the base of the stature of Sir Henry Irving, near Leicester Square, went off admirably. Moreover, he came out with a new supporter in the person of Lupino Lane, member of a famous family of comedians, who accompanied him to Covent Garden and in the first political speech of his life gave, as a lifelong resident of the district of Westminster, his blessing to the candidate."

AN IMPRESSION OF LUPINO LANE. Chaplin's forte is pathos, Langdon's metier is infantile appeal. Lloyd's trick is the conquest of an inferiority complex. Lupino Lane's is broad, clean burlesque.

I always suspect that he is going to jump on a horse and ride off in four different directions. If Doug fights four swordsmen, Lupino takes on a dozen. If Mix jumps his horse over a freight car, Lane puts his nag over a barn. Nothing is impossible to him. Yet he is as futile as Don Quixote.

Most men are born clowns and don't know it. Lupino Lane can outboast the ginger ale that advertises six months' preparation for its perfection. It took 227 years to make him a comedian.

His pantomimic ancestry is as long as a transcontinental railroad ticket. His Lupino grandfathers were Pierrot-ing on the London stage in 1700. His Lane grandmothers were the Desdimonas of their day. He himself is one of the original theatrical mergers. He was supposed to get a fortune from his grandmother for twisting the names so that the first should be last and the last should be first. But the old lady broke his heart by leaving him nothing but a good recipe for tumbling without breaking his neck.

As British as bad cooking, the Lane-Lupinos survived when the newest chip from the family numskull announced his departure to America. They never understood the lack of concentration that kept him from being the hit of the "Follies," but then they had never seen a glorified American Chorus Girl. All even went well when the boy entered the movies. When he returned and told them his movie salary his grandfather did a back flip in his grave.

His comedies are released by Educational, but don't let that fool you. He gags and he spins, and Solomon in all his wisdom never thought up such stomach-laughs as his.

BRITISH KING GETS LESSON FROM 'LAMBETH WALK' STAR. "King George and Queen Elizabeth saw the "Lambeth Walk" show, "Me and My Gal" at the Victoria Palace Theatre tonight. The Queen wore a white slipper-satin gown, a white fox cape and two gardenias in her hair. The King, in evening dress, wore a gardenia in his buttonhole. Both joined in the shouted "Oi" which ends the Lambeth Walk chorus. Lupino Lane, star of the show, was presented to the King and Queen after the performance. "They said they had been walking the Lambeth Walk the wrong way - the ballroom way - and promised to do it our way in the future."

(they will frequently change)

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