http://www.archive.org/details/TIYL-Mack_Sennett

I know that some of you are Phyllis Haver fans or are have at least
expressed an interest in her films and her life. Phyllis' appearance
in 1954 in "This is Your Life, Mack Sennett" is now in the public
domain and is available online.

http://www.archive.org/details/TIYL-Mack_Sennett

While the whole program is no doubt of interest to contributors to
this newsgroup (Harold Lloyd is also one of the guests),Phyllis
herself appears just over a minute at 14 minutes 48 to 15 minutes 50
seconds on the clip. Given Phyllis' suicide six years later just after
Sennett's own death (and, in part, we are told, due to Sennett's
death), their interaction is poignant and interesting (both applying
the word "darling" to one another, for example).

One of the first things Phyllis says is that they had not seen each
other "since '32." Then what is one to make of the following?

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=1&language=...

If you click on the very first picture of Phyllis at the Getty Images
site, it claims that it is Phyllis in the background on our left with
Mack in the front and some of their former associates all around.
Clearly a reunion, and clearly Mack Sennett, but if this is 1948, as
the caption claims, it cannot be Phyllis. But it cannot be 1932
either, judging from how much the faces have aged. Unless, what seems
most unlikely, both Phyllis and Sennett forgot that they had seen each
other just six years before at this reunion.

Any thoughts?

I have located in a newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
what was likely the last article/interview with Phyllis Haver, dating
from July of 1960, just four months before her tragic death in
November.  She recalls the filming of her classic comedy with Buster
Keaton, "The Balloonatic" (referred to in the article, as in some
other sources, as "Balloonatics") which was then being revived in a
theater near the town where she lived for many years.  And as
indicated by this article, Phyllis was still beautiful and a lady of
immense charm.--William M. Drew

 "The Berkshire Eagle," Saturday, July 16, 1960

Showing Tomorrow
Mack Sennett Comedy Star Recalls Making "Ballonatics"
By Thomas W. Bleezarde

Lime Rock, Conn.--Mrs. Phyllis Haver Seeman vividly recalls the
filming of "Balloonatics," in which she starred as Phyllis Haver and
which will be shown tomorrow night as part of the Sharon Playhouse's
Silent Film Classics series.
   Although the film was "one of hundreds of its type," Mack Sennett
comedies, of one or two reels that Mrs. Seeman made early in her
career, she and the rest of the cast, including co-star Buster Keaton,
nearly died making it.
   The film was shot in Truckee, Calif.  The town, on the bank of the
Truckee River, contained one old wooden hotel, several saloons and
little else, Mrs. Seeman related.

   "Sheets of Flame"
   The entire company was put up in the hotel, she said, and at 2 a.m..
one morning she was awakened by cries of "fire."  Mrs. Seeman
remembers grabbing her make-up kit and some of the costumes for the
show, but leaving her clothes, and running down stairs "with sheets of
flame all around."
   After the fire, which completely destroyed the building in about 15
minutes, Mrs. Seeman said the company was housed above the railroad
station, "in miserable accomodations."
   Mrs. Seeman's career, which started in the early '20s, included
starring roles in "What Price Glory" with Victor McLaglen and with
Emil Jannings in "Way of All Fresh," for which Mr. Jannings won an
Academy Award in 1927-28.
   She started in films when she was 15 years old and first worked
with the Sennett organization making comedies.  She was with them for
3 1/2 years before going into more serious films with Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer.  She also did films for Paramount and Pathe.
   Born in Kansas, Mrs. Seeman grew up in California.  She moved to
New York City in 1929 when she married and retired from the motion
picture business.  She moved here in 1946, and now lives on White
Hollow Road.

   "In the River"
   Mrs. Seeman makes frequent trips to New York City to see plays and
films "which you can't see in this area."  She is planning a trip
around the world next February.
   A woman of charm and grace, she is hard to envision in a slapstick
comedy like "Balloonatics," in which--if she remembers correctly--the
stars had to "flounder around in the Truckee River."
    In addition to the 7:30 showing of "Balloonatics" tomorrow night,
the movie will be shown Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Thanks. That article is quite a find!

DaveA wrote:
On Jul 10, 1:34 pm, "ReelD... at (no spam) aol.com" <ReelD... at (no spam) aol.com> wrote:
I have located in a newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
what was likely the last article/interview with Phyllis Haver, dating
from July of 1960, just four months before her tragic death in
November.  She recalls the filming of her classic comedy with Buster
Keaton, "The Balloonatic" (referred to in the article, as in some
other sources, as "Balloonatics") which was then being revived in a
theater near the town where she lived for many years.  And as
indicated by this article, Phyllis was still beautiful and a lady of
immense charm.--William M. Drew

 "The Berkshire Eagle," Saturday, July 16, 1960

Showing Tomorrow
Mack Sennett Comedy Star Recalls Making "Ballonatics"
By Thomas W. Bleezarde

Lime Rock, Conn.--Mrs. Phyllis Haver Seeman vividly recalls the
filming of "Balloonatics," in which she starred as Phyllis Haver and
which will be shown tomorrow night as part of the Sharon Playhouse's
Silent Film Classics series.
   Although the film was "one of hundreds of its type," Mack Sennett
comedies, of one or two reels that Mrs. Seeman made early in her
career, she and the rest of the cast, including co-star Buster Keaton,
nearly died making it.
   The film was shot in Truckee, Calif.  The town, on the bank of the
Truckee River, contained one old wooden hotel, several saloons and
little else, Mrs. Seeman related.

   "Sheets of Flame"
   The entire company was put up in the hotel, she said, and at 2 a.m.
one morning she was awakened by cries of "fire."  Mrs. Seeman
remembers grabbing her make-up kit and some of the costumes for the
show, but leaving her clothes, and running down stairs "with sheets of
flame all around."
   After the fire, which completely destroyed the building in about 15
minutes, Mrs. Seeman said the company was housed above the railroad
station, "in miserable accomodations."
   Mrs. Seeman's career, which started in the early '20s, included
starring roles in "What Price Glory" with Victor McLaglen and with
Emil Jannings in "Way of All Fresh," for which Mr. Jannings won an
Academy Award in 1927-28.
   She started in films when she was 15 years old and first worked
with the Sennett organization making comedies.  She was with them for
3 1/2 years before going into more serious films with Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer.  She also did films for Paramount and Pathe.
   Born in Kansas, Mrs. Seeman grew up in California.  She moved to
New York City in 1929 when she married and retired from the motion
picture business.  She moved here in 1946, and now lives on White
Hollow Road.

   "In the River"
   Mrs. Seeman makes frequent trips to New York City to see plays and
films "which you can't see in this area."  She is planning a trip
around the world next February.
   A woman of charm and grace, she is hard to envision in a slapstick
comedy like "Balloonatics," in which--if she remembers correctly--the
stars had to "flounder around in the Truckee River."
    In addition to the 7:30 showing of "Balloonatics" tomorrow night,
the movie will be shown Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
 Thanks. That article is quite a find!

Still, one could argue it's already gone the way of all fresh.

--
Bill Anderson

I am the Mighty Favog

On Jul 10, 1:34 pm, "ReelD... at (no spam) aol.com" <ReelD... at (no spam) aol.com> wrote:
I have located in a newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
what was likely the last article/interview with Phyllis Haver, dating
from July of 1960, just four months before her tragic death in
November. She recalls the filming of her classic comedy with Buster
Keaton, "The Balloonatic" (referred to in the article, as in some
other sources, as "Balloonatics") which was then being revived in a
theater near the town where she lived for many years. And as
indicated by this article, Phyllis was still beautiful and a lady of
immense charm.--William M. Drew

"The Berkshire Eagle," Saturday, July 16, 1960

Showing Tomorrow
Mack Sennett Comedy Star Recalls Making "Ballonatics"
By Thomas W. Bleezarde

Lime Rock, Conn.--Mrs. Phyllis Haver Seeman vividly recalls the
filming of "Balloonatics," in which she starred as Phyllis Haver and
which will be shown tomorrow night as part of the Sharon Playhouse's
Silent Film Classics series.
Although the film was "one of hundreds of its type," Mack Sennett
comedies, of one or two reels that Mrs. Seeman made early in her
career, she and the rest of the cast, including co-star Buster Keaton,
nearly died making it.
The film was shot in Truckee, Calif. The town, on the bank of the
Truckee River, contained one old wooden hotel, several saloons and
little else, Mrs. Seeman related.

"Sheets of Flame"
The entire company was put up in the hotel, she said, and at 2 a.m.
one morning she was awakened by cries of "fire." Mrs. Seeman
remembers grabbing her make-up kit and some of the costumes for the
show, but leaving her clothes, and running down stairs "with sheets of
flame all around."
After the fire, which completely destroyed the building in about 15
minutes, Mrs. Seeman said the company was housed above the railroad
station, "in miserable accomodations."
Mrs. Seeman's career, which started in the early '20s, included
starring roles in "What Price Glory" with Victor McLaglen and with
Emil Jannings in "Way of All Fresh," for which Mr. Jannings won an
Academy Award in 1927-28.
She started in films when she was 15 years old and first worked
with the Sennett organization making comedies. She was with them for
3 1/2 years before going into more serious films with Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer. She also did films for Paramount and Pathe.
Born in Kansas, Mrs. Seeman grew up in California. She moved to
New York City in 1929 when she married and retired from the motion
picture business. She moved here in 1946, and now lives on White
Hollow Road.

"In the River"
Mrs. Seeman makes frequent trips to New York City to see plays and
films "which you can't see in this area." She is planning a trip
around the world next February.
A woman of charm and grace, she is hard to envision in a slapstick
comedy like "Balloonatics," in which--if she remembers correctly--the
stars had to "flounder around in the Truckee River."
In addition to the 7:30 showing of "Balloonatics" tomorrow night,
the movie will be shown Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Thanks. That article is quite a find!