The Andy Edmonds Connection

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 The name of Brian Anthony appears on some of the Thelma Todd fanzines in the 1990s*. The name of Brian Anthony also appears with that of Andy Edmonds on a 1998 book about Charley Chase. 

In 1998 Brian Anthony was also on the Thelma Todd "Mysteries And Scandals" program wih Andy Edmonds.

The story that Luciano had Thelma Todd murdered was in both the book and the television program. The fact that someone who was involved with both was also involved wih the fanzine means that it was connected not just with that story ( which can be found in a number of places ), but with Andy Edmonds herself.  They evidently just didn't let that bother them. 

*Issue #2 listed him as a contributor to an article about Anita Garvin.

"Smile when the Raindrops Fall" by Brian Anthony and Andy Edmonds :

https://books.google.com/books/about/Smile_when_the_Raindrops_Fall.html?id=S45ZAAAAMAAJ 

Thelma Todd Mysteries And Scandals program:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1363670/

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SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL By Brian Anthony And Andy Edmonds

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SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL is another book about Charley Chase.

The story is that this is the book Andy Edmonds thought she was going to write to begin with when she decided to do a book about Thelma Todd instead ( HOT TODDY ), and that the Charley Chase book was only written after Brian Anthony contacted her and expressed an interest in the project. Brian Anthony is said to have actually written most of the book, although it is largely based on Edmond's original research.



SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL preview:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Smile_When_the_Raindrops_Fall.html?id=Z_7T2JWhJdUC





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THE CHARLEY CHASE TALKIES 1929 - 1940 by James L. Neibaur

A new book about Charley Chase has just become available.

 

 

I read a previous book about Charley Chase, SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL, by Brian Anthony and Andy Edmonds. This book seems to have much the same story, but concentrates more on the later part of his career, after sound came in.  I was able to read a little of the new book online at this site:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/167880825/The-Charley-Chase-Talkies-1929-1940


To me, the films of Charley Chase were a mixed bag. Some of them I liked, and then again there were some I didn't like. But since he was one of Thelma Todd's most frequent costars in the early sound era, he does play a part in the story of Thelma Todd.




A look at Charley Chase's talkies on "The World Of Charley Chase":
http://charleychase.50webs.com/talkies.htm

World Of Charley Chase home page:
http://www.charley-chase.com/



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Smile When The Raindrops Fall

"Smile When The Raindrops Fall" was a song that was used in a number of Hal Roach comedies in the 1930's.


Here is some sheet music for this song, which features little pictures of Roach's stars on the cover. It also mentions that the song is sung by Charlie Chase in the two-reel comedy WHISPERING WHOOPIE. Thelma Todd is also in that one, but is positioned closer to Harry Langdon than to Charlie Chase on the cover. Presumably this is because Charlie Chase has the central position and the others are around the edges.

 

You can watch WHISPERING WHOOPIE on youtube:

 

And you can listen to the song on Youtube: 

 

Review of the book SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL:

http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue05/reviews/chase.htm

 

Laurel and Hardy Central:

http://www.laurelandhardycentral.com/main.html

Harry Langdon

http://silent-movies.org/Langdon/

 

 

WHISPERING WHOOPIE

Producer: Hal Roach
Director: James W. Horne
Music: Leroy Shield (uncredited)
Cast: Charley Chase (Charley), Thelma Todd (Miss Todd), Anita Garvin (Miss Garvin), Dolores Brinkman (Miss Brinkman), Kay Deslys (Miss Deslys), Eddie Dunn (Ricketts, the Butler), Dell Henderson (Mr. Henderson), Carl Stockdale (Mr. Stockdale), Tenen Holtz (Mr. Holtz), Edward Dillon (Mr. Richmond, the Landlord).
BW-21m.

The plot of this film involves Charley Chase hiring three "good-time girls" ( Thelma Todd, Anita Garvin, and Kay Deslys ) to help him secure a real estate deal by working their charms on three stuffy businessmen. The initially stuffy businessmen loosen up during the course of the party and start a seltzer water fight. A good time is had by all and Charley Chase manages to secure the deal by the fadeout.

Charlie Chase sings "Smile When The Raindrops Fall" in the film, which was written by Alice Keating Howlett and Will Livernash. The song became a sort of unofficial theme song for him and the title was later used by Andy Edmonds and Brian Anthony for their Charley Chase biography, which was published in 1998.

Watch WHISPERING WHOOPEE at youtube:



Download WHISPERING WHOOPEE at the Internet Archive:
http://archive.org/details/WhisperingWhoopee



SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL by Brian Anthony and Andy Edmonds:
http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue05/reviews/chase.htm



The World Of Charley Chase:
http://www.charley-chase.com/