Remembering Roscoe

If You Remember Me...

Roscoe Arbuckle chose to leave this earth from the beautiful, peaceful Pacific waters off of Catalina Island, seen above, his cremains had become one with the ocean where his soul felt safest and most at peace.

..."Keep on smilin', Keep on shinin', even though you know you wanna cry..."

..."I'll be with you, keep believing, some things even time can't come between, and if you blame me, try and realize there were promises and lies too many times..."

These lines from the song "If You Remember Me" are most fitting. The promises and lies too many times reflect the promises of a magnificent lifestyle, public image, and legendary career that Hollywood created for Roscoe Arbuckle and then destroyed with deceit and lies, one after another. Promises and lies. They go together.

When we remember Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, let us remember the legend before the fall. When he smiled, millions of people all over the world smiled. When he shined, the world shined...with happiness and laughter during a time when laughter and the simple enjoyments in life filled each day. If we remember him, let us remember a man who endured bullying and suffering for most all of his life, but whose only desire throughout was to make people laugh, and to never hold a grudge. A humble man. A simple man. A little boy lived inside the man whose favorite friend, after all, was a beloved pet.

So, wipe the notion of guilt from the slate because there was no guilt, and let the new generations begin to enjoy the wondrous genius of "Fatty" Arbuckle, the silent clown whose antics were largely mimicked by all those who followed after him.

..."And if you blame me..." There is no blame here. Set this soul free, wish him peace, enjoy his films and the treasured moments of a simpler time when the world watched in black and white, and in silence, stories unfold, in one language that could be understood by every nation in the world...the language of laughter.

Our love goes with you, "Fatty," keep on smiling, keep on shining, and where you are; thank you for the fond memories and the days of laughter that will never cease to exist within the hearts of those who love.