| Fred Fishback | |
|---|---|
 Fred Fishback (left) and Edith Roberts in 1919 | |
| Born | Moscu Fischback (1894-01-18)January 18, 1894 Bucharest, Romania |
| Died | January 6, 1925(1925-01-06) (aged 30) Los Angeles, U.S. |
| Other names | Fred Hibbard |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1912–1925 |
| Spouse | Ethel Lynne (married 1919–1925) |
Fred C. Fishback (born Moscu Fischback; January 18, 1894 – January 6, 1925) was a film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer of the silent era. Following the 1921 scandal surrounding Roscoe Arbuckle, in which he was involved, Fishback worked mostly under the pseudonym Fred Hibbard.
Biography
Fred Fishback was born Moscu Fischback (sometimes spelled Fischbach) on January 18, 1894, in Bucharest, Romania. He immigrated to the United States around 1900, and made his motion picture debut with Thomas H. Ince in 1912. As Freddy Fischbach, he became a cameraman at Mack Sennett's Keystone studio, where he worked with comedy star Roscoe Arbuckle. Sennett promoted Fischbach to director, with his surname Americanized to Fred Fishback.
Anyone with Keystone credentials was welcomed by lesser comedy studios, and Fishback secured a job directing comedy shorts for Universal Pictures, many of them featuring former Keystone and Hal Roach bit player Lige Conley.
Both Arbuckle and Fishback were hired to direct at Educational Pictures. Fishback, reunited with Lige Conley, helped to develop Conley into a comedy star in a lengthy series of slapstick short subjects. Fishback also directed one of Educational's leading comedians, Lloyd Hamilton. Fishback died at the age of 30 of cancer; his last films were released posthumously.
Select filmography
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Love and Bullets | Henchman | |
| 1914 | Laughing Gas | Bearded Patient | |
| 1914 | Tillie's Punctured Romance | Tall Servant | |
| 1914 | Killing Horace | Painter | |
| 1914 | Those Love Pangs | Vivian's Boyfriend | |
| 1914 | Gentlemen of Nerve | Spectator Behind Fence, Spectator in Bleachers | |
| 1915 | The Home Breakers | Lead Cop | |
| 1915 | A Bird's a Bird | Raffle Ticket Taker | |
| 1915 | That Little Band of Gold | Audience Member Near Box | |
| 1915 | Droppington's Devilish Deed | The Heavy Man | |
| 1915 | Do-Re-Me-Boom! | Cop | |
| 1915 | A Hash House Fraud | Free-Eater Hit with Plate | |
| 1915 | The Cannon Ball | Tall Henchman | |
| 1915 | Only a Messenger Boy | Man with Booze | |
| 1915 | A Janitors Wife's Temptation | Waiter in Booth Hall | |
| 1915 | The Hunt | Prisoner Who Escapes with Ford |
Director
Poster for An International Sneak (1917)
Advertisement for short films starring Brownie the dog, including Playmates and Society Dogs (1921)
Poster for Circus Clowns (1922), with direction credited to Fred Hibbard and starring Baby Peggy.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | The Home Breakers | Assistant director |
| 1915 | A Bird's a Bird | Assistant director |
| 1915 | Droppington's Devilish Deed | Assistant director |
| 1915 | Do-Re-Me-Boom! | Assistant director |
| 1915 | A Hash House Fraud | Assistant director |
| 1915 | The Cannon Ball | Assistant director |
| 1916 | A Movie Star | |
| 1916 | His Auto Ruination | |
| 1916 | By Stork Delivery | |
| 1916 | His Bitter Pill | |
| 1916 | Ambrose's Cup of Woe | |
| 1916 | Madcap Ambrose | |
| 1916 | Ambrose's Rapid Rise | |
| 1916 | Safety First Ambrose | |
| 1917 | His Naughty Thought | |
| 1917 | Cactus Nell | |
| 1917 | Lost, a Cook | |
| 1917 | Roping Her Romeo | |
| 1917 | An International Sneak | |
| 1918 | Beware of Boarders! | |
| 1918 | Here Come the Girls | |
| 1919 | Money Talks | |
| 1919 | A Village Venus | |
| 1920 | His Master's Breath | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | A Baby Doll Bandit | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | Naughty Lions and Wild Men | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | Over the Transom | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | Loose Lions and Fast Lovers | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | A Lion's Alliance | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | My Dog Pal | Also screenwriter |
| 1920 | My Salomy Lions | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | A Bunch of Kisses | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | The Dog Doctor | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | Playmates | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | Alfalfa Love | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | Society Dogs | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | The Whizbang | Also screenwriter |
| 1921 | Brownie's Little Venus | Also screenwriter |
| 1922 | Circus Clowns | As Fred Hibbard; also screenwriter |
| 1922 | The Straphanger | Director and screenwriter |
| 1923 | Uncle Sam | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | My Friend | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | Air Pockets | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | Killing Time | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | Going East | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | Jonah Jones | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1924 | Crushed | As Fred Hibbard |
| 1925 | Hooked | As Fred Hibbard Also screenwriter; released posthumously |
| 1925 | Half a Hero | As Fred Hibbard Also screenwriter; released posthumously |
References
- ^ Walker, Brent E. (2010). Mack Sennett's Fun Factory. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7711-1.
- Fred (Moscu) Fischbach Or Fishbach, United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940.
- "Here Come the Girls". Progressive Silent Film List. Silent Era. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1919. p. 359.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1919. p. 842.
- "Fred Fishback". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 79.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 83.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 84.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 162.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 276.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 538.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 319.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 320.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 629.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 919.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 925.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 926.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1921. p. 1223.
- "Circus Clowns". Progressive Silent Film List. Silent Era. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- The Straphanger. Century Film. January 11, 1922. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Balducci, Anthony (2009). Lloyd Hamilton: Poor Boy Comedian of Silent Cinema. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 9780786441594.
External links
- Fred Hibbard at IMDb