You might say the bully got what he deserved. That is, if you thought that
fearsome Eric Campbell was just as nasty in real life as he was playing
Charlie Chaplin's giant tormentor in silent film shorts.
Built like a pro wrestler, Eric was 250 pounds of muscle and belly. His
body was topped off with a small skull shaved almost to the bone. His face
was smeared into exaggeration by heavy eyebrows that rose demonically above
his scowling, darkened eyes.
According to "Who's Who in Comedy" (Facts on File) Campbell
was a member of Fred Karno's British vaudeville troupe. He was invited to
make movies by ex-Karno alumni, Charles Chaplin.
His best known Chaplin film was "Easy Street." He is the outrageously
menacing bully who actually invites Charlie the Cop to pound his crew-cutted
skull with a billy club (to no effect, of course).
1917 was the year of some of Campbell's best work, but also his greatest
tragedies. On July 9th his wife died suddenly of a heart attack after eating
in a local restaurant. His daughter went out to buy a black dress for the
funeral and was nearly killed by a passing car. Less than a month after
his wife's death, Campbell married again, but by November, his new wife
sued for divorce. The rough year ended a little early. On December 20, Campbell
was driving at an estimated 60 mph when his car overturned twice and pinned
him in the wreckage, killing the giant actor almost instantly.