Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Show us what you found. Make us jealous!
hottoddy
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:34 pm
Reaction score: 0

Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by hottoddy »

Hello and Happy New Year! !!YIPPEE!!

I recently found an interesting Working Model called Charlie and Mabel in the Park. I cannot find any information as to who made it and or when it was made. I know someone on this glorious site has some info....Thank you !!CHEERS!! .
Attachments
1535496_10152602573618175_710243843102352997_n.jpg
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by pennymachines »

What an interesting model! I don't think I can tell you anything about it that you don't know already - namely, it's housed in a mid thirties Exhibit Supply Imperial digger cabinet, which would date it to sometime after the outbreak of WW2, when rationing made merchandisers redundant. However, the theme, featuring Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand in the park, harks back to the first scene from a silent film they made under Mack Sennett in 1914, called Mabel's Married Life. Could the model pre-date the cabinet?

User avatar
john t peterson
Posts: 1335
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: USA

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by john t peterson »

Interesting analysis, Mr. PM. What does the model do, Todd? You do manage to come up with some very interesting things.

J Peterson
Park Ranger, USA
User avatar
daveslot
Posts: 496
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:00 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: wilts/dorset/somerset border

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by daveslot »

I have seen this style before, two others, I think. One was called 'Smoky Joe the Tramps Dream'.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by pennymachines »

Oh yes - that one's at Rye Heritage Museum. I wonder if the tramp is Chaplin again, who dreams in several of his films (e.g. Shoulder Arms, The Kid, The Bank), or a less famous tramp named Smoky Joe.
Attachments
SmokyJoe.jpg
User avatar
moonriver
Posts: 930
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:56 am
Reaction score: 3

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by moonriver »

I remember selling some Jennings governors and wall machines to Tony Valente and he came to negotiate to buy them with his money belt on and driver with large van. A great guy and always charming he got a good deal. At the time he was awash with cash and buying up most available collections and working models that he could. On the van when we loaded were two very similar models to this in the same crane case with similar large artwork completely surrounding, which is what reminded me just now. He told me he just collected both machines from the same source and they looked like both from the same maker, but different themes, the other model looked like a fairground scene. It would be good to see the inside mechanism and close up photos of the front.

How times change, you could imagine Charlie and Mabel would be doing something entirely less innocent in the park nowadays !OMFG!
jingle
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:21 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by jingle »

This has to be the same maker
As the one I have that needs restoring
It's in an old crane case
And has a fishing theme to it
I know mine was originally bought by a yank
From star warehouse in London in the mid 80s
And shipped to the USA
He died and his wife put all is stuff in auction in Reno
My mate who some of you will remember ( phil Ellis ) mad scouser
With the tall warehouse nr the docks and had lots of machines ( nutter)
Was in the USA at the time,,he bought the lot in 1987 about 15 machines
And put them in storage in Reno until 2010,when I bought them of him
Blind but he half remembered what was in there
He never mentioned this machine
So it was a bonus when I got there
Dave slot you have a picture of it
I sent it you ages ago
Put it up if you like
I don't have pics of it on my PC and
Can't find any files
It would be good to see how many similar ones
Are out there

Jingle
User avatar
moonriver
Posts: 930
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:56 am
Reaction score: 3

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by moonriver »

I bought everything Jimmy Broderick had left at Star Warehouse before he died and cleared everything in his half of the railway goods depot unit he had which was massive unlike his Camden unit. No working models though, mainly casino stuff, slots, jukeboxes, animal band automatons, allwins and cranes.
I remember you telling me you about that fishing theme model, hope the pic turns up.
hottoddy
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:34 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by hottoddy »

I will post more pictures as soon as I take possession. Although I haven't seen it in action, I'm told Charlie uses his cane to lift up Mabel's dress and then she turns to slap him across the face.

So, is the assumption these were made by Bolland?
User avatar
moonriver
Posts: 930
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:56 am
Reaction score: 3

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by moonriver »

There are lots of tell tale signs within the model, by way of quality, style, decor ,composition of the figures and the general 'look' along with the mechanism that will narrow down the possible maker but good close up pics should help to determine. It would be unusual for only two actions within any model so hopefully there will be other things going on once you get access to the cams. It struck me that Charlie and Mabel were common British character names and so could easily have a passing tongue in cheek reference to much earlier films and yet made in the 1950's
Last edited by moonriver on Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by pennymachines »

hottoddy wrote:So, is the assumption these were made by Bolland?
I think the familiar Bolland 'Working Model' casting on Smoky Joe points that way.
User avatar
daveslot
Posts: 496
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:00 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: wilts/dorset/somerset border

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by daveslot »

Not sure about that, these castings have been reproduced and could have been recently slapped on.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by pennymachines »

True - it assumes the Rye museum model is kosher, but I don't recall seeing it there when I visited some years ago.
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2051
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 10
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by slotalot »

There are 2 Chaplin related models at Rye, The tramps dream & Charlie & Mable in the park.
The "Mable" Films that Chaplin made were some of his first films dating around 1914, so I would think that the machines were made much later and looking back at Chaplin's career?? :!?!:
Sorry about the quality of the photos, the lighting at Rye was not that good.. :oops:
Attachments
cm2.jpg
cm1.jpg
User avatar
john t peterson
Posts: 1335
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: USA

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by john t peterson »

I am continually amazed at the breadth of knowledge and the willingness to share such by the Pennymachines community. Hear, hear to all! !!CHEERS!!

J Peterson
Tramping in the American park
User avatar
moonriver
Posts: 930
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:56 am
Reaction score: 3

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by moonriver »

Well done for finding the pics! This Rye model looks to be in better condition ( or maybe refurbished more recently) as the scene is constructed really well in this one, the figure obviously meant to be Chaplin. I like the way the light is used to best effect with the foliage on the glass . I'm with Stuart that these are much later models, likely 50's The landscape and foliage reminds me of The Midnight Smugglers which is considered to be a Bollands
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by pennymachines »

moonriver wrote:I'm with Stuart that these are much later models, likely '50s
That does seem likely now we know there are at least two Charlie & Mabels, plus at least one other sister model.
stevemaxted
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:26 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by stevemaxted »

Yes, Smokey Joe is in the Rye Heritage Centre, but so is 'Charlie and Mabel in the Park'. This has been there a lot longer than Smokey Joe. Charlie does raise her skirt with his cane, and she turns to slap him. That is all. It is charming though.
The Heritage Centre, at Rye is my old penny arcade
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2051
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 10
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by slotalot »

smwaverider wrote:Yes, Smokey Joe is in the Rye Heritage Centre, but so is 'Charlie and Mabel in the Park'. This has been there a lot longer than Smokey Joe. Charlie does raise her skirt with his cane, and she turns to slap him. That is all. It is charming though.
The Heritage Centre, at Rye is my old penny arcade
Welcome to the forum Steve :D
You have a good collection of machines at Rye, I was down there in January 2013 and very much enjoyed playing them. Glad to have you on board.. !!THUMBSX2!!
stevemaxted
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:26 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Charlie and Mabel in the Park

Post by stevemaxted »

Thanks, nice to be on board the forum, very interesting, did not know my machines were being discussed.
To clear up a point in this discussion, I added the 'Working Model' metal plate to Smokey Joe, so these models never had one
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests