William Edward "Bud" Jamison (February 15, 1894 – September 30, 1944)[1] was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944, notably appearing in many shorts with
The Three Stooges as a foil.
Career
Chef Bud Jamison wishbones
Harry Sweet in this Wid's Daily 1921 ad.
Born in
Vallejo, California, Jamison joined the ranks of stage and vaudeville performers making movies in California. Jamison's husky build and willingness to participate in messy slapstick and rowdy action guaranteed him work in silent comedies. In 1915 he was a member of
Charlie Chaplin's stock company at
Essanay Studios. From there he moved to the
Hal Roach studio, playing hot-tempered comic foils for
Harold Lloyd,
Snub Pollard, and
Stan Laurel. In the 1920s, he joined
Universal Pictures' short-comedy contingent, and later worked in
Mack Sennett comedies.
In his earliest films, Jamison looked too young to be totally convincing in heavy makeup as a veteran policeman, detective, or authority figure. As the years progressed, he grew into these roles, and by the time sound films arrived he was well established as a reliable character comedian.
Jamison had a superb tenor singing voice, and loved to sing when not filming. Sound movies gave producers a chance to exploit his singing, and for the rest of his career he would occasionally be called upon to vocalize in films. A brief series of color travelogues filmed in 1930, featured Jamison and comic
Jimmie Adams as "The Rolling Stones", two singing vagabonds seeing the country. Jamison would be hired just for his singing, as in Pot o' Gold where he plays a vagrant who harmonizes in jail.
Jamison acted at Columbia Pictures in their short subjects, primarily with the Three Stooges. He appeared in 38 Stooge entries over 10 years, including their debut, Woman Haters (1934). Jamison was a comic foil for the team. He also sings "You'll Never Know Just What Tears Are" in the Three Stooges film A Ducking They Did Go (1939). Stooge leader
Moe Howard (who referred to Jamison as "Buddy Jamison") recalled singing barbershop harmony with Charley Chase, actor
Vernon Dent, and Jamison many times on movie sets.[2] His last episode appearance with the Three Stooges was in Crash Goes the Hash (1944) as the
majordomo, Lord Flint.
Death
There are conflicting reports regarding Jamison's cause of death.[2] He died on September 30, 1944, at age 50, one day after completing work on the film Nob Hill.[2] Some sources indicate that Jamison developed a blood infection or
kidney cancer and because he was a devout
Christian Scientist, refused blood transfusions that resulted in his death.[2] However, several surviving family members have stated that Jamison had been suffering from
phlebitis in his leg during the final week of filming Nob Hill and refused to seek medical help due to his "
the show must go on" mentality (v. his religion).[2] Jamison's family was told that the phlebitis caused a blood clot which traveled to his lung and caused his death.[2]
William Edward "Bud" Jamison (February 15, 1894 – September 30, 1944)[1] was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944, notably appearing in many shorts with
The Three Stooges as a foil.
Career
Chef Bud Jamison wishbones
Harry Sweet in this Wid's Daily 1921 ad.
Born in
Vallejo, California, Jamison joined the ranks of stage and vaudeville performers making movies in California. Jamison's husky build and willingness to participate in messy slapstick and rowdy action guaranteed him work in silent comedies. In 1915 he was a member of
Charlie Chaplin's stock company at
Essanay Studios. From there he moved to the
Hal Roach studio, playing hot-tempered comic foils for
Harold Lloyd,
Snub Pollard, and
Stan Laurel. In the 1920s, he joined
Universal Pictures' short-comedy contingent, and later worked in
Mack Sennett comedies.
In his earliest films, Jamison looked too young to be totally convincing in heavy makeup as a veteran policeman, detective, or authority figure. As the years progressed, he grew into these roles, and by the time sound films arrived he was well established as a reliable character comedian.
Jamison had a superb tenor singing voice, and loved to sing when not filming. Sound movies gave producers a chance to exploit his singing, and for the rest of his career he would occasionally be called upon to vocalize in films. A brief series of color travelogues filmed in 1930, featured Jamison and comic
Jimmie Adams as "The Rolling Stones", two singing vagabonds seeing the country. Jamison would be hired just for his singing, as in Pot o' Gold where he plays a vagrant who harmonizes in jail.
Jamison acted at Columbia Pictures in their short subjects, primarily with the Three Stooges. He appeared in 38 Stooge entries over 10 years, including their debut, Woman Haters (1934). Jamison was a comic foil for the team. He also sings "You'll Never Know Just What Tears Are" in the Three Stooges film A Ducking They Did Go (1939). Stooge leader
Moe Howard (who referred to Jamison as "Buddy Jamison") recalled singing barbershop harmony with Charley Chase, actor
Vernon Dent, and Jamison many times on movie sets.[2] His last episode appearance with the Three Stooges was in Crash Goes the Hash (1944) as the
majordomo, Lord Flint.
Death
There are conflicting reports regarding Jamison's cause of death.[2] He died on September 30, 1944, at age 50, one day after completing work on the film Nob Hill.[2] Some sources indicate that Jamison developed a blood infection or
kidney cancer and because he was a devout
Christian Scientist, refused blood transfusions that resulted in his death.[2] However, several surviving family members have stated that Jamison had been suffering from
phlebitis in his leg during the final week of filming Nob Hill and refused to seek medical help due to his "
the show must go on" mentality (v. his religion).[2] Jamison's family was told that the phlebitis caused a blood clot which traveled to his lung and caused his death.[2]