The Hall Room Boys
Research is still continuing on this series of two-reel silent comedies based on H. A. MacGill's 1904 newspaper comic The Hall Room Boys, which followed the humorous adventures of Percy and Ferdie. Within a year of it's debut in the papers, the characters of Percy and Ferdie began turning up in vaudeville sketches and, a few years later, a film version based on the strip was produced.
In 1919, Bill Parsons obtained the film rights to the comic and made the first 10 or so Hall Room Boys comedies. When Parsons died, Jack and Harry Cohn took over the series, which would last until 1923. During that time, the series went through quite a combination of actors portraying the characters of Percy and Ferdie:
Neely Edwards and Edward Flanagan
Sid Smith and Jimmie Adams
Zip Monberg and Al Alt
Sid Smith and Harry McCoy
Sid Smith and George Williams
Harry McCoy and Hugh Fay
Sid Smith and Neely Edwards
Sid Smith and Zip Monberg
To make things even more confusing, complete prints of the series are almost non-existent. The handful of titles available are edited down to one-reelers that were made for the 9.5mm home-movie market. Adding a little more confusion to this is the fact that many of these abridged prints had new titles, and the lead characters are renamed.
Although they are not officially recognized as Columbia shorts, this series (along with the early SCREEN SNAPSHOTS titles) helped pave the way for what Columbia Pictures would become.
The series is listed here for that historical purpose.
They Do It On $8 Per (9/22/1919)
Almost Heroes (10/6/1919)
A Howling Success (11/3/1919)
Pretty Soft (11/17/1919)
The Chicken Hunters (12/2/1919) Neely Edwards, Sidney Smith, Gilbert Pratt
Taming The West (12/9/1919) Edward Flanagan & Neely Edwards. Released on 9.5mm as COWBOY COMEDY
The Millionaire Paupers (12/29/1919)
Wrong Again (1/12/1920)
Oh Baby! (1/23/1920)
Neck And Neck (1/26/1920)
Passing The Buck (2/9/1920)
Can You Beat It (2/23/1920)
Breaking Into Society (3/8/1920)
Four Of A Kind (5/13/1920)
Tit For Tat (5/27/1920)
Misfortune Hunters (6/10/1920)
Back On The Farm (6/24/1920)
Tell Us Ouija! (9/23/1920)
Wild Wild Women (9/1920)
Stung Again (9/1920)
Movie Madness (10/10/1920)
Clever Cubs (10/19/1920) Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
Some Champs (10/1920) Harry Williams
Hired And Fired (11/5/1920) D: Harry Williams. Harry McCoy, Hugh Fay, Polly Moran, Max Asher & Lillian Hackett
All Balled Up (11/1920) D: Harry Williams. Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
A Close Shave (12/1/1920) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
This Is the Life (12/1920) Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
A Doggone Mix-Up (1/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
In Again Out Again (2/1921) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
High & Dry (2/1921) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
Tough Luck (3/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
False Roomers (3/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Their Dizzy Finish (4/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith
In Bad Again (4/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Circus Heroes (5/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
A Chili Romance (5/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
We Should Worry (6/5/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
Friday The 13th (6/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
After The Dough (7/5/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
We'll Get You Yet (7/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
Two Faces West (8/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Meet The Wife (9/2/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Put And Take (9/7/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Beach Nuts (9/15/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
Stars And Stripes (10/11/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
Start Something (10/20/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
At Your Service (11/9/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Matinee Idols (11/22/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Taking Chances (12/2/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Neely Edwards
Step On It (12/9/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith
Nobody's Baby (1/6/1922) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams. The boys set out to collect a reward after a baby is kidnapped. Released on 9.5mm as JAMES AND GEORGE THE KIDNAPPERS
From Soup To Nuts (1/23/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Game Birds (2/2/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Better Late Than Never (2/9/1922) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Beware Of Blondes (2/15/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
The Dentist (3/24/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams, George Belmont.
Breaking Into Jail (4/6/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
No Money To Guide Him (5/25/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Still Going Strong (9/1/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The New Mama (9/21/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
A Tailor-Made Chauffeur (10/5/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The Spirit Of '23 (10/19/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
All At Sea (11/9/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The Dumb Waiters (11/18/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
High Flyers (12/6/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
My Mistake (12/13/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Bridle Grooms (1/1/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
West Is East (1/15/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Holy Smoke (1/1/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Full O' Pep (2/15/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Day By Day In The Usual Way (3/5/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Oh Ma The Rent Taker (3/21/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Only a Husband (4/9/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith
Tin Knights In A Hallroom (4/23/1923) D: Alfred Santell
Ham And Yeggs (5/18/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Monkeying Around (6/4/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Al Alt & Zip Monberg
Seaside Simps (7/16/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
In 1919, Bill Parsons obtained the film rights to the comic and made the first 10 or so Hall Room Boys comedies. When Parsons died, Jack and Harry Cohn took over the series, which would last until 1923. During that time, the series went through quite a combination of actors portraying the characters of Percy and Ferdie:
Neely Edwards and Edward Flanagan
Sid Smith and Jimmie Adams
Zip Monberg and Al Alt
Sid Smith and Harry McCoy
Sid Smith and George Williams
Harry McCoy and Hugh Fay
Sid Smith and Neely Edwards
Sid Smith and Zip Monberg
To make things even more confusing, complete prints of the series are almost non-existent. The handful of titles available are edited down to one-reelers that were made for the 9.5mm home-movie market. Adding a little more confusion to this is the fact that many of these abridged prints had new titles, and the lead characters are renamed.
Although they are not officially recognized as Columbia shorts, this series (along with the early SCREEN SNAPSHOTS titles) helped pave the way for what Columbia Pictures would become.
The series is listed here for that historical purpose.
They Do It On $8 Per (9/22/1919)
Almost Heroes (10/6/1919)
A Howling Success (11/3/1919)
Pretty Soft (11/17/1919)
The Chicken Hunters (12/2/1919) Neely Edwards, Sidney Smith, Gilbert Pratt
Taming The West (12/9/1919) Edward Flanagan & Neely Edwards. Released on 9.5mm as COWBOY COMEDY
The Millionaire Paupers (12/29/1919)
Wrong Again (1/12/1920)
Oh Baby! (1/23/1920)
Neck And Neck (1/26/1920)
Passing The Buck (2/9/1920)
Can You Beat It (2/23/1920)
Breaking Into Society (3/8/1920)
Four Of A Kind (5/13/1920)
Tit For Tat (5/27/1920)
Misfortune Hunters (6/10/1920)
Back On The Farm (6/24/1920)
Tell Us Ouija! (9/23/1920)
Wild Wild Women (9/1920)
Stung Again (9/1920)
Movie Madness (10/10/1920)
Clever Cubs (10/19/1920) Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
Some Champs (10/1920) Harry Williams
Hired And Fired (11/5/1920) D: Harry Williams. Harry McCoy, Hugh Fay, Polly Moran, Max Asher & Lillian Hackett
All Balled Up (11/1920) D: Harry Williams. Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
A Close Shave (12/1/1920) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
This Is the Life (12/1920) Harry McCoy & Hugh Fay
A Doggone Mix-Up (1/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
In Again Out Again (2/1921) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
High & Dry (2/1921) D: Gilbert Pratt. Sidney Smith
Tough Luck (3/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
False Roomers (3/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Their Dizzy Finish (4/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith
In Bad Again (4/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Circus Heroes (5/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
A Chili Romance (5/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
We Should Worry (6/5/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
Friday The 13th (6/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
After The Dough (7/5/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
We'll Get You Yet (7/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith
Two Faces West (8/1921) D: James D. Davis. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Meet The Wife (9/2/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Put And Take (9/7/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Beach Nuts (9/15/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
Stars And Stripes (10/11/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith
Start Something (10/20/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
At Your Service (11/9/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Harry McCoy
Matinee Idols (11/22/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Taking Chances (12/2/1921) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Neely Edwards
Step On It (12/9/1921) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith
Nobody's Baby (1/6/1922) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams. The boys set out to collect a reward after a baby is kidnapped. Released on 9.5mm as JAMES AND GEORGE THE KIDNAPPERS
From Soup To Nuts (1/23/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Game Birds (2/2/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Better Late Than Never (2/9/1922) D: Herman C. Raymaker. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Beware Of Blondes (2/15/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
The Dentist (3/24/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams, George Belmont.
Breaking Into Jail (4/6/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
No Money To Guide Him (5/25/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & Jimmie Adams
Still Going Strong (9/1/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The New Mama (9/21/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
A Tailor-Made Chauffeur (10/5/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The Spirit Of '23 (10/19/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
All At Sea (11/9/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
The Dumb Waiters (11/18/1922) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
High Flyers (12/6/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
My Mistake (12/13/1922) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Bridle Grooms (1/1/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
West Is East (1/15/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Holy Smoke (1/1/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Full O' Pep (2/15/1923) D: Noel M. Smith. Sidney Smith & George Williams
Day By Day In The Usual Way (3/5/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Oh Ma The Rent Taker (3/21/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Only a Husband (4/9/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Sidney Smith
Tin Knights In A Hallroom (4/23/1923) D: Alfred Santell
Ham And Yeggs (5/18/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
Monkeying Around (6/4/1923) D: Alfred Santell. Al Alt & Zip Monberg
Seaside Simps (7/16/1923) D: Harry Edwards. Sidney Smith
