Hi,
This is up on the auction site.
AFA-452 VINTAGE PUBLISHED PHOTO- CHARLES LAMONT & BIG BOY
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AFA-452-VINTAGE-PUBLISHED-PHOTO-CHARLES-LAMONT-BIG-BOY-/310644191202?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item4853d62fe2 Many years ago I used to spend some time on Saturdays at the NY Library for the Performing Arts Research Collection, looking for theatrical images of crossdressing. It was there that I discovered Big Boy, the juvenile actor Malcolm Sebastian. He made a series of kid films as a small boy in the twenties during the silent era. One of them was "She's A Boy", which is where the auction photo originates. Unfortunately I've never been able to locate a print of the film although I saw on a blog that copies of it have survived. I was able to find an old newspaper Herald for the film at the library which I photocopied. I'll upload three pages from it but due to file size constrictions, and the quality of the original, it will be difficult to read.
This is a summary of the plot from the Herald.
Girl's Clothes Worn by "Big Boy" in New Film
Sooner or later, all screen comedians appear in feminine garb. But it remained for "Big Boy," the baby star who is only three years old, to doll up in a girl's raiment as the youngest female impersonator. He does just that in "She's A Boy", and with most laughable results.
"Big Boy" appears as disgusted as he probably was to have to wear a girl's dress in this Educational Comedy which is now playing at the ....... Theatre. The youngster, a war orphan, is adopted into the household of a wealthy man, who immediately insists that he get rid of his old army coat and other worn-out clothes. The only available piece of clothing is that belonging to the baby daughter of the family.
When "Big Boy" first appears in this outfit, the audience howls with glee. And when he and the young daughter start performing on the payer piano, the joy is unconfined.
I'll post the other two sheets in separate emails.
Andy G
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Topic: The Auction site (Read 29251 times)
