Snitz Edwards: A Friendly Face Quiz

Answer: Budapest

Edward Neumann was the man behind the stage name of Snitz Edwards and he was born in Budapest in the mid-to-late 1860s, a time which coincided with the birth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867 - 1918). As the 20th century approached, Edwards decided to leave his Neumann identity behind and embrace a new life in the United States, a decision which brought him great happiness, prosperity (at times) and renown.

Answer: Little Red Riding Hood

Not a great deal is known about this particular production of 'Little Red Riding Hood' which began its relatively short run of twenty-four performances in January 1900. The little nugget of information I could find came from an excellent publication, by author Richard Norton, called 'American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle'. In his chronicles, he compared 'Little Red Riding Hood' unfavourably with another production that was running at the time called 'Chris and the Wonderful Lamp'; Norton writes, "A second children's extravaganza, 'Little Red Riding Hood' (8 January 1900, Casino), was imported from London. It lacked the appeal of 'Chris and the Wonderful Lamp' and was withdrawn after twenty-four showings". Even if it did lack appeal, it was very much a foot in the Broadway door for Snitz Edwards, and he would never look back.

'Chris and the Wonderful Lamp' told of the escapades of a guy named Chris after he purchases Aladdin's lamp. As for the plot of this particular version of 'Little Red Riding Hood', not much is known except that it appears to merge many different fairy tales into one story, with Snitz Edwards playing Johnny Stout and Ethel Jackson as the titular character. I wonder if this is an early example of the concept that brought 'Shrek' great success?

Answer: The Silver Slipper

Building on his performances in plays such as 'Little Red Riding Hood' (1900) and 'A Royal Rival' (1901), Edwards took on the role of Sir Victor Shallamar in 'The Silver Slipper' (1902-1903, New York). This play, which is now almost forgotten, tells the story of Venus who loses her silver slipper. She descends from the heavens to search for it on Earth, the slipper finding its way to the hands of Sir Victor Shallamar.

An article in the 'St John Daily Sun' from 1904 (it seems as though a performance of the play was put on at a venue in New Brunswick, Canada) said of 'The Silver Slipper', "to say that everybody was pleased or even delighted would not convey the correct idea of the reception it was accorded. At times the whole house went fairly wild with applause, and the funny man, Snitz Edwards, the prince of his kind, kept the audience in roars of laughter while he was before them. Nothing more than the merest attempt is made at a story or plot." From this article it is clear that the audience very much enjoyed the play, despite there being little in the way of plot; indeed, the article was titled ''Silver Slipper' - The Biggest and Best Show for Many a Day'. What is also clear is that by 1904, Snitz Edwards was stealing the column inches in reviews and for all the right reasons!

Answer: Panama

Snitz Edwards was a keen linguist who spoke many languages fluently, according to his granddaughter, Laurel Humphreys Thurston; those languages included Hungarian, English, German and Spanish. Fluency in Spanish would have been invaluable to Snitz Edwards, and other members of a touring group who were let down by their group manager, in his attempt to get back to the USA from Panama.

The troop made their way to California by catching a ride on a ship.

Answer: Short

The short stature of Snitz Edwards (he was exactly five foot) made him perfect for many comic relief roles, especially so given his characteristically friendly, open facial expressions. The first film he ever featured in was 'The Fixer' (1915) and through accumulated exposure in this film, and others such as 'The Politicians' (1915) and 'The Price She Paid' (1917), Edwards started to become reasonably well known in Hollywood circles (though very far from a superstar).

His physical characteristics were particularly apt for Buster Keaton films and the two collaborated on three films in the 1920s.

Answer: The Mark of Zorro

'The Mark of Zorro' brought the literary character of Don Diego Vega (or Zorro) to the screen for the first time. Douglas Fairbanks played the role in a way that really emphasised the difference in character between Don Diego Vega and the alter-ego, Zorro. Zorro stood up for those vulnerable to corruption and the first twenty minutes of the film almost exclusively take place at an inn.

The humble owner of this joint was played by Snitz Edwards, and his physical abilities really shine. Though comedic at times, he gets across the message that the villagers are totally downtrodden and afraid of the establishment.

Answer: The Thief of Bagdad

Four years after Edwards and Fairbanks performed together in 'The Mark of Zorro', they appeared together once more in the 1924 production of 'The Thief of Bagdad'. In the film, Douglas Fairbanks plays Ahmed, a thief who is local to the city of Bagdad (or Baghdad as it is more commonly spelled). He plots to abduct a local princess and the opening parts of the film feature him in discussion with his associate (Snitz Edwards) about how such a scheme has taken place before.

In 1940, a remake of 'The Thief of Bagdad' was made; the titles of the two versions are identical but the plots do differ here and there.

Answer: The Phantom of the Opera

The 1925 version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' exists in many different forms as it has been edited many times since it was originally released. No matter what version you see, the general plot remains largely the same; Lon Chaney plays the part of The Phantom, with iconic make up effects, who causes havoc at a Parisian opera house.

He takes a dislike to the incumbent star there and thus schemes and plots until he gets his preferred performer, Christine, in the spotlight. The reveal of The Phantom's face is a classic moment and sticks in the memory. Snitz Edwards plays Florine Papillon, a character who provides comic relief. Papillon was one of the team that worked backstage and is filmed reacting in various ways to shadows that he believes to be The Phantom wandering around the corridors of Paris Opera House.

Answer: Arthritis

The fact he was suffering with arthritis around the late 1920s to early 1930s is especially disappointing for fans of this great character actor, given that it was in this period that "talkies" started to take off. Having to take life a bit easier, his condition made him less prolific and we likely saw less of him in "talkies" as a consequence of this. That said, many people failed to make the transition from silence to dialogue and perhaps this would have turned out to be the case for Snitz Edwards.

Answer: Los Angeles

Snitz Edwards' film career had come to an end in 1931 with a credited appearance in 'Sit Tight' and an uncredited appearance in 'The Public Enemy' (starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow). Six years later, Snitz Edwards died of natural causes in the city in which he had earned his fame, Los Angeles. He left behind a wife and three daughters, most of whom earned a living in the film industry one way or another.

Snitz Edwards may not be particularly well known in the modern age but he was a renowned character actor in his day; if you are a fan of silent films, particularly the films of Buster Keaton, you are likely to have seen Edwards in action, his comic relief a joy to watch.