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by Bill Erwin EDDIE THE KOP CAT AND MOUSE WITH CHICK — Eddie Le Veque (arrow) explains a point of Keystone Blackstone (that's the law, M'am) to an attractive chick who sits gracefully on the knee of the late great Buster Keaton. This poignant scene is being played at the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park. The mustachio'd worthy shown at Buster Keaton's left is Charlie Biltz, also one of the original Keystone Kops. Qotta question about Hollywood? If you have, don’t put it to the IBM machine - ask Eddie Le Veque, one of the industry’s most beloved per¬ sonalities, a senior citizen on the Hollywood scene. If your question deals with the Mac Sennett era, Eddie is your or¬ acle-he is the only member of the original Keystone Kops still actively performing. Born in El Paso, Texas, he spent a boyhood crammed with more adven¬ ture than most men know in a life¬ time. Still in knee pants, he toured with a marionette show operated by his maternal grand uncle, Rito Ar- mendariz, one of the comedy and pantomime greats of the Spanish theatre. While still in his teens, he served Pancho Villa as interpreter. From Mexico, it was a short jump to Hollywood and a joinup with the Keystone constabulary. This was in 1915, when Mac Sennett first intro¬ duced the frenetic force. “On the Sennett lot,” Eddie remin¬ isces, “we did everything from play¬ ing parts and handling our own props to assisting the cameraman and doing stunts-all for $3 a day, or $5 if we furnished our own tux and Prince Edward.” Eddie is, naturally, a Keystone purist. He points out that the Kop known today is not identical to the Kop as originally conceived. “About 1920,” he says, “Mac Sen¬ nett and other studios began to streamline the Keystone Kops. Whereas before our uniforms fitted us sloppily —big uniforms on skinny guys, tight uniforms on fat guys - after 1920 the uniforms were mod¬ ernized. The old bowler was re¬ placed by the military cap. “Furthermore, the Kops ceased to be the jumping jack maniacs who raced through the streets leaving wreckage in their wake. The comedy became centered upon one or two or three leading comics, with the Kops playing straights for the com¬ ic. And so they disappeared.” Commenting upon the modern scene, Eddie says, “Method acting goes back to the 17th century in Spain, originating with El Gran Neron, The Gypsy, who preached naturalism with feeling and under¬ standing of your character,” and again, “Mac Sennett developed, not intentionally, what today we call ‘cameo bits.’ A star comic would play the lead in one film, and a bit in another.” Speaking of the Keystone Kops, E ddie had these remarks: “The idea of the Kops started somewhat by accident in late 1914. Most of the comedies then revolved around rural life - the farmer’s daughter, the sheriff, haystacks and pitch forks. The Kops didn’t wear uniforms, only.the bowler hat and the sheriffs star. They carried a stick and stuck their pants cuffs in their boot tops. As soon as the Key- Continued on Page 20 6