AT CONEY ISLAND
by
Marilyn Slater
November 23, 2008
In Sptember 23, 1912, Keystone released a ˝ reel called “Cohen Collects a Debt” through Mutual. Mack Sennett directed it with Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling and Fred Mace as the cast. The story is rather simple, rival clothing dealers borrow money from Cohen. The other ˝ of the reel was “The Water Nymph” also directed by Mack Sennett, the cast consists of Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling, Alice Davenport and Mack Sennett and the story “rival lovers vie for pretty swimmer”, well perhaps not rival lovers as one version released in 1944 the story seems to be; “Mack woos Mabel secretly in the park, when Mack decides to introduce Mabel to his parents”, Ford Sterling plays Mack’s father, as Mack’s family all go off to the 
beach where Mabel is and she gets to showoff a bit of her diving and body and Ford makes a play for her but just in time Mack 
and his mother arrive and he introduces Mabel as his “sweetheart.”.
The location used for this first Keystone complete reel of film was done in New York’s Central Park and Coney Island before they took the train to sunny California. However, in the surviving copy of “Water Nymph,” the background looks like it was done in Santa Monica.
The Cohen character was used in both vaudeville and burlesque theaters for years before films, as the stereotypical funny Jew, however, until recently only one of these 3 Keystone racial comedies was thought to have survived, there are now 2; 
one is called “Cohen Saves the Flag”. This is the one where Henry ‘Pathe’ Lehrman with Ford Sterling appear together using the sets at Tom Ince’ Inceville. The story? Lehrman is Lieutenant Goldberg & Ford Sterling is Sergeant Cohen, are rivals for the affection of Mabel Normand, they join the Union army during the Civil War and continue their personal confects. With one confusing fight after another ending with Cohen being condemned to be shot but Mabel rides to the rescue saving the flag and Cohen.
“Cohen at Coney Island” and “Cohen Collects a Debt” had both faded into obscurity as the caricatures of the funny Jews disappeared from the screen, until “At Coney Island” was found in Holland and shown in Italy. 
It was October 28, 1912, that Keystone sent another reel of film to Mutual ˝ the reel was “At Coney Island” (aka “Cohen at Coney Island”) the other release on the split reel was “The Grocery Clerk’s Romance”. These films again seem to have been shot before arriving in California.
“At Coney Island” (aka “Cohen at Coney Island”), with the split with “The Grocery Clerk’s Romance” was directed by Mack Sennett, cast: were Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling, and Gus Pixley. Steve Massa wrote a very nice introduction for Pordenone where this film was shown earlier this year. The names of the players in this film were 
familiar expect for one, Gus Pixley.
Gus Pixley didn’t accompany Mack and company to California, he had made a D. W. Griffith film with Mabel called “He Must Have a Wife” (Biograph1912)
The Nederland Filluseum in Amsterdam was again the source of “At Coney Island” (aka “Cohen at Coney Island”) Keystone1912. It was their copy that was shown with Dutch intertitles. All of us that are interested in Mabel Normand films have much to be thankful for to the archivist at the Nederland Filluseum; they are the source of the only known copy of the Goldwyn film “The Floor Below.” According to Steve Massa the footage of “At Coney Island” was in fact shot in New York as in the film; Mack, Mabel and Ford are at Coney Island. His description of the use of the Coney Island amusement park sounds very much like the 1915 use of the San Diego Exposition and San Francisco World’s Fair. Venice Beach, California is often described as the Coney Island of the west and Mack used it extensively in his comedies. Gus Pixley plays Mabel’s rejected 
suiter in “At Coney Island”
Gus Pixley is not someone I know much about but what I know is that his birth might have been in California around 1879, his half-sister was the famous stage actress, Annie Pixley. As early as 1885, Gus was in a minstrel troupe that toured the country. By the 1890s, he was in shows like “The Hired Girl”, “Gayest Manhattan” and “Dr. Cupid”.
Sadly, Annie Pixley died in England in 1895, she was just 35 and left her family provided for in her will. There was some theory held by Gus and Annie’s other family members that her death was almost too convenient as her husband who was in massive debt, which were taken care of by her death. There were lawsuits after lawsuits, Annie husband refused to give Gus any money. The Chicago Daily Tribune published a letter in which Gus wrote to his brother-in-law that he didn’t need the money and that he had earned his own living since he was 8 years old. In 1907, Gus claimed he was no relation to Annie, his talented sister.
Gus Pixley was touring with Mary Malatesta in 1910 in a comedy show called “The Comedian and the Girl.” Gus and Mary married. Mary Malatesta was from Englewood, Illinois in August 1884 and not only had a stage career but has over 100 to her credit between 1914 and 1921.
When Mack Sennett started to direct in New York he paired Dell Henderson with Gus Pixley in a number of films for D. W, Griffith. But Gus stayed with DWG when Mack went to California. Gus did in fact come to California to work in Fox Sunshine comedies The 1920 census lists Gus was living on Leland Way in Los Angeles. Gus died at Saranac Lake, New York June 2, 1923. Mary Malatesta was living in Chicago at the time of the 1930 census with her sister working as a dress store clerk.
There is information on the findings in Holland and the 2007 screenings of Mabel's films at http://looking-for-mabel.webs.com/floorbelow.htm
AT CONEY ISLAND
aka Cohen at Coney Island,
with split with “The Grocery Clerk’s Romance”
Released: Oct 28, 1912
