On Sunday's visit to the Antique Market, I picked up the above copy of "Oh Helen!" with Roscoe Arbuckle on the cover. In the early 20th century, appearing on countless sheet music covers was a true testament to a movie star's popularity. However, I've only been able to find two featuring Arbuckle; the one above, and "Sipping Cider Through A Straw,", both published by Jos. L. Stein. Only finding two songsheets online does not mean others didn't exist. Nowadays, a Hollywood scandal boosts your career. The Hollywood of the 1920's was a different place, and after the scandal surrounding the death of actress Virginia Rappe erupted, Arbuckle, later acquitted of any wrongdoing, was blacklisted. He later directed films under the pseudonym William Gooderich, and in the late 20's, he directed and starred in six Vitaphone shorts. The Archive hosts a few of Arbuckle's short films, my favorite being The Butcher Boy, made in 1917 while at Paramount. It also features Buster Keaton's first appearance.

As for the song itself, "Oh Helen!" was first published in 1915, at a time when songs featuring stuttering characters was a popular fad. Not much is known about the songwriters, but Parlor Songs offers a quick writeup about the song, including a midi recording. It also appears to have been recorded by Sophie Tucker, and by Arthur Fields & Chorus in 1919.