BROIDA Family (Click for Family Tree)

Our beloved Max Broida, AKA Buster Brodie (1886-1948), should never surprise me- but somehow he always does. So it seems he is still entertaining people…

This was an exciting find- we had found no World War I or II draft cards for Max despite searching for years. The sudden appearance of this card was actually more than surprising– astoundingly, somehow we have had his name wrong all these years??? His real first name was… “Maurice”???

No, we have never seen that on a census, voter’s list, in a movie set of credits or database. No family records known to us show his name as anything other than ‘Max Broida’ or ‘Buster Brodie.’ No portrait has that name on the back, even the lovely portrait he shopped around to studios that had all his details written on the back, by Max/Buster himself.

We know this is “our” Max/Buster because the handwriting matches and he listed Joseph J. Broida in Pittsburgh as the person who would always know his address. Joseph was the oldest of the seven Broida brothers, and the address Max gave for him matches up with Joseph’s own WW II draft card for 1942 and the 1940 census. The home address Max gave, 5640 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood, California, is a known residence for him. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was listed as his birthplace- check- and his birthdate as Oct 11, 1885. Oops- 1886 is the year listed in most of his records, and there was no advantage re: the draft for him to make himself a year older. (If you are noticing the math doesn’t work, good math skills, but Max- er, Maurice, er, Buster- registered in April of 1942, so had not yet had his October birthday when he would turn 57.)

On the back of the draft card his height was listed as 4′ 9½” and weight 122 lbs.- “our” Max was a small person, with his height 4′ 10″ and weight 107 lbs on the back of his studio portrait, when he was much younger. The box for “Bald” was checked, and that fit our Max perfectly, since he often billed himself as, “The Hairless Man.”

The Registrar of the local draft board in Los Angeles, California would have been there as Max completed the card, and there were penalties for falsifying information, so it seems that Max- er, Maurice, er, Buster- would have filled the card out truthfully.

Even without all this cross-checking, it so obviously has to be “our” guy- at the very top of the card, Max- er, Maurice, er, Buster- added, “Known as Buster Brodie.”

He also listed his mailing address as being the same as his residence, but then added “Buster Brodie (for mail).”

We have one last section that confirms it all:

This confirmation of occupation, plus he also signed his name as “M Max Broida” in addition to Buster Brodie.

And then, not one to stop researching, a look at the Social Security record for Max- er, Maurice, er, Buster- noted his birth year as 1885. So it is more likely that year was correct as compared to census information, etc.

And then another surprise. Under the Social Security Applications and Claims Index on Ancestry.com, the transcribed notes (no original images) stated that in Jan 1937, his name was listed as Buster Brodie- and also, Maurice Max Broida.

Well, this skeptic is sold- nice to meet you, Maurice Max Broida, AKA Buster Brodie. I am off to review yet again those censuses and voter registrations that listed a “Max M. Brodie” [middle initial possibly for Maurice?] living in Los Angeles. We have not found other persons in the census in that area that could be Maurice-Max-Buster, so have wondered for years whether that salesman job was the pay-the-rent persona of Maurice/Max/Buster. Stay tuned!

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Various draft cards, censuses, city directories, etc., found at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, etc. See previous posts on Max Broida for more details.

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Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

BROIDA Family (Click for Family Tree)

Regular readers will note that this is yet another post about Max Broida, who used the stage name “Buster Brodie” for his work in vaudeville and the movies.

Max has been interesting to research- from a character that some family members were not even sure existed, we have learned that he ran away as a teen (or maybe younger) to join the circus. He likely learned the ropes and jokes as a clown there, and honed those skills and his comedy timing when he moved on to vaudeville. Next were silent movies and then the ‘talkies.’ Always a bit player and never truly the star, we have been surprised that Max has lived on in so many hearts. We have heard from movie historians and people who bought his picture at an antique store just because they liked it, and then they sent it on to the family via this blog. Max is included in books and images sold through ebay, etc.- he is an important part of the cult following of the 1932 film, “Island of the Lost Souls.” And we know he is one of the Flying Monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz” though it is hard to tell which, so his work remains as well.

At only 4’9-1/2″ and ~120 lbs. himself, Buster would not have been as intimidating to little kids- he was not too far from kid-sized! He probably had little trouble being the last squeezed into the clown car!

We don’t know if Max ever had a wife or children, so the above image is especially sweet.

To read more details about Max, click here.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. A current as-of-this-post listing of Max Broida/Buster Brodie articles. Please use the search box in the future to see any added. — https://heritageramblings.net/?s=buster+brodie. 

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Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Tuesday’s Tip:

Look at data- and images- in context.

Look at data- and images- in sequence.

And look again.

We have had the pictures in this post for many years, and the new image we found on eBay of Max Broida makes a total of five (if you don’t count his film images). It wasn’t until after writing the Sunday post, however, and looking at the other four images we have of Max, that a new thought presented itself. So make sure you revisit old data and pictures periodically, since you have new information (hopefully) that will help you understand more about an ancestor.

We know that the picture posted Sunday of Max was most likely taken around 1924, because that is when he lived at 1020 W. Pico St. in Los Angeles per the City Directory, and that is the same as what he wrote on the back of the picture. Max/Buster signed himself as, “The Hairless Man”- had he performed in the circus under that guise? In vaudeville? He certainly had many Hollywood roles where his bald pate featured prominently.

Well, then what do you think of the two images in this post? Although they have been posted before, it didn’t click until now that Max had hair in these images. Max apparently was not born without hair, unless they had purchased a wig for him as a boy in the above picture.

Max was born in 1885 or 1886, so was about 30-31 when his brother Dave got married. Again, unless that was a wig in the above picture, he had hair- receding quickly for a young man, but nevertheless, he had hair.

What was Max doing and where was he living in 1916, when the wedding picture was taken? We have found a ‘Max. M. Brodie’ in Los Angeles, age 30, noted as a salesman and  Republican on the Voter’s Rolls. He was living at 651 W. 42nd Place. Is this ‘our’ Max? We posted previously about this mystery and still cannot determine if these are two different men or just one with an alter ego, or in the process of becoming an actor. Having the same address on his publicity photo as what we expect might be a different man is now quite puzzling.

Will Max’s slightly-more-than-Mona-Lisa-smile in 1924 give us more of a clue?

Here’s Max on 25 July 1930:

Sure hope there are some California family members out there who can give us a bit more insight into the life of Max Broida and/or Buster Brodie.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Use our search box to find other posts about Max Broida/ Buster Brodie.
2. Photos from the Family Treasure Chest.

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Sometimes, one falls in love with an ancestor.

Probably, only die-hard family historians truly understand this statement.

But it happens.

For me, Max Broida is one of those ancestors.

It started out as one of those quiet relationships. A casual acquaintance, when as a newly married-in, I asked about the family history.

The picture of “The Seven Brothers” was brought out, and there sat John Broida, the patriarch, surrounded by his dashing seven adult sons. They all looked so handsome in their suits, all of them tailored to a “T” since so many of them were in the men’s fine clothing business. They were serious looking- Max too. But his professional demeanor totally belied what I would learn many years later.

Gertrude (Broida) Cooper, the daughter of one of those dashing sons (Philip Edwin Broida), could name all her uncles, and tell about their family life: wives, children, grandchildren, where they lived, and even businesses. She had an astonishing memory, and attention to detail. She too always looked ‘dashing’- if that word can be used for a woman- as she also was in the clothing business, but fine women’s clothes. She always dressed up and put on her makeup and her heels; she colored her hair a bright red until her very later years, when she softened the color but she would always be a beloved carrothead to me.

Gertrude did not know much about her Uncle Max. She told us that he had worked in movies in Hollywood using the name Buster Brodie, and that he was completely hairless- did not even have eyebrows. She didn’t know the names of any films he was in. He was very short, but so were the majority of the family, being Eastern European. He did not marry. That was about all to the story.

Other family members did not know much about Max either- some even thought that their ‘movie star’ relative was a figment of their father’s imagination! (You doubting children know who you are.)

As a good family historian, of course it is important to document collateral relatives, plus sometimes you can find more information about your direct line. So I delved into the history of each of the seven brothers and their families. And when I got to Max, it happened.

Not much came up in the Google search years ago, but that made him more intriguing, a bit mysterious. Of course, that also made him a challenge- you know, hard to get. Others might have backed down, but not me- Max became more attractive, and it became hard to stop running after him. (Yes, my husband does know…)

It was probably about 2 or 3am one research session when I realized what had happened. I was putting together a filmography for Max, and began watching clips or even whole movies where he might have had just a bit part. He was little and cute. He was enthusiastic. He played silly roles with a completely straight face. He had a funny little voice. Sometimes he seemed an underdog. But he was mesmerizing to me. I couldn’t stop watching. It seemed like he wanted his audience to laugh and be happy, and that was happening to me.

I was addicted. I had to know more about him. The passion ramped up.

So I wrote posts, and the blog became cousin bait. Well, actually we didn’t find cousins, but people who had pictures of Max, knowledge of Max, and interest in Max found us. (Putting a portrait on Max’s Find A Grave memorial helped too.) These folks so kindly shared! I felt like we were breathing life back into Max.

I did more research, and wrote more, and was so pleased to hear back from cousins that they were excited to learn that Max was REAL! They were amazed to learn that he had run away to be in the circus as a young boy or man, and did vaudeville after he tried working in business with family. Apparently a settled family business life just didn’t work for him, so he headed west, to Hollywood. The movie studios were becoming a big business in the 1920s, and talkies appeared; Max wanted to be a part of it all. With a bald head, he probably was happy to get to sunny SoCal and leave the miserable Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania winters behind.

Max never had big parts, usually not even big movies. One of his two most memorable movies is the “Wizard of Oz,” where he was a Flying Monkey, so we can’t even tell which one was Max. He also was in what is still a cult movie, Paramount’s 1932 film, “Island of the Lost Souls.” He had an amazing makeup job in that film so again, as ‘The Pig Man,’ Max Broida would be unrecognizable. Part of the reason the film is still popular is because it was the first to use sophisticated ‘monster’ makeup. It is also macabre, and even friends who like scary movies say it was creepy and scary. I could never get through it. In fact, the above portrait found on eBay had another offered by the same seller showing “The Pig Man” in makeup but in a regular shirt. That picture sold as well (but not to me), as did a number of other stills from the movie.

I was really excited to see this delightful portrait show up in my automatic eBay searches, since we really don’t have any decent images of Max as an adult other than the “Seven Brothers” picture. The seller had a ridiculous price on it, but all week Max let me know I needed to procure this for the family.  I was just compelled… and I won it.

I was so thrilled to get the picture, and turn it over. The eBay listing had not included an image of the back, nor even mentioned that there was anything on the reverse. (I hadn’t wanted to ask questions and risk others deciding to bid.) I felt like I had won the lottery! I had Max in my house, and with all the info on the back, I knew a whole lot more about him.

This was likely a publicity photo that Max shopped around, trying to get even bit parts. The handsome man in the picture with the slight smile completely hides the zaniness he could exhibit in some of his acting roles, such as in,”Groovy Movie.” To think of him as Buster Brown (advertising shoes), or a circus clown… well, I just can’t call him ‘Buster’ even though that is how he reported himself to census takers. And I don’t want to think of him as “Pigman” at all.

So thanks, Max, for being a crazy family historian’s passion for a while now, and for surprising me with a treasure every now and then. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, wherever you are. xoxoxo

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Thanks to Steve Cox, who wrote, The Munchkins Remember, EP Dutton, 1988, and documented that Max was a Flying Monkey in “The Wizard of Oz.” Steve also shared what he knew about Max and ‘the little people.’
2. Thanks also to Frank Reighter and his compadres at the Three Stooges Fan Club, who provided some obits and Max’s death certificate.

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Rereading the obituary of Buster Broida/ Max Broida, it is sad to think that he ended up mostly alone, selling pari-mutuel tickets at the racetrack in between acting jobs, just to pay the bills. There was a brighter side of Hollywood, however, and Max likely saw some of that in the movies as he worked to make them. (Can you imagine being on the set of “The Wizard of Oz”?) Most of our other ancestors of the 20th century- those who went to the movies- saw this bright side too, and it definitely helped them get through the challenging years of the Depression and World War II. Mary Helbling McMurray talked of going to the movies with her girlfriends after work, and they loved these types of films.

What would these folks think of today’s music? There are now so many musical genres that they couldn’t have even imagined, with our electronic instruments, a looser moral code, and ‘unique’ combinations. (Christian gangsta rap???) Much of their music was considered risqué or not appropriate for refined young ladies and gentlemen in their time, too.

We also need to consider the context of their times- it was ‘shocking’ back then to see Shirley Temple dancing with a black servant, though made more ‘okay’ since she was a little girl and the darling of America. Glad that most of us are past that today. (Can’t believe it had to be ‘most of us’ instead of just the all-inclusive, “we.”)

Here is an earlier version featuring Fred Astaire, not a mix of many films:

I’ll bet Buster Brodie could ‘cut a rug.’ Take a look at how much rhythm he has in “Groovy Movie” as they dance the jitterbug. (Buster is the piano player.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbaNYWkQYYA

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Slate article- http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2015/11/mashup_of_uptown_funk_and_hollywood_golden_era_movie_dancing_video.html
2. 66 Old Movie Dance Scenes- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE
3.  Fred Astaire with “Uptown Funk.”- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb3VTnuuuRI
4. “Groovy Movie”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbaNYWkQYYA

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.