Lester Chelini

born: 27 August 1902 San Francisco, California, United States of America

died: 22 January 1944 San Francisco, California, United States of America (age 41)

American actor and writer. He was known as "the writing extra" because of his articles and columns on moviemaking; he had a recurring column in the Venice Evening Vanguard and the Hollywood Filmograph (ran by Harry Burns) during the late 1920s and early 1930s. His 1923 marriage certificate gives his occupation as a professional dancer. He later served as secretary to Jackie Cooper. His California Death Index entry and his headstone both give his birth year as 1903; in the absence of a birth record, a look at earlier records (such as the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Censuses) and his World War II draft registration card point to 1902 being more likely.

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1927 Duck Soup Train passenger 1927 Forgetten Sweeties Bus passenger Acknowledgements: https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:MVGD-MRQ (1910 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:MHWT-FY4 (1920 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:QL4Y-4FX4 (1923 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:QL4P-LWM2 (1923 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:QL4P-YFGQ (1923 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:QL4P-DZL1 (1923 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:XCV7-VZ5 (1930 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:QGX1-3SK2 (WWII draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/a rk:/61903/1:1:VPQZ-D8P (CA Death Index) https://www.findagrave.com/mem orial/32318281 (Find a Grave) https://www.newspapers.com/sea rch/results/?date-end=1944&dat e-start=1902&keyword=%22lester +chelini%22&sort=paper-date- asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/new spage/996445379/ (San Francisco Bulletin, 16 Jul 1927) https://archive.org/details/ho llywoodfilmogr101holl/page/n35 7/mode/1up?q=chelini&view=thea ter (Hollywood Filmograph, 26 Apr 1930) https://www.newspapers.com/new spage/763390670/ (Evansville Press, 06 Aug 1941) https://www.newspapers.com/new spage/458949463/ (San Francisco Examiner, 24 Jan 1944) Lester Joseph Chelini, "Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents" (Ancestry.com) Lester Leslie Chelini, "Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents" (Ancestry.com) Robert Demoss (information) Jesse Brisson (bio notes and research; identification in Forgotten Sweeties, Duck Soup) This page was last updated on: 30 September 2025