Kalla Pasha

Kalla Pasha (March 5, 1879 – June 10, 1933) was an American professional wrestler, vaudeville comedian, and film actor active during the silent era.

Biography

Kalla Pasha was the stage name of Joseph T. Rickard, a native of Detroit. He was the professional wrestler Hamid Kalla Pasha, whom the press called "The Crazy Turk" before performing on vaudeville and appearing in 74 films between 1919 and 1931. Rickard's success with Mack Sennett enabled him to be a free-spender, claiming later he would often go about town with a 150 thousand dollars strapped around his waist. The money did not last though, and not long afterward he was arrested for striking a man over the head with a milk bottle during a dust-up involving five cents. As a result, Rickard was sent to Mendocino State Hospital for psychiatric care, where he would die a little over a year later from heart disease.

Selected filmography