Pork pie hat the "man-about-town", but its resurgence in the United States in the 1920s is credited to the silent film actor Buster Keaton who wore them in many of his films. The hats from his films were ones the actor made himself by converting fedoras and other hats into pork pies, creating more than a thousand in his lifetime. This kind of pork pie had a very flat top and similar short flat brim. Arguably the heyday of the pork pie hat occurred during the Great Depression. In this incarnation, the pork pie regained its snap brim and increased slightly in height.
Tom O'Brien (actor, born 1890) Tom O'Brien (actor, born 1890) Tom O'Brien (July 25, 1890 - June 8, 1947) was an American silent and sound character actor known for his burly serio-comic roles. He worked in the comedy film "The Gentleman from America" (1923) as Johnny Day, which is about the humorous tale of two American buddies (O'Brien and Hoot Gibson) and they have numerous adventures in Spain. Tom O'Brien appeared in over 80 films in a 22 years of career. He was primarily cast as stocky "Irish types" in comic supporting roles. He also worked in "The Big Parade" (1925) as Corporal Bull O'Hara.