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Chaplin delivers a speech at a Russian War Relief rally in Chicago, Nov. 1942
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Charlie with his attorney, Nathan Burkan, & director Henry King, Del Monte, CA, August 1927
On August 15th, 1927, Charlie arrived in Del Monte from San Francisco where he had been in conference with his attorneys regarding his divorce from Lita Grey. The trial was set to open on the 22nd amid rumors of a settlement, which Charlie and his attorneys denied.
Charlie was briefly interviewed the day before in San Jose, where he stopped en route to Del Monte for a meal. He wouldn't answer any questions regarding his divorce, but did tell a funny story:
"We hailed a motorcycle officer in the city & asked him to direct us to a good restaurant," he said. "The officer took us to a place. I looked in and could see all the families eating their beans. Nice, democratic place I thought, but I didn't wish to spoil my jaded appetite. I looked around and we found the Hotel Sainte Claire sign and stopped here." (The News, August 15th, 1927)Due to the divorce case and tax problems, Charlie had spent the last seven months in New York City. On August 17th, he would leave Del Monte by car and finally return home to Los Angeles. On August 19th, the lawyers on both sides would decide upon a settlement and it would be the largest in U.S. history at that time. More on that to come...
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c.1950s
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Random Excerpt
From "Life With Charlie Chaplin" by David Raksin (Chaplin's musical assistant on Modern Times)
Quarterly Journal Of The Library Of Congress, Summer 1983:
2 I would love to hear the rest of this poem!
Quarterly Journal Of The Library Of Congress, Summer 1983:
I loved to egg Charlie on, to provoke him into an improvisation--which was not too hard to do. And I especially enjoyed his fluent way with the argot of London costermongers, in which certain words are made to substitute for others with which they rhyme.1 I was listening to Charlie kidding with Alf Reeves one morning, and he said, "Oh, I'm all right, by my Obson's is givin' me trouble. I musta got me daisies wet." Charlie liked to have me ask what all of that meant, but by then I had already learned from him that Obson's was cockney for Hobson's Choice (a play), and hence stood in for "voice." In the same way daisies stood for "daisy roots," and meant "foots." Another time he said to Mr. Reeves, "I can hardly keep the minces open." (For "mince pies" rhymes with "eyes.") And, "Can't wait till I get home and lay the barnet ["barnet fair" equals "hair"] on the titwillow ["pillow] and go bo-peep ["to sleep"]." He also had a favorite, very rude poem that began, "While sittin' one day by the Anna Maria ["fire"], a-toastin' me plates o' meat ["feet"], I 'eard a knock on the Rory O'Moore ["door"] which made me old raspberry beat ["raspberry tart" equals "heart"]." 2
On a more sober note--too sober, as it turned out--my old friend, Oscar Levant, who was a member of the circle with which I ran in my spare time, told me one day that Arnold Schoenberg, with whom he was studying, was eager to meet Chaplin. I spoke to Charlie at once, and it was arranged for Schoenberg to visit the studio a few days later. The great composer appeared with Mrs. Schoenberg for the meeting. I greeted them at the gate and took them into the projection room, where I introduced them to Charlie. In no time at all it was evident that the conversation which ensued was headed for a stalemate. Schoenberg, with his strong sense of his own eminence and his intellectual rigor, seemed baffled by the disparity between Chaplin's preeminent position as a film artist and his casual urbanity. It was disconcerting for Schoenberg to find that the cinematic genius he admired so much did not affect the serious demeanor which is in some cultures perquisite of greatness. And although Charlie was on his best gracious-host behavior, the feeling soon grew awkward and painful, and it was with a sense of relief that I saw the visit end....After the Schoenbergs left, Charlie said to me, "You were curiously chaste...?" I tried to explain that the irreverent schoolboy was, finally, somewhat awed, but gave up in embarrassment.
1 In Charlie Chaplin: The Forgotten Years, Geraldine Chaplin remembered how her father and Uncle Syd would speak in Cockney slang during Syd's visits to Vevey. "No one would understand them," she said.
L-R: CC, Mrs. Schoenberg, Arnold Schoenberg, David Raksin
2 I would love to hear the rest of this poem!
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Charlie on Elvis
Charlie was always aware of the public. While at the Manoir in 1954, a friend visited him and brought him a record of a new singer called Elvis Presley. Charlie hadn't heard of him. "This man has made a sensation in the States," his friend said. "I can't understand it. He wiggles his hips and sings and people go mad." "If he's made such an impact,"Charlie replied, "he must have something. You can't fool the public."(Jerry Epstein, Remembering Charlie)Elvis passed away 36 years ago today.
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Home movie footage of Charlie at the Hearst castle in San Simeon
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Follow me on Twitter
I created a Twitter page. I haven't quite figured out how it works yet, but I'll get the hang of it eventually. I hope to see some of you over there.
https://twitter.com/DiscoveringCC
https://twitter.com/DiscoveringCC
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Charlie with fellow music hall comedian, "Wee" Georgie Wood, c. 1924
From The Chaplin Encyclopedia by Glenn Mitchell:
Wood had been asked to visit Alf Reeves on behalf of one of the latter's in-laws and, on arrival, at the Chaplin Studio, was assured that Mr. Reeves 'would see anybody and anything from London.' Reeves duly appeared, whispering, 'Would you like to see Charlie? He is in a very good mood today.' Wood declined, explaining a reluctance either to 'genuflect' or to risk his admiration of Chaplin by not necessarily liking him as a man. 'Thank God for someone who does not want to meet me,' said Chaplin, stepping out from behind a screen. Chaplin recognized him instantly, the result of a long-forgotten encounter in Oldham, Lancashire. Wood had been touring in Levy's and Cardwell's 1907 production of the pantomime Sleeping Beauty--with, incidentally, Stan Laurel also in the cast--and had been 'sprayed' by Chaplin when standing next to him at a public convenience. 'You could not have been more than 3 feet high,' recalled Chaplin, 'but you looked up with all the dignity in the world and said, "Young man, haven't you learned to pee straight yet?"...Having met again in somewhat drier circumstances, the two comedians formed a lasting friendship...despite such incidents as Wood stomping around the music hall set of Limelight claiming, 'it was not like that!'Wood also seconded Chaplin's initiation into the Grand Order Of Water Rats, a society of British music hall performers, in London in November 1931. More on that in my "World Tour Revisited" series later this year.
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Charlie, c.1919
This photo may have been taken by studio cameraman Jack Wilson, who had aspirations of being a portrait photographer. He took some great posed and candid shots of Charlie around this time, including the one my blog logo is based on.
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Charlie with Thelma Todd on the set of Naughty Baby, 1928
I have always been curious about the backstory of this photo. I had an email discussion about it earlier this year with Thelma Todd biographer William Donati who thought it may have been taken on the set of her 1929 film Naughty Baby. He had never seen the film but had seen a poster for it that had a beach scene. Made sense to me. This was confirmed recently when I was glancing through a 1928 copy of Cine Mundial on archive.org and found the photo with a caption that roughly translates to: "Charles Chaplin with Thelma Todd, the First National blonde, and the directors with the same company, working on "Ritzy Rosie.""Ritzy Rosie" would eventually be released as Naughty Baby. This still did not answer the question of why Charlie was in a bathing suit, but with a little further research I found the following picture of actress Anita Stewart, also dressed in a bathing suit, visiting Thelma's Naughty Baby co-star Jack Mulhall on the same Santa Monica beach location set (note the building in the background is the same). The caption that accompanied the photo stated that the picture was taken during a break from filming "Ritzy Rosie."
There is also the pic I posted not too long ago of Charlie with wrestler Nick Lutze which appears to me to have been taken on the same day (judging from Charlie's hair and bathing suit). Perhaps they were having some sort of swimming party on the set.
As far as the other two men in the photo with Charlie and Thelma. The man on the right is director Mervyn Leroy. The man on the left has elsewhere been identified as Hal Roach but this is up for debate.
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Myron Selznick, Mary Pickford, and Charlie, 1944
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"Nightclub Suite" from City Lights
This music, written by Chaplin, is from the film's original soundtrack (not the Carl Davis re-recording) complete with the sound effects when Charlie eats spaghetti.
From the CD: The Music Of Charles Chaplin, Vol. 2: The Talkies
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"I Was A Chaplin Kid"
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Raymond Lee played the bully who picks on Jackie Coogan in this scene from The Kid. Lee also appeared in A Day’s Pleasure (along with Jackie) & The Pilgrim (the child who applauds Charlie’s sermon). Many years later, Lee recalled Charlie guiding the two boys through the fight scene:
“Boys this is a very simple scene. Very simple. Two boys fighting. All boys fight. Must be a million boys fighting all over the world this very minute. It’s born in you—like tonsils. But boys, you aren’t fighting. You’re dancing with each other....
"Hunger, hideous word. Most hideous of all tortures. Of course neither of you boys have ever been hungry. God forbid! Your stomach like a balloon without air. Your heart in your eyes and your eyes without a friend."
Despite his heavy makeup, Chaplin's skin whitened, the lines around his eyes, stitches in a wound.
"There is hunger in this scene. A boyish hunger makes Raymond steal Jackie’s toy. And Jackie fights for his hunger for it. It’s not an ordinary fight. It’s been going on for thousands of years but it still isn’t an ordinary fight." His hands visored the down-draught of sunlight.
"I’ve been so hungry I could eat a shoe!”'
Cracking his knuckles, Chaplin leaned back in his chair, and cupping his mouth, whispered to [Albert] Austin. "I must sound like a damn fool talking to these kids like this."
From “I Was A Chaplin Kid” by Raymond Lee, Movie Digest, Sept. 1972. Reprinted in The Legend of Charlie Chaplin by Peter Haining
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Charlie & Paulette at a premiere, c. August 1932
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Anniversary Ball at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, 1953
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Leapfrog with Harry d'Arrast, 1929
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| Photoplay, June 1929 |
The recent illness mentioned in the caption was a severe case of ptomaine poisoning and then stomach flu which Charlie caught while working on City Lights.
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Charlie colorized
This photo has been making its rounds on the internet. Whoever colorized it did a nice job, but personally I prefer the original b&w version (below). I have never been a fan of colorizing movie stills or photos of Chaplin (or anyone else for that matter). I think b&w is beautiful all on its own and personally I find colorizing to be disrespectful to the original photographer. Chaplin himself preferred b&w & when asked about color photography in 1931 he said he could "do without it." I will also point out that the Chaplin family themselves do not approve of colorized photos of Charlie & once asked someone who was posting their "artwork" on Tumblr to please stop.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.
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Real color photo
Taken at the Daily News Color Studio, New York City, Oct. 14th, 1940
Photo from "The Clown & The Prophet" visual essay by Jeffrey Vance, The Great Dictator, Criterion Collection
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Cover of French magazine Ciné Pour Tous, 1920
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Charlie on the witness stand during the Charles Amador trial, 1925
Charlie accused Amador, an imitator who called himself “Charlie Aplin," of stealing his material including costume and props. He won the case--“Charlie” was unique and he was Chaplin’s property.
Below is a portion of Charlie’s testimony from Feb. 20th, 1925:
When Mr. Chaplin resumed his testimony…he was asked by Attorney Ben Goldman, representing Amador, if in his opinion the public would be deceived by the resemblance.
“Yes, I believe the public would be misled,” said Mr. Chaplin. “That is, in regard to the clothes and makeup. I don’t know how close the resemblance would seem otherwise.”
Incidentally, during his final testimony, Mr. Chaplin set at rest rumors that he might be preparing to cease acting and become a producer and director.
“I’ll act as long as they’ll have me,” he said with a smile.
”I have received many letters of protest,” he said, “coming from people who told me that they had gone to a motion picture theater because they saw outside a picture which they believed was mine. Once inside they discovered it was a different actor. I have taken this action now because of those protests and my desire to keep faith with the public.”
Chaplin took the stand, while the crowd buzzed and rustled and tried to climb in the windows from the hall at the rear of the courtroom in an eager effort to get a closer look at the little man in the gray suit who ran his hand through his hair, screwed his mobile face into frowns, and gestured with expressive fingers as he tried hard to understand the questions of the cross- examination.
His direct examination was brief. He testified that he had entered motion pictures in 1913, that he had almost immediately created the character he now plays, and that he had never seen anyone else before then on stage or screen who played the same character with the same complete makeup.
Cross-examination started with his stage career. He said he could not remember all the details.
“I really don’t remember much about my first part,” he said. “I suppose I was about four years old.”
Before going into pictures, he played the role of a drunk in a sketch called “A Night in an English Music Hall.” It wasn’t in the least like this character,” he said, waving his hand toward the poster pinned to a blackboard in which a pictured Charlie Chaplin was sorrowfully counting a diminishing bank roll.
“The drunk wore a full dress suit,” Chaplin said.
Attorney Morris took up the details of the costume as pictured on the poster. Chaplin freely admitted that he had seen stage comedians wearing baggy trousers, tight coats, small hats and big shoes.
“But never all at once,” he explained.
He sought to explain the psychology of his screen character.
“It isn’t so much the clothes,” he said. “It’s the personality, the attitude. The character I play is a symbol, a satire on life.”
“Where did you get the idea for that character?” asked attorney Goldman.
Chaplin smiled almost helplessly.
“Why, where does anyone get ideas?” he countered. “From life; from the whole pageantry of life.”
Goldman went into details.
“Where did you get the walk?” he asked. “Wasn’t it suggested by some of your fellow players on the stage?”
“I got it—or at least the idea of it—from an old cab driver,” said Chaplin.
“Where did you get your glide?” asked Goldman.
Chaplin looked puzzled.
“Glide?” he asked. “Just what do you mean?”
Admitting that he would rather not be compelled to illustrate in person, Goldman explained that he meant the habit of the screen Chaplin of skidding around a corner with one foot upraised.
“I got that on the spur of the moment,” answered Chaplin.
Goldman endeavored to show that Chaplin had copied his “goose walk” from Fred Kitchen, an actor with him in the “Music Hall.”
“Didn’t Kitchen walk like that?” he asked.
“He had bad feet,” responded Chaplin demurely, and the crowded courtroom laughed until Judge Jamison told it to keep still.
“And the grimaces you use?” asked Goldman.
“I really don’t know,” said Chaplin. “I don’t know that I am making any special grimaces. I just do what the situation and the moment seem to suggest."
Chaplin said his present picture [The Gold Rush] will require six more weeks of filming and that he and his bride will go to New York when it is finished.* It was the first time that Chaplin had discussed his marriage to Lita Grey, Nov. 25th, in a small suburb of Guaymas, Mexico.
"We are very happy," he added._________________________________________________________________________________
Sources:
Los Angeles Examiner, Feb. 20th, 1925 via Taylorology
New York Times, Feb. 20th, 1925
*Charlie did not take Lita to New York. He went alone, stayed for three months, & had an affair with Louise Brooks.
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