Mitsouko bottle, c. 1930s |
Harry Lang of Photoplay observed that Charlie used "a great deal of a certain perfume for which he pays $40 per two-ounce container. He sprinkles it around his dressing room." Another Photoplay article from 1929 similarly noted that Charlie's perfume was "a special masculine kind that he buys in bulk by the ounce. He sprays it on his kerchief and hair."
Charlie was also fond of Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue, one of Mitsouko's sister fragrances. In 1926, Vanity Fair magazine asked Charlie to list ten requirements for the "ideal woman". According to number 8: "She uses only a faint eau de toilette during the day, but sprays herself plentifully with L’Heure Bleue upon retiring."
The Mitsouko scent has been reformulated in recent years and is not exactly the same as it was when it came out in 1919. Ever since I first became a Chaplin fan, I was curious about the scent. It wasn't easy to track down, but I finally came across a bottle at a small perfume kiosk at a local mall. I was surprised by its muskiness, but it wasn’t bad. I would have to say that it is definitely an exotic fragrance. I have a friend who loves to wear Mitsouko. She believes it is a classic, well-made scent from another era. Nothing like the cheap, chemical-laden stuff you find at the perfume counter nowadays.
Vintage Mitsouko ad |
Sources:
Charlie Chaplin, Jr., My Father, Charlie Chaplin, 1960
Lita Grey Chaplin, Wife Of The Life Of The Party, 1998
Georgia Hale, Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-ups, 1995
Harry Lang, "No Talkies For Charlie," Photoplay, May 1930
Glenn Mitchell, The Chaplin Encyclopedia, 1997
David Robinson, Chaplin: His Life and Art, 1985
Gerith Von Ulm, Charlie Chaplin: King Of Tragedy, 1940
Alma Whitaker, "How They Manage Their Homes," Photoplay, June 1929