Day By Day: 1936

(circa)April 21st-April 23rd: Annam

Page from photo album in Chaplin Archives.

Following their visit to Angkor, Chaplin and his companions traveled east to the area along the coast of then-French Indochina formerly known as Annam, visiting the cities of Tourane (now Da Nang) and Hue.

Charlie & Paulette at the Hotel Morin in Hue.

On April 23rd, rumors began to circulate worldwide that Chaplin had "dropped dead in Indochina." The rumors began, according to the Singapore Free Press, when American and British news sources had tried to locate Chaplin in Tourane to no avail. Wrote the Free Press: "Film circles in Hollywood believed all the rumours at first and American newspapers prepared Mr. Chaplin's obituary." ¹ The rumors were put to rest when Chaplin responded to a cable he received in Hue.

"Are you dead, as reported?"
"Not yet," Chaplin promptly replied. ²

Chicago Tribune, April 24th, 1936

From Hue the group will travel north to Hanoi where they will spend several days. More on that to come in Day By Day: 1936.

Below: Charlie, Paulette, and Alta in Tourane (Da Nang).

RIP Paulette (April 23rd, 1990)



¹Singapore Free Press, April 24th, 1936
²Chicago Tribune, April 26th, 1936