Like many fans, I have always been under the assumption that this photo of Chaplin was taken after the editing of A Dog's Life. I'm not sure if it has ever been positively I.D.'d from that time period, although it appears in a couple of books/magazines with that caption. This photo is also included in Chaplin's My Life In Pictures, but he doesn't give a date for the photo, saying only that he looks "bleary-eyed, like a murderer."
I have to admit that I never thought too much about the date of the photo until just a couple of days ago. I was flipping through my new copy of Chaplin's Vintage Year by Michael J. Hayde when I came upon the photo of bleary-eyed Charlie with the caption that it was taken after the editing of The Immigrant as "per Carlyle Robinson."* Carlyle Robinson? When did Carlyle Robinson ever mention this photo? Surely it wasn't in his Liberty magazine article about Chaplin from 1933. I've read that article more than once but don't recall anything about this photo. So I pulled out my copy of the article to double-check it. Much to my surprise, right there on the fifth page, was the photo with the caption about The Immigrant. I have to admit that I've had this article for a number of years and never once noticed this caption. Sometimes I wonder if what they say about blondes is really true. Anyway, in the article, Robinson also states that after editing was completed on The Immigrant, Chaplin's "beard had grown...his hair was a matted mess" and he was "collarless, haggard, and dirty." Just like in the photo, although I don't think he looks all that bad.
Next, being the skeptic that I am, I questioned whether or not Robinson was correct. While I thought the building in the background looked a bit like the Chaplin Studios (the dressing rooms, etc.), I thought I would compare it with pictures of the Lone Star Studios (Chaplin's studio during his year at Mutual). I immediately went to Silent Traces by John Bengston because I knew it would have photos of the Lone Star Studio. I have to say the windows (& the building itself) look very similar to the ones behind Charlie.
I'm not sure if the Chaplin Archive has an actual date for this photo because I'm curious how it ever came to be associated with A Dog's Life--possibly because Chaplin spent several days and nights cutting that film as well. However, at this point I'm pretty much convinced that this photo was taken after The Immigrant (or at least during the Mutual period).
*Carlyle Robinson was Chaplin's press agent from c. 1917-1932.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Alternate photo with Rollie Totheroh (from Variety advertising supplement for the Warner/MK2 DVDs, 2003) |
I have to admit that I never thought too much about the date of the photo until just a couple of days ago. I was flipping through my new copy of Chaplin's Vintage Year by Michael J. Hayde when I came upon the photo of bleary-eyed Charlie with the caption that it was taken after the editing of The Immigrant as "per Carlyle Robinson."* Carlyle Robinson? When did Carlyle Robinson ever mention this photo? Surely it wasn't in his Liberty magazine article about Chaplin from 1933. I've read that article more than once but don't recall anything about this photo. So I pulled out my copy of the article to double-check it. Much to my surprise, right there on the fifth page, was the photo with the caption about The Immigrant. I have to admit that I've had this article for a number of years and never once noticed this caption. Sometimes I wonder if what they say about blondes is really true. Anyway, in the article, Robinson also states that after editing was completed on The Immigrant, Chaplin's "beard had grown...his hair was a matted mess" and he was "collarless, haggard, and dirty." Just like in the photo, although I don't think he looks all that bad.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Photo and caption (upper right) from "The Private Life Of Charlie Chaplin" by Carlyle Robinson, Liberty, 1933 (reprinted in Liberty in 1972) |
Next, being the skeptic that I am, I questioned whether or not Robinson was correct. While I thought the building in the background looked a bit like the Chaplin Studios (the dressing rooms, etc.), I thought I would compare it with pictures of the Lone Star Studios (Chaplin's studio during his year at Mutual). I immediately went to Silent Traces by John Bengston because I knew it would have photos of the Lone Star Studio. I have to say the windows (& the building itself) look very similar to the ones behind Charlie.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
I'm not sure if the Chaplin Archive has an actual date for this photo because I'm curious how it ever came to be associated with A Dog's Life--possibly because Chaplin spent several days and nights cutting that film as well. However, at this point I'm pretty much convinced that this photo was taken after The Immigrant (or at least during the Mutual period).
*Carlyle Robinson was Chaplin's press agent from c. 1917-1932.
