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Post by solgroupie on Jul 24, 2009 15:41:20 GMT -5
TABLE OF CONTENTSpage 1: introduction to chaplin *poor beginnings *family *karno's speechless comedians *coming to america *keystone - the birth of the tramp *making a living *chaplin directs *tillie's punctured romance *the essanays - the tramp, work *liberty bond tour *brother sydney page 2: *the mutuals - the floorwalker, the fireman, the vagabond, one a.m., the count, the pawnshop, behind the screen, the rink, easy street, the cure, the immigrant & the adventurer *first national films - building his studio *the films - a dog's life, the bond, shoulder arms, sunnyside & a day's pleasure page 3: *the kid, the idle class, payday *birth of united artists page 4: *first national films, continued - the pilgrim, a woman of paris, the gold rush (1-3) page 5: *the gold rush (4-6), the circus, city lights (1-4) page 6: *city lights (5) *post city lights, pre-modern times (I&II) *modern times (1-3) page 7: *modern times (4-6) *the great dictator *chaplin's 121st birthday - the tramp vs. the dictatorpage 8: *the great dictator - parts IV & V *i'm only sleeping - video tribute to chaplin *the calm before the storm *chaplin, trials & tribulation, part II * video - chaplin on july 4th * chaplin on trial II * oona's veil * a thief catcher announcement *release date set for restored keystones *the making of monsieur verdoux page 9 - monsieur verdoux - 1-6 *restored keystones available *chaplin - time traveler in the circus??page 10: *announcement of the charlie chaplin comedy film festival in ireland *limelight, parts 1-5 page 11: *limelight, parts 6-9 page 12: *chaplin's 122nd birthday; the google tribute to chaplin *chaplin's last days in america, 1-3 * a king in new york, parts 1- in hopes that this thread will be an appropriate outlet for my chaplin obsession, i wanted to go through his abundant career and pick and choose some of his well known films, as well as some of his lesser known, less appreciated works. there’s no way i could put everything i would like to say about chaplin in one effort, so this will be a work in progress, and any comments, criticisms or additions are more than welcome. except for the part about criticisms. to be able to fully appreciate chaplin’s talent, you have to know where most of his inspiration came from, and that was during his tumultuous youth. he was born in 1889 to parents charles chaplin sr. and hannah hill. both were entertainers in the english music halls, chaplin’s father being the more successful one, though his eventual alcoholism would kill him at the age of thirty-seven. hannah was a great inspiration to chaplin, but after losing her voice one too many times on stage, she gave up the business and took in sewing to support charlie jr. and her firstborn, sydney, charlie’s half brother. one of the best scenes in the 1992 film chaplin, is when they show a five-year-old charlie take the stage to sing after his mother's voice disappears and she is forced to leave the stage. i say "forced," meaning people were throwing things at her. but natural-born entertainer charlie went out and sang, charming the volatile audience into throwing money on the stage for him. charles chaplin sr. hannah there are many stories here of chaplin’s youth - of moving from place to place with his mother and brother, going hungry, being forced to live in the london workhouses while his mother began her descent into a debilitating mental illness, to charlie living on the streets, taking odd jobs in order to survive. all before he was ten years old. he eventually turned to performing in the english music halls, like his brother sydney, like their parents. this was just a way to make a living for many people in those days - i understand mary pickford got her start in show business the same way. it was frequently not glamorous, nor very profitable. one of the reasons so many of these music hall performers became alcoholics (like chaplin sr.) is because they were expected to spend much of their wages on drinks with the patrons after the shows, in order to encourage business. chaplin spent two years touring britain with “the eight lancashire lads,” as a professional clogger. from there, he worked a number of odd jobs. but on some level, chaplin knew he was meant for something else. he was quoted as saying in his autobiography, “i had been news vendor, printer, toy maker, glass blower, doctor’s boy, etc., but during these occupational digressions, like sydney, i never lost sight of my ultimate aim to become an actor.” the lancashire lads - your guess is as good as mine as to which one is charlie. at the age of fourteen, chaplin won the role of billy the page in the touring production of sherlock holmes, and critics immediately noticed his talent. for more than two and a half years, chaplin learned the ins and outs of theater life, and in 1908 sydney got him an audition with fred karno’s speechless comedians. though karno wasn’t very optimistic for charlie’s chances (he thought he was much too shy to perform), charlie was playing leading roles within a few weeks. It was when the karno company began touring america in 1912, chaplin’s life changed forever. he fell in love with america, learned even more about his trade and attracted the attention of mack sennett, founder of keystone film company. chaplin (in center of lifesaver), with fellow karno performers, en route to america, 1912 up next: chaplin's rise to fame
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Jul 24, 2009 15:54:55 GMT -5
I can appreciate that you are writing on this subject because I have a gross ignorance to Charlie Chaplin's body of work, but I can't read what you're trying to write.
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Post by callipygias on Jul 24, 2009 16:45:24 GMT -5
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jul 24, 2009 18:46:09 GMT -5
Great, I'm looking forward to reading this. I've always enjoyed your writing and while I'm well versed in Keaton and Lloyd, my knowlege of Chaplin could use some sprusing up.
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Post by solgroupie on Jul 24, 2009 20:25:11 GMT -5
thanks, mj. i had to edit the hell out of what i had originally written. it was turning into a novel! chaplin introduced me to keaton and lloyd, and though i can appreciate and respect their work, chaplin will always come first in my heart. my education of him also began my interest in the time of his early adulthood and fame - the early 1900's and the '20's. there was a simple elegance to that time that fascinates me.
mad plumber - i'm not sure i understand you, either. you can't read what i wrote? is something obscuring your vision?
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Post by solgroupie on Jul 26, 2009 15:42:05 GMT -5
chaplin in america before i launch into what may be the most exciting time of chaplin's life, i need to mention something i had forgotten about from his youth. it was a scene he described in his childhood that is in his autobiography. when he was a young boy, a sheep escaped that was on its way to be slaughtered with the rest of its herd. it went galloping down the street, knocking over street vendors and upsetting carts and startling people in the way. charlie remembered it being a very comical moment and laughing about it, but he soon began to weep after the sheep was recovered and he realized its fate. it must have been an important moment to him to record it in his autobiography - a harbinger of how he would one day use comedy and pathos in his work. really, i was surprised - pleasantly surprised, at the detail he put into his childhood in his autobiography. it obviously stayed very close to his heart throughout his life, and even when he became impossibly wealthy, he still remained frugal. i once read how he threw a fit to find an abandoned pencil on the floor on the set of one of his later movies - monsieur verdoux, i believe. "these cost money," he said. back to his new life of touring with karno in america - one night the founder of keystone film company, mack sennett, attended one of karno's shows, along with his lover mabel normand, minta durfee and fatty arbuckle. sennett was immediately impressed with chaplin's performance of a drunken oaf and thought he would be a good replacement for ford sterling, a keystone actor who had decided to leave sennett's film company. charlie got a telegram that didn't give much information, and his imagination made him believe some unheard of relative had died and left him a fortune and the telegram was from some law office that had the details. he was disappointed in the news - he had heard of keystone films and had seen a few of them, but was not entirely impressed by them as the movie chaplin would have you believe. he thought they were crude, which they undoubtedly were. but the thought of making $150 for appearing in three films a week sounded too good to resist - it was twice what he was making with karno. his shyness prevented him from showing up for his first day of work. he was overwhelmed with this new prospect, not to mention sennett's reaction to seeing him for the first time without makeup. sennett thought chaplin was a much older man - at least around sterling's age, who was probably in his 50's. also, chaplin looked very young for his age. but he assured sennett that fixing that particular problem was just "a matter of makeup." but he knew sennett was having second thoughts about him before he had even begun, so for the first week or so he just stayed out of everyone's way. they said he kept to himself a lot. chaplin's first film with keystone was called making a living and was filmed in 1914. it's not a very good short - there are no title cards to give you much of an idea to what the story is. of course, in really good pantomime, you don't need many title cards. it's basically a story about a fellow (chaplin), who is constantly getting the better of another man - stealing his girlfriend and his newspaper job. i watch it occasionally for just the history of it, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. chaplin is jerky and very over the top - even so, you can see his energy and creativity there too, and it is only the beginning. he was dismayed to find many of what he thought was his better gags on the cutting room floor. they constantly came down on him for wasting too much time. but he soaked up everything in the still fairly new business of film and learned how to make sure he was in the beginning and the end of a scene, ensuring he would not get cut from the film. mabel normand directed some of chaplin's early films, something neither one enjoyed. chaplin did not like being directed by a woman, and normand would not listen to any of chaplin's ideas. he was almost fired when he simply sat down on a curb and refused to finish a scene he and mabel had argued over. but sennett found out that people were beginning to demand for more keystone films with chaplin in them, so he wisely decided not to fire him. as for mabel, she and charlie were able to make up and stay friends. he tried to hit on her, as he did with about every woman he came in contact with, but she told him he was not her type, nor was she his. they did several great shorts together. mabel's married life, 1914 it was his second film for keystone that unleashed the beloved tramp upon the world, though chaplin first was filmed as the tramp in the short called mabel's strange predicament, which was made before kid auto races at venice . sennett would find out about different public happenings and send a film crew out to make a movie - in one day they could make two or even three comedies. they would go to dance contests, parades - anything that had a lot of people where they could come up with a suitable story. they had no scripts - they just came up with a general idea and invented the plot as they went along. this was new to chaplin, who was used to rehearsals before performing on stage. but after he adjusted to it, he grew to love it - it was perfect for his spontaneous creativity. before mabel's strange predicament, sennett told chaplin to get into any kind of "comedy makeup." so chaplin just grabbed what he could find, not knowing what it would lead to. after he put the costume together - baggy pants, tight coat, big shoes, a cane - and a mustache to make him appear older in order to satisfy sennett - chaplin said, "i had no idea of the character. but the moment i was dressed, the clothes and the makeup made me feel the person he was. i began to know him, and by the time i walked on stage he was fully born." kid auto races at venice is an extremely important film. not only do we see the tramp for the first time, but even more important - we see a crowd's reaction to him. a crowd's first reaction to chaplin's tramp character. that is something pretty amazing to get on film. the story is very simple - all it is, is a man who constantly tries to put himself in front of the moving picture camera. he strikes poses, trying to seem nonchalant as he commands all of the camera's attention - talk about harbingers! the tramp - kid auto races at venice, 1914 next: the tramp takes over the world
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Post by Jack Burton on Jul 26, 2009 16:15:07 GMT -5
Excellent work. Keep it up!
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Post by callipygias on Jul 30, 2009 12:30:49 GMT -5
Anxiously awaiting part three....
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Post by solgroupie on Jul 30, 2009 19:52:30 GMT -5
hollywood's first celebrity craze it must have been hard for some of the other keystone actors and crew to see how fast charlie chaplin's fame skyrocketed. some, like another director chaplin was assigned to, mr. nichols, had the same problem mabel normand and mack sennett had - time. chaplin did not like the way keystone films developed. although he loved how there was never a definite story and everything was improvised on the spot, he didn't like how primitive they were, and how rough and tumble they always turned out. he hated how the shorts always ended in a madcap chase, although several of chaplin's own films ended the same way. but with the tramp, there was always a reason - always a story, whereas with keystone - it just seemed like organized chaos. keystone copschaplin had already received stern warnings from sennett. charlie made suggestions to everyone, came up with different storylines and wasn't shy about trying to execute them. after mr. nichols blew up at him over such an incident, charlie, according to his autobiography, said, "any three-dollar-a-day extra can do what you want me to do. i want to do something with merit, not just be bounced around and fall off street cars." he challenged everything. when they complained about the way he wasted time, he asked - why do movies have to be a definite set amount of time? why can't they be longer? so they were. maybe sennett would have never given the little pushy limey a chance at directing if the demands for more tramp films weren't coming in every week. to provide extra insurance for sennett, chaplin offered to put his own money behind the first film he would direct. and he did - fifteen hundred dollars. chaplin never cashed his paychecks - they said he would have dozens of them in his pocket, living as frugally as humanly possible. the first films he directed were twenty minutes of love and caught in the rain. both were immediately and noticeably better than anything keystone ever did. and after that, chaplin never looked back. with the exception of tillie's punctured romance, chaplin never worked under anyone else's direction. twenty minutes of love, 1914tillie's punctured romance was a sennett comedy from 1914, starring chaplin, mabel normand and famous stage comedienne marie dressler. from what i've read, dressler's career was in a bit of a slump and this movie gave it the boost she needed. chaplin and normand were considered supportive players in tillie, as a pair of con artists that dupe a dumb country girl (dressler) that is heir to a fortune. it took three months to make - and that was considered a long time back then - especially for keystone. chaplin didn't think too highly of tillie, though he welcomed the opportunity to work with dressler. i don't watch tillie that often - it's kind of like making a living for me. historically, it's an important film - but aesthetically it isn't very rewarding. very repetitive, though chaplin is always entertaining no matter what. i just found it to be too long. i didn't care for dressler's performance too much - she was much too over the top. i saw her in a later silent film, starring one of chaplin's conquests, marion davies (we'll get to her later) called the patsy in 1928, and i thought she was much better in that. but it was what many consider the world's first feature length comedy, so historically, it's worth watching. charlie and marie dressler, tillie's punctured romance, 1914chaplin's contract with keystone came to an end in 1914 - a big year for him. as much as sennett valued chaplin to his business, he and the directors to keystone's parent company, the new york motion picture company, were unwilling to pay chaplin's demands of $1000 a week. however, the essanay company, with studios in both chicago and california, were more than willing to accommodate him. three essanay stars (from left): francis x. bushman, chaplin, and broncho billy anderson.up next: chaplin faces his fame
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Post by callipygias on Aug 4, 2009 10:16:37 GMT -5
one of chaplin's conquests, marion davies (we'll get to her later) called the patsy in 1928, Thanks to you I was alerted to TCM's Marion Davies' Day yesterday, and I happened to catch The Patsy almost from the start. I was surprised by how much I liked the movie, but not half as surprised as I was by how much I liked Davies herself. My first impression was that she was beautiful but goofy, and unafraid to show it. And she did some of the funniest physical comedy I've ever seen outside a Chaplin film (though she was obviously inspired by him). I can't find the movie for sale anywhere and I'm kicking myself for not taping it you for not making me tape it.
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Post by solgroupie on Aug 4, 2009 13:49:31 GMT -5
i know. i just assumed the patsy would be readily available on dvd, and i still haven't come across it. marion davies could easily take credit for creating the "screwball heroine" role, and it's obvious just watching her that chaplin was an influence to her comedy. but also, like chaplin, it just seemed to come natural to her. i plan on doing a segment on the notable women in chaplin's life in the future, and she is definitely a part of it, though they were never officially a couple. chaplin and essanay - a work in progress though not in complete control yet, chaplin was well on his way when he joined the essanay company, with a salary of $1250 a week with a $10,000 bonus upon signing his contract. the films chaplin made while at essanay: 1915 his new job (2 reels) a night out (2 reels) the champion (2 reels) in the park (1 reel) the jitney elopement (2 reels) the tramp (2 reels) by the sea (1 reel) work (2 reels) a woman (2 reels) the bank (2 reels) shanghaied (2 reels) a night in the show (2 reels) 1916 carmen (4 reels) police (2 reels) 1918 triple trouble (2 reels) chaplin had a bit of a rocky start at essanay - after all the publicity and fanfair of leaving keystone and joining essanay for such a extravagant salary, he arrived in chicago ready to work with nothing to work with. he waited to meet a partner in essanay, a mister spoors, but he was absent the first week chaplin was in chicago. when he was told he would be given a script to work with, chaplin snapped that he wrote his own. the lack of creativity worried him - he said the employees reminded him of bank clerks. chaplin was to learn later that spoors had never heard of chaplin (pretty bad for a guy in the film business), and that anderson had been the one who signed chaplin up. spoors was certain anderson had gone mad when he heard of how much they were expected to pay chaplin. but he slowly began to hear the talk about chaplin's popularity and decided to test it out while lunching at a big chicago hotel with friends. he gave a boy a quarter and asked him to page charlie chaplin. so as the boy yelled over and over, "call for mr. charlie chaplin," an excited crowd began to form, growing larger by the minute. meanwhile, chaplin was still trying to adjust to his new life in chicago. he concentrated on putting together a team of actors for his cast, and what a cast it turned out to be. some of which, worked with chaplin for decades. there was ben turpin (i confess i am not a big fan of turpin, though i can see the comedic possibilities between he and chaplin when they are on screen - something about the little guy just bugs me), bud jamieson and leo white. but the most important addition to the cast was the beautiful edna purviance. edna purvianceben turpin, charlie chaplin in his new job, 1915chaplin had had no luck in finding a suitable leading lady for his comedies and agreed to meet with an unknown someone had told him about, knowing she was not an actress, but a secretary. he was immediately struck by her beauty and didn't think it would matter much if she couldn't act - she would at least be good eye candy for his films. but edna surprised everyone. she was excellent in every one of chaplin's films. quiet and reserved, she was the perfect ying to chaplin's yang, both on and off the set. she could do whatever he asked her to do in front of the camera and was an excellent addition to his cast. off camera, they began seeing each other romantically, and she has been called one of the greatest loves of his life. edna and charlie in the two-reeler, police, 1916he was at last able to begin work. he arranged to move back to california to do so, not liking the working conditions in chicago as much. california had those endless summer days for them to put to use, and he was just happier there. some of the essanays can be a little too long, in my opinion, but they are nonetheless entertaining. you can see throughout the procession of films how chaplin learned as he went along - what worked for him and what didn't. he could always rely on his keystone training for the chaotic chases, but slowly the tramp began to separate himself from all of it and became his own character. the tramp is defining short for - who else? - the tramp. if you never watch any other essanays, watch the tramp. it sets up the character we love so well - how he comes across a situation and becomes involved with it - wreaking a little havoc here and there, but none of it is without a real storyline. it also set up the pattern of the tramp's sometime unfortunate luck with women. though he is basically a hobo, the tramp obviously has dignity and heart, and you can't help but feel his disappointment when the tramp ultimately doesn't get the girl. the ending of the tramp is one of chaplin's best. he does the same thing in the bank - among many others - and you can see how the development of the tramp is continuing to evolve - how he begins putting more emotion into his character - making him into an individual - not just another funny guy getting knocked around. those endings could be just brilliant. you felt sorry for the tramp's misfortune as you watch him walk away down an empty road - he looks so lonely and sad. but then he would do that little shrug and kick of his heels, as if literally shrugging off whatever had befallen him and heading towards his next adventure with optimism. t he tramp, 1915but there were plenty of films where the tramp did get the girl, too. i love the "old" tramp. by the time chaplin made the kid in 1920, his character was basically complete. but the early tramp could still be a little bastard at times - causing trouble for no real reason - doing anything to get a shot of whiskey, a cigarette, food - or the attention of a pretty girl. i LOVE it when the tramp would see a pretty girl and just lose it. it is so hilarious. he just goes nuts - the way he jumps around like a hyper little kid - kicking any man within reach in the ass - knocking hats off heads - he just loses all control because he's in love. or lust. probably lust. back in those essanay days, the tramp had a habit of sitting next to a girl on a park bench (or wherever) and casually putting his entire leg across her lap. of course, the girl always was shocked and threw him bodily off of her. i didn't realize until i came across it somewhere, that little move was considered quite risque for the time. i also love the short, work, from 1915. chaplin plays a handyman's assistant, and they eventually tear a house completely down as they try to make repairs. but the best scene is between the tramp and the maid, played beautifully by edna. they sit together and talk while the tramp gives himself a manicure with his wallpapering tools. i'd give anything to be able to read lips so i could know what they were saying to each other. edna and chaplin in work, 1915it was after chaplin finished carmen towards the end of his run with essanay that even he became aware of how popular he was. up next: from essanay to the mutual film corporation - chaplin realizes the power of his fame
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Post by solgroupie on Aug 5, 2009 17:53:47 GMT -5
before the frank sinatra...before the beatles...before elvis - there was - CHAPLIN MANIA!look at that crowd on the streets. LOOK AT IT! seriously - look at the hundreds of people packed together to get a glimpse of their favorite movie stars of the time - douglas fairbanks, mary pickford and of course, charlie chaplin. the first controversy that chaplin faced in his career was the criticism he received for not joining the british army during WWI. it was, by far, the lightest criticism he would face in his career. chaplin said he would have served, but everyone - chaplin included - knew he could do much better for the war effort by spreading awareness during the liberty bond drive that surged across the country in 1918. everyone knew the crowds were likely to respond more at the opportunity to actually see chaplin in the flesh - when he encouraged people to buy war bonds. again, from chaplin's autobiography he told the crowds: "the germans are at your door! we've got to stop them! and we will stop them if you buy liberty bonds! remember, each bond you buy will save a soldier's life - a mother's son! will bring this war to an early victory!" at the beginning of the tour before chaplin was due to say his piece, he confessed to a young man in the navy how nervous he was. the man assured him it would be easy. but chaplin got so carried away during his speech that he fell off the platform where he was standing. he grabbed marie dressler on his way down and they both fell on top of the young man from the navy, who happened to be the then assistant secretary of the navy, franklin d. roosevelt. chaplin and his brother sydney, in the bond, 1918but i'm getting ahead of myself. chaplin learned much during his stay at essanay, but his plan was to call every shot in the making of his films. he needed more money to see it happen, so he and sydney began negations with mutual films. they were on a train headed to new york, near amarillo, texas. chaplin was in his underwear, shaving when they arrived at the station in amarillo, and he began to hear many excited voices coming from outside. as they grew louder, he began hearing his own name - "where is he? where's charlie chaplin?" he heard people asking this just outside his compartment, so he called back, "yes?" he heard someone say, "on behalf of the mayor of amarillo, texas, and all your fans, we invite you to have a drink and light refreshment with us." he panicked - having only just half-shaved and was still in his underwear. but he realized the crowd wasn't going to just go away knowing he was there, so he washed his face and managed to change into a shirt and tie before joining everyone. the mayor tried to speak, "mr. chaplin, behalf of your fans of amarillo -" but each time he tried, he was drowned out by the cheering crowd. he finally gave up and lost his humor about the whole setup, urging charlie to say a few words, have a quick bite so he could get back on the train, which he did. that is one of my favorite stories from chaplin's autobiography. if he didn't fully understand how famous he was before, he no doubt did at that moment. at each train stop, the crowds continued, growing larger and louder. sydney got him a sweet deal with mutual - $670,000 payable at ten thousand a week and a $150,000 bonus. chaplin spent a long afternoon waiting for the negotiations, coming to terms with the enormous changes in his life. i mean, think about it. he had been a nobody all his life. with the exception of his mother and brother, no one would have cared if he lived or died when he was a kid on the streets of london. he was just another guy trying to make a living in the english music halls. and now he was on his way to being the most famous man in the world. not just in america - not just in england - but in the world. it was the beauty of pantomime - how there were no language barriers restricting audiences. suddenly he would find himself invited to every party, everyone who was anyone would try to make him a part of their circle. everyone would want his opinion on every topic under the sun. women would throw themselves at him. it had to be an overwhelming experience for him. it was difficult for him, for though he seemed so confident and approachable, chaplin could still be very shy and insecure. a word about sydney - four years older than charlie, sydney was very loyal to his half-brother charlie and their mother. he did whatever he could to help make ends meet during their childhood and always did what he could to protect charlie. once they were both in vaudeville and making a regular paycheck, they moved their mother from the shabby asylum she had resided in for a few years, to a much better one. when their careers began to separate them, charlie, never a great letter writer - might have been content to just disappear, but it was sydney who insisted they stay in touch. since their mother was ill, he told charlie, they were all they had left. he joined the keystone cast after charlie left for essanay, but his films are much less well known, which is a shame. sydney was a funny guy and a very talented comedian. just watching him in charlie's home movies you can see his capacity for comedy. but he was also a formidable businessman, and i think charlie would be the first one to admit that he wouldn't have done nearly as well for himself if it hadn't been for sydney's direction in his career. he got him the sweet deals and never stopped looking out for his younger brother's interests. chaplin sitting with sydney in 1928 EDIT: calli reminded me of something i should have remembered to mention about sydney. he really came off as kind of a jerk in the movie chaplin. the loyalty and love was there, yes. but director richard attenborough used him to get the point across of the growing disapproval of chaplin's political satire he used in his comedies by others in the business, as well as government and others of high authority. in almost every scene after chaplin became famous, sydney was just portrayed as an angry, bitter man. maybe there was tension between them - well, of course there would be at times. but in getting to know charlie chaplin, you can't help but get acquainted with sydney and he seemed to be a much different person in real life. once the deal with mutual was set, chaplin was ready to expand his talents and possibilities, not realizing at the time of the masterpieces he was about to create. up next: the mutuals
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Post by Mighty Jack on Aug 6, 2009 3:42:27 GMT -5
I've seen City Lights, Modern Times and Gold Rush... but I'm going to hunt for The Circus based on your recomendation... and more as I read your comments.
I've always been facinated by the silent comedians. I remember I think it was PBS that showed a history of the silent comedians, but I always wanted more. It's interesting to me who faded and who were timless and how they handled the transition to the talkies (I always felt bad for Keaton, it all fell apart for him - his career, the bad marriages and the drinking made it worse. I'm happy that at the end of his life, he and his work was rediscovered and he got to feel the love again)
I'm very curious to find out why Chaplin waited so long to embrace the talkies and how you felt about that part of his career. (I know Keaton didn't do well, Lloyd was so/so... but I'm not sure how Chaplin's transition to talkies was perceived)
Very good reading, I'm enjoying it (it would make a great book)
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Post by callipygias on Aug 6, 2009 9:17:28 GMT -5
I'm going to hunt for The Circus based on your recomendation Wait'll she gets to the Mutuals. Something I'm sooo grateful for is that groupie turned me on to Chaplin's shorts; I'd never seen a single one. The Essanays are great but the Mutuals, collectively, are just about the funniest thing in the history of cinema.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Aug 7, 2009 0:31:18 GMT -5
I'm going to hunt for The Circus based on your recomendation Wait'll she gets to the Mutuals. Something I'm sooo grateful for is that groupie turned me on to Chaplin's shorts; I'd never seen a single one. The Essanays are great but the Mutuals, collectively, are just about the funniest thing in the history of cinema. Cool - I just added the Mutuals to my list, thanks
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