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Post by solgroupie on Apr 1, 2011 12:01:32 GMT -5
limelight, part VIat last it is time for calvero’s opening night at the middlesex. as he sings a funny little song about the life of a sardine on stage, his audience is less than enthusiastic. he is noticeably nervous in that awful way that makes you want to cringe - especially seeing someone like chaplin do it. while he coughs and stutters through a story he’s attempting to tell, people are leaving in numbers and you see one man asleep in his seat. calvero tries to forge ahead until a man yells from the audience that they should all just go home. calvero gives up and agrees. he tips his hat, eerily looking like that aged tramp again, and leaves the stage. he enters the dressing room and in a very determined and business like manner, begins to remove his stage makeup, ignoring two actors preparing to leave. after they are gone you finally see the fear and despair in his face. chaplin just nails it in this scene. if you watch it and aren’t moved, then you are a robot. now his failure seems more pronounced because there is terry, and he is afraid of letting her down. he has little illusions about himself by now, but he knows how much she believes in him. he stays out late, hoping to avoid her, but she is waiting on him when he returns home. reluctantly, he tells her what happened - he bombed and was fired after one performance he didn’t even finish. he finally breaks down, crying that he is finished. this frightens terry to see her savior this way, but instead of offering him pity she tears into him. she stands up and walks to his table without even realizing it and rages at him about the power of the universe he once told her about - the same power he had and needed to use to fight back. suddenly she looks at her legs and begins to cry in astonishment. she can now walk again. chaplin and claire bloom in limelilghtin the schickel doc, charlie: the life and art of charles chaplin, claire bloom (as an older woman) recalled the making of that scene. as i mentioned before, claire was in awe of chaplin. much like the unknown actresses decades before her, she hero worshiped him. she wasn’t looking forward to the intensity that scene would require of her, so chaplin met with her privately on the set, asking her to just read through the lines, but don’t act. she did what she said he asked, but he interrupted her angrily, asking her what in the world she was doing. he chewed her out good, which made her start to cry. he immediately had them shoot the “calvero, i’m walking!” scene right away. claire laughed as she told it, saying everyone else must have been clued in to what he was going to do to her to prepare her for the scene. so her tears in that scene were genuine. claire bloomcalvero and terry spend the remainder of the night walking the london streets. calvero is patient, but still a bit haggard from his night. but terry is glowing and thrilled to be able to walk again. as they watch the sun rise from a park bench, terry tells him now that she is well she can get a job to help them. calvero seems skeptical of that, but terry emotionally tells him they will remain together. calvero’s reaction never really changes throughout the rest of the film. it seems he can’t allow himself to believe she loves him. chaplin said in his autobiography it was much the same for he and oona. six months go by. terry is a chorus dancer again at the empire ballet, and after a performance the dance director tells her to have calvero come in to see him before her audition in the morning. terry is auditioning for the lead ballet dancer and calvero is set to play the part of a clown. terry is understandably happy to tell calvero the news. up next - calvero and terry both get another chance in part VII
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Post by callipygias on Apr 1, 2011 21:10:01 GMT -5
Even this shrine to good taste and good funnny has been vomited upon by the hilarity of the Sloneministration. I'll finish reading this post tooomorrow. Great start, though, and I love the pic of old Claire.
April 2nd should be a holiday. [sicsicsic, by the way].
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Post by mccloud on Apr 4, 2011 9:23:12 GMT -5
Even this shrine to good taste and good funnny has been vomited upon by the hilarity of the Sloneministration. You're writing this on a cancelled puppet show message board. If you want solemn worship of this, or any other topic, there are a million other boards to patronize. Besides, didn't Charlie have a penchant for teenage girls? There's no pedophile like an old, dead pedophile.
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 9:37:36 GMT -5
mccloud -
the only reason i didn't add anything to calli's post was because i didn't want to give the whole twilight prank any more attention than it deserved - besides, he summed it up pretty well for me. and if you have nothing to add but insults and ignorance for the topic of MY thread you certainly don't have to enter it. that would be totally cool with me.
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Post by callipygias on Apr 4, 2011 10:05:53 GMT -5
So! I ended up seeing three Chaplin features (and two shorts) on the big screen: City Lights, The Circus, and The Gold Rush. I was most looking forward to The Gold Rush, which is #2 on my all-time favorite movies list, plus it was the only one I saw on a Saturday night, so I was looking forward to see how many people would turn out---the theater was almost full! For some unknowable reason though, they decided to show Chaplin's '42 re-do of his masterpiece which included narration ('42, is that right?). That was a bit of a bummer. Still, it was great to experience Chaplin that way, and now I look forward to seeing his movies on the big screen with live accompaniment.
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 10:41:11 GMT -5
i am so glad you got to experience that. i am also disappointed that they chose the '42 version to run instead of chaplin's original 1925 version of the gold rush. i can never remember what score is used in the original - i know chaplin composed some beautiful music for the '42 version. i always wondered if that wasn't also a deciding factor. still, it must have been a great experience. and seeing chaplin on the big screen with live accompaniment is the holy grail for any true chaplin fan.
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Post by mccloud on Apr 4, 2011 11:21:48 GMT -5
mccloud - the only reason i didn't add anything to calli's post was because i didn't want to give the whole twilight prank any more attention than it deserved - besides, he summed it up pretty well for me. and if you have nothing to add but insults and ignorance for the topic of MY thread you certainly don't have to enter it. that would be totally cool with me. Not ignorant, Chaplin knocked up a 16 year old when he was 35. And how can that be an insult when it's the truth? I was just saying calli's expectations are pretty damn high for the type of board this is. It's amazing he lowers himself to remain a member. I will now leave YOU and calli to YOUR thread.
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 12:03:22 GMT -5
that would be awesome. the ignorance i was referring to was that you felt the need to come in here with a snarky attitude that would have been appreciated elsewhere. since i have been detailing chaplin's life history, i am pretty aware of who he knocked up and when. i'm not about to answer for calli, but i see nothing wrong with his expectations. some members are just better suited for sloane. i'm done with this - it wasn't why i started this thread.
last night tcm ran two docs called fragments and unseen cinema. they showed clips of silent films that in some cases, were the only thing left after the rest of the film disintegrated. i only watched a few minutes of it, but i did tape it so i could take my time with it later. i was interested in seeing if they included the clip of chaplin when he was still with keystone in the thief catcher. once chaplin owned his own studio and the rights to his films, he had the good sense to take the up most care to preserve them. it will be interesting to see these clips.
i did watch most of a short douglas fairbanks was in, back in 1917 or '18. he really earned his pay back in his day - his athleticism is incredible.
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
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Post by Torgo on Apr 4, 2011 13:00:24 GMT -5
Okay folks, Torgo-Man is here to save the day. Let's keep the attitudes friendly, shall we? Sure the prank wasn't everybody's cup of tea, I'd be the first to admit that, but we don't have to drag groupie's thread through the mud to debate whether or not it was. We have this thread to discuss how much you had fun or to tear us a new one if we ruined your entire day. Groupie's thread, back on topic: Charlie Chaplin, a man who equalized comedy and art. And continue!
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 13:03:58 GMT -5
limelight, part VII back at the flat, calvero has invited the three shabby street musicians up to accompany him on his violin. when terry arrives, calvero drunkenly tells her they having “a little beer, bach and beethoven.” mrs. alsop joins them, drunk as they are. but you do see that she has at last finally accepted terry as a fixture in calvero’s life and apartment. when they are alone, terry patiently tends to calvero, who is drunkenly rambling on about being a failure. terry tells him about the part he has in the new ballet, but he’s not interested. he’s no longer a comedian, but a “retired humorist.” terry tells him he will feel differently in the morning. due to being left-handed, chaplin had to have his violins specially strung for him to playthe next morning as terry practices on stage, a clean and sober calvero tells her about the part he is to play. when he hears a mr. postant is still managing the theater, he ruefully laughs about how he was still manager when calvero was a headliner at the empire. three men enter the dim stage area, requesting that terry begin her audition. it is the dance director, mr. postant and the composer of the ballet - mr. neville. BAM! terry freezes when she realizes it is him. when they are introduced, neville also realizes who she is, but terry is very offhand in her greeting, so he says nothing. he begins to play the beautiful music chaplin composed for limelight and she begins to dance. BAM!after her audition, lunch is called and the men rave about her dancing. they all excitedly leave the stage to discuss terry’s contract. calvero is left behind, sitting in the shadows. as the last of the lights are turned off, you see the pain of realization on his face. terry returns, dressed for lunch and finds calvero still sitting in the dark. when she sits with him, he tells her very seriously and honestly that she is a true artist. he is moved to tears by her dancing, perhaps also at his own prophecies that fate would inevitably put neville back into her life again. terry tells him she loves him and asks him to marry her, but again, calvero refuses to take her seriously. terry finds herself alone at the restaurant, waiting for a table and runs into neville, who is also waiting. reluctantly, she agrees to dine with him. they make nervous small talk for a few moments, but soon neville is describing a girl that he was acquainted with once that he said could be terry’s twin. he describes her shyness and how she tried to help him, and how she was gone when he went back to find her. terry finally admits it was her and you can see the joy she feels to be able to admit it to him, and the attraction she still feels. she finds a way to quickly bring up her impending marriage, and though neville looks obviously disappointed, he wishes her happiness. claire bloom and sydney chaplin jr. in limelightat opening night, terry plays the part of columbine, the young girl dying in a london garret. her lover, harlequin, and three clowns sit at her bedside. she asks to be carried to the window so she may see the london rooftops one last time. the clowns perform for her, in effort to make her smile. chaplin’s firstborn son, charles jr., plays the part of a clown dressed as policeman, which i always wonder if that isn’t a reference to the keystone cops. they do a very tramp-like sketch, but afterwards, columbine becomes delirious and dies. at her grave where harlequin mourns, dancers appear to represent that columbine is everywhere around him. that is when terry dances her finale. just offstage, waiting for her cue for her finale, terry tells calvero how nervous she is and asks him to pray for her. “god helps those who help themselves,” he says, wishing her luck. but just before her cue, terry cries out in pain. it’s her legs again - she can’t make them move. calvero tells her it’s only nerves, to ignore it. but terry becomes almost hysterical, crying that she can’t go on. in the most stunning moment of the film, calvero hauls off and slaps terry across the face and orders her on stage. terry is galvanized into action and runs out to dance her finale, which she does beautifully. calvero with terry at the moment she realizes her paralysis has returned - or so she thinks calvero hides backstage to pray for her, and is embarrassed to be caught by a stagehand. when terry is finished, she is instantly surrounded by a group of people congratulating her. she breaks free to embrace calvero, crying with relief and joy. calvero can say nothing for he is so overcome by his own emotions. chaplin as calvero as the clown in the ballet - watching terry dancea formal dinner is served after the performance. calvero is nowhere to be found, so a page is sent to find him. she sits between mr. postant and neville, and learns the composer has been drafted into the army. the scene ends as the couple head to the dance floor. meanwhile, calvero is getting drunk at the bar. when the page finds him, he tells him to tell terry he went home to go to bed. however, when terry learns this, she announces she must leave at once. neville escorts her home. calvero is sleeping it off on the floor just inside the door of his apartment building and wakes up as terry and neville approach the front door. neville tells terry he is leaving for the army in the morning and moves in to kiss her, but she resists. he tells her he knows she loves him too, though she won’t admit it. he tells she is confusing her devotion for calvero for love and shouldn't marry him. calvero struggles to stand and stumbles away as terry insists her love for him is real. i didn't realize until i just looked at this picture - how much syd jr. really resembles his father as a young man in this pictureup next - terry's fame is followed soon by despair as she must learn to live on her own in part VIII.
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Post by mccloud on Apr 4, 2011 14:14:57 GMT -5
the ignorance i was referring to was that you felt the need to come in here with a snarky attitude that would have been appreciated elsewhere. since i have been detailing chaplin's life history, i am pretty aware of who he knocked up and when. i'm not about to answer for calli, but i see nothing wrong with his expectations. some members are just better suited for sloane. Interesting that you mention "snarky" AND speak on calli's behalf in the same sentence. And I agree that "some members are just better suited for sloane." One does require a sense of humor to post in there. (ok, ok Torgo, I'm leaving...)
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 15:14:15 GMT -5
a sense of humor no higher than third grade level, you mean. it most assuredly deserves you. you're a real class act, mccloud. if you have anything else to say to me, please do it via pm and leave my thread out of this.
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
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Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Apr 4, 2011 15:28:08 GMT -5
Ladies ladies ladies! You're both pretty!
Last chance: Back on topic. Otherwise official action must be taken. Don't want to do it, because I like both of you, but I will if I have to.
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 4, 2011 15:54:36 GMT -5
limelight, part VIII the next morning calvero reads yet another glowing review of terry’s dancing and asks her what is it like to wake up famous - much like chaplin did himself. overcome with emotion, terry begins to weep. smiling sadly, calvero holds her and tells her to go ahead and have a good cry and enjoy it, because it only happens once. terry, afraid of her feelings for neville, asks calvero if they can marry soon so they can escape to the country together. calvero (note the picture of chaplin as a young man behind calvero in this scene), tells her she is like a nun, shutting everything else out for his sake. he says he would leave if he only had the strength. he only wants truth in his remaining years. terry cries out that if he leaves her, she will kill herself; she can’t live without him. calvero tells her he knows the composer is the man she told him about, and he knows he is the one she really loves. terry frantically denies it, saying it was neville’s music, his art she loved. at the theater, the dance director and mr. postant are discussing the ballet. mr. postant thinks the comedy is poor, particularly the clown. he has alerted the agency to send someone better to replace him. the dance director tells him who the clown really is and mr. postant is shocked and saddened to know someone he once knew as a great comedian was now so poor. he changes his mind about firing him and says he will call the agency back before they send the replacement. chaplin and keaton preparing for the final comedy act in limelightoutside the theater, calvero runs into an old friend who tells him he hopes to replace the clown in the ballet because he was told he was no good in the show. stunned, calvero realizes he is once again to lose his job, unaware mr. postant has had a change of heart. not out of pity so much, but because postant remembers calvero’s talent and respects it. terry comes home to a completely empty flat. calvero has at last found the strength to leave. she cries hysterically to mrs. alsop that he has left her. but the show must go on. terry finds her strength to continue dancing the role of columbine to audiences that love her. at a small tavern, calvero dressed in an outrageous costume, sings one of his former popular songs. he and the street musicians are now working the streets. after his performance, he politely goes around the room asking for contributions to be dropped in his hat. that is how he finds neville, who is shocked to see him. calvero sits and asks about terry. neville says she was quite ill after he left, but she has since recovered and has been on tour. calvero lets neville know that he is aware of his feelings for terry and is glad. mr. postant joins them and is surprised to see how calvero is making his living now. he asks calvero to come to his office, but calvero merely laughs it off. he says he doesn’t mind working the streets - he actually likes it. “it’s the tramp in me, i suppose,” he says. chaplin with his son, sydney jr., and nigel bruce in limelightnext we see terry in a cab, who has found the bar where calvero is working. he realizes neville or postant told her about him, but he is cheerful enough when she approaches him. terry tells him she has searched london for him and breaks down. she asks him to come back, but he says he must go forward. calvero is also moved to tears, but remains adamant. terry tells him mr. postant wants to give him a benefit, but calvero says he doesn’t want his charity. but he relents and admits he would like another chance to show everyone he isn’t through yet. he still has ideas. he begins to tell terry about a comedy routine he has come up with that includes a friend of his. the scene ends with them discussing the possibilities just as they used to do. up next in part IX - calvero's greatest triumph of his career sydney jr. also starred in the final film chaplin ever made, a countess from hong kong
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Post by solgroupie on Apr 5, 2011 10:48:14 GMT -5
part IX, the conclusion of limelightit has all come together - a sign outside the empire theater announces the benefit for calvero, which is sold out. terry meets with mr. postant, confiding how worried she is about calvero’s act. she knows if he fails it will kill him. postant is more optimistic, saying the crowd will be sympathetic, but terry knows it isn’t sympathy calvero wants. he asks her if she still plans on marrying calvero and terry answers that she will do anything to make him happy. claire bloom and nigel bruce in limelightin the dressing room sits chaplin and buster keaton. no matter how many times i see limelight, i am always jolted at the first sight of these two comedy legends together at last. keaton plays calvero’s partner in the music satire they are about to perform. and i always laugh when he says, “if anybody else says it’s like old times, i’ll jump out the window!” naturally, someone comes in to say just that. it’s mr. postant, looking like the rich guy from the monopoly game. he announces the theater is packed, but curiously, calvero only wants to know if neville is there. perhaps he wants to make sure his rival really knows what he’s made of and is no one to pity. the two greats together, chaplin and keaton in limelightonce he’s alone in the dressing room, calvero takes a bottle that is hidden away for one drink. terry comes in and knows right away what he’s done, but calvero is unapologetic for it. he’s scared and he must have it. a boy sticks his head in the door to tell him it’s time and he also wishes calvero luck. calvero seems fed up with all the well wishing going on and tells terry all it does is make him feel isolated. he adds that even terry makes him feel that way, which hurts her. with resignation, he takes his hat to start for the stage. terry tells him she loves him, but he still can’t let himself believe it. “really?” he asks doubtfully. “with all my heart,” terry says. calvero is back on stage, performing the flea circus act to a packed house that loves him. he can do no wrong. backstage, terry hears the laughter and retreats to the dressing room to weep and thank god. on stage, calvero sings the same sardine song that once got nothing but boos from the audience. now they love it. it is the success he once knew so well. it’s time for the most anticipated scene in limelight - the comedy act between chaplin and buster keaton. keaton plays a fumbling oaf at the piano, while chaplin is just as hopeless as a tramp playing the violin. it’s a long scene, but beautifully done. both showcase their genius, and though keaton remains in the background they balance each other out perfectly. the energy chaplin puts into his performance is incredible. i think chaplin felt the same need to prove himself just as much as calvero did. as part of the act, calvero, worked up to a frenzy, tumbles from the stage into the orchestra pit. he lands into a drum and is carried off stage amid wild applause and laughter from the audience. but once backstage, calvero appears to be in terrible pain. he thinks the fall hurt his back because he has pain in his spine and chest. they call for a doctor and want to tell the audience, but calvero insists on being taken back out so the show won’t be spoiled. two men carry him out, still in the drum, and he thanks the audience, but says he is stuck - which only makes everyone laugh that much more. a doctor tells mr. postant and terry that calvero had a heart attack when he fell and won’t last the night. terry rushes in where calvero is backstage. he weakly asks her if she heard the audience and she sadly nods. he says he will be fine - he still has ideas. they will tour the world - she dancing her ballet, along with he and his comedy. people begin to surround him, his old friends and partners in the business, along with neville. calvero looks at him as quotes the line about the “elegant melancholy of twilight” from the night he predicted terry and neville would one day be together. terry cries he is the one she loves. and chaplin says my favorite line in his films since the long ago title card that read, vamp him. “the heart and the mind. what an enigma.” claire bloom in limelightterry is told she must go on to dance. she kisses calvero and leaves. when the music begins to play, calvero stirs frantically and asks to watch her dance. his friends move him so he can watch her, just as columbine once asked to be moved so she might see the london sky one more time. calvero slips away and his friends watch sadly as a sheet is pulled over him. in the foreground, terry dances gracefully on the stage to the beautiful music. the performances in limelight were outstanding. from the brashness of mrs. alsop to the shyness of neville’s love for terry, everyone blended their talents beautifully for this story. sydney chaplin, chaplin’s second son he had with lita, was great and i imagine it must have been a lot of pressure for him to have such an important role in his father’s film. i don’t watch limelight very often because it is so difficult to watch chaplin play the part of calvero so honestly. he exposed himself to his fans like he never had before - told his side without explanations or apologies. i am so glad this film was made. it was sad that it didn’t receive the credit it deserved at the time, only because of troubles still yet to come for chaplin and his family. but limelight endured and is one of chaplin’s finest contributions to film.
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