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Post by solgroupie on Oct 8, 2009 14:17:19 GMT -5
the gold rush, part IV newspaper advertisement for the gold rush from 1925chaplin's newest picture was causing quite a stir among the masses. this was to be his far most ambitious picture to date and it was taking so long to just get finished. a lot of pressure was on chaplin, but by this time he was used to it. chaplin on the edge in the opening shots of the little tramp in the gold rushnow it is time in the movie to meet georgia. she lives in a busy village, one of many that has sprung up nearly overnight due to the invasion of prospectors in search of gold. she and her girlfriends all work as dance hall girls in a local saloon. her boyfriend is big, handsome, arrogant jack cameron, played by malcolm waite. all the girls seem to love jack, but georgia keeps herself at arm's length with him, knowing he is not her true love. chaplin and georgia hale in the gold rushgeorgia is at the saloon and meets a man who she has paid to take professional pictures of her in her fancy dance hall dress. as she is showing them to her friends, jack snatches one of the pictures out of her hand and playfully holds it just out of her reach. angry, she gets the picture back and then throws it on the floor to show her disdain for jack's behavior. jack merely grabs a couple of more girls and sets off to have a good time. the tramp, still missing the shoe he ate, finds himself in the bustling village and enters the saloon, taking in all the music and activity. this is one of my favorite shots in the gold rush. the tramp walks up and stands with a large crowd of people. as the music begins, they all began to depart two by two to the dance floor. all but the tramp is left, which sums up his character better than almost anything i've ever seen. chaplin in the gold rushhe sees georgia and as usual, is immediately enchanted. in a most painful scene, you see the hopefulness of the tramp as he sees georgia making eyes at him. as he begins to tip his hat as she approaches, he is crestfallen and embarrassed to see her pass him and talk to the man she was really looking at who was standing behind the tramp. georgia then stands near the tramp as she talks to a girlfriend about how bored she is with everything, wishing she could meet someone really special for a change. she doesn't see the fierce longing of the tramp behind her as her eyes scan the crowd. chaplin with georgia hale in the gold rushwalking away, the tramp discovers the discarded picture of georgia and tucks it into his pocket. meanwhile, jack wants to dance with georgia. she doesn't appreciate his obnoxious treatment, so she declines. when he insists, she spots the worst looking guy in the room to dance with, to show jack how much she would rather dance with anyone but him - and invites the tramp to dance with her. of course he is only too happy to oblige, having no idea of the point she is trying to make. they begin to dance, but the tramp has a problem. his pants are baggy and in danger of falling down. while georgia is momentarily distracted he quickly sees a rope and ties it around his waist as a belt, not knowing that on the other end is a dog. shades of a dog's life in the gold rushthe couple seem bewildered why the mangy dog keeps following them around as they dance, but when a stray cat just happens to walk through, the truth is unfolded as the tramp takes a nasty fall. after the dance, georgia makes a big show about thanking the tramp, giving him a flower and a lingering look as she walks through a door. of course this was all done for jack's sake, who starts after her. but the tramp blocks his path, reading jack's intention. jack is amused that anyone - especially a little hobo would try to stand up to him. chivalry ain't dead in the gold rushknowing the tramp is no match for his strength, jack plays with him, pulling his hat down over his eyes. the tramp takes a wild swing at jack, only hitting a wooden beam. as the tramp dances around in pain, a clock from the beam falls and knocks jack out cold. by the time the tramp removes his hat, it appears he has been the one who punched out jack. the tramp leaves, quite pleased with himself. even so, the tramp is still hungry. the next morning he smells breakfast cooking from a cabin and sees hank curtis (played by ever faithful henry bergman) preparing it. the tramp stretches out in the snow and pretends to be frozen. hank finds him and hurries him into the warm cabin and feeds him. it's a funny little scene that reminds me of many shorts past where bergman and chaplin worked so well together. it is arranged that the tramp will be caretaker of the cabin while hank is off in search of his own gold. now the tramp has a home and job and the promise of romance. things are looking up. up next: part V of the gold rush
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 9, 2009 12:27:38 GMT -5
the gold rush, part V chaplin directing georgia hale in the gold rushthough things are going better for the tramp, big jim is not so fortunate. the blow he received from black larsen's shovel has erased any memory he has of his claim and where it is. he wanders the snowy, bleak landscape in a daze. meanwhile, the tramp hears a commotion outside the cabin and opens the door to receive a snowball in the face. georgia and her girlfriends have been outside nearby, playing in the snow. when the tramp sees georgia at his door, he is overcome with nervousness, but invites her in, along with her friends. georgia at the door in the gold rushonce he has the girls inside, the tramp is at a loss at what to do to entertain them. he goes out for collect wood to build up the fire, leaving the girls in the cabin. georgia sits on the cot and in the process of making herself comfortable, she discovers the picture of herself beneath the tramp's pillow, along with the flower she gave him after their dance. georgia and her friends get a good laugh out of the tramp's crush and decide to have some fun at his expense. when he comes back in, georgia invites him to sit next to her. she moves in close and begins flirting with him. the tramp becomes quite flustered at all this attention, but manages to invite them all back to the cabin for dinner on new year's eve. georgia and the girls agree and leave. again, georgia gives the tramp a few meaningful looks before she joins her friends, and they all leave together, giggling. chaplin with georgia hale in the gold rushthe tramp celebrates by nearly tearing the cabin to pieces in that old way of his to lose all control over the attention of a pretty girl. he rips the pillows up and the feathers are still coming down when georgia returns for the gloves she accidentally left behind. another great example of the tramp's character is portrayed here - he assumes a manner of total dignity as he returns georgia's gloves, even though it looks as if a blizzard has just occurred in the cabin and he has feathers stuck all over him. chaplin the gold rushnow it is time for the tramp to earn some money to pay for the promised new year's eve dinner. he goes door to door in the village with a shovel, offering to shovel the heavy snow. he has a pretty good scam going, though as usual the tramp is mostly oblivious to it at the time - flinging snow on the next property until it is piled high, forcing the next person to agree to have the snow removed from their property. which of course, is thrown to the next prospective customer. chaplin in the gold rushit is finally new year's eve. the saloon fills with dozens of people ready to party. in the cabin however, the tramp is preparing for his dinner guests. you can see he is dressed better than usual as he puts the finishing touches on the table and checks on the chicken that is cooking in the stove. he has party favors and little gifts for each girl and really, the table, though simply done, is beautiful. with nothing else to do but wait, he soon falls asleep at the head of the table. dinner with the tramp in the gold rushthe tramp dreams of his dinner party and what a success it is. the girls are laughing and wearing party hats he has given them, exclaiming over their gifts. they demand a speech from their host, who is much too shy and nervous to do so. instead, he offers the dance of the oceana roll. the oceana roll, i believe was a popular song during that time. what follows is perhaps the scene best known from the gold rush as the tramp sticks forks into a couple of dinner rolls and begins to do this (thanks to callipygias for the video): such a simple little dance, and yet it is still looked on as classic cinema nearly 85 years later. when johnny depp appeared in the 1993 movie benny and joon, he recreated the roll dance and comments on it in the schickel doc i mentioned before - from charlie: the life and art of charles chaplin. again, thanks to calli for supplying the video - no contest, in my opinion. though i admire depp's homage to chaplin with his effort. after the tramp finishes his dance, georgia kisses him and he faints with happiness. the dream melts away to a shot of the tramp still sleeping alone in the cabin. georgia and the girls have forgotten all about their invitation for dinner and are living it up at the saloon. par-TAY-in' like its 1925 in the gold rushthe tramp awakens to the sounds of the celebration at the saloon. he sees from the clock that it is past midnight and he has been stood up. this part of the gold rush never fails to choke me up, and i'm not saying that for effect, or to be dramatic. it really moves me when i see the tramp looking out the door of the cabin, near tears, as he listens to everyone at the party singing auld lang syne. his loneliness just reaches out and pulls your heart out. chaplin at his best in the gold rushup next: concluding the gold rush in part VI chaplin directing while still on location in the gold rush
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 10, 2009 21:49:31 GMT -5
the gold rush, part VI the tramp, oblivious to the cruel joke georgia and her friends are playing on himthe tramp gives up on the hopes of georgia and her friends coming for dinner and goes out for a walk. he pauses outside of the saloon, looking in the window at the festivity - always on the outside, looking in. chaplin in the gold rushgeorgia suddenly gets the idea to visit the tramp, convincing her friends, along with jack, to join her. they decide to send georgia in first, and then the rest will barge in afterwards to scare him. georgia enters the cabin and sees the decorations for the party - the simple gifts on the table and freezes. she realizes what they have done to the tramp and - finally - feels terrible about it. jack and the rest of the girls come in and georgia tells them their joke has gone far enough and turns to leave. jack decides this is a good a time as any for a kiss, and tries to lay one on georgia, who resists. he grabs and kisses her despite her protests, which makes her slap his face and leave. some of my favorite interview moments in unknown chaplin comes from georgia hale, who was probably well into her seventies by then, and a real character. she wore a blond wig and the biggest false eyelashes i've ever seen. but she had a good memory of her time with chaplin, as she loved him dearly. she described that scene where jack kissed her, saying that not only her character didn't want to kiss jack - she didn't want to kiss him, either, for real. so chaplin had them do the scene again and again until she was so furious that she really slapped the hell out of jack, resulting in the print that made it into the gold rush. in the meantime, big jim visits the recorder's office to report his claim. but when they ask where it is, he cannot recall. he knows if he can find the cabin, he can find his gold - but he can't remember where that is, either. the little tramp returns to the saloon, where jack begins to tease him about georgia, who is nowhere in sight. there is some confusion here, on my part. chaplin made a number of changes in the re-release of the gold rush in 1942, and i believe one of them took place in this scene. if i am right, in the original silent '25 version, georgia writes a note of apology to jack and asks to see him. but somehow the tramp ends up with it, thinking she wants to see him. but in the re-release, the note is clearly for the tramp, as georgia says she is sorry for missing dinner and wants to explain. either way, the tramp gets the note and is overjoyed that georgia wants to talk to him. at that moment, big jim wanders in and spots the tramp. knowing he can lead him to the cabin, which will mean finding his gold, big jim goes crazy and grabs the tramp. he tells him he will make the tramp a millionaire if he helps him find the cabin. georgia appears and the tramp races to her, telling her of his plans to take her away from this life as soon as he returns. big jim wastes no time in yanking the tramp right out of the scene. chaplin with mack swain in the gold rushthe pair return to the cabin, loaded with provisions this time. as they unload everything, they share a flask of whiskey, which soon goes to their heads. they pass out and fall asleep, unaware of a raging storm during the night which blows the cabin to the very edge of a cliff. the tramp and big jim get up the next morning and as they walk about the cabin, they are confused as why the cabin rocks back and forth. the tramp attributes it to a hangover and dismisses it. but before long it cannot be ignored. the tramp reasons that something is missing underneath the cabin and opens the door to investigate - only to nearly fall to his death. once the situation is made clear to the both of them - they begin to panic. they must climb up the slanting floor to reach the other door to safety, which is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. in my opinion, of course. this makes great wallpaper for your computer, by the waythey manage to escape the house before it crashes over the side of the cliff - a special effect that was impressive for its time and one chaplin was very proud of. big jim gets out before the tramp and nearly lets him fall over the cliff with the house because he realizes where they are - at the site of his claim. just in time, he pulls the tramp to safety before the cabin is destroyed. chaplin with mack swain in the gold rushfinally, the friends are rich. on a ship leaving alaska, they enjoy the advantages of finally being top of the food chain. many have said this was chaplin's acknowledgment of his own quick rise to fame and fortune. mack daddys of the 1920'sa reporter asks the tramp to change back into his old mining clothes so he can get a few pictures for his "rags to riches" story. the tramp obliges, pausing while changing to stare at his treasured picture of georgia, now in a frame, thinking he has everything but what he really wants. big jim seems pretty happy until the little tramp interrupts his manicure. poor chick. while all this is going on, the tramp does not realize that georgia is on the same ship, in steerage. good thing she wasn't on the titanic. she overhears officers talking of a stowaway on the ship. meanwhile, the tramp is posing for a picture in his old clothes and while backing up so the photographer can get a good shot, he falls to the next deck - right in front of georgia. they are thrilled to see each other again, and georgia realizes he must be the stowaway. as the officers approach she tries to hide him, but they grab him and attempt to take him away. georgia pleads with them to let the tramp go, saying she will pay for his ticket, when the reporters join them and tell the officers that the tramp is no stowaway - he's the multi-millionaire partner of big jim. the tramp's valet conveniently appears, and he is told to prepare a room for georiga. there are two different endings for the gold rush. though i love chaplin, i never liked the re-release of this movie, though i can easily understand his motives for doing it at the time. it was changed, as i said, with the title cards taken out and chaplin's own narration added. i love chaplin's voice, but it always bugged me that he did that - he was such a lover of silence and though he has a great voice, it is a distraction for me. i realize by 1942, the silent pictures were all but forgotten and he was hoping to create a new generation of fans with this version - and maybe it worked. but as i told bix - if you have the choice to watch either, i would stick with the original 1925 version. the ending was so much better, and there is nothing taken away from the beauty of this silent film. in the re-release, the reporters ask chaplin who the lady is with him, and he whispers in the ear of one of them. "buzz buzz buzz," says chaplin. the reporter congratulates him and comments that it is happy ending. as the tramp escorts georgia to the upper deck, chaplin says, "and it was...a happy ending." in the original, the tramp and georgia climb to the upper deck, where the photographer will take their picture together. he pushes them close together and before he can take the picture, the tramp begins to kiss georgia. the photographer complains that the tramp has "spoiled the picture," but the tramp waves him away as he continues to kiss her. fade out. i love that ending so much more. georgia and the tramp look so awkward posing together and their kiss looks so natural. however, in unknown chaplin, georgia hale tells of how chaplin insisted on doing take after take of that shot until she realized he was doing it because he wanted to kiss her. she said they'd had no personal contact throughout the movie because he was still married to lita grey. but by the end of filming, they had separated and he was fair game. it is unclear when their affair really started - it has been implied it began the moment georgia was hired to replace lita, which is pretty believable, considering chaplin's reputation. but georgia was different. she was religious and that was what eventually came between them. after chaplin finished the gold rush, he went on a world tour, where he had other affairs and virtually ignored georgia, who was not invited to come along. they split up when he returned, according to georgia. chaplin could be very cold to her at times. though she attended the premiere of the gold rush with him, he never mentioned her, nor was she ever mentioned anywhere else that was written about that night. in everything i've ever read, it just said a "friend" attended the premiere with chaplin. maybe it was because of his impending divorce to lita, which was a total disaster. all in all, the gold rush is a treasure. i will never forget my first viewing of it. i was a couple of weeks into my budding obsession with chaplin, having taped everything TCM was running on their featured star of the month at the time. i went to the library and checked out a vhs copy of the gold rush, too impatient to wait for TCM's broadcast. it was a godawful copy - so burned out in places it was almost impossible to make anything out. but i can still remember my excitement and awe as i watched it that night. i still feel it with every viewing. chaplin and georgia hale in the gold rushif you'd like to see a taste of the gold rush, i found this trailer. luckily the first version is in english, though with chaplin it doesn't really matter, does it? up next comes the circus - not only the absolutely hilarious movie chaplin released in 1928, but the circus which became chaplin's life as he went through one of his most challenging and difficult times of his life and career.
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 13, 2009 14:23:49 GMT -5
chaplin and the circus, part I up until now, chaplin had only faced minor glitches in his life and career. the marriage and divorce to mildred harris wasn't the best publicity in the world for him, considering her age and everything he had to go through because of it to get the kid made. but it was nothing compared to what he would face while making the circus, which was released in 1928. he doesn't even mention it in his autobiography. truly, it was a miracle the film was even finished. but i'm so glad it was, because the circus is one of his best. chaplin brings in some old faithfuls for the circus - harry crocker, who worked both on and off the screen for chaplin for years, would have the other male lead role as rex, the tightrope walker. henry bergman and albert austin had roles as clowns, and john rand starred as one of the property men. crocker would also have small roles as a clown and assistant property man. chaplin's leading lady would be unknown merna kennedy, as the step-daughter of the circus ring master and horseback rider. to give you a hint of the troubles that would begin for chaplin, merna was lita's best friend. lita thought she would be perfect for the role and pressed chaplin to hire her. merna kennedyit opens at where else - but a circus. the first shot is a paper filled hoop with a star on it that merna crashes through during her act. her father, the ring master and quite possibly the crankiest guy ever to be in a circus, frowns as he watches her complete her act. when she is through, he brutally throws her to the ground, telling because she missed one of the hoops in the act that she will not eat that night. he then takes out his anger at the empty seats by yelling at the clowns before stalking off. merna lays in a crumpled heap, sobbing. henry bergman and i think albert austin in the circusthe tramp is one of the crowds milling about the side shows, and as usual he is hungry and broke. next to him is a man who picks the pocket of another man standing next to him. the man realizes he has been robbed and turns to the robber in a fury. before he can see, the robber plants the wallet and watch in the nearest hiding place, which is the tramp's baggy pockets. the tramp, concentrating on the shows, doesn't notice. the robber convinces the victim that he is guiltless of the crime by emptying his pockets. the victim storms off. the robber keeps an eye on the tramp, who wanders over to the sausage stand. he stands behind a man who is holding a toddler, who has been given a sausage. the tramp sees his opportunity and wastes no time in making silly faces to entertain the child, while innocently taking bites of his snack. chaplin in the circusthe funniest part is when the tramp takes the time to quickly and efficiently brush some mustard on the sausage before taking another bitethe child feeds the rest of his food to the tramp and the father, unknowing of what's happened, takes him away. meanwhile, the robber has been watching closely, not realizing a policeman has been watching him. just as the tramp begins to walk away, the robber makes a grab for the wallet and watch. the policeman grabs the robber, startling both the robber and the tramp. the wallet and watch are produced and the policeman, thinking the robber was taking it from the tramp, tells him to count the money to make sure it is all there. bewildered, the tramp obligingly counts the money and nods, dumbfounded. the policeman hauls the robber away. chaplin with eugene berry and steve murphy in the circusthe tramp tells the man at the sausage wagon to get cooking so he can start cashing in on his sudden good fortune. but as this is happening, the robber escapes the policeman's grip and begins to run. just then, the victim who was originally robbed happens upon the tramp as he is counting his money and looking at his new watch. enraged, the man summons another policeman, but as he is explaining his story, the tramp takes off. chaplin with max tyron in the circusas it ends up, both the tramp and the robber are running side by side, chased by two policeman over the same wallet and watch. i love this part of the circus, because it reminds me of the old keystone shorts that had the same kinds of "plot" misunderstandings. the original copsthe chase scene is great - quick and funny. the tramp runs into a funhouse, into a mirror maze. this was brilliant filming on chaplin's part. you can't take your eyes off the tramp as he scampers about the maze, confused at the dozens of images of himself in the other mirrors. he drops his hat and a cast of hands reach out for it. he is unsure of how to get out. but before he can, the robber bursts in and demands the tramp return the money. watching the robber try to grab the tramp in the mirror maze is just too fun. the tramp manages to get away, but before he can leave the funhouse, he must disguise himself as one of the robotic figures just outside to evade the lurking policeman. chaplin with steve murphy in the circuswatching chaplin as one of these figures is incredible - he looks just like one of them. if you just happened to walk into the room during this scene and didn't know any better, you would think it wasn't chaplin, but one of the robotic characters. he was that good. the robber comes out and tries to struggle with the tramp, who points out the policeman nearby. the robber stands still as the tramp pretends to bop him on the head - which he does until the robber eventually falls over. the police figure it out and one of them chase the tramp back into the mirror maze. that's the best part of the chase scene, i think. i wish i could have found a bigger picture for this scenethe tramp manages to escape as the policeman tries to figure out which one of the dozen images is actually him. he races into the actual circus, that features a half-filled audience of bored looking patrons. the tramp races right into the middle of the three rings with the policeman hot on his heels. how i wish i could have found pictures from the following scene, because it's really funny. but perhaps that will just encourage you to look the circus up for yourself, because nothing can compare to the actual movie. the tramp causes an uproar in the scheduled acts of the circus, which seem to delight the audience. they explode in laughter at the antics of the tramp and the policeman, thinking they are part of the act. as chaos disrupts, the ring master notices the audience's reaction for the first time. after the tramp completely ruins the vanishing lady act, he makes his escape, only to run into the first policeman who is taking away the robber. the tramp gives the policeman the wallet and watch despite the policeman's confusion, and runs away to hide. the circus acts go on as normal, but the audience is not pleased. "bring back the funny man!" they all shout. the funny man up next: the tramp begins his new career and meets his newest dream girl in the circus, part II
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 16, 2009 13:15:39 GMT -5
part II the story of the circus continues with meal time after the show for the performers. merna forlornly sits, the only one without food. one of the clowns (bergman) tries to give her his plate of food, but she tells him she isn't allowed to eat, and then begins to cry. as the clown tries to get her to eat, the surly ring master appears and takes the plate of food away and threatens merna. in the meantime, the tramp is taking a snooze in a cart. when some workers discover him, he attempts to make a run for it, but not before the ring master sees and grabs him. the tramp rightly looks confused when the ring master offers him a job. the tramp agrees to return the next morning for an audition. chaplin with al ernest garcia in the circusearly the next morning, the tramp is conjuring up some breakfast. he boils a can of water over a little fire. a stray chicken wanders past, and the tramp chases after it and comes back with an egg, which he drops in the can, after tipping his hat to the chicken. taking out two slices of bread, he leaves one sitting out as he walks away for a moment, apparently looking for something. chaplin in the circuswhile he's gone, merna emerges from her trailer, hungry. seeing the lone piece of bread by the tramp's fire, she quickly snatches it and begins to eat. the tramp sees her and angrily chases her away, taking what is left of the bread. he finds he can't continue with his breakfast with the girl staring at him, so he reluctantly invites her to join him. chaplin with merna kennedy he splits the half eaten bread with her, which she begins to devour. he stops her, urging her not to eat so fast, that it wasn't good for digestion. he takes pleasure in being able to say i told you so, when she begins to hiccup, but it isn't long before he joins her. and blames her for his hiccups. dining etiquette in the circusmerna tries to give the tramp what is left of the bread, but he tells her to keep it and run along home. she tells him that she lives there and is part of the circus. as they are getting to know each other, the ring master approaches, sees the bread in the girl's hand and angrily throws it to the ground. the tramp watches in fearful amazement as the ring master roughly shoves merna aside and tells him it is time for his audition. before the tramp joins him, he quickly takes the boiled egg from the can and gives it to merna, who returns to her trailer. under the big top, the tramp nervously stands before the ring master and several of the clowns and assorted workmen. "go ahead and be funny," the ring master commands. unsure of what is expected of him, the tramp gives it a shot, doing little dance steps and walking foolishly. it is pointed out in charlie: the life and art of charles chaplin that the little moves the tramp tries in his audition would have been enough to get a laugh from chaplin's audience only ten years previous to the circus. the circus really delves into chaplin's art and the complexity of it - the constant demands of the audience, how fickle they can be and the pressures of simply being funny. the audition in the circusbut the tramp isn't winning anyone over. he is only funny when he isn't trying to be. the ring master is thoroughly disgusted, and orders the other clowns to put on the william tell act. he then instructs the tramp to watch them to see if he can do it. the funniest part in this scene to me is when the tramp innocently pulls the ring master's chair over to sit in, which of course, results in the ring master falling on his ass. but it is even funnier when the tramp almost does the same thing a second time and just manages to put the chair under the ring master before he sits down again. the tramp watches the act and thinks it is hilarious, forgetting he is there to learn, not be entertained, as is clearly shown through the ring master's disapproval. i'm telling you - this guy is a right bastard. chaplin and garcia in the circuswhen it is the tramp's turn to participate in the act, he ruins it. they try another act that involves buckets of shaving cream, which he also ruins - getting everyone - including the ring master - covered in it. before the ring master can throw a fit, the tramp infuriates him even more by asking about terms of the job. the ring master throws him out in a rage. after getting chased by a donkey (all the animals in the circus seem to hate the tramp for some inexplicable reason), the tramp happens to see merna in her circus costume and you can now see his interest in her, which is different from his other films where he falls in love instantly. merna asks about the audition and the tramp shakes his head regretfully and says they couldn't come to terms. she points out the shaving cream still on his face and after he cleans himself up, merna is told the show is starting and she needs to leave. they part reluctantly, after merna thanks the tramp for the egg. as the show begins, the ring master yells at the workmen, who aren't working. they complain about their back pay and then quit. the head workman tells the ring master, who nearly explodes at the news. "get anybody!" he yells. the workman goes out in search of anyone who can help, and sees the tramp trying to peer through a hole in the circus tent to get a glimpse of merna. up next: the tramp joins the circus in part III
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 19, 2009 15:44:46 GMT -5
the circus, part III the tramp gets a hasty introduction to his new job in the circus. he is dragged through the tents to where a stack of plates are shoved into his arms and is instructed to follow the head workman out to set up for the juggling act. stooping to pick up a fallen plate, the tramp catches the eye of another disgruntled circus animal - a horse that begins to chase him right into the center ring. dropping plates as he runs, the tramp falls right into the laps of some dressed up society ladies in the front row of the audience, which makes the rest of the crowd roar with laughter. once again, chaplin uses the fallen high and mighty as a comical tool, so to speak, in his work. chaplin in the circuswatch the next part of this scene - after the ladies shove the tramp off of them, he accidentally falls into a nearby empty wooden barrel while trying to avoid the workman's wrath. look how limber chaplin was to do that - not once, but repeatedly. i can tell you right now that most of us would be in traction if we tried that. and it is so quick and funny - it's just hilarious. the audience continues to laugh as the workman kicks the tramp in the bum to get him to help bring out professor bosco's table. as the tramp begins to pick it up, the magician yells, "don't touch that button!" that is on the side of the table. the tramp tips his hat and helps the workman take it out to the center ring. he falls back into another barrel, which sends the crowd into gales of laughter once more. in trying to get the table centered, the tramp accidentally presses the button. on the table are three top hats - and when the button is pressed, doves, ducks, balloons and baby pigs all begin to come out of the hats. the confused surprise of the tramp is so comical as he tries to catch everything and cram it all back into the hats with absolutely no success. he's chasing pigs and ducks, tripping over them and having balloons pop in his face all at once. professor bosco is having a hissy fit as he watches, but the audience is on its feet, laughing and applauding. chaplin with professor bosco (george davis) in the circusfilming the professor bosco scene in the circusthe ring master once again sees the crowd's reaction to the tramp's antics. it's impossible not to laugh while watching the tramp chasing the birds and pigs, desperately trying to fix everything. the vindictive horse returns to chase him around the ring again, and in doing so, he upsets professor bosco's table, which exposes the workmen beneath, supplying the "magic." the ring master grabs the head workman and tells him to keep the tramp on as a property man. "he's a sensation, but doesn't know it," he says. he knows the only way he can keep the seats full is to keep the tramp in the dark - making him think he is another worker, not the star of the show. a charming scene follows as we see merna practicing high above the ground on the swings. clearly, she is not thrilled to be doing this as she repeatedly checks the strength of the ropes. the tramp appears and calls her down for lunch, but she tells him she can't, so he begins throwing piece of her lunch to her. when the ring master appears, he doesn't want to be caught being the one providing merna with food, so he pretends to juggle her lunch, which doesn't amuse the ring master. i swear you never see this guy crack a smile during the whole film. the tramp distracts the ring master, along with the head workman as he tries to throw up a piece of cream pie to merna, who misses it. it lands on the head workman's face with a splat. the ring master begins to accuse merna, who looks terrified, but the tramp assures them both it was not merna's fault. he then mimes a passing bird as an explanation. the ring master chases him away. he then reminds the head workman not to let the tramp know he's the hit of the show - to keep him busy. lunchtime in the circusthe tramp takes his duties as property man seriously. he mops the dirt floor, polishes not only the goldfish bowl, but the goldfish inside. in trying to help, the tramp ends up swallowing a pill meant for a sick horse. to add insult to injury, another horse begins to chase the tramp, who escapes by running into the first trailer he sees, not knowing it contains a man-eating lion. up next: lions, monkeys and hunky tightrope walkers in the circus, part IV
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Post by callipygias on Oct 24, 2009 12:22:23 GMT -5
, he accidentally falls into a nearby empty wooden barrel while trying to avoid the workman's wrath. look how limber chaplin was to do that - not once, but repeatedly. i can tell you right now that most of us would be in traction if we tried that. The physical things the silent comedians did -- and were allowed to do -- seem almost impossible. Actors are so proud today when they do one of their own stunts. Pfft. Please. Chaplin didn't get as jaw-droppingly insane as Keaton or Lloyd (who had to push the envelope to try to keep up with him), but it amazes me how funny he managed to be while he did stunt after stunt, any one of which would break my back. The fact that he was still able to do many of them as an old man makes me feel sad and decrepit.
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 26, 2009 15:08:27 GMT -5
the circus, part IV we last left the tramp in the cage that contains a sleeping man-eating lion. once he realizes where he is, the tramp fumbles with the door to escape, but it only knocks the lock in place for him, trapping him inside. he cautiously tiptoes to a small door that leads to another trailer, and very nearly loses his head to a vicious tiger on the other side, so he decides to stay where he is, with the sleeping lion. just then, a yapping dog runs up to the trailer and won't leave, even though the tramp begs it - quietly - to leave. chaplin in the circusthis is when merna happens to walk up and see what has happened. just as women were required to do in any kind of stressful situation in movies from that time, she faints dead away. as the tramp throws water from a pan in the trailer in her face to wake her up, the lion wakes up instead and walks over to the tramp to give him a cursory sniff. chaplin said his fear in this scene was totally real, no acting was requiredthe lion takes a whiff and sees no threat in the tramp and walks back to the other end of the trailer to finish his nap. amazed, the tramp checks himself to make sure he's okay. merna wakes up and quickly opens the door for him, but seeing an opportunity to impress her, the tramp shrugs and says he's in no hurry. in fact, he walks over the lion to prove how brave he is. but this time the lion loses his good humor and lets out a roar that sends the tramp out the trailer and up the nearest pole in fright. merna coaxes the tramp back down in the circusit was said in the life and art of charles chaplin doc that the tramp trapped in the lion's den was a perfect metaphor for chaplin's real life at that time. feeling trapped - desperate to escape and avoid the man-eaters. it's a pretty good description of chaplin's failing marriage to lita. it wasn't long before chaplin began an affair with merna - not his smartest move, but i have to wonder why lita would suggest her in the first place, knowing chaplin's weakness for young pretty girls. when lita had lunch with merna and commented on a diamond bracelet she was wearing, merna innocently replied that charlie had bought it for her. chaplin was known as a bit of a tightwad (understandably so, considering his poor beginnings), and since he had never bought lita any jewelry, she knew then that her husband was sleeping with her best friend. she went for blood in the divorce. she produced a document that went on for pages on chaplin's personal life - she named dozens of names of women he had slept with (including marion davies) and very intimate behavior in the bedroom. it was copied and circulated all over town. lita at the divorce proceedingsthe divorce settlement was the largest in american history, up to that date, totaling $825,000, not to mention over a million dollars in legal fees. lita, once again coached by her mother and their lawyers, tried to butcher chaplin on the stand. and though the publicity wasn't good for him, and lita's testimony probably worked on a fair percent of fans, chaplin managed to get through the ordeal without losing everything he had worked so hard for. it actually turned out worse for lita - as it was said in the life and art of charles chaplin, most of the mud she tried to throw on him ended up on her. the strain of trying to make a movie and go through this was so stressful for him it caused his dark hair to turn white prematurely. lita with charlie jr. and sydney jr. sam goldwyn said of the disaster that was chaplin and lita: “i remember very well i warned charlie several times about lita and her mother. the latter kept track of chaplin’s evening movements. if he went to a restaurant, mama was there with lita, pushing the child under charlie’s nose: if he went to the theater, mama was there with lita. if ever i saw a girl waiting to be seduced, it was lita.” it was an expensive lesson for chaplin to learn. sadly, it would not be his last mistake he would make when it came to women. filming of the circus had to come to a halt for two different reasons during this time. chaplin was afraid that lita's lawyers would try to attach the negatives of the circus in the divorce settlement - much like mildred harris's lawyers tried to do when he made the kid. i'm not sure the time line here, but then the set of the circus caught fire and was almost completely destroyed. chaplin was devastated. a very raw, emotional picture of chaplin surveying the damage the fire did to the set of the circusjust when things couldn't seem to get worse, chaplin and sydney's mother died. the chaplin brothers had moved hannah to the states once they were able to do so, and moved her into a little house near the ocean, along with a couple that lived there to take care of her. chaplin was very good to his mother, but for the most part he avoided her. it was too painful for him to witness her decline, though hannah, for the most part, seemed content with her life. while visiting his home once, they stood in the garden where chaplin told his mother they employed two gardeners. "you must be quite rich," she commented. he told her as of that minute he was worth five million dollars. she said, "so long as you're able to keep your health and enjoy it." charlie and sydney's mother, hannah, in her last years in americachaplin's mother became very religious in her final years. chaplin recorded a conversation in his autobiography they had after chaplin asked his mother what she thought of "all this nonsense," (meaning his success). she said, "it's wonderful, but wouldn't you rather be yourself than live in this theatrical world of unreality?" chaplin said, "you should talk; you're responsible for this unreality." hannah replied, "if only you had put your talent in the service of the lord - think of the thousands of souls you could have saved." chaplin said, "i might have saved souls, but not money." a gall bladder attack sent hannah to the hospital for the final time - doctors said they could not operate because of the condition of her heart. in the middle of production of the circus, chaplin received the phone call that she had died. he sat with her in her hospital room for a while and wept. sydney was unable to return from europe in time to attend her funeral. she was buried in the hollywood cemetery. chaplin closed the chapter on his mother with this from his autobiography: "and in spite of the squalor in which we were forced to live, she had kept sydney and me off the streets and made us feel we were not the ordinary product of poverty, but unique and distinguished." up next: life gets a little easier for both the tramp and merna in part V of the circus
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Post by solgroupie on Oct 30, 2009 15:40:52 GMT -5
the circus, part V after the tramp escapes the lion's den, he and merna sit down to talk. the head workman comes and bullies the tramp, handing him a pitchfork and pointing to a bale of hay. once they are alone again (and the tramp ditches his chores), merna unknowingly tells the tramp the truth - that he is the real star of the show and it is a shame how badly he is treated. chaplin with merna kennedy in the circus the tramp realizes his worth and is rightly angry. as merna encourages him, the camera zooms out and you see the ring master standing a few feet away, listening. the ring master approaches the pair, and angrily slaps merna, who falls to the ground. before he can hit her again, the tramp stops him and declares that he will quit if he strikes her again. the ring master steps back in surprise as the tramp also demands he is paid for what he is worth. after some dubious negotiating, they strike a deal and the tramp quickly helps merna to her feet. chaplin with al ernest garcia in the circusafter that, life became much easier for the tramp and merna. and i'm wrong - the ring master does smile when he sees the tramp, and even his step-daughter, which seems to confuse her more than anything. merna is persuaded to have her cards read by a fortune teller. as the fortune teller tells merna she sees love and marriage with a dark, handsome man near you now, the tramp overhears from the other side of the tent. hearing what he hoped was true in his heart, he becomes giddy with excitement. after finishing with the fortune teller, merna stops to tie up her slippers, putting her foot up on a trunk that says, rex - king of the air. harry crocker, as rex, introduces himself to merna, who is immediately lovestruck. meanwhile, the tramp buys a ring from a clown (bergman) to give to merna, for five dollars. that was a lot of money back now. he hears merna talking again on the other side of the tent to the fortune teller. the tramp, about to learn a harsh truth in the circus merna says it happened - she is in love. with rex, the tight rope walker she has just met. realization sets in and the tramp's heart is broken once again. c haplin in the circusjust then, the tramp hears his cue and must go out and make the audience laugh. but from then on, everything changes. he has lost his ability to make people laugh by his humiliation. after the act, the ring master questions why the tramp didn't get any laughs, but he only shrugs sadly, while watching merna and rex talking. chaplin uses some special effects as he imagines himself beating up rex in front of merna, though in reality he does nothing. he is polite as merna introduces him to rex as her friend, but you know that had to hurt. the tramp tries to leave, but merna makes him sit with her to watch rex's act. he does an impressive act, climbing the rope to the tight rope effortlessly, and then crossing the tight rope after taking off his suit and riding a bicycle off the rope for his big finish. don't worry, he isn't naked underneath the suit. chaplin with merna kennedy in the circusthe tramp tries to appear bored during the act to show merna that he is not impressed by rex, but he can't help being caught up in the excitement with everyone else. as time goes by, it is clear that rex and merna are growing closer. the tramp decides to try to learn how to walk the tight rope to try and impress merna, but the ring master catches him and chews him out for the decline of his performance. he threatens to throw him out if he doesn't start making people laugh again. chaplin in the circusthe next few scenes are what the circus is mostly remembered for. the ring master has had about enough of the tramp's act not getting any laughs from the audience. he tells him he gets one more chance and then he's out, but not before giving merna a good smack in the head. chaplin with merna kennedy and al ernest garcia in the circusthe head foreman tells the ring master that rex has not shown up for his act, which of course, sends the ring master into a fury. he finds the tramp and asks if he can do the act in rex's place. the tramp says no, but the ring master tells him he'll do it or quit. filled with sudden confidence at this new chance to impress merna, the tramp decides to do it. his friend, the clown (bergman), helps him try to find rex's clothes, and while opening a trunk a bunch of monkeys jump out and begin running around the dressing room. the tramp manages to get dressed in spite of the chaos around him and prepares himself to his fate. MONKEYS!! chaplin and henry bergman in the circusall dressed up in rex's clothes, complete with a big cape and top hat, the tramp waits for his act to being. merna sees him and asks him what is happening. i am taking his place on the rope, the tramp says casually. merna tries to talk him out of doing this, but he insists he leads a charmed life. as he says that, he accidentally pulls his cane on a rope attached to a pulley, which drops a sandbag on his head. merna runs off, upset. the tramp gets an idea and asks the man in charge of the pulley to help him. they attach a strap around the tramp's waist that will be attached to one of the pulleys. the tramp pays the man another five dollars to make sure if he falls off the rope, he will see to it that he won't fall to his death. they test it out and it seems to work. chaplin in the circusmerna comes back and asks the tramp not to try this, but he insists that he will be fine. merna looks confused as the tramp seems to bounce around as the man with the pulley is trying to stay out of sight and adjusts the line. his secret it eventually revealed to merna as the tramp is hanging upside down, still trying to appear as if everything is normal. just before he is to go on, bergman runs out, telling the tramp he has forgotten to put on the tights beneath the suit. but it is too late and time for the tramp to go on. i could never describe the next few minutes of the circus. it is one of the best things chaplin ever did, and you'll just have to see it for yourself. think about this - chaplin learned how to walk on an actual tight rope for this movie. for weeks he practiced on the rope, suspended forty feet above the ground. and not just walking across the rope, but as you'll see in the clip - he did some pretty amazing moves on it. then, to add to the curse that seemed to plague the circus, the negative of that scene got scratched in production and was ruined. chaplin had to re-shoot the whole scene all over again, and was furious because he was sure the best cut was from the ruined negative. but this is still pretty damn impressive. after crashing into the little general store, the tramp takes his bows in his ripped clothes to no one, stunned to be alive. he runs back inside the tent to find the ring master beating up merna. filled with adrenaline, the tramp pounces on the ring master and gives him a taste of his own medicine. the foreman arrives to break them up, and they both effectively throw the tramp out of the circus. complete with two black eyes, the ring master tells the tramp he's through. the tramp stumbles away as merna cries. that night the tramp is sitting alone by a campfire. he hears a noise and it is merna, who has followed him. in a line that always makes me laugh, she tells him she has run away from the circus and is never going back. she begs and pleads the tramp to allow her to come along, but he refuses, knowing that kind of life is not good enough for merna. he gets an idea and tells her to stay there until he returns, then leaves. chaplin in the circusthe tramp finds rex preparing for his act at the circus. rex, wearing a very smart business suit. walking the rope must pay pretty well. the tramp rapidly explains to him what has happened and tells him of his idea. he gives him the ring he bought from the clown and tells rex to come with him. rex agrees and they leave. the next scene opens outside of a small courthouse, where merna and rex emerge, newly married. the tramp follows behind them, hooting and throwing rice. arm in arm in arm, the trio head back to the circus, which is preparing to leave town. chaplin with harry crocker and merna kennedy in the circus they arrive in time to see the ring master, none too happy to see merna again. he treats her literally like a dog, commanding her to come to him. but rex steps up and puts him in his place, showing their marriage certificate to the old bastard while the tramp comforts merna, reminding her that he punched his lights out not once, but twice. the circus, almost overthe ring master reluctantly accepts the fact that merna is not his to kick around anymore by shaking rex's hand and giving merna a limp handshake as well. he asks rex if he will continue with the show, and he and merna agree - only if the ring master will take the tramp back too. when he agrees, the tramp shakes his hand joyously, apologizing for beating him up. the ring master throws him off and tells him to ride in the end car. but merna and rex urge the tramp to join them in their wagon car. merna kennedy and harry crocker in the circusi love how the tramp conveys his answer in pantomime - by holding up two fingers and then three to say two's company, three's a crowd. he smiles as he closes the door on the couple and the wagons begin to pull out. chaplin in the circusthe tramp watches the horses pull the wagons away, left behind in a cloud of dust. now he is completely alone in the middle of what was the center ring of the circus. he sits down and finds a crumpled bit of paper - the star that merna crashed through in the opening shot of the circus. everything came full circle and the tramp is on his own again. he grieves for a moment, thinking of what happened and what could have been. but then in true tramp fashion, he sighs and stands up - tosses the wadded up piece of paper in the air and kicks it away and shrugging it all off, heads off toward the sunset to his next adventure. filming the final scene in the circusthe circus is a true miracle. it's another simple story that chaplin expertly directs to get the perfect blend of hilarious comedy and tragedy. and that ending is one of his most moving - and for some reason (perhaps the tight-rope scene with the monkeys overshadows it) it is always overlooked. the tramp has reached his maturity in the circus. think back to the keystone shorts when he was running around parks, stealing, fighting and doing anything for a drink or a pretty girl. though he lives a solitary life he is not the center of his universe - he can make sacrifices to help others instead of himself. it comes with a price, but one he's paid many times before. the last incident that took place while making the circus - while chaplin was reviewing the film of the final scene he decided it did not look right because the hat was sitting at a strange angle on the tramp's head. just because of that little thing, he decided to re-shoot that whole scene. but in getting everything together, they discovered the wagons had been stolen by a group of students. but they were found and chaplin had everything re-shot until he was satisfied. watching the final scene of the circus, you can't help but think - it's 1928. the silent movies were about to become a thing of the past. sound was going to revolutionize the whole industry, and chaplin would find himself in quite a quandary. how could the tramp speak? can you imagine it? no one could. chaplin was about to face the possibility of losing his identity in the generosity of silence. he would either have to move forward or remain silent. in his next film, city lights, he would do both.
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Post by solgroupie on Nov 3, 2009 12:26:27 GMT -5
part I the first time chaplin was told by a friend that sound was going to take over the silent pictures, he was skeptical. then warner brothers produced their first talking sequence that horrified him. in his autobiography, he spoke of the sound effects: "when the handle of the boudoir door turned i thought someone had cranked up a farm tractor, and when the door closed it sounded like the collision of two lumber trucks. i came away from the theater believing the days of sound were numbered." chaplin said after MGM released the broadway melody, a full-length musical, (chaplin called it a "cheap, dull affair"), it's huge box office success was the nail in the coffin for silent pictures. no one wanted to look back. and certainly we can understand that. but silent films are just a novelty now, it is hard to imagine a world where that was your only choice in film entertainment. the jazz singer, released in 1927, was best known as the official introduction of film's cross over to soundchaplin saw no reason for him to make the transformation. he believed that there would ultimately still be silent films produced - that there was room all types of entertainment. he also knew how good he was at making silent movies, so he continued with his plans for his next picture, city lights. once again, chaplin proved to the industry that he would not be influenced by trends or other opinions. they told him he shouldn't make a comedy about the war when he made shoulder arms, but it was the most popular movie during world war I. they said the kid was a mistake - a movie had to be all drama or all comedy. it couldn't be both. he proved them wrong again. and when others in the business told him he had a lot of courage to make a silent film in the age of the popular talkies, he was undaunted. it may have seemed a little arrogant for chaplin to believe so strongly that his talent at pantomime could rival this revolution in technology. but if you've seen city lights, you know he was right again. he had two immediate problems in the production of city lights. talkies had been established for three years by the time he got around to making it, and he said that most actors had forgotten the art of pantomime by then. his second most pressing problem was finding a girl to play the lead who could look blind. then one day he was at santa monica beach and saw a group of pretty girls in bathing suits working for some unidentified film company. one girl was named virginia cherrill, whom chaplin had met before. "when am i going to work for you?" she called when she saw him. chaplin didn't consider her until he was desperate, but was surprised to learn she could look realistically blind. she was hired. virginia cherrillother than virginia cherrill, harry myers was hired to play the eccentric millionaire. chaplin had hired a different actor before myers, but fired him after he didn't want to do the scene where he falls in a body of water because he had a cold. old faithfuls included albert austin, john rand and henry bergman (who were billed as assistant directors, along with harry crocker). and this will tell you how long it took chaplin to make city lights. jean harlow was an unknown hired as an uncredited extra, who played a coat check girl in the restaurant scene. by the time city lights was released, she was a star in her own right. jean harlowchaplin did use sound effects and some garbled talk in city lights, but it was mainly a silent picture. it opens with a dedication ceremony of a monument titled "peace and prosperity." a huge crowd has gathered to listen to henry bergman speak some kind of comical nonsense. it was actually chaplin "talking" through a kazoo to get the effect, which was much funnier than any real speech could have been. the monument is unveiled and the crowd sees the tramp taking a snooze on it, which ruins the effect for everyone. waking up to a ceremony, the tramp seems befuddled, but agreeably begins to climb down from the statue, unknowingly making even more of a mockery of the establishment's dedication. the tramp rips his pants in this scene - and they stay ripped throughout the rest of the movie - they are never "magically" fixedthe tramp has a run in with a couple of newsboys on the street that infuriates him. one of the boys, austen jewell, turned out to have an extensive career in acting and directing. he was production manager for star trek: the wrath of khan, as well as terms of endearment. chaplin with who i believe is austen jewell in city lightsthen we meet the blind girl, who is unnamed throughout the film. she sits on a city street, selling flowers to support herself and her grandmother. the street is busy with people, but no one stops to buy a flower from the beautiful girl. virginia cherrill in city lightsthough the next scene flows as easily as any of chaplin's work, it took him forever to figure out how to convey to the audience that the blind girl mistakes the tramp on their first meeting as a rich man. it was early in production and people tried to persuade chaplin to make city lights as a talkie. sound would have made that evident in a matter of seconds, but he stubbornly refused. even after he finally worked it out, it still took five days of shooting to get it just right for him. chaplin and virginia cherrill in city lightsthe tramp is trying to cross a busy street and finds it easier to simply enter a vehicle in traffic through one door and exit out the other to the sidewalk - just like he did in the idle class years before. the blind girl hears the slam of a car and offers him a flower. at first the tramp resists, but weakens at her beauty and agrees. he picks the flower he wants and accidentally knocks it out of her hand. they both stoop to pick the flower up, and the tramp gets it first. when the girl asks him if he got the flower he is, at first, irritated that she didn't notice he had. but then he realizes she is blind. his demeanor changes instantly. he gently helps her to her feet and stares at her with new eyes as she attaches the flower to his coat. the precise moment the tramp falls in love with the blind girl in city lightsthe tramp pays her with what could be his last dime. as he watches her, a wealthy man passes and gets into the car that the tramp recently exited. as the car purrs off, the blind girl thinks her customer has left. "wait for your change, sir!" she calls. the tramp realizes she thinks he is a wealthy man, so he tiptoes away to watch her with admiration and longing in his eyes. there is a very funny moment when the blind girl unknowingly dumps a bucket of water on the tramp that she takes from a nearby fountain for her flowers, reminding us that this is a romantic comedy. up next: the tramp makes a very bizarre new friend in city lights, part II chaplin and harry myers in city lights
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Post by solgroupie on Nov 6, 2009 17:32:53 GMT -5
part II that evening, the blind girl arrives at the small flat where she lives with her grandmother. though she is blind and obviously poor, she has a radiance about her that is breathtaking. she seems genuinely happy as she greets her grandmother, winds up the victrola and opens the window to water her flower pots. a young man is standing below and says hello to her as he waits for his girlfriend to join him. she does and the blind girl listens to them leave with a wistful expression on her face. though her basic needs are met, she wonders if she will ever find a love of her own. virginia cherrill in city lightsa few blocks away, we see a well dressed man next to what appears to be a river, busily tying a rope into a noose as the tramp approaches, intending to spend the night on a nearby bench. he tips his hat to the man and after fastidiously cleaning the bench with his handkerchief, he sits down to smell the flower he bought from the blind girl and think about her. i have a similar print in a frame at my houseas the tramp watches, the man begins to tie the rope to a heavy rock. he realizes the man means to throw himself into the river and leaps up to stop him. as the man resists, the tramp pleads with him to reconsider. "tomorrow the birds will sing," the tramp says. when the man buries his face in his hands to cry, the tramp tries another tactic and firmly says, "be brave! face life!" however, the man (who is sloshed, by the way) is determined to end his life and goes back to working with the rope, which he accidentally tosses around the tramp's neck instead of his own. chaplin with harry myers in city lightswhat follows, of course is slapstick comedy at its finest. when the man throws the rock in the river, the tramp effortlessly follows it. the pair repeatedly fall in the water in their efforts to help each other out of the water. when they both manage to make it out, the man hugs the tramp and tells him he is cured and now they are friends for life. he tells the tramp they will go to his home and warm up. the tramp follows, but only after returning to the bench to reclaim the small flower. the man is a millionaire and lives in a luxurious home. the world's snootiest butler shows obvious disdain for the tramp, and tells the man that his wife has sent for her bags, which tells us why the man is so upset. there is such a funny moment when the man goes to prepare a drink for he and the tramp. there is a picture of a woman in a frame on the liquor cabinet that the man glances at and quickly tosses out of the shot. chaplin and harry myers get loaded in city lightsafter they get drunk (or in the man's case, gets drunker) the man becomes despondent again and this time, pulls out a gun to kill himself. and again, the tramp talks him out of it. the man then wants to go out and celebrate, so he dresses the tramp up in a tux and they head out. the restaurant scene is a great one in city lights. it's very lively and funny. the tramp is completely out of his element now - dressed in fine clothes and in a ritzy restaurant, drunk as his new friend. chaplin finds many opportunities to employ several funny little gags here, some of which remind me of his old bits from his mutual or first national days, some that come completely out of nowhere, such as the gag where the tramp eats a plate of spaghetti. one noodle at a time. and somehow he manages to get a curly party favor made of paper caught in his mouth as he is eating. the expression on his face as it looks as if he is eating the longest piece of spaghetti ever is classic tramp. the tramp has trouble keeping his footing in city lightsone of my absolute favorite moments in city lights is in this scene. the music begins and everyone heads to the dance floor, but the man and the tramp. he watches everyone dancing like an overexcited puppy, hardly containing his desire to dance. a woman stands in front of him and does a wild shimmy until her partner joins her and they set off together. another woman stands in front of the tramp, waiting for her partner, and the tramp just shoots out of his chair, grabbing the woman and spinning her madly around the floor. it's so frantic and fast - the tramp's determination to dance and the woman's sudden confusion and panic is just hilarious to me. i pitied that poor woman, because knowing chaplin's love of re-takes, she probably had to submit herself to that a dozen times before chaplin was satisfied. chaplin entertaining guests (including douglas fairbanks) visiting the set of city lights - virginia cherrill said he would drop everything when anyone dropped by. "charlie was always "on,"" she said. the millionaire and the tramp head for home at dawn. the man drives his car all over the road, terrifying the tramp, who tells him to watch how he is driving. "am i driving?" he asks. hurriedly, the tramp takes the wheel and drives the rest of the way home. getting out of the car, the tramp remarks that he likes the man's car. dismissively, the man says, "then keep it, it's yours." the tramp's new ride in city lightsthe butler comes to assist his employer into the house and kicks the tramp out. as the tramp stands outside, the blind girl walks past with her basket of flowers. meanwhile, the drunken millionaire becomes angry when he learns his friend has been left outside and demands for the butler to let him back in, which he does. the tramp gets an idea and runs to the man, saying they should buy some flowers. the man hands him some bills and excitedly the tramp runs off to catch up with the blind girl. chaplin with harry myers in city lightsthe tramp gives the girl ten dollars for all of her flowers she has to sell that day. she tells him she doesn't have any change, but he insists she keeps it, which fills her with stunned happiness. very courteously, the tramp takes her arm and escorts her back to the outside of the millionaire's home. imperiously, the tramp calls for the butler and gives him the flowers and tells him he will be right back. he helps the blind girl into the car, who seats herself much more gracefully than the tramp does, and he drives her home. chaplin with virginia cherrill in city lightscall me mushy, but one of the most romantic scenes follows. the blind girl thanks the tramp for his kindness and starts up the stairs to her home. the tramp hands her the basket she keeps her flowers in and catches her hand before she can turn away. after tenderly kissing her hand, he asks,"may i see you home again?" the blind girl says, "whenever you wish, sir," before turning to walk up the steps. i don't know why, but that always gets me. the girl enters her flat and is overcome with what has just happened to her. finally, she has found love with a rich, kind gentleman. she goes to the open window to feed birds that are in a cage while the tramp watches her, enraptured. then chaplin does what he did so well - just as the tramp looks absolutely lovesick, a cat in an upstairs windowsill upsets a flower pot that falls right on the tramp's head. then he accidentally turns over a neighbor's water barrel and runs to the car and makes his getaway. up next: the millionaire shows his other side to the tramp!
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Post by solgroupie on Nov 11, 2009 12:13:16 GMT -5
city lights, part III as the tramp is returning to his friend's lavish home, the man sobers up - awakening on the couch covered in flowers - and doesn't remember anything about the night before. as the tramp rings the doorbell repeatedly, the man tells the butler he is out to everyone. the butler rudely slams the door on the tramp's foot and leaves him outside. the man doesn't have the slightest recollection of the tramp and says, "whoever he is, get rid of him!" the tramp, believing only the butler wants him to leave, playfully battles for entrance into the mansion, but to no avail. he is more than a little nonplussed to find himself locked out. the tramp stands around, jonesing for a smoke. eventually, a man walks by, smoking an expensive cigar. the tramp takes a whiff and jumps in the car to follow him. when the man drops the cigar butt on the ground, the tramp leaps out of the expensive car and knocks over a bum to get it. the bum watches the tramp take the cigar butt and climb back in the nice car and drive away. when he arrives back at the mansion, the man is emerging, dressed for the day. he watches in disbelief as the tramp parks his car and gets out, greeting him warmly. the man refuses to shake his hand and gets into his car and drives away, leaving the tramp confused as he puffs away on his cigar. meanwhile, the blind girl is excitedly telling her grandmother about her new friend. as she tells of him bringing her home in his car, the grandmother says he must be wealthy. the blind girl agrees, but adds, "yes, but he's more than that." later that afternoon, the tramp just happens to come upon the man's car, parked in front of a bar. the man himself stumbles out and sees the tramp. he falls all over himself when he sees the tramp, thus establishing how it will go for the rest of the film. the man only recognizes and remembers the tramp when he is blasted drunk. when he is sober, he doesn't remember anything. the man tells the tramp he will throw a "swell party" for him, and they get into the car. but this time, the tramp takes the wheel. chaplin with harry myers in city lightslater, there is a wild party going on at the man's house, and again the tramp is sloshed. chaplin uses this scene to run a few funny gags - one of which includes a whistle that the tramp accidentally swallows. here he uses sound just enough to make the gag funny - every time the tramp hiccups, the whistle inside of him tweets. it disrupts a man who tries to sing for everyone, and when the tramp goes outside he unwillingly calls not only a cab, but a pack of dogs. partyin' like it's 1931 in city lightsthe morning after the party, the man doesn't wake up alone in his bed. the tramp is dressed in a pair of the man's pajamas and is snuggled next to him. the man looks more than a little alarmed at what his drinking has led him to this time and gets up to prepare to leave for a cruise. again, the butler is told to get rid of the tramp. but the tramp doesn't want to go. he fights to stay, unwilling to leave such luxury as breakfast in a comfortable bed. but he is eventually ousted. the tramp runs to the street where the blind girl sells her flowers, but she is not there. he goes to her home and by looking through the open window, he sees a doctor there, talking to the blind girl's grandmother. the girl is in bed, sick. the doctor tells the grandmother she has a fever and needs careful attention. the tramp is distraught and knows he must do something to help her. up next: the tramp looks for work in city lights, part IV
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Post by solgroupie on Nov 17, 2009 13:22:53 GMT -5
city lights, part IV as it says in the title card, the tramp is determined to help the blind girl, so he looks for any kind of work he can find. he gets one of the most humiliating jobs available at that time - as a whitewing - one who walks the city streets, cleaning up after horses. you can see the tramp is not thrilled with his profession, but you also realize how far he will go to help the girl. and it is one of chaplin's best sight gags - as a large group of horses is herded down a street, the tramp turns his cart around to avoid them. but coming the other way is someone leading an elephant down the street. i love the tramp's expression when he sees it. chaplin in city lightsmeanwhile, the grandmother of the blind girl receives a notice from the landlord. they are $22.00 behind in rent and have only one day to come up with the money, or they must face eviction. the grandmother tries to hide how upset she is when the girl, now recovered from her illness, excitedly says her friend is coming to see her that day. the girl also says she wishes the grandmother would stay because she always seems to be away when he comes over. the grandmother places the letter in a book and embraces the girl before she leaves to sell flowers. the girl pats her grandmother's face and feels her tears. knowing something is wrong, she becomes upset, but the grandmother insists that everything is fine, and leaves as the girl pats her hair and smiles in anticipation of her visitor. it is lunch time and the tramp eagerly rids himself of his uniform and washes his face and arms as if he is preparing for surgery. in a scene that makes me ache for the days of the shorts, chaplin and albert austin work together for another funny visual gag that involves a switcheroo of a bar of soap and piece of cheese. after accidentally taking a bite of soap, austin, who plays another whitewing, begins yelling at the tramp - and with every word he says, bubbles come from his mouth. i think it's really the last time we ever see chaplin and austin work on screen together. the boss arrives as the tramp leaves and threateningly tells him to be back on time. the tramp runs off, anxious to be with the blind girl. he arrives at the girl's flat with a bag of groceries for her, and reads to her an article from the newspaper that says a vienna doctor has developed a cure for blindness. the girl is thrilled at the thought of being able to see her friend, which makes the tramp hesitate slightly, but his desire for her recovery is greater than his vanity. cherrill and chaplin then do a charming scene together, where the tramp agrees to hold a length of yarn that the blind girl unravels. unknowingly, she has taken a strand of thread from the tramp's ragged clothing and completely unravels one of his undergarments, while he flinches and grimaces, but never complains. chaplin and virginia cherrill in city lightsthe tramp winds up the victrola and takes a book to read to the girl, accidentally finding the letter the grandmother hid away, about the late rent. he reads it to her and she begins to cry. though he has no clue as to how he will attain the money, the tramp reassures her that it will be no problem for him to pay the amount first thing in the morning. though he sounds convincing, he looks quite worried as he leaves the sobbing girl. the tramp runs back to work, but the boss tells him he is late for the last time and fires him. dejected, the tramp begins to walk away, but a man standing nearby outside a boxing arena overhears what has just happened and stops the tramp. he asks if the tramp wants to make some easy money. the tramp agrees to enter the boxing ring with the boxer named eddie, and take a dive so they can split the purse, fifty-fifty. chaplin loved boxing. he went to fights regularly, and if you've watched enough shorts, you know he used boxing in a great many of his scenes - the champion was one of his first shorts that had a story centered around boxing, but as early as 1914 he starred in a keystone short called the knockout as a referee to fatty arbuckle and edgar kennedy. the knockout, 1914 in city lights, he was able to really expand on everything he had tried in the past, and it was definitely one of the most memorable scenes from city lights. the tramp nervously waits for his time in the ring, reminding his partner not to hurt him. a man comes in with (to me) the funniest telegram besides "feeling much better - lizzie" - from the pilgrim. it reads, "get out of town. the cops are after you. jim." eddie dresses quickly and takes off, telling the boss he has to leave. the boss needs another fighter to go in the ring to take his place, so he asks a man on the street if he would be interested. the man, hank mann, actually in real life, accepts, knowing it will be easy money for him. not because he'll throw the fight - because he's a big guy who can fight. the tramp takes one look at his new opponent and knows he is in trouble and the only thing to do is convince the man to participate in eddie's scam. i love how the tramp almost flirts with the man in his attempt to win him over. he smiles coquettishly and makes overtures to get his attention, but the man ignores him. that is, until it is time to take his pants off. then he prudently decides to do that in private. the tramp asks the man if he is interested in "taking it easy" and splitting the winnings fifty-fifty. the man tells him winner takes all. the tramp gulps, knowing he doesn't stand a chance, but is still willing to try for the blind girl's sake. the tramp tries to pick up some good luck omens from a fellow boxer in city lightsthe time has come and the tramp is made to carry his own spit bucket up to the ring. still wearing his hat and big shoes, he makes his way to his fate. i love how the tramp not only shakes hands with his opponent, but everyone else in the ring as well. the boxing match is one of chaplin's finest choreographed scenes ever. he uses every opportunity for laughs available to him. my favorite part is when the tramp feels he can't continue (or perhaps he is only knocked senseless and hallucinating), he has a vision of the blind girl in the corner, holding his hand. he begins to passionately kiss her hand over and over, only to wake up and realize he is kissing the hand of one of the men in his corner. chaplin and virginia cherrill in city lightsthe tramp tries his best, but he loses in the end. still unable to admit defeat, he walks the streets in hopes of finding a way to get the money for the girl, knowing time is running out. as it happens, his millionaire friend is back from europe and stumbles out of another bar in time to run into the tramp. he's thrilled to see him and invites him to his mansion again. but there is trouble waiting for them. two burglars are creeping around and hide when they arrive. the tramp seems relieved to once again be in luxurious surroundings after the beating he just took, even if he knows he will sooner or later be thrown out once the man sobers up. he has told his friend all about the blind girl's troubles, and the man tells him not to worry - he will take care of her. he asks if a thousand dollars will be enough and hands over a stack of bills to the tramp, who is thrilled to know he now not only has the money to pay for the girl's rent, but her operation to restore her sight as well. unfortunately, the robbers witness the millionaire's generosity to the tramp in city lightsup next: one of cinema's best endings in history, in city lights, part V.
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Post by callipygias on Nov 17, 2009 17:10:40 GMT -5
the tramp nervously waits for his time in the ring, reminding his partner not to hurt him. i love how the tramp almost flirts with the man in his attempt to win him over. he smiles coquettishly and makes overtures to get his attention, but the man ignores him. Chaplin "flirting" with men is some of the funniest stuff ever. The only other characters I've ever seen do it in a similar way are Bugs and Daffy. I love it when he takes off a guy's hat and kisses the top of his head, or when someone makes a threatening fist at him and he kisses it. Sometimes he does it so quick and quietly I won't notice until after several viewings.
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Post by callipygias on Nov 18, 2009 15:25:06 GMT -5
Reading through here usually puts me in the mood to watch Chaplin, and I'm especially glad for it today. I just watched a few Essanays and when The Bank came on I realized I'd never seen it before. My initial reaction is that it's one of my favorites of the Essanays. Don't know how I kept missing it.
I love the title card -- one word -- "Mischief."
Also watched Work, By the Sea, A Woman, and another favorite Essanay, The Tramp.
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