I'm Little Bits of Chaplin from Tumblr and I’m a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, but in the meanwhile I also grew to be a big fan of classic movies. Here you can find all my posts on both Chaplin and other classic film stars and also my contributions to blogathons.This is a great adventure for me, so join and help me collect the little bits of classics!
According to an often retold anecdote, once in the 1930s Charlie Chaplin had a short conversation with renown screenwriter Charles MacArthur:
“How could I make a fat lady, walking down Fifth Avenue, slip on a banana peel and still get a laugh?” said MacArthur. “Do I show first the banana peel, then the fat lady approaching; then she slips? Or do I show the fat lady first, then the banana peel, and then she slips?”
“Neither,” said Charlie. “You show the fat lady approaching; then you show the banana peel; then you show the banana peel and the fat lady together; then she steps over the banana peel and disappears down a manhole.”
This conversation might or might not have taken place between them, but it seems to have got very popular among anecdote tellers. David Niven includes it in his autobiography (x) and the snippet I cited here was written by American author Clifton Fadiman (x).
The following version, by Chuck Jones (x), is so extended and dramatized that it’s quite impossible to believe that these were Charlie’s own words. Anyway, it’s highly entertaining.
Two stage writers decided to test Chaplin: “Let’s nail him with something very difficult in the way of comic business. Let’s take about the biggest chestnut we can find,” So they cornered Chaplin one day and said, “How would you make comic business out of a fat lady and a banana peel?”
They thought he’d say he wouldn’t bother with anything like that, but he said, “You can make comic business out of anything. Let’s analyze it. First of all, decide about how much time you’re going to spend. Let’s say, half a minute on it. Second of all, you have to make everybody dislike her if she’s going to get in trouble. So you pick her up, say, on Fifth Avenue, walking along, and she has an umbrella or a nasty little dog or something that immediately says she’s not socially acceptable. She pokes people with umbrellas or her dog snaps at people. But she has the right of way, by God. You get that feeling from her. Now that can be done very quickly. Once you have established that you’ll get a minor laugh then because the audience WANTS her to come to some sort of a problem. You zoom your camera ahead and pick up a banana peel lying on the sidewalk. Then you cut to her being mean again, intercutting shots. Get an angle shot from the banana peel down onto the pavement, looking across the banana peel, seeing her approach the banana peel (this is a good dramatic shot.) You do a series of fast intercuts, increasing your pace as you go.” “We’re approaching this peel closer and closer. You cut to the banana peel, she walks in, steps OVER the banana peel,and falls into a manhole.”
Lita Grey appearing in her only scene shot in the Chaplin Studios for The Gold Rush before her sudden pregnancy and marriage to Chaplin. The daily continuity report for Saturday, 22nd March 1924 describes the scene the following way:
Scene 14: Close-up. Dissolve. C. asleep in kitchen on couch. Lita standing over him with cake–awakens him–he sits up–she sits down beside him–smiles–takes berry–gives it to him–he turns forward–eats it–smiles–she takes another berry–starts to give it to him. She says: Close you eyes and open your mouth. He does so and she throws whole cake in his face and laughs. C. takes cake off–face all smeared with cream–Fade out and fade into close-up of cabin with C. asleep in cot–blanket over body but not on head–snow on neck and face–snow drops down from roof five times–he wakes up then sits up–and looks around room–brushes snow off–gets up–comes forward left of camera. O. K.
With my next film I won’t open in London. I’ll open in Kalamazoo or somewhere and leave London later. I don’t understand what’s happening there now.(The Sunday Times)
When Chaplin first heard about the English reviews, he was shocked and offended at the same time. He was trying to defend himself by saying his films always addressed the public. (Which was not quite true in this case, because ‘A Countess’ turned out to be one of the biggest commercial failures of 1967.)
What shocked me about the English reviews of the ‘Countess’ was the fact that they were unanimous. And they seemed so personal, an attack on me. All they were interested in was ‘Chaplin has a flop’.
So Chaplin realized the critics were missing the depth of his film. He regained his self-confidence and went on to visit the French premier with great expectations. He arrived at Paris on the 12th of January, and held a press conference that night on Champs-Élysées. When he was asked if he would do another film after A Countess from Hong Kong he said: “Yes, I am preparing one but it is only in an embryonic state. There are roles for Geraldine and two of my daughters, Josephine and Victoria.”
Next day’s premiere in L’Opera Garnier was attended by his wife Oona, son Sydney and his wife Noelle Adam, and daughters Geraldine and Josephine. Famous French people also attended, including Guy de Rothschild (banker), Henri Chapier (journalist), Claude Pompidou (wife of the president) and even British actor Michael Cain. Chaplin and his family were greeted by a division of the French Army standing on the Great Staircase of the Opera House. (You can have a look at the mentioned staircase here.)
After a long night Chaplin danced a bit during the afterwards party with Geraldine.
In the end Charlie triumphed over the critics. Beginning with France, countries all over Europe started to praise the film and blame the London critics. The headlines of Paris Jours heralded “Paris Gives Chaplin his Revenge on London” and Paris-Match stated: “A Countess from Hong Kong is a charming comedy which did not deserve the severity of the British Press.”
Ten years have past since Chaplin’s last film opened in 1957. Chaplin’s brand new film, titled ‘A Countess from Hong Kong’ was starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando.
The Countess has been quite an adventure for me because I have never directed start before. … I found that I had a great desire to please Marlon and Sophia. I wanted their respect more than anything else. I also found that these star actors have a fear about their ability. It is very easy to destroy their confidence. You have to treat them very carefully. (LIFE Magazine, March 1967)
The new picture, though it is the 81st of Chaplin’s 52-year movie career, is a first in a couple of significant categories: it is Chaplin’s first film in color; it is the first time he hasher directed established stars, let alone a pair of Oscar winners and staggering personalities like Loren and Brando; and it is the first time in years that he has worked for a company not his own. …. Hardly a day passes that Charlie doesn’t mutter ‘We’re using too much film.’ Actually, Charlie’s first feature-length film, the six-reeler Tillie’s Punctured Romance in 1914, had almost exactly the same shooting time as this present film, 14 weeks. (LIFE Magazine, April 1966)
The press and the audience had great expectations. Before its release Chaplin said: “I think ist’s the best thing I’ve done. I can be more objective about it than the pictures I’ve acted in. … I’ve never done anything as funny as the valet Hudson. We took three weeks working out the fight scene in ‘City Lights’ and it was techincally good - but it wasn’t so funny as Hudson.” (The Milwaukee Journal, April 1967)
However, things went wrong. In the afternoon of January 5th 1967 Chaplin held a press screening in the Empire Theatre but the whole film looked faded. Jerry Epstein, family friend of the Chaplins’ remembered it this way:
During the projection I noticed that the color seemed different. Charlie and I looked at each other askance. The print had a faded, washed-out look. The sound suddenly started crackling. The film then flickered, sputtered and stopped. Charlie and I were frantic. It was a living nightmare. I rushed into the projection booth. I noticed it was a new projectionist. “What the hell’s happening???” I shouted. It didn’t seem to matter him. He was simply paid to run the film; whatever the fault, it had nothing to do with him. (The Charlie Chaplin Archives)
The actual problem was that for the film being shown before (Dr Zhivago) they had been using a special spherical lens. The projectionist had forgotten to take it off for the 35mm print.
The reviews had already been published by the time the evening ceremony started, saying things like “Oh dear, Charlie in these modern times you’re so out of date”. Chaplin was hoping the public was going to like his film more. The premiere was held at Carlton Theatre and was attended by Oona and six of Chaplin’s children, Brando, Sophia’s husband, Carlo Ponti (Sophia was heavily pregnant at the time) and even Princess Alexandra (cousin of the Queen). You can catch a glimpse of many of them in this footage and even more!
(Present with actor and film director Charlie Chaplin are his children Josephine Hannah Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Sydney Chaplin and his wife, Michael Chaplin and his wife Patricia, Eugene Chaplin, Geraldine Chaplin and Oona.)
After the film was being shown the company went on to the Savoy Hotel and had an afterwards party. (This photograph was taken there for instance.)
Chaplin was having a great time and was up until 5 a.m., dancing to the music of “Knees Up Mother Brown”. Brando’s dancing partner was Princess Alexandra and he caused indignation when he left her alone on the dancing floor for a couple of minutes.
Though the Chaplin family spent their holiday in France that year (have a look at a photo), Chaplin decided to visit the Parisian premiere as well.
The film opened on the 24th of October and Chaplin held a press conference that afternoon.
The premiere took place at the Gaumont Palace and was attended by Chaplin, his wife and Dawn Addams. The trio was invited to the projection room where Charlie accepted the film and shook hands with his leading lady.
The film was shown thereafter and Charlie and Dawn Addams greeted the crowds.
For the film’s sake the theatre even created a huge wall paint of the Little Tramp which Chaplin took a photo with.
The first half of this video shows some of the happenings of the French premiere.
The French was the last European premiere Chaplin attended. The film didn’t open neither in the USA, nor in Germany until 1973 and so it couldn’t gross such a great amount of money as Chaplin’s previous films did. Upon its first American release the New York Times wrote:
Yet, it’s important to see “A King in New York”: it brings back the bad old days. And the fact that even Chaplin couldn’t make guilt by association funny is crucial to our past and present history.
Here Charlie’s being photographed during the London press conference of his movie.
After the London premiere of his latest film, Charlie decided to set off and visit foreign premieres as well. His first destination was Ischia, Italy, where the film premiered on the 27th of September. He arrived at the airport on the 25th with his wife, Oona and leading lady Dawn Addams.
During the ship voyage from the airport to the island, Charlie met Italian script writer Vittorio Vighi and signed an autograph for him.
During his short sightseeing tour on the island on the 27th, Charlie and his wife tried out what it was like to have a ride on the famous three-wheeled taxi of Ischia. Charlie was very popular among the kids, he was followed by them all the way long
The premiere took place later that day at the cinema Reginella. Charlie arrived by the side of his wife and shook hands with his leading lady.
Have a look at a short footage of the premiere and his visit in Ischia here!
There’s little we know about all the happenings after Chaplin made his 10th feature film, A King in New York. It was his first film of the two made outside the USA, shot in England. It was also his fourth talkie.
The film’s grand opening was held in London, so Chaplin, accompanied by wife Oona and children (and a toothache as well) flew there on the 9th of September.
Oona, Michael and Charlie arrive at the airport. Photo from 38/1957 edition of “Der Spiegel”. Caption says: Chaplin son Michael & parents: “Calm down, old Charlie!” Click here for a similar photo!
Charlie was asked at the airport whether the film was going to be shown in America. His answer was:
I’m not interested any more in America. They’re not interested in me.
The premiere was held on the 12th of September at the Leicester Square Theatre.
Italian newspaper, “Europeo” reported: “During the premiere Chaplin looked very happy, although sometimes he was unable to hide a malicious smile.”
Charlie said during the afterwards reception: “The Little Tramp’s world doesn’t exist anymore!”
Critics were not really satisfied with the movie, most of them saying that though Chaplin’s anger is understandable, it has no place in a movie he produces. (Here you can see Chaplin’s reaction to one of the articles.)
“In A King in New York Chaplin isn’t laughing at himself any more but he’s laughing at others, or rather he mocks them” Die Welt
Believe it or not, Charlie Chaplin received only three Academy Awards during his lifetime. Two of these were Honorary Awards, the only competitive one being an Oscar for Best Score, which he recieved for a film that was released 20 years before the presentation took place. How could it possibly happen that the story of Chaplin’s Oscars is so muddled? And what were his most famous snubs? All of this will be cleared up in the following paragraphs.
Chaplin’s connection with the Academy Awards started during the very first Academy Award Gala in 1929. Chaplin was nominated for The Circus, but he didn’t appear in the audience, most probably because he was afraid of the event, even though his best friend, Douglas Fairbanks was handing over the statuettes that year.
However, back in those days, the Academy was not yet as experienced as now and they didn’t nominate Chaplin’s movie for more cathegories – they nominated it for a so-called ’Special Award’ instead (his first Honorary Award), where The Circus won alongside the very first sound movie, The Jazz Singer. Chaplin got the award for ’versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing’.
The ceremony was held on May 16th, 1929 in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel.
Then nothing came for a very long time, even though in the meanwhile Chaplin created two of his movies he is most remembered by. Neither City Lights, nor Modern Times were nominated for any Oscars! The only reason I can think of is that they were silent movies in an era of talkies, though I don’t quite see why this fact would disqualificate them. The only silent movies in the history of the awards that recieved the Oscar for ’Best Film’ were Wings in 1929 and The Artist in 2011.
The breakthrough came with the 1941 ceremony, where Chaplin recieved a total number of five nominations for his newest film, The Great Dictator. It was also the biggest snub of his life – for he didn’t recieve any of them. Chaplin was the first one to be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Screenplay writer, a record that didn’t stand for very long, as Orson Welles broke it the next year with Citizen Kane – on top of these two Welles also recieved a Best Director nomination. I have no proof, but I don’t find it very likely that Chaplin was present at the celebration, as he was not especially fond of these kinds of celebrations. Here's a short video of the audience of the 13th Oscar Gala.
Chaplin was snubbed again seven years later when he was nominated for Best Screenplay with his movie Monsieur Verdoux. It would have been a miracle if he had won that – public feeling was quite against Chaplin during this period because of his political views. He left the country five years later and he would have never come back if he hadn’t been nominated for an Oscar twenty years after the beginning of his exile!
But he was, as the Chaplin fever was back in the second half of the 1960s and the Academy must have realized that they were far from generous with one of the greatest icons of cinema. So Chaplin was called back to the States and was about to recieve an Honorary Academy Award in 1972. However, Chaplin was reluctant to go. He hasn’t been there for twenty years and he was near 83, an old man for whom it was not easy to move around. And he was also afraid of the public who neglected him twenty years before. In the end he decided to travel after all, and it resulted in the biggest ovation of the Academy Awards – the audience was standing and cheering for 12 minutes without stopping. Watch a part of the cheering and his short speech here!
The presentation of Chaplin was the last act of the 44th ceremony. He watched the previous awards with his wife Oona on a monitor in his room. After an almost 10 minute compilation of his movies (made by famous director Peter Bogdanovich), the screen disappeared and Chaplin was standing there in the middle of the stage. The house went crazy.
Chaplin and Oona in their room, before he went onto the stage.
This brief tour to America was also a time of sweet reunions for Chaplin. He met his former wife and leading lady, Paulette Goddard, his little co-star in The Kid, Jackie Coogan, leading lady Martha Raye who appeared by his side in Monsieur Verdoux , Limelight leading lady Claire Bloom, Groucho Marx, one of the four Marx brothers and also his leading lady in The Gold Rush (and lover), Georgia Hale. Hollywood was in Chaplin craze. Everyone wanted to have an encounter with Chaplin and he met the greatest stars of the time, including Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Jack Nicholson, Cary Grant, Walter Matthau (who held a party for his honourwhich can be seen here) and many others.
First row: Chaplin meeting Paulette Goddard
Second row: l-r Chaplin with Jackie Coogan (CC said in an interview for LIFE: „that child… then to see this bald-headed man, who was so sweet in those days…”), Cary Grant & Groucho Marx
Third row: l-r Chaplin talking to Jack Nicholson, Johnny Mathis, Jane Fonda and Sammy Davis Jr.
This could have been the end of Chaplin’s story with the Oscars, but it wasn’t. Next year, in 1973, he was nominated again for Best Original Dramatic Score, along with Raymond Rasch and Larry Russel (who seems to have been accidentally nominated, you can read more about this strange story here). The interesting thing about it was that Limelight was filmed and released more than twenty years before, in 1952. It was, however, not shown in Los Angeles until 1972 because of Chaplin’s rather messy political affairs at the time. If you listen to it here, it’s not hard to see why it won.
The complications concerning Chaplin’s Oscars didn’t end even after he had died. The news spread all over the internet last year that Chaplin’s 1929 Oscar was stolen from the Chaplin office where it was kept. A video was made during the summer affirming this statement. I haven’t heard about anything new of it since then, so sadly I don’t think there have been any sorts of improvements about this business…
I think this lovely photo is the best way to end my article. Look at it closley and you’ll find the Oscar statuette on the left, standing next to Chaplin and will also see the front line of the newspaper saying ’Chaplin Ovation’. And last but not least, have a look at his face and see how happy he is!
