"Feuillade" (Feuillade@aol.com) writes:
> Okay, I admit: I don't go to the official Chaplin website very often.
>
> But I did recently just out of curiosity.
>
> And saw a few interesting things. Anomalies, you might say.
>
> For example: the home page shows a picture of Chaplin as a convict,
> presumably either from "The Adventurer" or "The Pilgrim." Beneath the
> picture it says:
>
> Surname: Chaplin
> Name: Charlie
> Profession: Cinema's first genius
>
> Hello? I felt like saying. Haven't you people heard of D.W. Griffith
> in Vevey?
>
> Not even Chaplin himself would ever have claimed he was cinema's
> *first* genius.
On his more modest days Chaplin might deny that he was a genius at
all.
It was Shaw who pronounced Chaplin "the first genius that the cinema
has produced." Evidently Shaw was not overwhelmed by Griffith, and I
can guess why. Neither am I, though I am aware of what Griffith
accomplished. And so was Chaplin.
> Then I went to the page devoted to "The Chaplin Revue."
>
> This is what it says:
>
> "In 1959 Chaplin reissued A Dog's Life and Shoulder Arms, slightly
> re-edited, in his omnibus film, The Chaplin Revue."
>
> *Slightly"???
>
> That's a little like saying, "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did
> you like the play?"
>
> And this is by David Robinson, who should know better.
Robinson may be thinking of what Chaplin did to the footage he
had left,
> When it comes to City Lights, Robinson writes this of Virginia Cherill:
>
> "Their collaboration was not easy. Virginia was the only actress with
> whom Chaplin failed to establish personal sympathy."
>
> Anyone have a clue what "personal sympathy" is a euphemism for?
>
> Tom Moran
Robinson is forgetting about the actress who played Jean's mother
in _A Woman of Paris_, who gave Chaplin fits.
There were other actresses whom he worked well with in a purely
professional way. Georgia Hale is a notable example. He didn't
develop a personal relationship with her until after he made _The
Gold Rush_, at least according to Georgia. Then there are Marie
Dressler, Phyllis Allen (whom he definitely enjoyed working with),
Charlotte Mineaux, etc.
I've never been sure about Myrna Kennedy. I don't detect much
chemistry between her and Chaplin in _The Circus_. At least in
_City Lights_ Chaplin could convince himself that Virginia was
the flower girl while they were on camera.
As for _Modern Times_, his interest in Paulette is evident every
moment she's on screen--in the way she's photographed as well as
in their scenes together. And who can complain? She was drop-dead
gorgeous.
Connie K.
>> Stay informed about: Dubious Statements on Association Chaplin Website 
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
