The Ship Sails with Charlie And Stanley

September, 1910. One hundred and eight years ago. That's when Charlie Chaplin and Stanley Jefferson, together with a dozen other actors, left England with the Karno Company to embark on a tour of the United States. Some of the names in that company are Albert Austin (who appeared in many of Chaplin's later films), Alf Reeves (who appeared in two of Chaplin's shorts, as well as acted as production manager on later films), Charles Griffiths, and Fred Palmer. 

The ship left Southampton, England and docked 11 days later in Montreal. The company headed to New York. What an experience that must have been for them: The New World, a bustling, rapidly growing city, and a chance to make American audiences laugh. Here is what Charlie said about their arrival (from "My Autobiography"):

"At ten o'clock on a Sunday morning we at last arrived in New York. When we got off the streetcar at Times Square, it was something of a let-down. Newspapers were blowing about the road and pavement, and Broadway looked seedy, like a slovenly woman just out of bed. On almost every corner there were elevated chairs with shoe lasts sticking up and people sitting comfortably in shirt sleeves getting their shoes shined. They gave one the impression of finishing their toilet in the street...However, this was New York, adventurous, bewildering, a little frightening..."

Stanley (later to become Stan Laurel) would eventually develop his own character and style. Chaplin, unaware of what movies held in store for him, was just four years away from the beginning of unprecedented fame.

New Solo Recording of Chaplin's Music

An idea whose time has come. If not overdue.
A new recording by a gifted violinist has just been released. I am attaching a link to the article that appeared on the San Francisco Classical Voice website. It's well written by a person who obviously holds Chaplin and his music in high esteem. I've attached a link to Philippe Quint's comments and portions of "Smile".
Enjoy. And order the CD.
https://www.sfcv.org/article/charlie-chaplin-gets-another-assist-in-realizing-his-musical-dreams

Philippe Quint - Chaplin’s SmileLivePlaylist (0)Mix (50+)

Charlie and Stanley - At The Beginning

With the recent release of "Stan and Ollie" - an excellent film starring John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan - I wanted to see what Stanley (Jefferson, at the time) had said about Chaplin. They were both in Fred Karno's company when they arrived from England to tour the United States beginning in 1910. 

Here's what Stanley said: "We had a lot of fun in those days. Charlie and I roomed together and I can still see him playing the violin or cello to cover the noise of the cooking of bacon I was doing on the gas ring, forbidden of course. Then we'd both take towels and try and blow the smoke out of the window."

Charlie, of course, was hired by Mack Sennett in 1914 and went on to worldwide stardom. Stanley, who shortly thereafter changed his name to Stan Laurel, also achieved a world-wide audience, with Oliver "Babe" Hardy, though never one that equalled Chaplin.

Here are two pictures of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel when they were traveling the U.S. with the Fred Karno company. 

From "Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy," an excellent biography by Simon Louvish, published by St. Martin's Press: 

"When Stanley Jefferson met Fred Karno in November 1909, Karno had been a name in British music-halls since 1895. He is mentioned often, as an early discoverer of Stan Laurel, but mainly as the power behind Charles Chaplin, Stan's senior contemporary. However, the significance of Karno in both these actors' inheritance goes deeper than merely that of a mentor, the man who set them forth on their careers."

Charlie and Chasen's

One of the most popular restaurants of "Old Hollywood" was Chasen's. It was at 9039 Beverly Boulevard on the edge of Beverly Hills. Chasen's opened in 1936 and closed its fabled doors in 1995.
Charlie Chaplin was among the many stars who frequented it. A collector in LA had several memorable items connected with old Hollywood restaurants. Among them was a match-book cover signed by Charlie. 

My son found it and gave it to me several years ago on Charlie's birthday. I'd love to know the story behind it...whose was it? When was this signed? Did Charlie say anything? What did he have for dinner? Who was he with? What car was he driving? 

One can only imagine.

Here is a link to a short YouTube video about Chasen's and other iconic Hollywood restaurants. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqx0rWg5X7Q

Charlie's 1936 Packard Twelve For Sale

I just learned that this fabulous Packard, which was owned for awhile by Charlie Chaplin, is for sale. It's at a vintage collector's dealer here in St. Louis. It's yours for only $139,900. If I had that kind of money, I'd buy it...plus some extra for the insurance.
I plan to go to the dealer's as soon as we get past the holidays freezing weather and take an in-person look at it.
Here's a link.
https://www.schmitt.com/inventory/charlie-chaplins-1936-packard-twelve-all-weather-cabriolet-by-lebaron/

One thing for sure: Charlie had good taste in automobiles. 

40 Years Ago on Christmas Day

On Christmas Day of 1977, I was sitting on the floor of our home at #6 Westwood Forest, playing with my two kids, Holly and Gregg. We had just finished opening all the presents, the living room floor was strewn with shreds of colorful wrapping paper, ribbons, to/from cards, empty boxes. The phone rang. Mary Lee answered it, then came in and told me, "It's your mom." That was how I learned that Charlie had died. Mom knew of my love of Chaplin, frequently bought me Chaplin things: a painting, a book, a magazine.

Yes, Charlie Chaplin had died in Vevey, Switzerland, at his home at Manoir de Ban. You probably know the story as well as I do. This is simply a fond remembrance of his life, films and legacy on this day.

Here are some more observations by Charlie's favorite cinematographer, Roland Totheroh. This is from an interview he did with Timothy Lyons in Film Culture in 1972. Chaplin was an undisciplined film maker, but maybe that's what went into his genius.

Roland Totheroh:
"Pretty near everything prior to The Great Dictator was ad lib. He didn't have a script at the time, didn't have a script girl or anything like that, and he never checked whether the scene wasin itsright place or that continuity was followed. The scriptwould develop as it went along. A lot of times after we saw the dailies the next morning, if it didn't warrant what he thought the expectation was, he'd put in some other sort of a sequence and work on that instead of going through with what he started out to do... In a lot of his old pictures, he'd make that separation by using titles about the time: 'next day' or 'the following day' or 'that night' - these would cover the script gaps in-between.

"He didn't want people to think that he didn't know what he was doing. He'd turn around and think overnight. 'Jesus Criminy, this is what I should have done. I didn't do it.' Now he'd dismissed all the people and had sets torn down. But, it was his own money, so what the deveil - 'Call the people.' He'd look for some excuse, something wrong, somebody else to be at fault for it; he'd have to call them down. You'd breakany company the way he'd shoot. Of course, it was his own money. But the way he shot the scene over and over he'd wear out all the actors and actresses. But he was patient with everyone who was acting. Even though, he'd confuse them by doing something so many times and so many different ways, they got so they didn't know which way they'd done it at any one time. Lydia Knott in Woman of Paris - he wore her out. Finally she said, 'Oh, Mr. Chaplin, please tell me what I'm doing wrong and what you want. I'm worn out. I don't know what to do.' He said, 'You're doing all right, it's just some little thing I want you to do.'"

Rollie worked with Charlie from 1915 until 1947. He was an "advisor" on The Great Dictator," not an easy role for him, I'm sure. Rollie died in 1967.