Charlie Chaplin (1951)

new friends 153 and charm, on which a big advance publicity build-up had been erected. To reporters Miss Negri immediately confided how she had been looking forward to her reunion with Chaplin. With her marriage to Count Dombski dissolved, newspapers broadcast her engagement to Chaplin. Chaplin's praises were fulsomely sung by the exotic actress who loved the limelight off the screen as well as on. Some of her statements embarrassed her fiance. It was obvious to all, however, that a romance was in progress. At one time a report of their marriage was circulated. About this time Chaplin met Elinor Glyn, discoverer of "It" and author of "Three Weeks," "Six Days," "One Hour," and other temporal hits. When Elinor Glyn met him she exclaimed, "Why, you don't look nearly as funny as I thought you would." His quick retort was "Neither do you." Chaplin bought a tract of land near Pickfair, the home of his friends Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, in the exclusive hilly section of Beverly Hills. Here he built th'e house which is still his home — a large, square, tiledroof, stucco structure of some forty rooms. The high-ceilinged living room contained a pipe organ and concealed projection equipment. Looking forward to the time when she would share it Pola Negri transplanted large trees to the value of seven thousand dollars, because she liked to hear the sound of wind rustling in the leaves while she slept. But the romance between the tempestuous Polish actress and the temperamental comedian began to founder. In a press statement Chaplin professed to be "too poor" to marry. As her explanation of the broken engagement, Miss Negri handed a statement to the press, averring that she also was "too poor to marry Charles Chaplin. He needs a wealthy woman." With tears rolling down her