Motion Picture Classic (1923, 1924, 1926)

The Changeable Chaplin only partly worth while if I ilid not see iplin. I went to a telephone and called up Samuel Goldwyn, and he endeavored touch with the comedian He called me hack and said that while he had not been able to communicate with Chaplin he had ascertained that the screen celebrity would not leave tor >e\cral days. The following afternoon I received a message from Mr. saying that he had made an appointment for me with Chaplin in hi-> studio. I was elated, and punctually I went he fun maker's workshop, where 1 met Chaplin's manager, Alfred Reeves has been with the comedian since the niRhts Chaplin played in "A Night in an English Music Hall " I made known to Mr. Reeves the reason for my presence, hut he api>eared to be blissfully ignorant of the comedian's whereabouts. He did not say that Charlie would not come, but neither did he appear to thinkthat he would. He was non committal and evidently he decided to make my • as interesting as he could. He went over the same description he had obviously done for hosts of others in similar circumstances. Mr. Reeves and I entered Chaplin's combination office and dressing-room and in a somewhat distracted way the manager pointed to two pairs of very' large shoes. "There are his boots, the ones he wears for the screen," observed Mr. Reeves. Hanging above the absurd shoes was the little tail coat, the shapeless trousers, and above them, the little derby. It was all very interesting to look at these props, but where was Chaplin ? He was almost an hour late. Mr. Reeves still appeared to be wondering why I should think that he would come, and he turned the conversation to stage settings, as his eyes wandered to several telegrams arranged neatly en the comedian's desk. I was leaning back in Chaplin's favorite chair and Reeves was ascertaining the business done by "The Gold Rush," at Grauman's Egyptian Palace, when a prepossessing, active man. his hair welltouched with grey, sprang up a few steps and threw open the screen door. It was Charlie. He had kept the appointment after all. Telegrams did not interest him, but he was pleased to hear that his latest picture had sold out at the matinee. He was dressed in a well-cut grey, -striped suit and wore spotless white shoes, and only when he smiled did he remind one of the sympathetic character one has seen so much on the screen. He remained only three minutes in his office, and then we left the building, in front oi which was waiting his Rolls-Royce runabout and his Japanese chauffeur. The chauffeur jumped up in the back seat and :c Peered the machine to the V martre. which, when we entered, almost empty Only the head waiter (nixed the comedian. W a table near a window, and MOO we were talking of Thomas Hurke, of I'hil M.i>, the black-and-white art London, of the Karno comedians and of Charlie's 1 1 r > t with an astrakhan collar. musical i>< ! Ins mini laugh Tfal man oi ux of much disappotntmei ■ r a l)<i-.tr>s giving a nice to l>e ■bit that Mr Chaplin will he present, but when you know that the |*-ople have comChaplin and he does not put in an api ranee, it mat ■ «|uite trying (off those who are entertaining, vcially when, at times, they are well aware that som. the guests have •Ken previous engagements hoping to meet and talk to the comedian. And it not infrequently hai that Mr. Chap! faithful Japanese calls up and "Mister Chaplin very' sorry' but so ill cannot come to dinner — he very' sorry.-' i this results in the host or the hostess not feeling the least comp;> regarding Charlie's indisposition. Enjoys His Moods Here is Chaplin with Jo Davidson, the famous sculptor, who has just completed a clay portrait of the comedian's head His Picture Ideas "Vol' know I believe in tenderness in stories," Chaplin said in the course of the conversation. "It is a great help in pictures, provided you can express it with sincerity-. In 'The Gold Rush,' when I am a millionaire, you will see that I cant resist picking up a cigar butt. This reflects the mood of many persons who have experienced a bitter struggle in early life. "To this day I fight against extravagance in make-up, as I constantly think what it would have cost me in the old music-hall days, when a shilling was a shilling. Even now I economize on the crepe hair I use for my mustaches, and when I throw away some of this stuff I recall that I would not have done so in the early London days. This crepe hair costs about a nickel a yard, but there you are. On the other hand, I sometimes call off work for the day and pay a hundred men who haven't done a stroke, just because I am not in the mood to act or direct." It was nearly five o'clock when Chaplin drove me to the Ambassador Hotel, and he promised that I would soon see him again. My next sight of Chaplin was at a dinner where the host served cocktails, and. what is not unusual, Charlie was late. All the other guests had arrived long before he appeared with his wife. He was cheerful, when he appeared, and he looked very fit. He was offered a cocktail, but refused it. asking the servant whether he could have a glass of water. That evening he imitated some of the C^haplin impre one as if he rather enjoyed his moods. He wants to be different and when it strikes him suddenly that he cant stand going to a certain function nobody could make him change his mind. I had an engagement with him for dinner on another occasion. The Japanese servant called up and announced that Mr. Chaplin was going to have Sir Henry and Lady Wood with him and that we were all going to see "The Gold Rush" after dinner. "I will be ready at seven o'clock." I said. "Very well," said the Japanese, timidly. Ten minutes passed and the telephone rang again. "Mr. Chaplin say Sir Henry' — Lady Wood not coming, but Mr. Chaplin meet you at seven-thirty." breathed the Japaiu Five more minutes passed. The yellow man was again on the telephone : "Mr. Chaplin call for you at your hotel at seven-thirty — but you know — Mister Chaplin not always there on time — sometimes he little late." To my surprise, instead of having. wait that evening for Chaplin, he turned up five minutes early. We went to dinner at a restaurant opened by one of his players, and there I had the experience of listening to Raymond Griffith, who speaks only in a husky whisper, and Charlie talking over picture plays and people. Later we drove to the theater, and hardly a soul (and that was in Hollywood ) knew that the good-looking man next to me was the chief player in the feature being screened. He was the only man who did not laugh that evening, his whole mind being wrapt up in the music, which he wanted to change. I Continued on f04ic 83) 67