Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Monsieur Chaplin Comes To Town with a Film — And Meets the Press CHAPLIN the producer, Chaplin the actor, and Chaplin the social philosopher this week came to New York town to market his first picture since 1940. The picture, "Monsieur Verdoux," rather a melange of murder and "message,'' with Mr. Chaplin in the title role, got rather a panning, but an animated, interested audience reception. Chaplin the philosopher got a terrific and extensive press. It seemed possible that the philosophy included considerable showmanship. All of the United States, and foreign capitals, have been advised that there is a new and different Chaplin picture. That may have been the intent. Charles Chaplin's decision to open at the Broadway theatre, April 11, was a sudden one, surprising even the publicity men of his releasing company, United Artists. But there was time enough for New York's columnists to tell the public that "Monsieur Verdoux,'' himself a murderer, claimed the inventors of the atom bomb were bigger criminals than he (an exaggeration) and that the Production Code Administration had refused the picture a seal (the number is 12225). A Visit Well-Heralded On Communication Media The day before the opening, Mr. Chaplin gave an interview to foreign newspapermen, duly carried by the domestic wire services. Last Friday, in company with Mary Pickford and his wife, Oona, he attended the premiere. Saturday morning he read the mixed and generally unfavorable reviews of his picture, for which no distribution plans have been set. Monday, smiling and sure of himself, he was introduced to 100 New York newsmen at his second press conference, in the ornate ballroom annex of the Hotel Gotham. The conference, he explained, had been the idea of his company's publicity office. All those newsmen present had had their credentials examined at the door before being permitted to enter. Paul Lazarus, Jr., UA director of advertising and publicity, explained to the newsmen that the interview was to be recorded by WNEW and broad THEY SAY . . . Following is a sampling of the reviews given Charles Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" in the New York press of April 12: Times: "No light and gentle slapstick comedy . . . screamingly funny in spots and basically serious and bitter at the ironies of life. Those who go expecting to laugh may find themselves remaining to weep. . . . It is slow — tediously sloxv — in many stretches." Herald Tribune: ". . . a woeful lack of humor, melodrama or dramatic taste. The hand of the screen master is apparent in very few sequences. . . . Chaplin is enmeshed in a world of his own personal confusion." Daily Mirror: "Kuns the gamut of satire, slapstick, drama and problem drama. . . . It is an uneven, but continuously interesting film." Daily News: "Chaplin has attempted, with inconspicuous success, to mix sentiment, slapstick comedy and horror. . . . He has tried to make the business of wholesale killing a joke . . . but the joke, I'm afraid, is on him. . . ." PM: "A moderate success leaning upon nostalgia and affection for the Chaplin legend. . . . Only he — a supreme and unfettered egotist — would proudly present it as a masterpiece. . . . His mind may be piffling, but his personality is magnificent." cast later. It went on the air at 9 o'clock that evening. From the first it was evident that the readers of Tuesday's newspapers were going to learn more of Chaplin's ideas on politics than his film activities. Why didn't you do thus and so during the war? asked the questioners. Why didn't you give some of the proceeds from your films shown in Europe to the underground movement? Why aren't you a U. S. citizen? Do you sympathize with Russia? I am a citizen of the world, Mr. Chaplin explained. I do not believe in divisions of people. That leads to fascism. ' I am a member of no political party. The world today is filled with so many technicalities that you need a guide book to get along. If you step off the curb with your left foot they accuse you of being Communist. At one point in the interview the questions turned into accusations, violently expressed. This moved one questioner to ask: What do you think of a country where, in the name of the Four Freedoms, an artist is asked to account for his beliefs, his citizenship, and is subjected to a pressure campaign on these matters that amounts to a form of public blackmail ? Kept His Temper Well During Interview Mr. Chaplin, who had kept his temper during the hour-long interview, smiled and said: "Thank you very much." Some were concerned over what had happened to Chaplin's familiar character of the tramp and he was asked why, since he was now offering messages, he was not as funny as he used to be. "Funny?" smiled Mr. Chaplin. "That's a matter of opinion. I am an old man. I have just so many years more and things I want to say — well, call it the indulgence of an old man. There will be more stories of the tramp if I can think of an idea for him. I make what I want and I'm honest about it. People recognize «this and like it." No Picture Planned on Life of Napoleon Then he was asked if he would develop his idea of producing a picture on the life of Napoleon. "No," said Mr. Chaplain, " I won't. Napoleon was a dictator. I don't like dictators." What do you think of Stalin? someone threw at him. "What's your definition of a dictator?" Mr. Chaplin countered. The interview again veered into politics. Tuesday, the New York Times headlined : "Not a Communist, Chaplin Declares." The Daily Mirror headlined : " 'Eisler's Brother Is My Friend', Chaplin Says." Right beside it was this headline: "Gerhart Eisler (accused of Communist activities) Again Indicted." By midweek Chaplin and his picture were New York City's prime conversation pieces. One of the things talked about: On Tuesday UA cut admission prices to the Broadway and withdrew the block of 250 reserved seats which it wanted to sell at from $1.80 to $2.40. Top admission was set at SI. 50.