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C. Chaplin was an exceedingly timid person when he first came to the Sennctt studios. He encountered a lot of kidding from Mabel Normand and Roscoe Arbuckle. But he soon came into his own.
"stolen" by Charlie Chaplin. It was the first multiple reel slapstick comedy and a tremendous money maker. The end of the year found Charlie famous throughout the cvilized world.
As the contract reached expiration, it became r.umored in film circles that Universal was going to offer Chaplin a contract calling for SI 000 per week. The offer was never made because, hearing the rumor, "Broncho Billy" Anderson, then a half owner of Essanay came to Los Angeles and made Chaplin an offer of $1250 a week which he accepted. The deal was closed over a table in Al Levy's old cafe. Sennett strangely did not enter the competition.
Chaplin Discovers Ben Turpin
the Essanay plant at Niles, California. But he had read enough Chamber of Commerce literature to convince him that Los Angeles was the only place in the world to make pictures so he insisted on finishing the contract in the City of Angeles. His early Essanay comedies were notable for the discovery of Ben Turpin.
It will be of interest to many to learn that Charlie's great comedy The Kid was really born during his early screen career. That is, the idea of making a long comedy based on incidents which occurred during his own childhood days in London's slums. When he signed with Essanay, he asked for the privilege and was told that he would be allowed to make one feature length comedy during the year of the contract. He actually began making it upon his return to Los Angeles. Luckily for Charlie, and for Jackie Coogan, Essanay called a halt.
The fact of the matter is that the demand for Chaplin comedies was so loud and insistant and so remunerative that Essanay did not want any hesitation or delay in the flow of product. Charlie insisted on the keeping of the promise of a multiple reel comedy. ' Finally it was arranged that Charlie should forego the pleasure of making the picture he had set his heart on. As balm for his wounded feelings he was promised a bonus of $10,000 upon the completion of each and every two reeler. He had made quite some headway with the big comedy which he had planned to name Life. But the film already shot was put together and the result called Police. There were a lot of left over scenes and cutouts which Essanay assembled after Charlie left them, and these were made into a picture they titled Triple Trouble. It proved to be just that as it was the basis of a lawsuit brought against the company by Chaplin. [Continued on page 90]
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hex a trip to Chicago t o begin the contract. However, it was too cold tbere and Charlie went to
C Chaplin has slowly felt his zvay to mental independence. He has always been addicted to fads, which have ranged all the way to socialism. But his greatest fad is the ladies!
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