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Pictures and the Picturegoer, London, September 18, 1915.

Charlie Chaplin‘s Story

Begins in this Issue

(...) Photoplay Cover, July1915

„Neither in an asylum nor in prison“

Editorial content. „The Idol of the Picture World

      Charlie Chaplin as he really was and is

      NOTWITHSTANDING the large number of people before

the public eye at the present moment, there is no one

more talked about than the inimitable Charlie Chaplin. In fact,

the World is Chaplin-mad. His name is on everybody‘s

lips, frpm the smallest street arab to the biggest City ,pot,‘

and the stories about him that are circulated both

by the Press and by word of mouth are more diverse and

wild than are the dreams of a confirmed lunatic –

which Charlie is not!

      No, he is neither in an asylum nor in prison; nor is he

blind, deaf, dumb, dead, or even a nervous wreck!

He is working hard in America, and it would probably be difficult

to find a saner and  more industrious

man than is this king of picture comedians.

      Frequently during the past few weeks we have been

questioned as to why we, being an all-moving

picture paper, do not publish a Life of Charlie Chaplin

instead of leaving it to outside journals, who

may know little or nothing of the truth about him; but as a fact

we have no need to make a serial feature of a film

player‘s life. Instead we keep our readers up to date and

constantly in touch with the movements of Charlie

Chaplin and the rest of the world‘s artistes

by publishing week by week all that happens concerning

them of interest to the picturegoer. No one could

peruse many copies of PICTURES without becoming fairly

familiar with the lives of our cinema stars.

      However, as there are so many ridiculous rumours in the

air and so much fiction in the Press, we feel it might

be just as well to give a few authentic facts about dear old

Charlie.

      The Place and Time of Birth.

      He was born in Walworth on April 16th, 1890. His mother

was in those days a professional entertainer,

appearing on the music-hall stage, under her maiden name

of Lily Harley, as a mimic of music-hall stars. (She is

now unfortunately an invalid at Hove.) From his father, who

bore the same Christian name, and of whom the

present Charlie is an almost exact replica in appearance,

walk, and mannerisms, he inherited his humorous

nature and stage gifts, the elder Chaplin being exceedingly

clever as a singer of character songs.

      Early in life his father gave him lessons in dancing

and singing, and at the age of eight he joined

the famous ,Eight Lancashire Lads.‘ His early stage career

also featured a rôle in Casey‘s Court, played by a

company of juvenile actors on the halls, for which Chaplin

received the magnificent salary of 30s. a week.

He would have been very surprised in those days, no doubt,

if any one had hinted to him that before many years

his weekly stipend would run into hundreds!

      A little later he played at the Duke of York‘s Theatre with

William Gillette, his rôle being that of a newsboy;

and later he toured in the part of Pageboy Billy in Sherlock

Holmes.

      When Charlie joined the Essanay Company he pretty

nearly stopped the works. All in the studio – actors

and actresses, scenario-writers, property men, &c. – neglected

their duties and went to watch the queer antics

of this strange little man, who was born to make laughter,

just as Marconi was born to make to invent,wireless‘

and Dickens was born to write novels! And this was long before

Charlie Chaplin had become anything like the idol

of the picture-world.“ (...)

      Four photos.

Redaktioneller Inhalt

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