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Mabel´s Strange Predicament Clippings 32/32

Moving Picture World, New York, November 23, 1918.

Nathan Burkan (...) 1451 Broadway,

New York

(...) Variety, February 21, 1919

& Members of the Board of Directors of the Cinema

Corporation of America (...)

Nathan Burkan

(...) Photo, Motion Picture News, Sept. 4, 1926 Nathan Burkan –

& On With the Specks

(...) Film Daily, April 17, 1929

& Charles Chaplin, Nathan Burkan and Henry King in Del

Monte, Cal., August 15, 1927,

Jessica Buxton, Discovering Chaplin

„Very grotesque and comical“

Editorial content. „Chaplin Sues to Protect

      His Inimitable Antics

      CHARLES CHAPLIN has again invoked the aid

of the courts to protect his inimitable antics,

and if the comedian is successful in his latest suit he will

be enriched to the extent of $50,000 at the expense

of Julius Potash and Isadore Peskov.

      In his present action, filed in the United States District Court, through his counsel, Nathan Burkan, the comedian

admits that he created a sensation in the motion picture industry

some years ago through the presentation of a new

character of his own original conception and creation which

he first exhibited in Mabel´s Predicament.

      ,This character, which was very grotesque and comical,

was invested by the plaintiff with certain mannerisms,

eccentricities, and distinctive peculiarities (which no one

will deny), calculated to provoke mirth and cause

laughter,‘ recites the comedian in his complaint. To describe

the character we will let Charlie speak for himself:

      ,His ill-fitting, much too large and loose and baggyy

trousers; the large shoes, his shuffling, awkward

flatfooted walk; the small hat, the cane, the little mustache,

together with the mannerisms, eccentricities,

gesticulations, gestures and facial expressions present

a most unique, extraordinary and

distinctive personality,‘ quoth Charlie in his complaint.

      And now some ,low comedian‘ attempts

to imitate him, Charlie complains, in a moving picture

production styled Charlie in the Trenches –

loose and baggy trousers, large shoes, shuffling walk,

mustache and all to the damage of his

reputation, avers the originator of the character.

      Citing his income of over a million

dollars from First National Exhibitors‘ Circuit for producing

eight pictures the plaintiff asserts he has

been incalculably damaged and he demands no less

than $50,000, although the alleged

infringing picture was only exhibited a few times.“

Redaktioneller Inhalt

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