The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
The Circus Clippings 3/376
Emma-Lindsay Squier, Picture-Play, New York, August 1919.
Clown Marcelline (on left and on Wanted Poster) in „The Mishaps
of Marceline,“ Thanhouser film, 1915
& Marcelline, Clown, Coming to Loew‘s Metropolitan Theater
When the big top moves to town next week and
camps right under the roof of Loew‘s Metropolitan for a week‘s
stand, Marcelline, the world famous clown will be heading
a magnificent galaxy of circus stars and the greatest aggregation
of wild animals ever seen in a vaudeville theater.
Marcelline is perhaps best remembered for his long term
of service at the New York Hippodrome, where he was
the rage of the Metropolitan theatergoers for years, although
he has played before all the crowned heads of Europe.
His work is entirely pantomime and mimicry, he uttering
not a single word during his hour‘s entertainment.
Marcelline! There‘s a ring to the name, and for that matter
it‘s a name that has run the wide world over, for this
quiet, unassuming little gentleman that dons the grease
paint of a clown, who talks like an Englishman, but
was born in Florence, Italy, is that best known of the great
clowns, past or present.
He comes to Loew‘s Metropolitan next Monday, Nov. 9.
(...) Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Nov. 1, 1925
„That struck me awfully hard“
Editorial content. „The Circus – and Charlie
Showing that when you really get to know people
they‘re pretty much the same the world over.
By Emma-Lindsay Squier
I went to the circus to get a story ,behind the scenes‘
of the ,big top,‘ and the performers talked of Charlie Chaplin.
The next day I went to see Charlie to get a line on his
next picture, and he talked – of the circus. It reminded me
of the story of the man who took his thirteen children
to see the double-headed giraffe, and who asked for a reduced
rate for his numerous brood.
,Are all them kids yours?‘ demanded the astonished
ticket seller.
,They sure are!‘ answered the proud parent.
,You won‘t have to pay no admission at all,‘ explained
the other. ,You wait here and I‘ll bring the giraffe out
to see you!‘
The moral is obvious. Charlie and the circus liked
each other on first sight, each hailing the other as the world‘s
greatest attraction.
I don‘t suppose I‘d have gotten the double-header
story if it hadn‘t been for Albert and his appetite.
Albert is the biggest elephant in the Barnum & Bailey
aggregation, and when I saw him I forgot the other
performers.“ (...)
„Here on the lot, as in the dressing tent, the
performers were discussing the all-absorbing topic of the
season – Chaplin‘s visit.“ (...)
„The next day I interviewed Charlie at his studio.“ (...)
„,You know, I‘d like to make a circus picture;
I went behind the scenes yesterday. Did you hear about it?‘
I said, a trifle wearily, that I had heard about
it. What I did not say was that I had heard nothing else.
,It was great stuff. I enjoyed it immensely, you know, and
yet – well, it seemed sort of pathetic to me.‘
It is typical of Chaplin to remark the shadowed tones
of any picture. Perhaps that is why he is a great comedian.
,It was all so artificial – so tawdry, so inconvenient
– there is so much confusion and so little privacy, you know.
I couldn‘t help thinking of the people as puppets dressed
gayly for a little hour, to bend and nod and smile, to do their
little stunt, then to be chucked back into their box. And
do you know,‘ he went on, ,I think they felt that way about
me; I was a sort of shadow that come off the screen
for a while, and I‘m afraid they were disappointed in me.
They expected me to be funny and to crack jokes;
they seemed awfully surprised to find that I was just human.‘
We talked of the clowns and of the one who
imitated the Chaplin walk.
,I found, after the last performance,‘ he went on,
,that Marceline, who was at one time the world‘s most famous
clown, was among the slapstick fellows that night – not
featured, not billed in any way – just a common clown; that
struck me awfully hard. You see, I played on the same
bill with Marceline years ago in London when he was the rage,
and yesterday afternoon, they told me, he sneaked
away to avoid meeting me, A thing like that is wretched,
isn‘t it?‘“
Eleven photos.
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The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
