The Gold Rush   1923   1924   1926   next   previous

The Gold Rush Clippings 145/363

New Yorker, New York, March 21, 1925.

Lillita Louise Chaplin, Plaintiff, vs Charles Spencer Chaplin

(...) Divorce Papers, Los Angeles 1927,

AlexanderSanchez-Cabello/ParadeAntique/BNPS

„The childishly innocent victim of a rapacious roué“

Editorial content. „Home Problems in Hollywood

      CHARLIE CHAPLIN is in trouble again.

      Over his head hangs a sword that was forged in the

Californian sunshine of the cold metal that

entered the souls of the native sons when they lived

in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. It is the sword

of righteousness, the flaming blade of moral indignation.

      It seems that Mr. Chaplin‘s home life has

been a trifle irregular – and irregularity in Los Angeles,

the City of Homes, is unpardonable. As the

newspapers have already indicated, a moderately interesting

– but to whom? – event is expected in the old

Chaplin manse, and when that event occurs, the sword will

descend with a glittering flash and the head that

wears the battered derby may roll into the basket of oblivion

      Chaplin, according to present plans, is to be

driven out of the movies, out of the Golden State, into the hazy

limbo beyond the Sierras. That way lies Fatty

Arbuckle....

      When was producing The Kid, six years ago, he engaged

for a minor rôle in that picture a young girl named

Lilita McMurray. The girl payed the bad angel in the dream

scene wherein Charlie himself fluttered through

Heaven, and her mother, for some reason, was named

Mrs. Lillian Spicer.

      Mrs. Spicer, casting envious eyes at Jack Coogan, pere,

who had leaped to fame and fortune through the

activities of his offspring in The Kid, went to Chaplin and asked

that something be done for her gifted little

girl. Chaplin promised vaguely to do something.

      At this point comes a series of explanatory subtitles

to indicate the passage of a period of five years.

      Chaplin, casting for his newest picture, The Gold Rush,

engaged Mrs. Spicer‘s gifted girl (now known

as Lita Grey) as his leading woman. And so, last November

he entrained suddenly for Guyamas, Mexico, and

married her.

      The details of this happy event were clouded with much

secrecy. (It was known, however, that Chaplin‘s best

man, who journeyed madly across the continent to stand by his

pal‘s side at the joyous happening, was Nathan

Burkan, New York theatrical lawyer.)  No previous word of it was permitted to become known and consequently, when

the prospective bridegroom set out for Guyamas, he found

no more than seven Los Angeles newspapermen

in the same car. These reporters watched him closely, but

he finally outguessed them: the ceremony was

performed at four a. m. the next day, and Mr. and Mrs. Chaplin

were on their way home before the local Brouns

had arisen.

      –

      LATER the reporters besieged the Chaplin

residence and were thrown out by the squire – just like

so many Keystone cops.

      This understandable, but ill-advised act, constituted

an affront to American journalism, as represented

by the Los Angeles Times, Examiner, and News, and Chaplin

suffered for it. Dark rumors were circulated as to the

military nature of his wedding and Miss Grey was pictured

as the childishly innocent victim of a rapacious roué.

      These stories were called to the attention of the California

Women‘s Clubs, whose members, fulfilling their

obligation to civilization, proceeded to pass some resolutions.

Charlie Chaplin‘s pictures were to be boycotted.

Chaplin himself was declared leprous and unfit to associate

with decent people.

      Sid Graumann, proprietor of the most important movie

parlors In the Los Angeles district, had booked

The Gold Rush for a long run at his Egyptian Theatre.

Representatives of the women‘s clubs went

straight to Mr. Graumann and told him, in effect, that he would

do well to change his mind. Mr. Graumann, staunch

old showman that he is, did well, changed his mind, and

cancelled the booking.

      In the meantime, Mrs. Chaplin had installed herself

in her new home and was playing hostess to her

mother, her father, her grandmother, her grandfather, her uncle,

her aunt and several unidentified cousins. Mr. Chaplin

had moved out and was living in the Hollywood Athletic Club.

      Negotiations for a settlement were soon under way.

Chaplin offered $250,000. Mrs. Spicer refused this, explaining

that her daughter‘s honor was worth $500,000, if it was

worth a nickel. Chaplin balked.

      Finally the bickering ceased. Chaplin summarily

dismissed his wife‘s relations from his home – and returned

to live there himself.

      There the case rests, and the Chaplins, the Spicers,

the California Women‘s Clubs, the Los Angeles

press and, undoubtedly, Will H. Hays, are waiting anxiously

for the arrival of old Dr. Stork – and the subsequent

burst of publicity. On dit that it will be in May.

      Chaplin has engaged another actress, Georgia Hale,

to play Mrs. Chaplin‘s part in The Gold Rush –

necessitating the retaking of many scenes and much delay.

However, the picture should be ready by June 1.

      From all accounts, it is an extraordinarily good comedy.

It will probably make a great many people

laugh. It may even make Fatty Arbuckle laugh out loud.“

      The Gold Rush opens June 26, 1925 at

      Grauman‘s Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Bld., L. A.

    

Redaktioneller Inhalt

 The Gold Rush   1923   1924   1926   next   previous