Modern Times 1935 1936 1937 next previous
Modern Times Clippings 237/171
Motion Picture Herald, New York, February 1, 1936.
Modern Times Scene, detail
& Charlie Chaplin Modern Times
(...) Ad, Variety, Feb. 5, 1936
& CHARLIE CHAPLIN SWITCHES ON THE FUN
IN „MODERN TIMES“
Modern Times Pressbook Cover, 1936,
United Artists collection at the Wisconsin Center for Film and
Theater Research, detail
& Modern Times Poster
„Far in the darkness of the neck-craning balcony regions“
Editorial content. „$2,000,000 Worth
of Chaplin Fun on Screen Wednesday
Charles Spencer Chaplin will span 23 years of motion
picture comedy next Wednesday evening with placement of
$2,000,000 worth of Chaplin pantomime and farce
on the screen of the Rivoli theatre on Broadway, in the
form of Modern Times. Mr. Chaplin will charge
New York‘s white-ermined, top-hatted first nighters $5.50
admission to see the ,world premiere‘ performance
of his ,tramp‘ becoming involved in the cross-currents
of Cosmopolitan life.
Loew Bid Wins
The Rivoli opening is principally United Artists ballyhoo.
From there the picture will go to work, first at the
Loew theatres in New York. After unusual spirited bidding among
New York circuit executives for the rights to the first
general showing, Loew looked like the best bdder and
mndway during the negotiations Mr. Chaplin
personally concluded the sale by long distance telephone
from his studio in Hollywood. Both sides say that
the rental price is a ,humdinger.‘
The picture itself has been coming along now for some
18 months, Mr. Chaplin having spent a quarter
of a year polishing and cutting from the rough and another
two-months determining when and where he would
place it for the public‘s first glimpse. The interest stirred up in the
meanwhile has taken such invaluable tangible form
in the printed page and roto-gravurewise that Mr. Chaplin‘s
return to the screen after five years, almost to the
day, has been a challenge to the security of Mr. Mickey Mouse
as the record holding ,space grabber.‘ (Charles Chaplin
lighted theatre marquees with City Lights in February, 1931).
Tickets for the premiere performance – no other
are scheduled at the moment – went on sale Wednesday
morning at the Rivoli with much banner waving
by the home office of United Artists, which company distributes.
A special box office was set up at the Rivoli for this
purpose and the nearby Times Square police station notified
to be ready with reserves. Seats may be secured
for as low as $2.20 – far in the darkness of the neck-craning
balcony regions.
Starting Thursday morning, Modern Times will be
shown in continuous performances at popular prices, with
midnight showings nightly.
Chaplin Composed Music, Too
Mr. Chaplin, as usual, not only starred, but wrote the story,
produced, financed, prepared, directed, and supervised
the production – and even composed the music. Carter De Haven
and Henry Bergman assisted him directorially,
Alfred Newman recorded, Rollie Totheroh and Ira Morgan photographed and Charles D. Hall designed
the settings.
Most of the supporting players have been with Chaplin
since the earliest days – Hank Mann, Louis Natheux,
Henry Bergman, Chester Conklin, Stanley Sandford, Allan Garcis.
Modern Times represents the first production made
by Mr. Chaplin from a prepared script. Usually he takes two
years to shoot ,off the cuff.‘
Coincident with the premiere, the publicity department
at United Artists is sending to every chief editorial
writer in the country a 12-page booklet with pictures explaining
the personalities, statistical data and other facts on the
production. This procedure is a new one in publicizing motion
pictures, and will embrace 1,500 editorial writers on all
newspapers with a circulation of 5,00 or more.“
Modern Times world premiere is in New York Feb. 5, 1936
at the Rivoli Theatre.
Rivoli Theatre, Broadway at 49th Street, New York.
Redaktioneller Inhalt
Modern Times 1935 1936 1937 next previous
