Charles Chaplin

[rohmerin]

New discovery at Bolgona, "double cross" sequence from The great dictator. Article and two pictures in exclusive here

[Hail_Cesar]

Any link in French, English, German or Italian? I still have to learn Spanish

[domino harvey]

I used translate.google.com and while it's a little wonky, I got the idea. Sounds like an interesting sequence (though this should go in the Great Dictator thread, really)

[bearcuborg]

Leonard Martin's excellent Indiewire page recently posted this link for a great BBC radio feature on the Chaplin Archive Project. It was unknown to both of us for more than a year now.

Furthermore the Chaplin Museum looks to have a 2014 opening. Check out that virtual book!

[Calvin]

Chaplin's only novel, Footlights, is published for the first time

[filmyfan]

There was a talk by David Robinson at the NFT in London yesterday-was very good and Claire Bloom was introduced as a nice surprise and she spoke for 10 minutes or so. Overall a good evening.

[jindianajonz]

Does anyone know anything about the Charlie Chaplin: The Legend Lives On 5 disc DVD set? All I can gather is that the picture is subpar, but I can't find a listing of what films are included in this set. Is there anything essential in here, or am I better seeking out his shorts in other sets?

[Ashirg]

This is a public domain release. It's better to seek these titles elsewhere restored by Lobster Films/Flicker Alley.

The films included (per B&N listing):
Side #1 -- Disc 1
1. Caught in a Cabaret [15:55]
2. Mabel's Busy Day [9:35]
3. The Masquerader [9:25]
4. The Rounders [9:35]
5. In the Park [12:34]
6. By the Sea [9:26]
7. The Bank [14:32]
8. Shanghaied [17:21]
9. A Night in the Show [18:02]
Side #2 -- Disc 2
1. His New Job [23:53]
2. The Champion [22:40]
3. Face on the Barroom Floor [13:30]
4. A Woman [19:45]
5. The Count [20:21]
6. His Trying Place [15:56]
Side #3 -- Disc 3
1. The Vagabond [18:57]
2. The Fireman [20:27]
3. The Fatal Mallet [9:49]
4. Behind the Screen [20:07]
5. The Immigrant [20:01]
6. 20 Minutes of Love [10:01]
Side #4 -- Disc 4
1. The Adventurer [19:10]
2. The Cure [19:16]
3. Mabel's Strange Predicament [10:27]
4. Easy Street [18:53]
5. One A.M. [17:05]
6. A Fair Exchange [13:00]
Side #5 -- Disc 5
1. The Pawnshop [20:30]
2. The Floorwalker [19:48]
3. His Prehistoric Past [11:59]
4. A Burlesque on Carmen [43:54]
5. Laffing Gas [13:38]

[Paul Duncan]

Here is a video about The Charlie Chaplin Archives, a giant book published by TASCHEN, which I edited: https://youtu.be/EHPyEj8B3Ls

Videos showing the construction of Chaplin's World have been posted here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... r9zjaLfDeR

Click to see a TV report (in French) showing inside the Manoir and Museum spaces before the Chaplin's World exhibitions are installed: http://www.latele.ch/play?i=56176

Chaplin's World is due to open April 2016.

[Cagliostro]

New book published in Switzerland on Chaplin's unrealized final project, The Freak.

[bearcuborg]

The Chaplin Museum opens April 17th. I'm heading there this weekend and will report back to everyone.

[domino harvey]

Universal is releasing A Countess From Hong Kong on Blu-ray next month

[Fred Holywell]

Here's something different, a Lavazza coffee commercial utilizing Chaplin's Final Speech from The Great Dictator.

Good Morning Humanity is Lavazza's new global communication campaign that, through the words of Charlie Chaplin's "Final Speech" to Humanity, aims to send a message of positivity, presenting the horizon of a new world, ready to welcome a humanity rediscovered. Lavazza #TheNewHumanity

[Stefan Andersson]

20 seconds cut from Modern Times prior to a 50s reissue has surfaced.

Relevant video and info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=31209

The missing bit explains a jump cut (covered by and intertitle) and music edit in the scene in question.

[Stefan Andersson]

A film archive in Austria has started a worldwide inventory of prints of Shoulder Arms. Only prints made before The Chaplin Revenue (1959) are sought.
Much information about the project, relevant contact information, the film´s four negatives and more:
https://lichtspiel.ch/MASh?fbclid=IwAR2 ... MYq9DLof7Q

Also:
http://www.charliechaplinarchive.org/en ... o-c-hunter

[Stefan Andersson]

A Woman of Paris now has a new score, by Timothy Brock, partly based on rediscovered 1951 home and studio recordings of Chaplin´s music:
https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/e ... f-paris-2/

[domino harvey]

What’s the best book on Chaplin? Looking for discussion/analysis of his films rather than a biography

[JSC]

I've always found Chaplin: His Life and Art by David Robinson to be one of the best (although it is still
a biography). Also, as an analysis of Chaplin's films and other contemporary comedians, The Silent Clowns
by Walter Kerr is worth reading.

[bearcuborg]

I’m quite fond of Jeffrey Vance’s book. Get the hardcover, the pictures are wonderful.

Perhaps I’m sentimental here, but THE COMPLETE FILMS OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN McDonald, Conway, Ricci is the first Chaplin book I ever bought. Each film gets a short review from critics of the day. James Agee being a standout.

[Stefan Andersson]

Dave Kehr on the restoration of Shoulder Arms:
"For decades, audiences have watched versions derived from Chaplin’s back-up camera angles and second-choice takes, assembled from degraded C and D negatives after the original A negative deteriorated beyond use. MoMA’s meticulous reconstruction, assembled primarily from surviving prints based on the original A-negative material, reveals an essentially unknown Chaplin film – the version American audiences experienced in 1918."
"The restoration corrects decades of technical distortion, eliminating the jerky motion caused by stretch-printing for sound-era projectors and returning the film to its original 20 frames per second. Subtle but significant variations emerge: camera movements proceed in opposite directions, Chaplin’s performance carries different emotional inflections, and the film’s rhythm reflects Chaplin’s true creative intentions rather than technical compromises."
https://anttialanenfilmdiary.blogspot.com/

[Stefan Andersson]

Screenplay for The Freak, Chaplin´s unmade film, now published:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/o ... -published
https://stickingplacebooks.com/charles- ... the-freak/

[hearthesilence]

Dave Kehr on the restoration of Shoulder Arms:
"For decades, audiences have watched versions derived from Chaplin’s back-up camera angles and second-choice takes, assembled from degraded C and D negatives after the original A negative deteriorated beyond use. MoMA’s meticulous reconstruction, assembled primarily from surviving prints based on the original A-negative material, reveals an essentially unknown Chaplin film – the version American audiences experienced in 1918."
"The restoration corrects decades of technical distortion, eliminating the jerky motion caused by stretch-printing for sound-era projectors and returning the film to its original 20 frames per second. Subtle but significant variations emerge: camera movements proceed in opposite directions, Chaplin’s performance carries different emotional inflections, and the film’s rhythm reflects Chaplin’s true creative intentions rather than technical compromises."
https://anttialanenfilmdiary.blogspot.com/

I saw this at MoMA and it did look amazing. I think there may have been a couple of moments or jump cuts where you can tell they couldn't get it to 100% (which wasn't expected given how difficult this restoration was going to be), but nothing that seemed like a huge deal. They also ran a slideshow for the 30 minutes between doors opening and the film starting, with slides detailing the film's history and the entire restoration, so that could be the basis for extras if they ever reissue this on physical media.

[domino harvey]

Why is this being discussed in the Gold Rush thread?

[Stefan Andersson]

Why is this being discussed in the Gold Rush thread?

I was too hasty and mistakenly posted the above post in the wrong thread. Sorrry about that.

Mods: please feel free to move Shoulder Arms posts to a more appropriate thread.

[Stefan Andersson]

Shoulder Arms, "Preserved and restored by The Museum of Modern Art. World premiere of original 1918 restored cut. DCP. 46 min..", Aug. 2, 2026:
https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/11560
Showing includes A Dog´s Life, "preserved and restored by The Museum of Modern Art under the aegis of Association Chaplin and Roy Export S.A.S. World premiere of original 1918 restored cut. DCP."

MK2 lists 2K and 4K restorations of the First National titles plus The Chaplin Revue:
https://mk2films.com/en/collections/the ... ollection/
https://mk2films.com/en/film/short-film ... s-chaplin/