The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-02-19
CHAPTER w.

CHAPTER w.
He never made real success, however
until Mack Sennett let him direct his owl
comedies. Sennett 10 q very keen judge o
| character, and he saw that II anything wa
to be had out Of Chaplin, II must be hae
in Chaplin's own way. He reconstructese
the organization to enable Chaplin to di
rect his own comedies.
Sennett's decision brought into being thu
| quaint character with the little stubby
mustache, the big shoes and the cane that
is known wherever motion pictures ars
| known.
Chaplin's first picture with the Keystone
company was little comedy sketch called
"A Film Johnny" II was taken at the
ifornia. Chaplin had the part Of picture
fan who was always wandering .ou: in
front of the cameras that were trained on
the race. His part was merely intended
to Garry" the motion pictures OF race.
A good many of Chaplin's earliest pic
lures with the keystone were of this char.
acter; he was used to put in incidental
business in big news events. In one news
picture taken at San Pedro Harbor, for
instance, he was assigned the part OF .
roughneck woman who was very severe
with her husband.
Introduces New Note.
ne nT6L DlCtuTe tnhL ne ulIeCICu ueh-
self was called, Caught in the RAIN"
As director, Chaplin introduced new
note into moving pictures. Heretofore
most of the comedy effects had been riot
GUS boisterousness. Chaplin, like many
foreign pantomimists, got his effects in
more subtle way and with less action.
Also be worked alone to a greater extent
than any other picture comedian.
BY making the most of the little subtle
effects, Chaplin enlarged the field OF all
motion-picture comedies. 1t goes without
saying that the simpler effects man
needs for his fun-making the more effects
he has to draw on One Of the very fun
niest situations, for instance. in any Of the
Chaplin comedies was in His Trysting
Place" where Chaplin used the whiskers
of u guest in cafe for a napkin
About That Makeup.
The question that nearly everyone asks
about Charlie Chnplin's early career is:
Where did he pet that makeup! Those
shoes and that hat?"
The general impression is that Chaplin
worked with this same outfit from the
I beginning of his picture work, but this Is
! not true In his first pictures for the Key
< stone, Chaplin wore long, dropping mus
/ tache and top hat. He wore ordinary
shoes In almost his first pictures, how
I ever. he began wearing the amazing
pants" that still adurn him.
4 His frst costume didn't suit him at all
! The Keystone people say he was Away
Z poking around the property room tryIni
TO hit upon rome sort Of clothes thai
would register" One day be came on
ia his hands They were long and cu-let
up at the toes. They reached right ou
| and shook hands with Chaplin as soon q
! he saw them. They had been Ford Ster
ling's and had been left behind vhe,
Sterling quit the company. Chaplin ha
worn these identical shoes ever since
Then he began trimming of his long
dropping mustacbe. Every day it ere,
shorter. until finally II. was the littl
toothbrush that is now 80 famous. II
then substituted q round derby for his TO
hat, and his costvme was complete as
now appears in his pictures.
His costume was not the only difficult
he found in getting adjusted TO the mov
les. To tell the truth, be was miserabl
unhappy at first. and hated the work i
every way. Ford Sterling had just left tn
company and il was hoped that Chspli
would take his place. They naturall
lines as the comedian they had lost.
Gets Record ~caIi-Do~n."
Chaplin, however, worked on entirel
4
rapidly, dashing hither snd thither at to
speed. Chaplin's comedy was slow an
deliberate, and he made . great deal on
Of little things-iittle subtleties. The
tried to force him TO take up the For
Sterling style and Chaplin refused. Ths
is to say. he wouldn't. He just listene
to what they had to say, then did It in b
own way.
| The net result was a very sultry tim
| D-AL n -
mann. They gnarreled all the time durir
the first Of Chaplin's work. Mabel No
mand and Chaplin fought like q black Dc
and monkey. Lerhmann finally appeale
to Mack Sennett; he said he couldn't
anything with Chaplin. The Keystor
people ny that the hardest "call-down
anybody ever got at the. Keystone VI
that handed to Chaplin by Sennett b
capse he refused to obey the directo
toasts to the president are drunk -stan
ing and in silence. But he went right {
acting in his own way. Finally Lerhmar
passed him on to another director, wi
had an equally bad time with him.
The Keystone people came 20 the co
clusion that they had picked fine lemc
in Chaplin. Personally he was very po
ular. but It was generally agreed that
would never make good az picture actc
ROW ne -0appeneo.
Finally, Mack Eennett took hand
directing Chaplin himself. They were th.
putting on play called .Mabel's Strsn,
Predicament." Chaplin had small pa
where he did some funny business in Il
lobby Of hotel. Mack Sennett decided
see iust what this Enslishman would do
they let him have his own way. He turn,
the misft loose and let him be funny
he liked.
Then and there Charlie Chaplin sudde
" happened"
Mack Sennett saw in q fash that sor
big stuff was going over, and from tn
minute Chaplin became real star.
ycnnett, during the next few picturs
put Ia Chaplin TO do little comedy bi
that called for the same kind Of stuff
showed In the lobby Of the hotel. Cha
lin was always funny in these bits, b
Gennett saw that, TO Be entirely successf,
he must have company OF his own. q
other actors work 'wds out Of tune wi
the Chaplin method. Ssnnett was qui
10 zee that almost immessurabIe thin
could be Rotten out Of Chaplin, but
III 49, - eksf the Chan1in oicfureo pvnsu