The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-02-12
CHAPTER III.


think anything Of Us that we would enjoy
remembering.
Chaplin says that shortly after arriving
In New York, he went to a show in a
vaudeville theater. II happened that some
vaudeville actor was giving an imitation of
an English swell-or at least what he
thought was an English swell--a regular
creations. the IKE of which really never
lived on the earth. Chaplin, who is very
serious young person, was deeply offended.
To say he was peeved at this reflection
upon his countrymen in putting it mildly.
Az the sketch went on, Charlie got SO in
,dignant he couldn't stand it any longer.
: He rose in his seat and started a public
.ay sssf wSsny soms sonsssr Of 'han Ss
loving friends grabbed him and removed
him from the place.
Charlie likes America now. He confcsses
that he finally returned to England at the
head OF his No. 2 ''Night in Music Hall"
company, and found that he had outgrown
England. Also England had outgrown him.
lie cheerfully admits that England couldn't
see him at all: The English are peculiar
old favorites and resent newcomers taking
their places. So Charlie, after vainly
tumbfing around on the stages of his ma
tive land, exclaimed to his companions:
For Gods sake, let's get back to the
United States, where they know about
u.s."
Wins Success.
Chaplin's western tour was huge suc-
cess. He played the Sullivan and Consi.
dine circuit on the Pacific coast. To tell
the truth, he was simply riot. In Los
Angeles especially he made an immense
hit. The word few around the wise
alleys" to ego over to the Empress and
zee that drunk. He'll kill you sure"
Chaplin made special hit with other
theater people. His rough comedy had
in a touch Of real thought and superiority
and eernestness that was recognized az
something different. Every drunken fall
allowed the planning Of fine brain.
Owing to the manner in which the word
was passed around among theater people,
Chaplin was well known to actors and to
moving-picture people around the studios.
The year after he played his might in
London Music Hall" he came back to the
western states in another sketch called,
The Wow Vows" In this he again took
the part of a swell drunk. In fact, all
Chaplin's early successes were drunken
dress suit comedies"
The "Wow Vows" was only fairly well
received, and the following years he came
out again in the London Music Hail."
Gets First Film Job.
BY this time, his sketch had become one
of the most famous in ten-twent-thirt
vaudeville. During the third year some
one of the Baumann and Kessel people
who own the New York Motion company
conceived the idea of getting Chaplin to
come into moving pictures. Mack Sennett,
who heads the Keystone Comedy company,
was consulted and approved If the idea
He was delegated to sign up Chaplin.
Chaplin was then getting $75. Sennett
called on him at the Empress theater and
Chaplin years contract at Sl75 week.
A Los Angeles friend tells about it:
Zone night Charlie stopped me on the
street and told me about the offer. He,
was excited, and didn't know what to do,
He said he was afraid TO try, rs he didn't.
think he would make good. The money,
though, was terrible Temptations. He
filed and backed for while, but. finally
to do this by BY the e. contract. | remember
that he kept saying: Well, you know.
they can't fire me for year anyhow. No
matter what a hivver / make of it, they
will have to pay me my salary for year
anyhow"
First Pictures Failures.
To make this story right, our young hero
should have gone out to the Keystone and
scored triumph; but, alas, the facts are
agin him. His first days at the Keystone
were. were anything ; but e., happy % ones. s;, They
derstand them. Chaplin had been careful
" trained along the lines Of English PAN
tomimc. He found the silent drama a h
American to be utterly different in every
particular. They didn't get effects tho
same way. American comedy was, in
those days, whirlwind Of action without
any particular technique. Charlie was
man.
!. From all accounts, he and the lovely
Mabel Normand, now the best of friends
and the warmest admirers of one another,
got along about a. well as dog and cat
with one soup bone to arbitrate. He told
Mabel what he thought of her methods
:n and Mabel s fs,d hum n.sd 'os = o. tsnss In
ing back of the scenes at the theates as
lonesome as lost soul. He was ready to
chuck the whole business.
. "They won't let me do what want;
they won't let me work In the way ] am
used to-" he complained. His first pic
lures for the Keystone were not much Of Z
success. In one Of them he appeared in
e ss' Part ss Ct csaDPs ss va d.eso %
couldn't understand his particular style
Of comedy and thing. were going ysry
badly. Chaplin did not At into the Key
stone comedies. a play' ;has TO be espc-
cially built up 10 Chaplin's ways.
Learn chaplln's Ways.
I Chaplis was ! very likeabls chap, how
ever, and was very popular with the other
actors. He was modest to . fault; they
liked him because he didn't try 10 hog
sithsr the Aim or the scene. Also IN Z
shy way BE taught them Z lot.
II thosg early days the art Of the comic
fan was bot )well underst0ed. The Key
stone policeman were half The tlmo 81 tho
hospital. Actors n6ersd more cesualties
than Tie Qer5naD army. Chaplin had had
4 thoroush trsfning n "faIls" from the
fraiesd fnslIsb pasto@Inlsls iis knsy
sxnotH how q d ik, Hs verY oenesoon1y
passsd o. this knowIedGs 20 ths eoro and
su1uIn9 Keyf<oas poli5e fo.ce. The hoe
pIlalk weFe ~ poosR therety.
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isn4. 1ai e adoDs ~ AnsFIsan AIn
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