The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-03-18

Some OF the attention tnat ce -
chaplin with his fame was snjyysole.
he street without knowing him. Ihey
ire always answered courteoussy. Not
,one ago. / saw two old people stop and
,tare and begin to nudge each other IN
great excitement. Charlie Chaplin was
coming down the street. When he came
near, the old man gathered his courage
chaplin lifted his hat in the odd way that
ne does on the screen and said; How
lydo" and passed on. The old people
we're tickled to death.
The one thing that got the comedians
goat was speaking at banquets. just once
e n recorded that he was prevailed Icon
and humsn agony caD have no fuller ex'
cAression than this quivering actor waiting
: 70 speak his piece.
The elimination Of his fame came prob
ably with the offer Of q New York theat-
rical man to give him $4,000 for an en-
gsgement of two weeks--an offer which
The Essanay company is supposed to have
met to induce him to stay away from the
'...age.
About Those Darling Pictures.
You, often hear wise moving-Picture fans
tell how Charlie Chaplin produces PIC
ture by Just dashing out anything that
comes into his head. Yes, indeed! Chaplin
flashes through scenario Just about the
way matchmaker dashes through tne
uproariously funny Chaplin farces have
been made slowly and painfully.
Chaplin never works from regularly
written out" scenario. He gets general
idea, then slowly patches it together after
getting the actors in front OF the camera.
Most of the scenarios are his own stuff
He says he thinks of them as he walks
-. Al. "a IN fao nr
where. Most Of the time, Chaplin seems
abstracted and as far away as in dream.
This is because he is usually manufactur-
ing some moving-picture story.
He says he got one OF the best hunches
he ever had while eating lunch. 1t struck
him 80 suddenly that he almost went out
without paying the check.
The scenario Of His Trystipg pIace
came from an old comic song that Chap
Inns father sang in vaudeville years ago.
Waits for "Hunch."
Chaplin begins directing the piece. His
methods in this are as eccentric as are all
his other ways.
Chaplin plants himself in chair just
out of range of the camera. As he always
acts in the piece he is directing, he always
wears his stage costume. He pulls the
dinky little derby down over his eyes,
spraddles his big shoes out in front OF him
and the actors begin.
Chaplin lets them do their comedy just
as they please as long as they please him
which is about five seconds, usually. He
sit and watches them with an expression
which seems to say: Good Lord, and
these guys are getting money for doing
'this" Then when he can't stand it any
longer he jumps uH and shows them how
to do it.
TT III knk - do.
he shows them The result is that every
part in every Charlie Chaplin piece is act
ed by Charlie Chaplin himself. As he
goes along, he makes almost innumerable
changes and corrections. As he practically
writes his scenarios after the acting has
begun, it is intensely nervous work. 1t is
as hard to get chance to see him at work
as it Is to get into a lodge meeting.
Makes Two Kids Happy.
But to show you the instructive kind
ness of the man, the other day two little
street boys were found peeking in under
the fence. One of the supers was going to
drive them away, but Charlie called them
In. There happened to be a lull in the
proceedings, 80 he pretended to direct
them in a comedy. To their delight, he
put them through little impromptu seem
ario. And IL was noted that he was just
as careful in directing their stuff al. his
own. The general public he refused to
admit to the studio, thereby differing. from
some directors, who seem happiest when
crowd is looking on.
A very important and rather ardu0us
part of picture work is selecting the "loca-
tions" In most companies this is the job
Of the assistant directors: Chaplin, how
ever, does all his own searching for loca-
tions. However, It must be, said that most
Of his locations are simple and easy TO
and.
In moving-picture work, great deal Of
I. time il wasted while the camera men are
fixing the light shields, and other neces-
sary contrivances. During this time. the
actors are left to their own devices. Chap.
lin fools around during these periods and
comedy. While he was still with Key
stone, they went down to the lnce rnnch
10 produce that prehistoric film in which
great snake pulled Ambrose" up cliff.
They had whole basketful Of snakes
down on the beach. While they were
circus snake charmer. It was 20 funny
that Il nearly broke up the business. Of
the numerous Ince companies for the day.
Great Film Waster.
Chaplin, like many Of the big directors.
u great waster Of Aim. He never leaves
situation until he IL thoroughly satisfied
with Il and he IL hard TO satisfy. He 10
very much gwen to re-takes, which 10 the
most expensive habit in the movies.
Il 10 plain to the careful observer that
Chaplin 10 working toward something en-
tirefy. new in pictures. In q general way.
Ais idea j. that comedy .should be mors
subtIe and have more. real story, although
the horse-play antics he indulges In make
that idea hardly credible.
He made the greatest advance in this
direction IN The Tramp" In this, there
wAs not only : real story. but touch q
real pathos which gave Chaplin . chance
BEEN shown in any movie comedy. J think
+, everyone who saw u win agree witr N
On that point.
(Ths next lnstaIimsnt os thIs Inter
sstlns Biography will b run In IN
Nary Issue. Watch for ~ -