Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-05-03
STRAND.

There died last winter In Ne"
York a notable artist who was com
pnrntively unknown because he hhd
the IN luck 10 mics his right artistic
medium lie was a circus clown
usltvern1 of The delectahle "bnscball
game" lie Ahould have been 'Ftank
Oakley ofathe movies" Ile was con
demned to pantomimc because Of "a
voice that was inadequate to public
uttrTnncaa but he was Il comedian ol
surprising Imagination, u serious oh
server, "A real stHdont Ot comic ci-
fcctH. and inherently pathetic even
at hia funniest
Charles Chaplin has come into tho
Kingdom that poor Nllvers missed
lie wears, ms sliverB did a grotesque
costume. lie has the same GIT Tor
clowning ability to translate any
natural gesture into caricature with
out the slightest apparent exaggerl-
tlon--a gift that seems inherent IN
his body as grace Is so often In tho
body OF beauty Sllvcra used To say
'Put real clown In the middle OF
a three ring circus. with nothln' TO
work with but a shoe lace. ana he'll
make the whole tent laugh Slivers
did it by virtue of penetrating I'm
agination lie would see tho shoe
lace RA anything from an anglcworm
TO a string OF spaghetti ana see II
and relate himself to Il 80 Conviuc.
ingly that he made you see II as he
did. Chaplin performs the same
miracle with walking stick, lie
will see -outraReously- a tocu
pick. but no will use II exactly ns
you see tooth picks used ~ "A lunch
counter, looking at YOU with an air
OF sad repletiOn, with n glazed eye
from which all intelligence has wlthr
drawn. inwnrdly, 10 brood over the
Internal satisfaction OF diRealive pro
ceas as--absurdity. but with unimpcuch-
able realism Or he " T. clarN In n
puwnshop and man brings In an
alarm clock 10 pledge a. Chaplin
has to decide how much Il II worth
lie sees II first ms patlen, to be
examined diagnontlcally. Ha taps Il,
petcusses II, puts his ear to ita chest
listens 10 Its heart beat with ateth.
oacope, and, while he listens. fixoa
n thoughtful medical eye on AphcA
looking inscrutahly wise and profcs-
sionally self-confident ile begins tn
operate on it-wlth a can opener
And Immediately the round tin be
comes a round tin can whose con
tents are under suspicion HA cuts
around the circular top NJ the can,
bends back the flap OF tin with "A
Kitchen thumb KinRerly. and then.
Eingerly approaching his nose to II.
sniffs with the melancholy cspres-
sion OF an experienced hOunekeepar
who believes the worst OF the pack-
Ing houses. The imagination In ac.
curate. The acting is restrained and
naturalistic. The result II "A scream
And do not believe that such act
ing la a matter OF crude and simple
means. IL is Ne subtle In It's nat
uTallsm as the shades OF intonatil IN
In "A really tragic speech. In ono Of
Chaplin's films. another actor. dis
guised as Chaplin, walked into the
picture and was received by tho Iudi-
ence with a preliminary litter Of vel
come lie went through mum bor
OF Chaplin antics with drinking
fountain that squirted water In hla
face There was half-heArted laugh
ter He was not funny, He moved
through a succession OF comic
"stuntv' unHucceessfullv before II
dawned on me that this was not
Chaplin at all. when Chaplin fol
lowed In. and repeated the exact
passages that had failed, the laugh
ter was enormous IL wnH the dlf-
ference between man acting
comic scene and man lvins IT.
and the difference was apparent In
a thousand nicetiea OF carriage and
gesture and expression OF face. In
this hairbreadth OF difference lies
the triumph OF Chaplin's art. ES-
pressed sn salary. u IL the difference
betweTn a few dollars "A day and
half million year In reputation.
II Is the difference between the oh.
security OF the stll unknown come
dians who competed with Chaplin
In the early films and the success
OF the most famous clown In the
world for Chaplin is a. pre- e.omi'
nent a favorito In Parfa for instance
as he is here II Is the difference
between n genuine artist and an ar D.,
tificial one.
That difference goes very deep
Slivers used TO say Its Imitatin
life-thats' what does 10 wv cant
get II by muEgin making faces
1T has 10 be real with you why
in that baseball game and ne
would describe how he had built up
his elaborate caricature OF n catcher
from innumeIable observations
holding his glove between his knees
instead OF dropping II on the ground
when he paused 10 put on his chest
pad because So-and So always did
u that way. and snatching OF his
mask with iust this gesture because
n was 1he way he had seen another
catcher do that And he would say,
You know. It's hard work that
turn. You have TO keep In Your
mind whore all the PLAYERS are
the field and on the bases. an tho
time II keeps you watchin'" lie
wns as serious about 10 rs Russian
realiSt And, AS a result. you woulI
see the baseball fans al the circus
wiping the tears OF helpless laughter
from one eye at Il time 80 rs not II
lose sight Of him for an instant.
The curious thing IS that mono oi
the clowns who worked with Sllver-
In the circus learned the lesson from
him They initiated his "make-tin"
They stole his business hut the,
never reached his secret And on
the films, today AS on the stage. YOU
will find all the would be comedians
''mugging' diligently. trying to put