Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
Behind the Screen
Intimate Personal Pictures Of the Sitter Shee.
SAMUEL 90,
y IL. poran Conpan

MS In London when, the son Of poor
vaudeville artists. he experienced
terror Of the next day, have driven
tar into his brain. No prosperity can
quite rid him Of fear. That Is why
ne wants to assure himself In every
what is it but fear which makes a
malt conscious always of the thick
ness Of his arnlor, the sharpness Of
his weapons?
There was one engagement of his
which Charlie did keep When Claire
came to California she expressed i'm
mediately desire to meet Chaplin.
My friend Ahram Lehr thercupon in
vited the comedian to a dinner given
Mayfair to Moscow"
and don't you dare fail me this
time!" adnonished Mr.. Lehr AS he
proffered the invitation.
Charlie not only obeyed; he obeyed
in a dinner coat. From the first. SO
satisfied with each other, and that &C.
casion led to the friendship upon
which Mrs: Sheridan dwells so glow
ingly in her American Diary"
Charlie is well liked by the average
woman. Indeed, most people are at
be? His drollery. his quick and vivid
response TO the moment. his friendly,
boyish smile. the manner which
makes you feel at first meeting as II
you had known him all your life
these would lead the usual person to
pick him out in a roomfui OF distin-
guished people. And all this quite
apart from the glamour OF his repu-
tation.
He makes another appeal. The
first time l ever met him I felt sorry
should want to help him-this young
charming "Reminiscences me Al
most at once. But could not help II.
Afterward / found that nearly every
one else shares this feeling.
OF course exactly the same thing
is operative on the screen. For Chap
lin owes his supremacy as much 70
tho tears as TO the laughter OF the
multitude.
This pathos Of his comes from an
enduring isolation. He is. and think
always will be. lonely figure. Be
loved by many, applauded by all, ne
Is merely with--never of--the crowd
not though he gives it back gesture
for gesture and laugh for laugh. Not
misleading, the look Of listening
which so much impressed me the brst
time I met him: For carly in life
Chaplin took his seat in the parquet
of life and ever since he has been
watching the rest of US actors UT
folding our drama. Do not be de-
ceived because some times he vaults
like the performers. Even when he
is at his merriest FRANKS, even when
he is talking most cOnfidentiallv ana
affectionatelv to his friends, he is
still the onlooker. detached from the
rest of us by / know not what last
resses of spirit
The most intimate of Charles
friends in Hollywood are Douglas
Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. lie
goes over to their house frequently,
70 h..r
fast. Chaplin, of course, frequently
Gees in the creations of the other two
an opportunity for characteristic sug-
gestions.
moated castle in Robin Hood he
said to Fairbanks: "Wonderful. Doug!
Just think what would do with
that drawbridge on Sunday morning!
the Sunday papers and the milk bot
tles and then draw 1t up tight SO that
nobody could get at me all the rest
of the day"
his favorite screen actress. II think
Mary Pickford." he answered, I'M
hesitatingly. You see. there's a won
derful quality about her-lt's that
more than her acting"
actor. Charlie does no. work from
Story he is apt to come into his
studio and say. Build me kitchen
and dining room n, He has at this
idea But day by day he develops Il,
and as he does SO his scenario writer
puts down each scene. This method
has often been described. and touch
upon it here only for Its value In re-
vealing his Psychology. A scenario
would undoubtedly irk him as, much
as would a social engagement. AL
ways. always. CHAPLIN must be as
sured that he is free, that his In
dividuality has scope for its spon-
His emotionality is never more APP
parent than when he is at work.
often he becomes exhausted in hts
>fforts to inspire one of his com
many with ths desired emotion.
"Ieavensr' he will cry. TITS enough
TO break your heart-Such stupidity"
When he sees the rushcs. anger and
despair are apt to break from their
leashes and run away with the pro-
lection room. Often. however. these
emotions are directed quite as much
toward his own part in the perform
ance as toward that of others. Charlie
has. In fact, that capacity for being
dissatisfied with his own work which
is a part Of every great artist.
The world at large does not seem
to know much about Charities brother
and Charlie has very real affection
for him. He himself Is an excel
lent comedian with only one disad-
vantaee-he Is the near relative OF a
lent comedian. This relationship.
may add. could never be detected
fro ma casual glance at the two.
for sgd Chaplin is rather tall and
rather blond and his features are
much more sharply cut than those Of
syd. by. the way. possesses a very
ready wit. Once when dining with
Mary and Doug he listened to the
latteTs statement that the costumes
for Robin Hood" had cost a hundred
and sixt-two thousand dollars
Hump commented sgd, "I should
call that 'Pohbin' DOUG"
1t was after completing his 1870. 400
contract with the Mutual Film Com
pany that Charlie made with the First
National COMPANY a million-dolIar
deal calling for eirht two-ree1 pic
tnres. THIS did not sound difficult.
The comedian expected to complete
the order in a year. Instead, he has
only Just recently finished the last
Of the National Film pictures.
Continued in Tomorrow's starry