Evening star., 1924-02-18
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER XIV.
Jackie COCSan and .'Thc Kid"


TTHE few supe rfuities which ap-
peal to Charlie Chaplin mus,
have some association of ro-
nance. For example. he is
Very fond of mangoes, and every eve,
ming that Il certain Los Angeles cafe
has this delicacy the manager calls
up Chaplin's house. When Charlie
sits down in front of glass of this
exotic fruit he is positively radiant.
Lovely muSty odor!" he will com
mrnt. To him the dclicacy calls up
visions of long-robed, wide -Sleered
eastern men. of caravans winding
thrcad-like across the desert, and of
incense rising in fretted temples from
the feet of golden gods. Every bit OF
him goes out to meet this glamourouS
suggestion just exactly as every bit
uf /, m "oeS out to meet the broad,
rollickinS humor of the derby pulled
off by vnr string.
DomeSticity doe" not fit into my
conception of his: character. He is too
individual. too InHrh oppressed by
close relationship, t2le an as easily
imagin IL, NJ So =. tcr!a.n, mJw
ing the fGon -&n : at; subj! ban
home at Char o'sdtng CON
teniedly to ~" On ! "ns. ,,,
these two L "a F.en ! poets is no
accidental. For Chaplin is not a mere
comedian. He is a poet-the great
poet of the %creen. His fierce re-
bellionS against man-made fetterS
which would trammel the individual
soul in it's progress seward complete
expression. his Sen~itiveness to i'm
preston. his strange combination of
emntiona1ity and complete detach-
mcnt--these ally him in spirit with
the Youngest and fierieSt of bardS.
e ia
rI-nt is consistent with this spirit.
For Chaplin has brought from the
horde rland OF the SubConSciouS mind
those emotions which he sets before
you. In that single small figure with
the bag2y trousers and the Hopping
shoes, he reveals 4 loneliness and
frailty, the lurking irreSponsiblity,
the fears and aspirations-all the in
1"rmingled rathos and humor of the
shoulder Arms" for example.
Here Chaplin bears for YOU the real
everyman at war. Stripped of his
bombast and fine speeches, of the
brave front which he presents to his
fellows. the soldier stands stark be-
fore you. 1t is poets realization
of those things buried beneath the
surface of sarb and manner and
every day speech, and it is all of a
poets concrete expression of them.
one evening while / was dining
with Chaplin in Los Angeles Very
smartly dressed woman leading
small boy by the hand entered the
latter caught sight of the comedian
he rushed over to him and threw his
arms about Chaplin's neck. There
was look of rapture in the big
gotten.
After the enthusiasm of this greet
ing had ebbed away Charlie intro
duced the pair. 1t was Jackie CooEan
and his mother. When they had
moved on from our table Chaplin
turned to me.
"Thpre's a hoy YOU ought to have"
he commented. He's a great actor"
Possibly Chaplin never Shoae more
brightly in any human relationship
than he has in his association with
Jackie Coogan. The mendouS love
and tenderness which he expressed
for The Kid on the screen had, in
fact 4 source of actual feeling. He
really loved and does love this small
hoy. As to the latter. ] have already
indicated in my account OF his greet
ing how touchiugly Jackie returns
this affection.
If. you ask the tiny star today who
prompt: Charlie Chaplin Equally
loyal is the professional sting he
gives to his friend. One day some
body asked him who was the greatest
living actor.
Charlie Chaplin, of course" he
retorted.
And who is the second greatest?"
persisted his interviewer.
Jackie Coogan." he answered with
ali the serenity of the critical mind
Z that is mistaken by any personal
consideration.
And the third"
oh" said he, obviously somewhat t
impatient with the do~gednesS of this
research, II have told you the two
greatest. What does it matter about
the third?''
Even in that first casual greeting
with this gifted boy ! was struck by
the perfect unConSciouSne which
sets Jackie apart from the ordinary
stage child. He didn't seem to realize
in the least that he was famous
Parsonage, and | hear that it has been
kept from him always-the enormity
of his earnings, the fact that he, a
lad not quite eight years old. has
already earned almost million dol
lars. Certainly that evening he was
just a kid radiant at seeing the
grown-up who had played games
with him much more absorbedly
than any other small boy could
have done. Indeed. / have always
been told in Hollywood by people
who knew the CooGans we'll, thai
he is first of all a real boy
possessing perhaps even more thar
the average boys affinity with dirt.
Not long ago a friend of mine
dropped in to see the small star. II
was during the production of "Oliter