The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-02-03


for many things, but he would IL.
ways buy new books or pictures.
Not 8 Booster
Charlie Chaplin does not like to
talk about himself. / cannot ren1em-
Der ever hearing him tell any long
story Of his past am sure there
was nothing TO be ashamed of or to
conceal. but he always lived IN the
present and was thinking OF the
future. He once told me that his go
ing into the films was almost an acci-
dent. He was not particularly In
terested IN moving pictures until he
was engaged by Mack Sennett (while
Charlie was travelling with vaude-
vile company. to play q small part
in film. Then he discovered
himself"
This accidental engagement In
the movies. which he accepted with.
out thinking Il important, changed
the whole course Of his life, / can.
not tell you the details, nor the
exact dates. As have said, Charlie
never talked much, TO me or 20
others, about past events. They
tN-Se@A
Signed Up In 1914
Note by editor: The interesting
facts IN his extraordinary PROBES.
sional career, as told by his man.
ayers and associates, may be sum.
married briefly az follows.
While playing his not very prom.
inent or lucrative part ii Karno's
road company Of yaudevillists, he
was engaged BY Mack Eennett, 81.
ready famous In moving pictures,
TO play q minor part on the screen.
The contract was signed Ia the
dressing room Of vaudeville thea.
ter in Philadelphia In 1914. Charlie
Chaplin never dreamt what that
engagement portended.
The chemistry Of photography,
which changes all human faces, inn.
proving some, narring others,
brought out innate qualities In
Charlie Chaplin's that the naked
human eye could not discern. HUI.
miIity or tenderness or pathos, q
variety Of emotions that the camera
disclosed. though unseen by the
human eye In the studio, 50 fasci.
mated the spectators Of the screen
that whenever Charlie Chaplin was
there all others In the picture were
forgotten.
Photographed Fine
Here was q face, homely, strong,
not particularly fine or delicate as
beheld by the human eye, but the
alchemy OF photography revealed
IN its pathos, hunnor and the rarest
sensibility. These traits must have
haaxS fxa kNof0 0AA tHAoNsk ~ fINn
actor. But they were undiecernible
to the naked eye. The wizardry Of
photography alone made them visl.
The Goddess Luck brought Mack
Sennett, Competent, experienced NOV
ing picture direct0r, and Charlie
Chaplin. together in the dressing
room Of q second.fate philadelphia
covered him. That fairy god.
Chaplin himself did not know he
possessed.
"The Champion q Hit
The first production under SEN
Nets direction with Charlie Chap
lin as the star, was 1.-THE Cham
plon," In which he sewed Q horse
shoe into a boxing glove and thus
knocked out q comedy tough prize
fighter three times hin own size. It
was q short reel, but It was an
instantaneous success. That was
the first Charlie Chaplin film sent
to Europe. 1t Nas a. understand
able In France, Italy and Germany
as In England and America. Titles
and sub-titles were translated into
seven languages, including Russian.
In one short year the Mutual Film
Corporation was paying the hitherto
rather obscure vaudeville actor a
salary Of 100000 q year. The
greatest actors that ever lived had
never received as much.
Value IncaIculabIe
But other film producers realized
that the value Of Charlie Chaplin's
talent was incalculable by any
previous standards. For his films
could be duplicated and Charlie
Chaplin could draw tears and laugh.
ter in 1000 theaters on the same
night.
The next year, 1917, the First
National Exhibitors took Charlie
Chaplin away from the Mutual Film
Corporation by contracting to star
Chaplin in eight short (two.reel)
comedies and to pay him 81 600, 900.
Some good managers said that no
star could possibly be profitable TO
any one at such figure. But the
First National Exhibitors made
money, nevertheless, and tried to
keep him after the contract expired.
Tried Longer Pictures
But Charlie Chaplin, while doing
his work producing short reels for
his employers. decided to try much
more elaborate, longer scenarios for
himself. He Incorporated himself in
1913. Then came such films az "A
Dogs Life, Shoulder Arms" PAY
Day" The Immigrant" 'sThe KID, =
The Circus" and. later. ''The Cold
For q short period beginning IN
1919 Chaplin worked with DouRlas
FAIRBANKS, Mary Piclxford and
David Wark Griffith In The United
Arusts. This combination, and
the development Of other stars
IKE Marion Davies, the TaIrnadges,
Thomas Meighan and others. en-.
iarged the moving picture business
into national institution reQuir-
ing high art and enormous capital.
ana appealing to more people as
an entertainment than all the
books that were ever written and
al the pictures that were ever
Costly Movie Houses
Shrewd American men Of business
began to build moving picture audi.