Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days
eBook - ePub

Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days

At Work with the Comic Genius

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days

At Work with the Comic Genius

About this book

By the end of 1914, Charlie Chaplin had become the most popular actor in films, and reporters were clamoring for interviews with the comedy sensation. But no reporter had more access than Fred Goodwins. A British actor who joined Chaplin's stock company in early 1915, Goodwins began writing short accounts of life at the studio and submitted them to publications. In February 1916 the British magazine Red Letter published the first of what became a series of more than thirty-five of Goodwins's articles. Written in breezy prose, the articles cover a two-year period during which Chaplin's popularity and creativity reached new heights. Only one copy of the complete series is known to exist, and its recent rediscovery marks a significant find for Chaplin fans.

Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days: At Work with the Comic Genius is a vivid account of the ebb and flow of life at the Chaplin studio. Goodwins was an astute observer who deepens our understanding of Chaplin's artistry and sheds new light on his personality. He also provides charming and revealing portraits of Chaplin's unsung collaborators, such as his beloved costar Edna Purviance, his burly nemesis Eric Campbell, and other familiar faces that populate his films. Goodwins depicts Chaplin in the white heat of artistic creation, an indefatigable imp entertaining and inspiring the company on the set. He also describes gloomy, agonizing periods when Chaplin was paralyzed with indecision or exhaustion, or simply frustrated that it was raining and they couldn't shoot.

Reproduced here for the first time, the articles have been edited by film historian David James and annotated by Chaplin expert Dan Kamin to highlight their revelations. Illustrated with a selection of rare images that reflect the Chaplin craze, including posters, sheet music, and magazine covers, Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days provides a fascinating excursion into the private world of the iconic superstar whose films move and delight audiences to this day. It will appeal to movie fans, comedy buffs, and anyone who wants to know what really went on behind the scenes with Chaplin and his crew.

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Yes, you can access Charlie Chaplin's Red Letter Days by Fred Goodwins, David James in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Introduction
  3. Chapter 1: Charlie’s ā€œLastā€ Film
  4. Chapter 2: Charlie Has to ā€œFlitā€ from His Studio
  5. Chapter 3: Charlie Chaplin Sends His Famous Moustache to the Red Letter
  6. Chapter 4: Charlie Chaplin’s ā€œLost Sheepā€
  7. Chapter 5: How Charlie Chaplin Got His £300-a-Week Salary
  8. Chapter 6: A Straw Hat and a Puff of Wind
  9. Chapter 7: A Bombshell That Put Charlie Chaplin ā€œon His Backā€
  10. Chapter 8: When Charlie Chaplin Cried Like a Kid
  11. Chapter 9: Excitement Runs High When Charlie Chaplin ā€œComes Homeā€
  12. Chapter 10: Charlie ā€œOn the Jobā€ Again
  13. Chapter 11: Rehearsing for The Floorwalker
  14. Chapter 12: Charlie Chaplin Talks of Other Days
  15. Chapter 13: Celebrating Charlie Chaplin’s Birthday
  16. Chapter 14: Charlie’s Wireless Message to Edna
  17. Chapter 15: Charlie Poses for The Fireman
  18. Chapter 16: Charlie Chaplin’s Love for His Mother
  19. Chapter 17: Chaplin’s Success in The Floorwalker
  20. Chapter 18: A Chaplin Rehearsal Isn’t All Fun
  21. Chapter 19: Billy Helps to Entertain the Ladies
  22. Chapter 20: ā€œDo I Look Worried?ā€
  23. Chapter 21: Playing the Part of Half a Cow!
  24. Chapter 22: Twelve O’Clock—Charlie’s One-Man Show
  25. Chapter 23: ā€œSpeak Out Your Parts,ā€ Says Charlie
  26. Chapter 24: Charlie’s Doings Up to Date
  27. Chapter 25: Charlie in a Gay Mood
  28. Chapter 26: How Charlie Works His Gags
  29. Chapter 27: The Chaplin Boys’ Beano
  30. Chapter 28: An Accident in the Chaplin Studios
  31. Chapter 29: Charlie Chaplin, Syd, and a Football
  32. Chapter 30: New Chaplin Film a ā€œHowlingā€ Success
  33. Chapter 31: The Rough End of ā€œMovieā€ Work
  34. Chapter 32: One Hundred Thousand Guineas for Chaplin Films
  35. Chapter 33: Charlie’s Great Pie-Slinging Scene
  36. Chapter 34: Charlie Gets Busy with Behind the Screen
  37. Chapter 35: A Hustle against Time in the Chaplin Studio
  38. Chapter 36: A Racy Account of The Rink
  39. Chapter 37: A Million Dollar Contract and Easy Street
  40. And Then . . .
  41. Appendix A: Charlie Chaplin’s New Contract: Record Salary and One Film a Month
  42. Appendix B: Charlie Conducts Sousa’s Band
  43. Appendix C: His Doings in New York
  44. Notes
  45. About the Contributors