Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Great Britain: Proud of Chaplin


Chaplin

THE 86th Academy Awards – otherwise known as the Oscars – will be announced on Sunday, March 2, writes Jo Clarke.
Britain has produced many winners and nominees since the first ceremony took place in 1929.
There are few who are more famous than Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin (1889-1977).
He was an actor, filmmaker and composer who rose to fame during the silent movie era.



His screen persona The Tramp is a hugely important figure in the history of film.

His 75-year career took him from childhood to old age and featured fame and controversy.
He received three Academy Awards – two honorary Oscars for his filmmaking skills in 1929 and 1972 and the award for best score in 1973 for Limelight.
From November 15-16, 1931, Chaplin visited Plymouth as a guest of MP Nancy Astor.
Earlier that year his film, City Lights had been released to great acclaim but it had been a difficult project that he had spent more than two and half years working on.
After the premieres were over he took a holiday and ended up travelling for 16 months.
His visit to Plymouth brought the crowds out in force – as you can see from this photograph.
He even appeared on stage at the Palace Theatre one evening.
In a letter to Michael Astor (one of Nancy’s sons), James Joseph Judge (a former editor of The Herald and a great friend of the Astors), wrote: “You should have been here on Sunday and Monday.
“Your mother brought Charlie Chaplin and thousands thronged to see him on the Barbican and... crowds came to your house: on Monday they filled Virginia House and the Palace Theatre... I sat beside him at dinner at Elliot Terrace.... and found him ever such a nice, modest little man.”


Read more: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/History-Charlie-Chaplin-Plymouth/story-20691359-detail/story.html#ixzz2uKzeQu5p

Friday, February 21, 2014

Chaplin Wrote Music!

This cute video with clips from the 1936 movie, Modern Times, featured Chaplin's original composition, Smile.  It has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the years; Nat Kink Cole, Michael Jackson, Judy Garland and the cast of Glee, to name a few.

Enjoy

Chaplin's Smile by Geraldine and Oona Chaplin




From the movie, Modern Times, 1936 and still at No. 41 on IMDBs top 250 movies of all time.

Modern Times (1936)

  -  Comedy | Drama  -  25 February 1936 (USA)
8.6
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Ratings: 8.6/10 from 88,773 users   Metascore: 96/100 
Reviews: 180 user | 107 critic | from Metacritic.com
The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.

Director:

  (as Charlie Chaplin)

Writer:

 
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Title: Modern Times (1936)
Modern Times (1936) on IMDb 8.6/10 
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Top 250 #41 | 3 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Still of Charles Chaplin in Modern Times (1936) Still of Charles Chaplin in Modern Times (1936) Still of Charles Chaplin in Modern Times (1936) Still of Charles Chaplin in Modern Times (1936)
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People who liked this also liked... 

City Lights
City Lights (1931)
Certificate: Passed Comedy | Drama |Romance
  8.7/10 
The Tramp struggles to help a blind flower girl he has fallen in love with.
Director: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Chaplin...
A Factory Worker (as Charlie Chaplin)
Paulette Goddard...
Henry Bergman...
Tiny Sandford...
Big Bill (as Stanley Sandford)
Chester Conklin...
Hank Mann...
Stanley Blystone...
Al Ernest Garcia...
Richard Alexander...
Prison Cellmate (as Dick Alexander)
Cecil Reynolds...
Mira McKinney...
Minister's Wife (as Myra McKinney)
Murdock MacQuarrie...
J. Widdecombe Billows (as Murdoch McQuarrie)
Wilfred Lucas...
Edward LeSaint...
Sheriff Couler (as Ed Le Sainte)
Fred Malatesta...
Cafe Head Waiter
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Storyline

Chaplins last 'silent' film, filled with sound effects, was made when everyone else was making talkies. Charlie turns against modern society, the machine age, (The use of sound in films ?) and progress. Firstly we see him frantically trying to keep up with a production line, tightening bolts. He is selected for an experiment with an automatic feeding machine, but various mishaps leads his boss to believe he has gone mad, and Charlie is sent to a mental hospital... When he gets out, he is mistaken for a communist while waving a red flag, sent to jail, foils a jailbreak, and is let out again. We follow Charlie through many more escapades before the film is out. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>
Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

 machine | tramp | factory | police | jail | See more »

Taglines:

 You'll never laugh as long and as loud again as long as you live! The laughs come so fast and so furious you'll wish it would end before you collapse! See more »

Genres:

 Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

 G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

  »
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Details

Country:

 

Language:

 

Release Date:

 25 February 1936 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

 The Masses  »

Filming Locations:

   »

Box Office

Budget:

 $1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $11,507 (USA) (9 January 2004)

Gross:

 $163,245 (USA) (22 October 2004)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

   »
Show detailed  on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 

Sound Mix:

  (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Color:

 

Aspect Ratio:

 1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film shares many themes with René Clair's À Nous la Liberté (1931). That film's production company Tobis Film sued Charles Chaplin upon the release of Modern Times(1936) to no avail. They tried again after World War II, this time settling with Chaplin out of court. Clair - who was a great admirer of Chaplin - was thoroughly embarrassed by Tobis Film's course of actions. See more »

Goofs

After a brick hits the police officer all the officers go over to the tramp. The gate he is in front of is open at first with a wheelbarrow in the gate opening. This position of the gate and wheelbarrow occur for two or so scenes. In the last scene the gate is suddenly closed and the wheelbarrow has been moved to outside of the gate. See more »

Quotes

[Listening to a phonograph record]
The Mechanical Salesman: Good morning, my friends. This record comes to you through the Sales Talk Transcription Company, Incorporated: your speaker, the Mechanical Salesman. May I take the pleasure of introducing Mr. J. Widdecombe Billows, the inventor of the Billows Feeding Machine, a practical device which automatically feeds your men while at work? Don't stop for lunch: be ahead of your competitor. The Billows Feeding Machine will eliminate the lunch hour, increase your production,...
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Brief Film Reviews: My DVD/Blu-Ray Collection (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
(uncredited)
Music from the traditional folk song "Revive Us Again"
See more »