Product Description
Foreword: CHARLES SPENCER CHAPLIN, film comedian extraordinary and the most widely known figure in the history of motion pictures, holds the distinction of enduring for twenty-five years as the out standing, if somewhat enigmatic, personality of the screen. To retain such universal popularity, in its deeper sense, in an industry gradually but surely taking its place as an integral part of the arts, an industry which all too often raises its favorite to stardom overnight only to hurl him back into oblivion with equal celerity, this achieve ment of Charlie Chaplin s becomes worthy of serious consideration. What manner of man is this who sits securely upon his golden throne of millions poured into his coffers by a world-wide audience? What sort of man can defy any challenge to the universal appeal of a single characterization, who can resist for ten years the more modern medium for expression, the transition of silent films into talking pictures? Surely this sustained hold upon the public taste, the public affection, implies a certain artistry genius, if you will. And there are few to deny that Charlie Chaplin has brought into bold relief the ancient art of pantomime as a portrayal of modern, human life. Chaplin has been the subject of more writing and fewer accurate delineations than most of his contemporaries throughout the years. He has en joyed the paradoxical status of being the man ev erybody knows yet nobody knows. Protected by a self-imposed isolation in his private life, he has had, nevertheless, certain dramatic phases in his life, two marriages and their subsequent dissolu tions, emblazoned on the front pages of American newspapers for weeks and months at a time. And when we reflect upon the adverse publicity to which he was subjected at these times, some of it careless of the truth, it is small wonder that Charles Chaplin is wary of revealing himself to the serious biographer or that he bends over back ward in expurgating any story about himself which is submitted to him for his approval. A true biography of him must, of necessity, be an unauthorized one to survive with any value as an accurate chronicle. Because of this consistent discouragement to biographers, few stories of any length, or what is more important, strength, have been uncovered in this writers search for material pertinent to this book. One, a mild little book written by W. Dodgson Bowman in 1931, makes no effort to trace the pattern of the man behind the artist and succeeds in not tracing it. It can be assumed that the manuscript of this book was either censored by its sub ject or prepared with the wish uppermost in the mind of the writer not to off end. Consequently, it has scant value in depicting the living, vital Chaplin. The most colorful and dramatic, the most re vealing and not always creditable, episodes in the life of the King of Comedy are veiled by meager paragraphs or ignored with an airy sycophancy which destroys the value of the book as a true biography. Another, a magazine serial written in a state of pique by Carl Robinson after his dismissal by Charlie in Algiers in 1931, can be considered only as a slap on the wrist. That Robinson received a goodly sum in advance for & quot; telling all& quot; ( he could not tell it) is not surprising, for revelational accounts of Charlie Chaplin are as rare as blue-and white-checked nightingales laying polka-dot eggs. And Carl Robinson, never in the intimate confidence of his employer, knew him only as well as the average acquaintance could. Throughout eighteen years of Chaplin s twenty- five years on the screen, there has been one employee, one person who actually knows Chaplin, the man. That this employee has little understanding of the complex nature of an artist, takes nothing from the facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Essay aus dem Jahr 1999 im Fachbereich Filmwissenschaft, einseitig bedruckt, Note: 1 (A), Veranstaltung: American Cinema Studies (Level 2/3), 14 Eintragungen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Englisch, Anmerkungen:On what specific techniques does Chaplin rely for the creation of comic effect? Does one discern any development in the techniques he uses? Illustration with at least three of his films. , Abstract: Even more than a half century after his last appearance in the film Limelight (1952) and decades after his death in 1977, Charles Spencer Chaplin is one of the most famous characters and well-known actors of all times and is regarded as the greatest creative figure in the movies. Chaplin's capacity for comic invention and his high quality of film output are outstanding among the film producers of his time. His comedies and satires, most of them directed by Chaplin himself, used to amuse people all around the world and still make us laugh today. Apart from acting, directing and composing the music for his own films by himself, Chaplin developed his own techniques for the creation of comic effects, which can always be identified as his own style and is distinguished from those of other comedians of the twenties, for example Lloyd, Keaton or Langdon. This essay will focus on these techniques and their development during the career of Charlie Chaplin. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of those who knew the intimate Charlie Chaplin documented his life and their perceptions of him in their writings. One of the most fascinating and revealing of these accounts has, until now, been available only in French. May Reeves' portrait of Chaplin (as told to Claire Goll) covers their year-long relationship during his 19311932 vacation in Europe. The enigmatic actress and dancer Reeves, in chronicling her relationship with Chaplin, both elaborates on and offers contrasts to the popular impressions of her brilliant travelling companion. Constance Brown Kuriyama has translated Reeves' original Charlie Chaplin Intime into English, and also includes an introduction, and a translation of reminiscences by Chaplin's press agent, Carlyle T. Robinson, which until now have also been difficult to obtain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I really enjoyed this one.
To me, this book is the most accurate and balanced portrayal of Chaplin of those writings by his lovers (Lita Grey and Georgia Hale's books leave much to be desired and are written SO MANY years after the fact).In the beginning, this work is most in line with the Chaplin we know and love onscreen...I enjoyed the tale of him miming as he tells May the story of a boat trip, the morning of which he took too many laxatives ("I don't believe I ever smiled so tragicomically..." he says). From her descriptions, you can almost see him telling such goofy stories. All in all, I felt this was a balanced portrayal of Chaplin's complexities and contradicitons. Recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Milestone
This book holds up today. I've owned it for 20 years now, and still refer to it. Anyone interested in film comedy's history must own this book.

The perfect book on movie comedians and movie comedy:
No one understands and appreciates movie comedy better than LeonardMaltin, and here he has written a book on the subject that is simplyperfect.His enthusiasm and love of these comedians and their comedies isinfectious, and he gives us a giddy yearning to watch the movies he cites. If one is an aspiring comedian,too, this is an inspirational book,filling one with the wonderful possibilities of making an audience laugh. It is difficult to fully describe theunpretentious, simple manner inwhich Mr. Maltin nails down the very essence of comedy in these pages.Howoften those who write about comedy smother their subject with detailedtheories on its socialogical and psychological implications.Mr. Maltinunderstands better than anyone the subtle art of analyzing comedy withoutkilling it, making his book an absolute joy. ... Read more

Product Description
Vocabulary of 600 words. This reader has an accompanying cassette. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of Charlie Chaplin which reveals his attitudes, successes, and failures. Illustrated with black and white photographs. ... Read more

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During his broadcasting career Alistair Cooke met and knew some of the twentieth century's most fascinating and legendary figures, in journalism, politics, public life, sport and film. This is his highly personal and revealing account of six remarkable men who crossed Cooke's path during his lifetime and who, each in their own way, made a lasting impression on him.\n\nHere are candid portraits of the lovable yet unreliable Charlie Chaplin, who, when asked to be Cooke's best man, mysteriously vanished on the day; the complex and private man behind Humphrey Bogart's tough guy image; and the charming yet childlike 'golden boy' Edward VIII. Cooke also recalls his friend and mentor, the flawed contrarian and satirist H.L. Mencken, the larger-than-life liberal politician Adlai Stevenson and the heroic social reformer Bertrand Russell. Each superbly realized portrait gives us an insight into a golden age of 'great men', and is a masterpiece of observation, warmth and humour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Insightful and Unbiased
As is usual with any of Alistair Cooke's writing, that unmistakable transatlantic voice can be heard behind the words as if the author himself was reading his work to an audience of one - you. The generations who would remember the men of whom he has written are fast coming to an end, but there is enough in each of these insightful vignettes to whet the appetite of a true biography-phile of whatever era. I would say that Cooke enjoyed the company of each of his subjects, but that did not put him beyond objective honesty. The saddest, most poignant and ultimately most honest comment of all was that of his summing up of Edward VIII - "The most damning epitaph you can compose about Edward - as a prince, as a king, as a man - is one that all comfortable people should cower from deserving:he was at his best only when the going was good"

An all class act
Many of us who appreciate the work of truly great non-fiction writers were deeply saddened by the recent passing of Alistair Cooke.

Although best remembered for his long running radio commentary "A Letter from America" and his various television shows of earlier years, it makes for a pleasant change to go back and rediscover some of Mr Cooke's more substantial literary efforts.

A graduate in English literature from Cambridge University and a print journalist of considerable experience, Cooke managed to perfect a difficult balancing act. Throughout his long and prestigious career he steadfastly adhered to the highest professional and intellectual standards yet still managed to enjoy enviable success within the mass media. In many ways he raised the bar in his field by proving that there was, indeed, a solid market for quality work if it was cleverly presented in an entertaining and accessible style.

In this book the veteran newspaper man draws upon his impressive array of observational and descriptive skills to create a striking collection of penetrating celebrity profiles. Cooke wrote with the deft, light hand of a popular scribe but also with the probing incisiveness of a psychology professor. At all times he examined the inner workings of his subjects with an almost clinical thoroughness and a commendable sense of fairness. When it came to creating word pictures, the man was an old master.

Alistair Cooke was a consummate journalist, an all class act and a credit to his chosen calling .

Incisive, Beautifully Written
Mr. Cooke is a very bright, amusing, observant man -- who writes so extraordinarily well you'll wish to re-read passage after passage for the pleasure of the sounds. He has chosen six men of diverse background and writes about them with sympathy -- but more importantly for this reader, with an acute sense of their singularity and what made them so. Any reader would only wish the book much longer because it's a beautiful one.

Interesting biographies by an interpreter of their lives.
Six famous transatlantic figures: 3 English and 3 American men, all of whom had a legendary meaning in the seventies: Charles Chaplin, H. L. Mencken, Humphrey Bogart, Adlai Stevenson, Bertrand Russell and Edward VIII.I liked his style of writing and he really provided insightful surprises on each of these famous men.An interesting read, if not for the history alone. ... Read more

Product Description
Wife of the Life of the Party is the memoir of the late Lita Grey Chaplin (1908-1995), the only one of Chaplin's wives to have written an account of life with Chaplin. Her memoir is an extraordinary Hollywood story of someone who was there from the very beginning. Born Lillita Louise MacMurray in Hollywood, she began her career at twelve with the Charlie Chaplin Film Company, when Chaplin selected her to appear with him as the flirting angel in "The Kid". When she was fifteen, Chaplin signed her as the leading lady in " The Gold Rush" and changed her name to Lita Grey. She was forced to leave the production when, at the age of sixteen, she became pregnant with Chaplin's child. She married Chaplin in Empalme, Mexico in November 1924. The Chaplins stayed together for two years. Lita bore Chaplin two sons: Charles Chaplin, Jr. and Sydney Chaplin. In November 1926, after Lita discovered that Chaplin was having an affair with Merna Kennedy (Lita's best friend, whom she had persuaded Chaplin to hire as the leading lady in "The Circus"), Lita left Chaplin and filed for divorce. It was one of the first divorce cases to receive a public airing. The divorce complaint ran a staggering 42 pages and fed scandal with its revelations about the private life of Charles Chaplin. Lita's divorce settlement of $825,000 was the largest in American history at the time. Lita authorized the publication of another biography, "My Life with Chaplin", in 1966. The book was mainly the creation of her co-author, Morton Cooper, who re-wrote her manuscript. Lita was never happy with the many inaccuracies and distortions of that book. " Wife of the Life of the Party" is not to be seen as a supplement to her early book, but rather Lita's own version of her life, told for the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sad story, but...
A few years before her passing, Lita Grey, ex-wife of master comedian Charles Chaplin, wrote a second "autobiography," WIFE OF LIFE OF THE PARTY, in cooperation with silent film enthusiast Jeffrey Vance. According to her son Sydney's foreword, the book was intended as a correction of her 1966-memoir MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN, which, by all accounts, was filled with exaggerations.

It is a sad story. I must clarify that my admiration for Chaplin goes beyond that of a "fan." His films have meant more to me than the work of any other artist, and needless to say they have had a strong personal impact on me. Despite this, I'll try to stay neutral here and admit that I did feel sorry for Lita as I read this book. It is not hard to recognize that the work of Chaplin is the outcome of a very complex mind, and on a personal level, this complexity was not always to the advantage of neither himself nor his surroundings. To have a creative genius as a husband can't be a preferable situation for everybody, and certainly it wasn't for Lita.

Chaplin first aqcuainted his future-wife in 1920, while working on his first feature-length film THE KID. She was 12 at the time, and got a role in the film after the recommendation from Chaplin's co-director. The book starts off with some interesting recollections of Chaplin's working habits. The two met again three years later, when Lita visited Chaplin's studio in order to impress a friend. Chaplin was captivated by the beuaty of the 15-year old, and signed her once again, this time to play leading lady in his current production THE GOLD RUSH (for which she was later replaced). The two soon began an affair, and eventually, Lita became pregnant. Chaplin became frustrated, and offered her a large sum of money if she would marry another man; however, Lita's mother forced them to marry. In late 1924, the 16-year old Lita became the wife of 35-year old Charles Chaplin, and the rest is a pretty dark story.

Inevitably, most of this book consists of details about the unhappy marriage, putting Chaplin in a far from favorable light. According to Lita, her husband almost had a habit of accusing her of trying to ruin his career. Whenever her parents are not present, Chaplin is quick to adapt harsh name-calling. Lita, on the other hand, is presented as astonishingly naive and inexperienced throughout. Perhaps she was; there is at least no doubt that Chaplin was the adult of the two and should probably have foreseen that starting an affair with Lita wasn't the wisest thing to do. They were divorced less than three years later, which resulted in worldwide headlines for over a year. Lita's divorce complaint (a tiresome read included in the book) became a best-seller, and her lawyers worked with one thing in mind: to ruin Chaplin's career. They did not succeed, but were close at times. Chaplin got a nervous breakdown and was forced to close the studio for months.

However, although there is little doubt that Chaplin must take responsibility for many of the problems that arose during this period, there are parts of this story that remain uncovered in the book. Lita's account really appears a bit too one-dimensional to be fully believable. For one thing, various sources through the years indicate that Lita's family used Chaplin's money in a very inconsiderate manner, something which Chaplin's wealth can't completely justify. Also, during the divorce her lawyers, one of which was her uncle, used some truly mean-spirited and unethical methods. Lita further ignores the difficulties she caused her two sons through their childhood, when she suffered from alcoholism. It is not that I blame her for not wanting to dwell on unhappy things like that, but if she is to present her ex-husband in such a horrendously unflattering manner, I'd have regarded it as fair to admit that she should have done some things differently herself, especially since she stresses that "Chaplin had a tendency to blame all other people for his own troubles and believe that he himself was faultless." The reader should also be aware that Chaplin barely touched the subject of his marriage to Lita in his autobiography, and that his version of the story was thus never really heard publicly.

I usually avoid books on celebrities written by ex-wives, and did an exception because it's Chaplin-related. Although sad, all in all WIFE OF THE LIFE OF THE PARTY stands as not too memorable, and is mostly worth to read due to the recollections of Chaplin's work on THE KID. If you have to read it, I urge you to also check out Charles Chaplin Jr.'s wonderful book MY FATHER CHARLIE CHAPLIN as a sort of counter-balance, or otherwise you'll possibly get a rather one-dimensional view on Chaplin the man.

Her ghostwritten first book was better
...and that's saying plenty. Lita Grey Chaplin had at least a hand in producing two books on her brief two-year marriage to Charlie Chaplin. The first book, published in 1966, was ghostwritten, but was much more interesting than this boring, plodding effort. If you're looking for lurid sexual escapades and revelations, opt for the 1966 offering, for there is nothing interesting contained in this book. In fact, the majority of the book is taken up with the complete divorce complaint of the Chaplins from 1927, which makes for stilted, uninspired reading. The photographic section is similarly flat and uninspired. The only thing worth reading in the entire book is the introduction written by Sydney Chaplin, Lita and Charlie's second born son.

One other reason for investigating the book is that it shows the unflattering side of Charlie, one which Chaplin addicts (like me) try to avoid confronting. Chaplin was a man of extreme moods and he could be enormously seductive, charming and adorable one minute, and a crude, insensitive cad the next moment. In fairness, Lita trapped Charlie into marriage when she got pregnant at the age of 16. Chaplin was interested in a torrid affair and not a permanent relationship; he demanded she get an abortion, she refused, and he was stuck in a loveless marriage. The whole arrangement was screwy from the get go, but Charlie's notorious aversion to contraceptives again did him in. Chaplin comes off very badly throughout the narrative and Lita even claims she never even loved him. Again, ths is in direct contrast to her 1966 book which shows her to have been a nymphmaniac/besotted Chaplin chick all the way.

I'd recommend this only to people who have a mania to read everything ever printed on Charlie; for casual fans, there's no necessity to bother over this tepid trifle.

Thanks to the warning reviewers
First, my rating should not be considered since I did not read this book.I would just like to take a minute to say something. I don't think I can actually thank the 2 reviewers warning not to buy this book by writing to them personally, so I will say it here.Thank you! I had a feeling this book would be just as you described.I didn't think Lita's motives or personality could ever be truly credible after the way she publicly drug his name through the mud during the divorce.Thank you for solidifying my assumption and saving me a few dollars!Glad others feel the way I do!

Very appreciative,
Chaplin fan forever

The dirt, m'am, nothing but the dirt
Lita Grey as hardly an important figure in the career of the great Chaplin.She was, of course, a scandalous footnote, one of the many far-too-young women in his life.Her time with Chaplin was brief, so any notion of her being any level of expert on him is, at best, vague.

Her influence on his art is greatly overstated, her impact on his life was limited to his wallet, and this book won't give anyone any legitimate insight into the artist or the man.It is just a self-serving tome, and not worth your while.

Leave us not support this; avoid, except for the titillation value.

A Fascinating Life
Here is a marvelous book detailing the fascinating and interesting life of LITA GREY CHAPLIN.She of course was the child bride of CHARLES CHAPLIN that mangaged to sue and win a substanial sum when divorcing him in 1927, causing one of the great Hollywood scandals of the 1920's.I enjoyed this book because it clears up all the distortions and inaccuracies of her first ghost-written memoir, "MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN".In his introduction, author Jeffrey Vance clearly places LITA GREY'S importance in the history of CHARLIE CHAPLIN :She influenced three of CHAPLIN'S greatest films :THE KID, THE GOLD RUSH, and THE CIRCUS.Also included are the divorce documents and helpful notes and afterword. A must for CHAPLIN aficionados. ... Read more

Product Description
"A steak and kidney pie, influenza and a cablegram.There is the triple alliance that is responsible fo the whole thing."

These are the first lines of Charlie Chaplin's personal memoir of his visit to Europe.Discover how this triple alliance helps him decide to play hookey after seven years in Hollywood and travel with him to Great Britian, Germany and France.

After reading this insightful memoir, you'll be grateful that Mr. Chaplin was devoted to a daily journal and that he was blessed with such a keen memory and observation skills.

Some of the 15 chapters:
- I Decided to Play Hookey
- Off to Europe
- Days on Shipboard
- Hello England
- The Haunts of my Childhood
- Off to France
- Off to Germany
- Fairwell to Paris and London
- Bon Voyage ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unreadable because of poor formatting
This eBook appears to be scanned from a University of California library copy (the library stamps are included in this edition). It is so poorly formatted that at times it is unreadable -- random characters appear within words, the sentences break up into fragments, etc. I returned mine for a refund. ... Read more