Thomas Blaich

Prof. Dwight Watson

Theater 209
14 April 2014
Charlie Chaplin !perstar
Charlie Chaplin is the original s!perstar. "e was one of the first actors that co!l# sell a
mo$ie that he ha# %een in simpl& with his name. '$er the co!rse of his career( !p !ntil the
point in which he was no longer allowe# to enter the co!ntr& #!ring the )cCarth&*era witch*
h!nts of the 19+0,s( he co!l# sell a mo$ie to a!#iences all o$er the co!ntr& simpl& %& p!tting
his name on the %oar#. An# !sing his infl!ence( an# the f!n#s gaine# %& ma-ing all of these
#ifferent mo$ies o$er the &ears( he instigate# a re$ol!tion in the wa& in which films were
ma#e. .n 19/1( Chaplin wrote( pro#!ce#( #irecte#( an# starre# in City Lights, a film which has
%een estimate# to ha$e cost %etween 01(+00(000 an# 02(000(000 to pro#!ce. An# while this
might not seem li-e m!ch( especiall& now with %!#gets that reach !p into the h!n#re#s of
millions of #ollars( the e1ceptional thing a%o!t this mo$ie is that this mo$ie release# at the
height of the 2reat Depression( which ha# starte# on 3Blac- Th!rs#a&4 'cto%er 29
th
( 1929.
4+5 #a&s after the start of the 2reat Depression( this film was release#. An# what a release it
ha#. 6$en in an era where silent film ha# cease# to %e rele$ant( City Lights manage# to come
in secon# in the %o1 office for the entire &ear( with millions of people watching it in theaters
worl#wi#e. B!t wh& #i# all of these people come watch this mo$ie when the& ha# no mone&
with which to ta-e care of themsel$es7
When 3films4 were first create# at the en# of the 19
th
cent!r&( if the& co!l# e$en %e
calle# that( the se$eral secon# long clip of a horse r!nning was ama8ing. B!t for people at
that time( the inno$ations that we ha$e ma#e at this point( with /D mo$ies an# .)A9( wo!l#
seem so far fl!ng that the& co!l# not e$en %e consi#ere#. To get to this point too- o$er one
h!n#re# &ears of filmma-ing all aro!n# the glo%e( %!t in the earl& 20
th
cent!r&( a &o!ng man
came to America from 6nglan# who wo!l# change the face of filmma-ing fore$er. '$er the
co!rse of his more than :+ &ear career( he pro#!ce# o$er one h!n#re# films either %& acting
in them( #irecting them( writing them( or pro#!cing them( all at one of the most t!r%!lent times
in %oth o!r filmma-ing histor& an# o!r co!ntries histor&.
.n 1914( si1 months after Charlie Chaplin entere# the co!ntr& for the secon# time( he
was in$ite# to ;oin the <ew =or- )otion Pict!re Compan& to ma-e films. This was the official
start of his career in 3"oll&woo#4 e$en %efore "oll&woo# e1iste#. .n this first &ear( he was in
/+ #ifferent films %efore mo$ing to the 6ssana& >ilm )an!fact!ring Compan&( where he
wo!l# ma-e an a##itional 1+ mo$ies o$er the co!rse of three &ears. >rom there he mo$e# to
>irst <ational( an# after fi$e &ears wor-ing with them( he helpe# to fo!n# ?nite# Artists in
192/( a compan& which still e1ists as a s!%is#iar& of )2). While wor-ing here( he ma#e
eight films( incl!#ing the most pop!lar films of his career. >or o$er 29 &ears he ma#e films
with ?A !ntil he was not allowe# to reenter the co!ntr&( %!t the first 1: &ears of this r!n were
his most fr!itf!l. .n this time he ma#e Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, an#
The Great Dictator. .n these fi$e films alone( he spent an estimate# : million #ollars @ro!ghl&
105 million #ollars nowA while ma-ing o$er 1/ million #ollars @almost 200 million #ollarsA.
Which is e$en more impressi$e( consi#ering the change in tic-et prices o$er the last eight&
&ears. While c!rrentl&( hearing news of a mo$ie ma-ing h!n#re#s of millions of #ollars at the
%o1 office is not that strange( this is in an age where tic-et prices range from fi$e all the& wa&
!p to twent& #ollars( for the man& #ifferent t&pes of shows li-e .)A9 or /D. B!t when this
mo$ie was first release#( tic-et prices were at an a$erage of ;!st thirt&*fi$e cents
1
( m!ch lower
than what the& are now( ma-ing this achie$ement all the more impressi$e.
The most interesting film in this series is witho!t a #o!%t( City Lights. )a#e #!ring the
2reat Depression an# release# at one of the #ar-est times in American histor&( this self
f!n#e# film( ma#e with mone& #irectl& o!t of Chaplin,s poc-et went on to ma-e + million
#ollars in the ?nite# tates. The reason for this is the character of the 3Tramp4( the
B!intessential Chaplin character( is someone that m!ch of the co!ntr& co!l# relate to at the
time. The Tramp is possi%l& one of the most interesting an# longest r!nning characters within
film( first %eing seen on screen in >e%r!ar& of 1914 in the mo$ie Kid Auto Races at the
Venice, %!t it was create# %& acci#ent se$eral #a&s prior #!ring the filming of Mabel's trange
!redicament. Auto Races was ma#e following trange !redicament, %!t it was premiere# first
in theaters.
This character of the Tramp went on to %e in films for o$er two #eca#es( finall& %eing
retire# at the en# of Modern Times, which was release# in 19/C( an# en#e# appropriatel&
eno!gh with the Tramp wal-ing #own a long highwa& towar#s the hori8on. The interesting
part a%o!t this character is that thro!gho!t this twent&*two &ear stretch of his life( he ne$er
once appeare# in a 3tal-ie4( a mo$ie in which the characters tal-. The closest he got was
Modern Times, the last silent film that Chaplin ma#e( where there are a few spo-en lines(
none of them %& the tramp.
This fact( tie# in with the fact that City Lights was release# an# manage# to %e
s!ccessf!l at the height lea#s !s to an interesting theor& as to wh& this mo$ie was so
s!ccessf!l. .n 19/1( City Lights was the secon# most profita%le mo$ie release#( secon#
%ehin# onl& Boris Darloffs, "ran#enstein.
$
Wh& is it then( that this mo$ie manage# to %e so
s!ccessf!l7 .t is fairl& o%$io!s to an o%ser$er as to wh& "ran#enstein #i# so well worl#wi#e(
as horror films ha# %een rather !nrepresente#( an# the )ar& helle& wor- was so pop!lar
thro!gho!t the worl# that it ga$e it an a#$antage coming into theaters.
To tr!l& #isc!ss this i#ea( we nee# to loo- at se$eral #ifferent factors( one of the most
important %eing Chaplin,s Tramp. Eoo-ing %ac- at this character now( we see something of a
%!m%ling i#iot( a man that isn,t too goo# at an&thing that he #oes( an# freB!entl& gets himself
em%roile# in sit!ations that ta-e him in wa& o$er his hea#. An# while this might %e tr!e at the
s!rface la&er( if we #ig #eeper into the character of the Tramp( we can #isco$er something
that ma#e him so appealing to a!#ience mem%ers #!ring his twent& &ear r!n as a character.
Eet,s %egin simpl& %& loo-ing at the wa& he #resses.
The Tramp( at first glance( #oes not appear to %e the man who we ha$e characteri8e#
him as. "e wears a %lac- s!it with a tie an# %owler hat( freB!entl& %eing seen with a cane in
his han#. All of these clothes are clothes of the pro$er%ial elite( the rich who ha$e eno!gh
mone& to #ress for 3s!ccess4 to !se an ol# phrase. ?pon closer inspection( &o! can see that
this faca#e has some crac-s in it. The s!it #oes not fit the Tramp $er& well( it is a si8e or two
too large for his small %o#&( eng!lfing him in the clothes. B!t &et the wa& that the Tramp
#resses gi$es !s a great insight into his personalit&. The Tramp aspires to %e %etter than
those aro!n# him( in onl& the most h!m%le of wa&s. 6$en when he can %e seen r!%%ing
el%ows with the elite( he is the most mannere# an# #ignifie# person in the room. "e is -in# to
those aro!n# him( no matter who the& are or where the& are from. "e alwa&s attempts to #o
the right thing( which #oes lea# to some moral #ilemmas when he m!st steal to fee# either
himself or another. B!t no matter what he #oes( he #oes his %est to ne$er h!rt an&one aro!n#
him( instea# tr&ing to impro$e their li$es.
With this in min#( pict!re this scenario. .t is the mi##le of the 2reat Depression( an#
&o! ha$e lost &o!r ;o%( &o!r ho!se( e$er&thing. =o! ha$e %een re#!ce# to li$ing in one of the
man& shant& towns( 3"oo$er$illes4( that ha$e spr!ng !p across the ?nite# tates to
accommo#ate people li-e &o!. To p!t it simpl&( &o! ha$e %ecome a $agrant. o when &o! can
go to the theater an# see a person who is in the same sit!ation as &o! are( it can gi$e &o!
hope. Beca!se the Tramp #oes not #espair his sit!ation( he alwa&s attempts to ma-e the %est
of it. .n this wa&( he co!l# ha$e %ecome an i#eal for people in this sit!ation to loo- !p to( a
man who has lost e$er&thing that he has &et still remains more -in# an# ;!st than e$er&one
else. A man who has lost e$er&thing %!t -ept his #ignit&( an# wears it pro!#l& !pon his slee$e.
While this is ;!st a theor&( it #oes hol# some water when &o! loo- at it ne1t to the facts
of the era. "!n#re#s of tho!san#s of people were witho!t homes( li$ing in these shant&
towns. 2+F of the wor-force was !nemplo&e#( with another 2+F of the remaining wor-ers
%eing force# to ta-e wage c!ts or wor- part time
/
. '$er /0 million Americans li$e# in a home
where one pro$i#er was witho!t wor-.
4
o it seems li-el& that in this time( a positi$e( relata%le
role mo#el #ro$e people to spen# some of what little the& ha# to see Chaplin perform.
While this is one tho!ght as to wh& the mo$ie ma#e so m!ch mone&( there are man&
other theories. As . mentione# %efore( Charlie Chaplin was the first real American s!perstar( in
more wa&s than one. When he first starte# to ma-e mo$ies in America( Chaplin B!ic-l& rose
to %ecome an a!#ience fa$orite( with h!n#re#s of tho!san#s of people across the glo%e
streaming into theaters to see whate$er mo$ie he ha# ma#e that wee-. An# %& 19/1( Chaplin
ha# %een p!tting a!#ience mem%ers into seats for aro!n# 1: &ears( an impressi$el& long
career %& an& stan#ar#s( %!t e$en more so at that point. Chaplin was there when "oll&woo#
was %asicall& concei$e#( so at this point there were reall& no other stars who ha# %een
aro!n# for as long as Chaplin ha#. .n 19/1( Chaplin ha# reache# the literal pea- of his career.
With o$er fift& films alrea#& ma#e( millions of #ollars earne#( an# tens of millions of fans
entertaine#( Chaplin ha# risen to the top. The past eight &ears were the %est eight &ears of his
career( earning %oth critical an# p!%lic acclaim for his mo$ies( an# ra-ing in the profits at the
%o1 office. o when he ma#e City Lights, stan#ar#s were high.
The mo$ie ha# %eg!n its life as a script in earl& 1925( written %& %oth Chaplin an#
"enr& Carr( a reporterGe#itorGcol!mnist for the Eos Angeles Times.
+
e$eral months later( in
)a&( pre*pro#!ction %egan( %!t in the mi#st of this all Chaplin,s mother ha# #ie#. =ears
earlier( he ha# %ro!ght her to the ?nite# tates from 6nglan#( p!rchasing a ho!se for her in
California so that she might %e happ&( an# her #eath str!c- him har#. "er legac& can %e seen
in the film with some theori8ing that the %lin# girl s&m%oli8es his mother( while the #r!n-en
millionaire s&m%oli8es his father who #ie# when he was ;!st 11 &ears ol#. .n Decem%er of the
same &ear( filming %egan( which wo!l# not en# for 9 months( after which e#iting too- place.
All tol#( o$er the three &ears from writing to premier( the film is estimate# to ha$e cost 1.+ an#
2 million #ollars( m!ch of which came o!t of the poc-et of Chaplin. 6$en more interesting was
the e1ha!sti$e amo!nt of shooting that was #one for the mo$ie. '$er /15(000 feet of film
were shot for a mo$ie that en#e# !p with a little o$er 5(000 feet of film on premier.
C
This
e1ha!sti$e process was #one almost entirel& %& Chaplin himself an# he waite# for the
premier with ner$o!s anticipation. When it came o!t( it roc-e# the worl#. After %eing release#
for twel$e wee-s in the states( generating 2 million #ollars in re$en!e( Chaplin wo!l# ta-e it
on a 1C #ate worl# to!r that wo!l# generate an a##itional / million #ollars for the mo$ie.
:
After
its release( it was criticall& an# p!%licl& la!#e#( now %eing liste# on the A>.,s list of top 100
films of all time at n!m%er 11. He$iewers at the time lo$e# it( an# when it was rerelease# in
19+0( it en;o&e# m!ch of the same reception.
o ma&%e it wasn,t hope or some other i#ealistic notion that #ro$e people to the
theaters when this mo$ie came o!t( %!t a more calc!lating choice %eing ma#e %& the $iewers(
thin-ing the& wo!l# get more $al!e for their mone& going to see a mo$ie that the& -now that
the& wo!l# en;o& %eca!se of the name %ehin# it rather than attempting to ta-e a ris- on
something new or !npro$en. This was a mo$ie that the& -new that Chaplin ha# spent three
&ears of his life on( an# as an immensel& creati$e man( this was li-e a lifetime. The entire
worl# was hotl& anticipating the release of the mo$ie( an# while the 2reat Depression p!t a
#amper on their spirits( the& -new that the& co!l# still go to the mo$ies an# simpl& en;o& it for
what it was( a great mo$ie.
Heall&( it co!l# ha$e %een an& one of a n!m%er of factors that #ro$e people to watch
this mo$ie when %& al rights the& sho!l# not ha$e. An# loo-ing %ac- on it from where we are
now( all we can reall& #o is spec!late as to wh& or how it happene# %eca!se we can,t reall&
-now. Was it the capti$ating performance %& Chaplin gi$ing $iewers something to loo- !p to7
'r was it simpl& people -nowing that the& wo!l# en;o& a Chaplin mo$ie an# choosing to go
see something that the& co!l# %e s!re the& wo!l# li-e7 )a&%e it,s %oth. We #on,t -now( an#
we ne$er will.
Bi%liograph&
1 IThe 2reat Depression an# .ts 6ffects on the )o$ie Theatres of West Chester(
Penns&l$ania.I The Great De%ression and &ts '((ects on the Mo)ie Theatres o( *est
Chester, !ennsyl)ania. 6#. )ichael PasB!arello an# Jim Jones. <.p.( Jan. 200:. We%.
0+ )a& 2014.
2 IWorl#wi#eBo1office @in )illions of ?.. DollarsA.I*orld+ide,o-o((ice.com. <.p.( n.#. We%.
0+ )a& 2014.
/ mile&( 2ene. I2reat Depression.I . The Concise 'ncyclo%edia o( 'conomics. <.p.( n.#.
We%. 0/ )a& 2014.
4 >ile Delete# from ser$er( info fo!n# thro!gh Wi-ipe#ia
+ Ho%inson( Da$i#. Cha%lin, /is Li(e and Art. <ew =or-K )c2raw*"ill( 195+. Print.
C )alan#( Charles J. City Lights. Eon#onK British >ilm .nstit!te( 200:. Print.
: >lom( 6ric E. Cha%lin in the ound 'ra. An Analysis o( the e)en Tal#ies. Jefferson( <CK
)c>arlan#( 199:. :/*:4. Print.