Description
University Press of Mississippi Charlie Chaplin by Edited by Kevin J. Hayes
In late 1914 Charlie Chaplins name first began appearing on marquees. By the end of the following year moviegoers couldnt get enough of him and his iconic persona the Little Tramp. Perpetually outfitted with baggy pants a limp cane and a dusty bowler hat the character became so beloved that Chaplin was mobbed by fans journalists and critics at every turn.Although he never particularly liked giving interviews he accepted the demands of his stardom giving detailed responses about his methods of making movies. He quickly progressed from making tworeel shorts to featurelength masterpieces such as The Gold Rush City Lights and Modern Times.Charlie Chaplin: Interviews offers a complex portrait of perhaps the worlds greatest cinematic comedian and a man who is considered to be one of the most influential screen artists in movie history. The interviews he granted performances in and of themselves are often as well crafted as his films. Unlike the Little Tramp Chaplin the interviewee comes across as melancholy and serious as the titles of some early interviewsBeneath the Mask: Witty Wistful Serious Is the Real Charlie or The HamletLike Nature of Charlie Chaplinmake abundantly clear.His first sound feature The Great Dictator is a direct condemnation of Hitler. His later films such as Monsieur Verdoux and Limelight obliquely criticize American policy and consequently generated mixed reactions from critics and little response from moviegoers. During this late period of his filmmaking Chaplin granted interviews less often. The three later interviews included here are thus extremely valuable offering long contemplative analyses of the mans life and work.show more