Charles Chaplin in a Serious Mood

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(originally published on January 16, 1915, by Clarence J. Caine, in MOTOGRAPHY)

You, who have laughed at his antics--and there are many of you--will pardon me for introducing Charles Chaplin, comedian-producer of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. The pardon is asked because most of you have met "the funny man of the films" via the screen route, and once you have met him it is not likely you will forget him, for he is one of those rare comedians who causes a smile to appear on the face of the most cynical critic every time his funny "stunts" are recalled.

He arrived in Chicago the latter part of last week, in company with "Broncho Billy" Anderson and will remain at the Essanay studios in that city indefinitely, producing his inimitable farce comedies which have proved such a drawing card for exhibitors in all parts of the world. He seldom moved as fast while on the screen as he did during the first few days of his stay in the Windy City. "Charlie" was wanted here and "Charlie" was wanted there, from the time he arrived in the studio in the morning until he left at night. Therefore it was a rather difficult task to catch him, but I finally managed to corner him in the advertising department of the big studio on Argyle street for an interview.

"A funny thing about my work before the public," he said in reply to a question about his work, "is that my greatest desire when I adopted the stage as a profession, was to become a leading man--one who would be called before the footlights several times after every curtain. It was only the usual ambition of a comedian to attain the sublime, I suppose, but it took me a long time to become reconciled to the fact that I was best fitted for comic work.

"I toured England and the continent for several years before coming to America. My first visit to this side of the water was made while I was playing the lead in a pantomime production, ’A Night in an English Music Hall.’ It was my work in this production that attracted the attention of Mack Sennett and when an opening occurred in the Keystone forces he wired east for me. As I had appeared under several names, much difficulty was experienced in getting in touch with me, but finally I received their offer. I at once had visions of myself as a screen hero, hurling villains over cliffs and rescuing fair heroines from a thousand varieties of unknown danger. I was sure that I had forever shaken the ‘comedy’ hoodoo off.

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"It was a sad blow when I arrived in Los Angeles and learned that instead of being a hero I was to be the thing I had grown to detest-- a funmaker. I was very dissatisfied for a few weeks, but slowly I began to realize that there was some attraction in the film work which was lacking on the stage. In less than a month my fascination for it entirely overcame my prejudice and I threw myself into the work with my whole heart."

"Do you know to what extent the popularity of your comedies has reached?" I queried.

"No," he frankly replied, "but I have been told that they are quite amusing. I often wonder if the people sitting in a theater realize the immense amount of thought we put into our efforts or the depth of screen psychology."

Yes, friend reader, the care-free vision that "skates" into a scene on one foot or that throws pies at his "opponents," is really a serious thinking young man. Young because it was only 25 years ago that he was introduced to this life, England being the first country to be honored by his presence.

"I have a distinct theory regarding farces," continued the laugh-getter, "and one which, to my mind, meets with public favor. I believe that a plot which could easily become a dramatic subject, but which is treated in an amusing manner and which burlesques events of daily life, with which the average person is familiar, depending principally upon its humorous action for laughs, is the one to make a successful farce comedy. There are many things in farces which I do not favor. I believe I have been ridiculed for some of my actions, but whatever I have done has been unintentional I am sure, for my one object in life now is to amuse, and to do it in a clean way. Many persons see a subject on the screen and say that such-and-such a thing should be done this way or that. They do not realize that we do things on the spur of the moment and that our minds are under a constant strain, for we must concentrate on our work from morning till night."

He paused again and I asked him if there was anything he would like to tell our readers.

"Just say that I am doing my best to please them and that I hope my releases under the Essanay banner will be as agreeable to them as my past work. And say! Tell them that I'm just a fellow, a human being like they are and that I enjoy almost everything that is enjoyable."

He said that he was just a fellow, but I would like to add the adjective "regular" before "fellow," for Charlie Chaplin is just as likable in real life as he is funny on the screen.