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My first memories of movies are of flickeringblack-and-white images of Cbarlie Chaplin.The revival theater in my neighborhoodplayed silent movies often. In honesty, it was not atrue "revival" theater. The elderly manager had onlysilent movies to screen4 to his small audiences.
Still, my parents, grandparents, and I gatheredeach Saturday night to see Chaplin movies suchas The Gold Rush. The manager liked this movieand showed it with great regularity--even if he hadadvertised another movie.I came to know the plot7 ofthis film very well.
Chaplin, of course, playedthe same character, a tramp, inall his early films. His clotheswere mismatched, his hat wastorn, and his cane was hopelesslycrooked. He walked like apenguinl. He got into troubleand somehow always managedto get out of it.
Although my family and I watched the sameChaplin short films and silent movies many times,we laughed at his predicaments as it" we were seeingthem for the first time. We never tired of laughing.Chaplin had a special gift for causing laughter.
He also composed14 memorable music for hisfilms. When I was in high school, I played his"Smile" and "This is My Song" in a pianorecital. My parentsand grandparents werethere to hear Chaplin'sinfluence on my briefmusical career.
As the years passed, Chaplinand my family passed with them.Charlie was knighted by QueenElizabethin 1975. Hedied in 1977.In 981, abronze statuteof Chaplinstanding ona plinth wasunveiled in London'sLeicester Square. Inscribedon it were the words: "Thecomic genius who gave pleasureto so inany."
Upon invitation from a friend. I set out for Londonwith plans to visit Charlie. But Leicester Square is large,and I nearly overlooked the statue of the tramp. ThenI stood in front of it for a few minutes in admiration, lsnapped a photo or two. Afterward. I saw an inviting parkbench and decided to spend my morning with Charlie.
Chaplin is posed with his right hand holding hiscrooked cane. His left hand clutches a rose to his chest.It recalls the famous final scene from his 1931 film CityLights.
As I sat, I watched a steady stream of tourists passby Chaplin's statue. A Canadian woman placed hergranddaughter's small stuffed animal in the crook ofhis left arm and snapped a photo.An Arabic man stopped and snapped a photo. I
asked him what his favorite Chaplin filmwas. "I think highly of all of them," he said.
A group of Chinese men stopped andshared memories of Chaplin films. I washappy to snap a photo of all of themsurrounding Charlie
Two Frenchmen stoppedfor a photo. I asked themtheir favorite Chaplin film.
Without hesitating, theyanswered. The GoldRush.
A group ofDutch teenagers stoppedand shared stories aboutChaplin's impersonation of Hitlerin The Great Dictator. They told methey had also seen some of Chaplin's short films.
An Italian family told me that City Lights"was one of the greatest films ever made. Theyhad a collection of Chaplin films in their homelibrary.
When my morning was over. 1 looked atCharlie one last time. Memories of my happyfamily came to mind. I recalled those Saturdayevenings at the old theater and my familylaughing again and again at Charlie's anticsIt was wonderful to know that others around theworld had had similar experiences. Chaplin hadtouched many lives.
I thought I had come to London alone.Instead. I had brought my family with me. It wasa warm and memorable moment.
As I walked away. for some reason I turnedto look back at Charlie. You may think me daft,but I could swear he smiled at me.
He still has that special gift.
Still, my parents, grandparents, and I gatheredeach Saturday night to see Chaplin movies suchas The Gold Rush. The manager liked this movieand showed it with great regularity--even if he hadadvertised another movie.I came to know the plot7 ofthis film very well.
Chaplin, of course, playedthe same character, a tramp, inall his early films. His clotheswere mismatched, his hat wastorn, and his cane was hopelesslycrooked. He walked like apenguinl. He got into troubleand somehow always managedto get out of it.
Although my family and I watched the sameChaplin short films and silent movies many times,we laughed at his predicaments as it" we were seeingthem for the first time. We never tired of laughing.Chaplin had a special gift for causing laughter.
He also composed14 memorable music for hisfilms. When I was in high school, I played his"Smile" and "This is My Song" in a pianorecital. My parentsand grandparents werethere to hear Chaplin'sinfluence on my briefmusical career.
As the years passed, Chaplinand my family passed with them.Charlie was knighted by QueenElizabethin 1975. Hedied in 1977.In 981, abronze statuteof Chaplinstanding ona plinth wasunveiled in London'sLeicester Square. Inscribedon it were the words: "Thecomic genius who gave pleasureto so inany."
Upon invitation from a friend. I set out for Londonwith plans to visit Charlie. But Leicester Square is large,and I nearly overlooked the statue of the tramp. ThenI stood in front of it for a few minutes in admiration, lsnapped a photo or two. Afterward. I saw an inviting parkbench and decided to spend my morning with Charlie.
Chaplin is posed with his right hand holding hiscrooked cane. His left hand clutches a rose to his chest.It recalls the famous final scene from his 1931 film CityLights.
As I sat, I watched a steady stream of tourists passby Chaplin's statue. A Canadian woman placed hergranddaughter's small stuffed animal in the crook ofhis left arm and snapped a photo.An Arabic man stopped and snapped a photo. I
asked him what his favorite Chaplin filmwas. "I think highly of all of them," he said.
A group of Chinese men stopped andshared memories of Chaplin films. I washappy to snap a photo of all of themsurrounding Charlie
Two Frenchmen stoppedfor a photo. I asked themtheir favorite Chaplin film.
Without hesitating, theyanswered. The GoldRush.
A group ofDutch teenagers stoppedand shared stories aboutChaplin's impersonation of Hitlerin The Great Dictator. They told methey had also seen some of Chaplin's short films.
An Italian family told me that City Lights"was one of the greatest films ever made. Theyhad a collection of Chaplin films in their homelibrary.
When my morning was over. 1 looked atCharlie one last time. Memories of my happyfamily came to mind. I recalled those Saturdayevenings at the old theater and my familylaughing again and again at Charlie's anticsIt was wonderful to know that others around theworld had had similar experiences. Chaplin hadtouched many lives.
I thought I had come to London alone.Instead. I had brought my family with me. It wasa warm and memorable moment.
As I walked away. for some reason I turnedto look back at Charlie. You may think me daft,but I could swear he smiled at me.
He still has that special gift.