CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S FUTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17230, 22 December 1923, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S FUTURE.

WILL HE ACT OR DIRECT?

The representative of an American magazine, after witnessing a screening of “ A Woman of Paris,” the picture Charlie Chaplin directed for Edna Purviance, had a conversation with the famous screen comedian, which is reported as follows : t* And,”, I said to Charlie, now that we have seen the picture, what is going to become of that funny little fellow with the big feet and the little moustache?” Charlie- wriggled in his seat, ‘‘ I don’t know,” he said. ‘‘l thought I would see what 1 could do directing with a couple of ideas. But I’m going on acting. •• 1 am going to make a picture right away. It’s going to be about a suicide club. There’s going to be a millionaire in it that wants to commit suicide'because he lias too much money. “ After I get through that, I am going to make a picture about the life of an old clown. * No; not like Debureau or Pagliacci. It’s going to go deeper into the hearts of "things than that.” 1 asked him if it was going -to-be a

comedy or a tragedy. “ Well,” he said, “I don’t know. It’s going to have some teats ” Charlie suddenly switched off: “ You know nothing is funny unless it has sweetness and charm. It’s got to have a theme and an idea. Just gags aren’t funny. ‘‘ Sometimes people laugh at them, but they don’t think they ate ninny. “ The most dangerous thing you car, do in the show business is to make them laugh and weep tears that they resent ; and frequently they are resentful—especially of tears.” We talked and presently the conversation turned to pictures about swords and doublets and such things. “ Do von know the reason that plays with swords and swashbucklers aren't convincing?” said Charlie. “ I’ll tell you why. nobody feels comfortable with a sword hanging around your anatomy. It embarrarres you. You can’t he real. It’s too consciously pic- ‘‘ It’s like poetry ” Charlie made a cautious preliminary

inquiry. “Do you like poetry? J don’t.” “ I have tried my best to read Keats and Shelley ; but I can’t stick to them,” he went on. ‘‘l could get a certain degree of poetry out of a ride on a street-car or even out of a peanut-stand, but when you get to singing odes to skylarks, that’s too much. Seems like pose and affectation. “ Life is too filled with people and drama and interest right around tis to go staring up into the sky. “ The veal drama of realities is so wonderful and absorbing that it seems filly to try to strain them into imaginary artificialities when real life is so much more thrilling. That is whv I made ‘ A Woman of Paris.’ ”

sensational piece of fiction- But that was the unique experience of Snowy Baber, his stepdaughter, Joan, and three friends in Lake Minnetonka. lowa, America, last month. Details of the sensational escape from death have juit been received in Sydney by Air Leslie Seaborn, the well-known solicitor, and friend of Snowy Baker. The owner of the speed boat was Air Ogden Gray, one of the most popular sportsmen in America. With other sport hobbies, he has ice racing boats, aeroplanes, speed cars, and a string of horses. Early in October Snowy Baker and his stepdaughter who was. partnering an act with him at the HennepinOrpheum Theatre, visited him at his home on the shore of the lake. Air Gray anticipated winning the world’s speed championship with his boat. Aliss Alinnetonga. "which cost 80Q0 dollars. He suggested a spin on the lake, and Snowy Baker, Aliss Joan Baker, Air Gray, and his son., Robert, and a mechanic, Bert Gentry, hoarded the craft and set out towards the centre. They attained a speed of over sixty miles, and the cold was so intense that portions of the lake were frozen. When they had been travelling for about ten minutes, and between .Breezy Point and Big Island, some gasoline beneath the engine caused an explosion, and immedia.telv the boat burst into flames, smashed into a thousand fragments, and sank in two minutes. The occupants were uninjured, but, pitched into the iev water, and handicapped bv the furs wore were soon in difficulties. Wind and waves rende swimming almost impossibly and ALss Baker was given the only lifeoreserver that could he reached. ” TLo others held to hatch covers e\f«nt Afr Grav. sen., who clung to the big cushion on which lie had been sitting Snowy had only recently recovered from an illness which greatly weakened him. and Joan, realising this, immediately swam towards him and assisted him to wriggle out of his clothes. She kept close to him all the while and, bv encouraging the whole struggling and half-frozen party, helped them to retain their hone. The mechanic was not an experienced swimmer, and ouickly and dangerous!v drifted away for rver fifty yards from the others. Robert Grav swam after him. however, ami helped him to keep going. Fhen the owner of the boat decided to forge ahead of the rest, to reach the nearest part of the shore, and to got help. But the wind and the numbness of liis limbs prerented him from getting more than twenty or thirty yards ahead, and he was then oblivd to stop and keep afloat by treading the hard water. In this desperate plight the party remanied for three-quarters of an hour, all retaining their will-power and strength by the exertion of superhuman endeavour. Gradually, however. AJiss Baker became exhausted, and ten minutes more would probablv have meant +he death of all the others. Then l Fate took a hand. Some fishermen on Big island saw them struggling in the water. and. manning a. boat thev rowed out and rescind them. All ‘were in an exhausted condition, Snowy Baker being, on account of his illness, in the worst condition. He had to receive medical attention after the fishermen did all they coil id with the aid of an immense fire and hot drink ; but be soon recovered and motoring to the city, appeared in his act with Joan. The audience didn’t know anything about their sensational escape from death until afterwards, when the newspaper reports were published.