A Comedian Sees the World: (Book Release and Screening Event)

30 Sep 2014

A Comedian Sees The World: book release and screening event in partnership with University of Missouri Press and Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Tuesday, Oct. 21st at 5:30 pm at Ragtag Cinema, 10 Hitt Street, Columbia, MO 65201

Charlie Chaplin spent February 1931 through June 1932 touring Europe, during which time he wrote a travel memoir entitled A Comedian Sees the World. Until now, this memoir has never been published as a book in the US. Author Lisa Haven will attend the event, and ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase the book at a discounted rate of $25 that night only.

This unique event will also include two beloved short Chaplin films: The Rink (1916, 30 min.) and Easy Street (1917, 24 min.). For event details, visit the Ragtag Cinema website.

Can’t attend the event? A Comedian Sees the World is available on the University of Missouri Press website.

Three New Chaplin Books in French

05 Sep 2014

Three new French-language publications hit book stores soon!

French edition of A Comedian Sees the World (Mon tour du monde) by Charlie Chaplin, published by Les Editions du Sonneur. Hits book stores on September 25, 2014. Pre-order it now on Amazon!
Chaplin’s travel memoir A Comedian Sees the World was also recently published by the University of Missouri Press in English in the U.S. with an introduction and notes by Lisa Stein Haven, available on Amazon.

French edition of Footlights by Charles Chaplin with The World of Limelight (L’univers des Feux de la rampe) by David Robinson, published by Seuil. Hits book stores on October 3, 2014. Pre-order it now on Amazon! The English edition, published by the Cineteca di Bologna, is still available on Amazon.

French edition of Charlie Chaplin, The Keystone Album (L’Album Keystone) by Glenn Mitchell, Carole Sandrin and Sam Stourdzé, published by Xavier Barral. Hits book stores on October 16, 2014. Pre-order it now on Amazon!
English version coming soon!

"L'Avant-Scène Cinéma" - City Lights Edition

17 Jul 2014

French cinema magazine “L’Avant-Scène Cinéma” has released a special City Lights summer edition. Get yours today!

Summary : Scene-by-scene breakdown of City Lights by René Marx. Articles and texts by Jean Mitry, Serge Bromberg, P.S. Gutman, Jacques Kermabon, J.M. Méjean… Interview with Pierre Etaix.

A Comedian Sees the World

18 Jun 2014

Film star Charlie Chaplin spent February 1931 through June 1932 touring Europe, during which time he wrote a travel memoir entitled “A Comedian Sees the World.” This memoir was published as a set of five articles in Women’s Home Companion from September 1933 to January 1934 but until now had never been published as a book in the U.S. In presenting the first edition of Chaplin’s full memoir, Lisa Stein Haven provides her own introduction and notes to supplement Chaplin’s writing and enhance the narrative.

Haven’s research revealed that “A Comedian Sees the World” may very well have been Chaplin’s first published composition, and that it was definitely the beginning of his writing career. It also marked a transition into becoming more vocally political for Chaplin, as his subsequent writings and films started to take on more noticeably political stances following his European tour.

During his tour, Chaplin spent time with numerous politicians, celebrities, and world leaders, ranging from Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi to Albert Einstein and many others, all of whom inspired his next feature films, Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), and A King in New York (1957). His excellent depiction of his experiences, coupled with Haven’s added insights, makes for a brilliant account of Chaplin’s travels and shows another side to the man whom most know only from his roles on the silver screen. Historians, travelers, and those with any bit of curiosity about one of America’s most beloved celebrities will all want to have A Comedian Sees the World in their collections.

The book is now available on Amazon.

Chaplin: His Life and Art

29 Nov 2013

We are delighted to announce that Penguin UK has reprinted David Robinson’s definitive “Chaplin: His Life and Art”, which has been very difficult to find over the last few years. Buy your copy now before it disappears again!

David Robinson’s definitive and monumental biography of Charlie Chaplin, the greatest icon in the history of cinema, who lived one of the most dramatic rags to riches stories ever told.

Get your copy today on Amazon UK!

Chaplin's Vintage Year: The History of the Mutual-Chaplin Specials

20 Nov 2013

BearManor Media has released Michael J. Hayde’s new book CHAPLIN’S VINTAGE YEAR, available on Amazon.

When Charles Chaplin signed a record-setting contract with the Mutual Film Corporation in February 1916, it was the culmination of events that changed the motion picture business. Mutual’s founders redefined how films were bought, sold and distributed. Chaplin redefined screen comedy with a character that leapt into the hearts of moviegoers around the world. Together they established the value of star power and created twelves magnificent comedies that have endured for generations. From the nickelodeon to the internet, the MUTUAL-CHAPLIN SPECIALS have been viewed by more people than any other films in the entire history of cinema.

CHAPLIN’S VINTAGE YEAR tells the full story of the MUTUAL-CHAPLIN SPECIALS, framed within the rise and fall of the Mutual Film Corporation, the worldwide phenomenon known as “Chaplinitis,” the famous $670,000 contract, and the various acquisitions and releases these comedies have enjoyed for nearly one hundred years. The book includes a detailed filmography featuring period reviews and exhibitor comments, and is lavishly illustrated with over 150 photographs and advertising images.

Charles Chaplin Senior: Victorian Music Hall Songs

10 Apr 2013

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to perform original songs from the music halls of Victorian London?

The Porter House of Publishing has just released a songbook by Cecilia H. Porter featuring six long lost songs that were originally performed on the Victorian Music Hall stage more than a hundred years ago by Charles Chaplin Senior, father of the famous Little Tramp.

The book comes with a CD so that you can hear the songs, but there’s also an additional sing-along version of each song! For those who like to “tickle the ivories,” sheet music is included, as sold on the original song sheets.

Interested in experiencing those far away days with your family and friends? Visit the Porter House of Publishing website for details.

And see our page on Charles Chaplin Sr. to read more about Charlie Chaplin’s father.