Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.

Richard Roud, “The Baggy-Trousered Philanthropist”, quoted in obituary, The Guardian (London, Dec. 28, 1977)

The quotation, phrased slightly differently, also appears as the title page quotation of Gerith von Ulm’s 1940 biography ‘Charlie Chaplin: King of Tragedy’: “Comedy is Life viewed from a distance; Tragedy, Life in a close-up.”