As you may already know, and I reported on Edna's site this summer, Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's the 'Unknown Chaplin' series, has been released on DVD.
The first version of the DVD is available in Italy, as part of the book 'The Search for Charlie Chaplin' by Kevin Brownlow.
At the moment, the English/Italy book is only available in Italy.
The English version of the Unknown Series DVD will be released November 29, 2005 in the USA and in Canada.
More Chaplin film news: I have word from BFI the 'Chaplin Mutual Volume 2' will finally be released in the UK on November 28th.
For more information about Chaplin film collections in the UK see 'The Charlie Chaplin UK DVD and Video Guide'.
http://www.garenewing.co.uk/chaplin/chaplinvideoguide.html
For more on Brownlow's book and North America DVD release, see Edna's site (links to the right).
1 comment:
Hello Rita,
That is a good question, since they were so popular all over the world at one time.
In Chaplin's case, it really goes back to the time when Chaplin had many personal issues, especially during the 1940's. He never applied for citizenship in America and that played a role too. He also got caught up in the 'witch hunts' during the McCathery era. He never totally recovered from all these things, and that is mostly in the states.
He never appeared in the hearing, but after he was not allowed to return to America in 1952, he decided to settle in Switzerland to have a 'quiet life' with his growing family. For the most part, he was very welcome in his new home, but there was some bitterness from those years that never fully faded.
During the 1950's and 1960's, his films were shown overseas, but fairly hard to see in the states, unless you lived in a city that showed them. And as silent stars like Buster Keaton were being re-discovered in America, Charlie was being re-discovered in Europe.
But America didn't forget Chaplin. After 20 years, he returned to America in 1972 and was warmly welcome by the place he once called home. That visit created a new generation of fans, (including me!)
A few years later, VHS created a whole new generations too, who never seen his work before, but theatre showing were still rare in the states. With Chaplin shown more on the big screen in Europe, his comedy was more appreciated than on the small TV screens in the states. So his fan base continued growing overseas.
Wonderful documentaries like 'Unknown Chaplin' was a huge help in creating an even larger fan base around the world, but in general, Chaplin's name was still more common overseas than here.
In recent years, the internet has created a new form for new Chaplin fans to meet, as fans from around the world can 'chat' on line about him.
Chaplin's fan base is growing here, as a younger generation are starting to discover him on the internet and on DVDs.
But when you get down to it, it is partially the fact he was more visual in ways he wasn't in the states.
With his family living in European, with Chaplin living his last years in Europe, with more film showings and exhibitions of his work in Europe, it just became natural for him to become more known overseas.
He can't regained the massive popularity he once had for that era is gone. But none-the-less, Charlie Chaplin's name is still more known today around the world, than people calling themselves STARS. Chaplin will be a lasting star (as well as Edna's), as long as people remember. - L
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