Charlie wrote on the back of the photograph:
“This is Mabel Normand, Marie Dressler and myself (Charlie). With all the photos I have had I have not one with myself straight. Taken with Marie’s camera. Very bum.”
Source: Chaplin: Genius Of The Cinema by Jeffrey Vance
I had always wondered if Mabel had turned Charlie on to cocaine. He was looking so weird many times as if he was up a few days. Not too many photos but enough until the late 20s' I polarized person like him does not have the constitution to permit substance abuse. He was already worried he would go insane one day.
ReplyDeleteMarie Dressler with Mabel in Tillie's Punctured Romance was very very very funny. It was Keystone Films first full length movie directed my Mack Sennett in 1914. 74 minutes long. It was really hysterical. I would rate it up there with Oh Brother Where Art Thou. Five Stars!!!!!
According to Kenneth Lynn's book (and as per Harry Crocker), Chaplin tried cocaine and opium during his first tour with the Fred Karno troupe. He claimed that coke had no effect on him but opium made him feel as if he were floating.
DeleteCharlie seems to have done alot of crazy things while on tour with Karno. I wonder if Stan ever did any of it with him.
DeleteDid Charlie keep doing drugs or was he against them afterwards? Its seems like alot of his later movies make fun of or at least show off the issues with drugs use...
He didn't continue with it. I think he liked to keep more of a clear head. He wasn't much of a drinker either.
DeleteNo. I knew he wasn't much of a drinker due to his father's fatal love of alcohol. That's why I was curious about the drugs because alot of people nowadays link the two together. Thanks Jessica!
Delete