From the A&E documentary A Tramp's Life (1998) which is impossible to find in any form in English but an Italian version is on youtube (almost all of the interviews are dubbed over unfortunately).
Here in America there are companies that will transfer VHS to DVD such as Costco and Walgreens, etc. But the cost is usually $20 (or even more) for one tape which seems rather expensive to me. Luckily I have some friends who can do it from home.
Nice excerpt! I think this is the first time I've seen Jackie quoted as describing Chaplin talking him through that scene and actually weeping as he did it. Wow! Powerful stuff. It does make the whole story of Jack Coogan telling Jackie he'd take him to the workhouse if he didn't cry seem as if it might have been fictionalized, though. Chaplin told that story in his autobiography, but Jackie himself never described it that way--he only talked about Chaplin telling him about his own workhouse experiences and relating them to what the Kid was experiencing in the film. Now maybe Jackie just edited out Jack's threat to protect his father, which he did often. Maybe he blocked out the memory or was just too young at the time to remember it later. Or maybe Chaplin embellished a bit in his autobio. I'm inclined to believe he may have embellished. What do you think, Jessica and others?
It's hard to know who to believe. Rollie Totheroh said that Charlie told Jackie he would take him away to the orphanage. Charlie may well have embellished the story and Jackie was probably too young to remember.
Oh, interesting! Where did you see that Rollie had said that? Was it in the long Timothy Lyons interview, or elsewhere? I suppose both things could be true--that they told Jackie he was going to the orphanage if he didn't cooperate, and then Charlie could have directed from the sidelines to tell him what he wanted him to say. Gah! These people and their conflicting stories!
I have it on vhs, recorded off air, but sadly have no way of transferring it to digital.
ReplyDeletePhil
Don't you have a service of rewriting(digitising) a video from vhs to cd or dvd in your city or country?That's the way you can transfer it.
DeleteHere in America there are companies that will transfer VHS to DVD such as Costco and Walgreens, etc. But the cost is usually $20 (or even more) for one tape which seems rather expensive to me. Luckily I have some friends who can do it from home.
DeleteNice excerpt! I think this is the first time I've seen Jackie quoted as describing Chaplin talking him through that scene and actually weeping as he did it. Wow! Powerful stuff. It does make the whole story of Jack Coogan telling Jackie he'd take him to the workhouse if he didn't cry seem as if it might have been fictionalized, though. Chaplin told that story in his autobiography, but Jackie himself never described it that way--he only talked about Chaplin telling him about his own workhouse experiences and relating them to what the Kid was experiencing in the film. Now maybe Jackie just edited out Jack's threat to protect his father, which he did often. Maybe he blocked out the memory or was just too young at the time to remember it later. Or maybe Chaplin embellished a bit in his autobio. I'm inclined to believe he may have embellished. What do you think, Jessica and others?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to know who to believe. Rollie Totheroh said that Charlie told Jackie he would take him away to the orphanage. Charlie may well have embellished the story and Jackie was probably too young to remember.
DeleteOh, interesting! Where did you see that Rollie had said that? Was it in the long Timothy Lyons interview, or elsewhere? I suppose both things could be true--that they told Jackie he was going to the orphanage if he didn't cooperate, and then Charlie could have directed from the sidelines to tell him what he wanted him to say. Gah! These people and their conflicting stories!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean!
DeleteYes, the Rollie comment is in the Timothy Lyons interview.
I'll take a closer look at that for sure! I find it more believable that Jack would have used that ploy than that Chaplin would have, actually.
ReplyDelete