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| Photo courtesy of Lisa Stein Haven |
July 18, 2015
Chaplin at the Orange Hotel in Surabaya, April 1st, 1932
Charlie was on the Indonesian leg of his 1931-32 World Tour promoting City Lights. His arrival in Surabaya was at the end of a two day, 400-mile journey by car through Java from Batavia. Here he and his brother Syd, who was traveling with him (but is not pictured below), would catch the K.P.M. steamer for Bali the next day. At the hotel, he was greeted by Belgian stage actress Jeanne Van Rijn and psychic medium Kitty Pétri (in photo below standing to the right of CC) who presented him with a bouquet of roses. He then made a brief speech over the radio in the hotel lobby. Read more about Charlie's welcome at the Orange Hotel as well as the brothers' travels through Java, including their experience with a "dutch wife" here.
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Everyone looks so happy over there. I don 't think the great depression hurt Charlie that much. But, I must suppose Indonesia was also affected by our lack of money to spend over there...
ReplyDeleteWhat sticks with me about this trip is that a long term riff started between the brothers over Syd pressuring CC for money.
The riff had to do with 1) Syd's recent scandal, which could have sullied both brothers' names and reputations and 2) Charlie finding out May Reeves had been Syd's girl before he arrived. Money had little to do with it. As for the photo, thanks, Jess, for the info. I'm surprised Syd isn't in this one.
ReplyDeleteI think I read in your book, Lisa, or somewhere, that Charlie was beginning to "outgrow" Syd by this point so coupled with everything else it's not too surprising that once they part ways in Japan that they won't see each other again for 5 years. Although I think they did well for siblings, I probably wouldn't have lasted a week on a trip with one of my brothers.
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