October 24, 2016

Charlie & friends take a spin on his exercise wheel

Chaplin kept this metal contraption in his backyard for years.



Paulette:


Igor Stravinsky:

Life magazine, April 1937

Anyone know who this is? 



But sometimes there were accidents.

Georgia Hale recalled that one of Charlie's guests about knocked his head off on the thing:
A tall chap...tried the feat. But he forgot to hold his head inside...and so it extended outside the wheel. Down the lawn he went banging his head horrible blows. When the thing finally came to a stop with him sprawled out on the grass, he was shaken and in great pain. (Hale, Charlie Chaplin Intimate Close-Ups)
Another mishap involved Charlie's sons:
One day loud and urgent cries came from the Chaplin swimming pool. Coat tails flying, Papa Charlie raced to the edge, and there had to fish out his sons. Investigation showed that they had discovered papa's exercise wheel. You know, those bigs things you get in and turn around, and it rolls along while you go spinning upside-down-and-back. Well, they'd merely spun right into the pool. (Harry Lang, "Papa Chaplin," Modern Screen, Oct. 1935)

3 comments:

  1. This is Waldo FRANK.
    D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought you might know. Thanks, Dominique!

      Delete
  2. So cool! And this contraption is called a German wheel! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_gymnastics

    ReplyDelete


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