1936-03-12 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, Thursday, MARCH 12, 1936.

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stage.

He had won a measure of fame as a singer. His home life had been happy. And now death had come for him.

While he was yet in the prime of manhood, with success still sweet in his mouth, the curtain was falling--and for ever.

The other windows of the Stubbs Road hospital were dark. In this one alone a light burned. And be- low it, outside in the darkness, shivering with cold and num- bed with fenr. a child stood sobbing.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

Mr. J. S. Smith takes this opportunity of thanking the many friends for all the expressions of sympathy: the floral fributes and there who were present at the funeral of his

dear wife.

The

Hongkong Telegraph.

THURSDAY, MAR. 12, 1936,

London's mean streets he found In the kaleidoscopic life of tragedy

and comedy-and learned that their springs lie side by side.

He knew the problems of the poor, not from the aloof angle of the social investigator but at first hand. They were his mother's problems-and his

own.

But the very struggle of life gave a new zest to common things. So dafly, Charlie's keen eyes noted some new aspect of exposed expanse of life around him.

the

In somewhat similar circum- stances, many years before. another boy had found, amid the rank luxuriance of London life, a key to fame and fortune. He also had missed much that should be the birthright of every

He had been told that there was no hope, but his wild heart prayed could not happen, even while he waited for the light to go out and the compassionate hesita tions that would tell him that his father was no more.

child. for the miracle that

But the alchemy of genius transmuted bitterness and suffering into the gold of great literature and gave us the novels of Charles Dickens.

The dying man and the child Between these two there is outside the window both bore an essential similarity. Both the same name-br Charles knew hardness in childhood. Chaplin.

Both made their misfortunes Destiny shifts us here and stepping-stones there life, and we know not the pur- lines,

upon the chessboard of They developed along different chose different mediums pose behind the moves.

of expression, but both quarried,

FOR THE CHILDREN Both the need for and the ap- preciation of the functions dis- His father's death brought a charged by the Children's Play-safe, comfortable world crash- ground Association are well ing about Charlie Chaplin's lustrated in the annual report of head, and plunged his mother, that organisation, just issued, his brother, and himself into It is shown that the annual at poverty.

life tendance at the playing-grounda

But poverty is not a maintained by the Association sentence. It is a challenge. reaches a figure of well over seven hundred thousand, and that on the Hongkong side the

most popular area, the Southorn NOTES OF THE DAY

сіне

are

KEEP THE COLONIES

to

success.

in the same rich mine of com- mon life and found there "tren- sure of laughter and drama for the delight of all mankind.

So

we need not regret the shadows that fell over Charlie Chaplin's early life.

Without them his gifts might have shone less brightly, and the whole world would have been poorer.

British tramps one

In the dwindling ranks of the

sorts of people-from the var sity graduate whose career, has ended in ruin and disgrace to the half-imbecile illiterate who has been unemployable since boyhood.

to

Jackio Coogan

with Charlic

Chaplin in

"The Kid," one

of Chaplin's

greatest succesacs.

film magnate left it at that. But finds all now he was no longer bored. He had a now interest in life. He returned to the attack. This time his offer was £30. Charlie still hesitated, but in the end he accepted. And so to Hollywood and the beginning of the most astounding career in cinema history.

It is Mr. Chaplin's dream to play tragic roles

well as comic ones.

Even to-day, when work is no longer easy secure, the American. wanderer still refuses to acknowledge defent,

13

war-weary

NATURALLY and inevitably, longed unemployment has in which he desires to portray.

once

That Indomitable spirit is an

The man whose glorious fool- integral part of the make-up of the screen Charlie Chaplin. ing made "Shoulder Arms" a

with His portrayal of the underdog favourite

than British. The British to reinterpret Napoleon to the working--man-has-courage-in-world. Thore are other charac plenty, but those whom pro- ters, as far removed from those

school days were forced on the road are often

Those who smile at these am- over, the youthful Charlie broken and despairing. The bitions have not appreciated Chaplin found his way on to Chaplin tramp has a quality of Chaplin's genius at its true the stage.

defiance and disdain.

worth. No mere clown, how- And when he was 21 he signed

But the American scene as a

ever brilliant, could ever have a contract which took him to whole has influenced Chaplin captured so completely the af- the United States and Canada its variety, its colour, its anima- fections of the great public. He with the Fred Karno Comedy tion, its strange and spectacular owes his unrivalled position as Company,

contrasts. And the States did a star to the fact that he is a more than this for the little great actor, who can tug'at our English actor; they provided the heart-strings as surely as he knowing it, he had been waiting, are moments, in some of his opportunity for which, without compels our laughter. There They introduced him to the ideal films, of an almost unbearable medium for his genius, the poignancy. motion picture.

We like to think of Charlle

*

It is a great achievement, and one possible only, to a consum- IT was a sultry day in July, mate actor, to command at once.

1913. A bored film magnate, the laughter which predomin

tears and laughter. But it is. Mr. A. Kessel, was strolling ates, along Broadway.

Genius is essentially a hardy Playground, draws an average daily attendance of five hundred

plant. It thrives in the cast wind. It withers in hothouse. children, whilst the biggest.Į ground in Kowloon provides

That is true in every walk of facilities for an average of three

The reason the historic A vigorous campaign has deve- life. hundred and fifty. A moment's loped in Great Britain, both in British families, have produced reflection will serve to give some Parliament and in the country, to so many men of distinction is impression of what this means safeguard British colonies and that, on the whole, they have great responsibilities to youngsters who, but for the mandated territories. We suggest borne existence of the Association, larly when it is remembered that wealth,

the agitation is timely, particu- rather than enjoyed great is definitely American rather veterans of the trenches wants would have nowhere but the recently His Majesty's Ministers streets in which to play, offered large pieces of British ter Thanks to the facilities provid-ritory to a nation which had broken ed, happiness and healthy exer-treaty pledges and commenced

brought to these war of conquest. Imperialists are children, and they are enabled to asking: Is it for this our fathers enjoy themselves without the built this Empire? Was it created ever-constant danger from traf- to be given away to ambitious peo- fie which is encountered in the ples as a price for peace? Cer- streets. There is the furthertainly not. It was built with the blood and bones of British men and factor, of which sight should not women that their children's chil- be lost, that children who are dren might live in peace, security provided with outdoor sports and comfort; and it was built privileges are less likely to get strongly enough that if its peace into mischief during the time and security were threatened its This tour was, in some ways, they have on their hands, whilst people could forego their comfortment of the Chaplin that we as important to the develop the physical benefits which they to defend their rights. That secure must in the long run sounds very well to Imperialists, know as were his early days in

London. make them fitter and better we imagine. And we sympathiso

It was one of the citizens. From all aspects, the

with the view.

great formative experiences of his career. work which the Association is But Economista, a new race of doing is to be warmly commend-people, aro making themselves ed. But what has so far been heard. They are talking about the Chaplin as a Briton, but Ameri- achieved is only a tithe of what redistribution of. the world's en gave a new direction, a new is needed in this Colony.. There natural resources. They say that edge to his quality. It opened

and Mr. Chaplin is should be dotted about, on both some nations have too many, and to him new fields of character

perfectly right in desiring an sides of the harbour, dozens of of the more radical of the refor

other nations have too few. Some and circumstance.

Pausing at Hammerstein's

opportunity of playing straight playing-grounds, catering

Music Hall to chat with the tragedy.. pecially to children who live in away some of her colonial posses the young actor crossed the roar of laughter. The sound will be regarded as merely a by-

es-mers would have Great Britain give

Twenty-five years ago, when manager, he heard rear upon

Until he does so, his pathos unsavoury and overcrowded sions-just as another race of re- Atlantic, life in the States was interested him. It had been a localities. Such "lunga" are an formers wanted Britain to give more fluid than in England long time since anyone had moustache and the ludicrous product of his toothbrush absolute necessity in the in-away or scrap her Navy a few years more fluid, perhaps, than it is made him laugh. terests of public health. But all ago. But colonies and navies are to-day. Its forms had not set.

Chaplin walk, these things require funds, in essential to the well-being of an Personalities were

"I expect it's that young which connection we should like Empire, comes the retort. And so portant than conventions.

more im- Chaplin that's

Probably had it not been for causing the the coming of the talkies we to underline the appeal of the We have a deadlock.

cacklo," said the manager. would already have seen this Association for further financial

Class distinctions Besides, the colonies themselves comparatively little when the

mattered "He's pretty good."

great star in a serious role. He support. It is disclosed that the should have something to pay about assistant of to-day was so often the Fred Karno Comedy Com- screen to whom the triumph of So in went Mr. Kessel to see is the one figure of the old silent funds secured during the past it. We cannot imagine a plebiscite year came from sixteen clubs in Hongkong giving this colony to the employer of to-morrow, and pany perform "A Night in a the spoken word has meant and associations, with only eight anyone but Britain. Besides, we the majority of professional London Music Hall" and to in- neither speech nor extinction.

men had paid for their. univer vestigate young Chaplin. subscriptions from individual have no very great natural re-

He relles, as of old, upon a donors. As the Committee resources, except our climate. sity training with the work of Soon he was laughing with pantomime that is more expres- marks, it is difficult to believe

their hands. But perhaps there is a mesauro

the rest of the audience. But sive than talk. But while the that only eight individuals in of comfort for the reformers in the Even poverty wore a different when Mr. Kessel laughed in a silence of Charlie Chaplin hus the Colony consider the Associa- thought that mandated territories face, in America. It was not place of public entertainment lost none of its former magic, tion worthy of financial support may, bo juggled about for the good the bitter, grinding destitution Round he went to the back, was a role of a kind completely un- his mirth meant business, would Mr. Charles Chaplin, in of the whole world. Now that we Charlie had The greater the measure of have a League of Nations, which

encountered in monetary help given, the wider already holds a mandate over some will be the scope of the Associa-areas, why not place all mandated In many cases it was tion's activities. Perhaps a re- territories under its supervision? poverty deliberately minder of the health and happi-When others signify their willing rather than imposed from with. It was more money than he had ness which the Association Isness to surrender the right of man-out. bringing into the lives of the date we are pretty certain Britain

Every cinema-goer is familiar. said "No." poor children of the Colony will will agree to abandon hers. Un- induce a greater measure of fortunately, however, we are not with the Chaplin tramps, but public assistance than is at pro- of the slogan "What we have, we how characteristically American the only people who like the sound how many of them have reflected sent forthcoming.

are these homeless wanderors,

hold.

London.

ushered into Chaplin's tiny familiar to his audiences, and dressing-room, and at once pro- of which they would almost a ceeded to offer him £15 a week certainly be highly critical, be chosen, to play in Koystone comedies. able to get away with it"?

Pantomime, of which he is a

. over earned before, but Charlie. master, is capable of expressing every emotion, of communicat. That only made Mr. Kessel ing the subtlest shades of mean- bid to £20 a week. Still Charlie his whole body has no need of more determined. He raised his ing. A man who can act with

said "No." For the moment the words, whatever part he plays.