Altoona Tribune from Altoona, Pennsylvania • Page 11

ALTOONA, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 24, 1942 (ME LyJcJ cLi Mime Fluids Lome Prospector 31 CO Wealth of Laughter Causes Riot of Mirth Ersatz Roast Served In Style By Charlie i With the entire world at war; with every man, woman and child in America seriously engaged in doing their all to bring victory to cur forces, we become so absorbed in the great task that we all so willingly havs undertaken, that we might become too serious in our mental attitude. In such times Is a welcome relief to have something to help lighten our burden, end to accomplish, there is nothing like a good hearty laugh. Laughter not only drives away our worries and cares, but it gives us renewed strength arid courage to carry on our work, foj Rfter a bit of iclaxation. punctuated by a few hearty we feel refresh? ,1 and able once more to flung into the great task before us with renewed vigor. That's why this nation, and for this week the City of Altoona, owes a great debt of gratitude to the world's most popular comedian, Charles Chsplin.

Wc aie indeed fcitunate to be able to laugh with and at Charlie Chaplin, Mode of living may change monarchies and governments may crumble, moral values may be revised but Chariie the universal little guy in the baggy trouseis and trick shoes goes on; ageless, timeless. Dictators and war makers will pass on, but the laughter created by the antics of Clv.i-lie Chaplin will echo down through the centuries. That's why Altoona may congratulate itself on being one of the first cities to be granted the priv-i'ege of seeing Chaplin's greatest and funniest picture, 'The Gold Rush." which is now playing at the State theatre. So, folks our advice is, "Rush down to the State and sec "The Gold Rush" as soon as you can. But be sure to warn the little woman to get plenty of needles, thread and buttons ready, because you will literally laugh your buttons off at Charlie as the one prospector.

In the war-torn countries of Europe today ever which the aggressors rule, much is made of the new word "ersatz," which is the German word tor "substitute." Ersatz clothing of wood pulp, ersatz food also of wood pulp these and many more are being brought into general use, not by the people's wishes but by government decree. How well these ersatz products are being received Is not hard to guess. But what a blitzltreig these dictators could achieve if the poor people could react to ersatz food as does Charlie Chaplin in one of his memorable scenes from "The Gold Rush" which is at the State theatre. It is Thanksgiving. Inside the shabby little Klondike cabin, a pot js boiling.

Big Jim, the rotund companion of Charlie, is delirious from lack of food. Charlie, no better off, but still retaining his senses, is diligently stirring the pot as Big Jim watches. With all the nuancfrs of a French chef, Charlie lifts a big boot from the smoking pot. expertly presses fork against ne boot to see if it is cooked to the proper turn. He nods to himself, then taking the shoe fool the pot, carefully bastes it with gravy.

Big Jim pusses his plate, Charlie, deftly wiping it, puts the shoe; 0n it. Then follows some of Charlie's most exquisite pantomime. To the me'ody of a salon orchestra play ing dinner music, he professionally shaipens his knife. Then with all the elaborate motions ot carving, Charlie separates the shoe from the sole, passing the portion with the nai's to Big Jim who resentfully returns the seemingly less desirable part, taking the upper part for himself. Charlie attacks the sole with the most exquisite relish.

Then the shoe laces, which he dexterously twirls as one would spaghetti. Fin ally he appioaches the nails reverently as an epicure would humming bird wings, ending this epi sode with discovery of a naii bent in the shape of a wishbone which he holds out to bewildered companion. Charlie Chaplin's adventures In "The Gold Rush," which is now on through United Artists release, are unfolded against the snow-capped Charlie, the Lone Prospector, finally winning romance, the girl and a Little Man Wins Romance In 'Gold Rush' WORLD'S TOP COMEDIAN RULES COLORFUL THREE-RING CIRCUS 0 Country Needs Reel Laughter, Says Comedian Charlie Chaplin is way tip In the Klondike In "The Gold Rush" In spite of what the highbrows say about jhe Chaplin brand of anj huroor being just a step from tragedy Charlie insists that his ona aim in picture-making is to be funny and to make people laugh. Charlie believes th.ut the world today needs laughter more than it ever did before. Since the serious trend world conditions have taken, peop'e need a tonic for the nerves, an opportunity to brush away the impending sense of disaster which overtakes us in our daily grind.

People, says Charlie, don't want stories of futility, heartache disappointment frustration. They need the sunshine and release of laughter. So, Charlie, is presenting tha world' with "The Gold Rush," which is now at the State theatre, so that audiences can be refreshed by an evening of hilarious fun such ag only the genius of Chaplin can produce. Charlie wrcte and directed 'The Gold and his supporting cast includes Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite and Georgia Hale. The Little I ramp Tricks the Bully.

Charlie Chaplin loves slapstick. In 'The Gold Rush," now at tha State theatre, the little man who 1 is the stooge, not for any individ-j ual, but for the vagaries 0f fate it self covers the whole field of comedy from the most arrant slapstick to the most delicate satire. His burlesque and ridicule are directed against the traditional Chaplin enemy the bully. Be Sure To See CHARLIE CHAPLIN In The "GOLD RUSH" AT THE STATE THEATRE NOW "3 si view at the State theatre Speaks of the Klondike, with gigantic fortune in gold. Comedian Insists Genius Is Not In His Line planation lies in the fact that Charlie Chaplin represents the Lowest Common Denominator of humor.

His humor is the quintessence of. all comedy which by its very simplicity is of universal appeal. When the little tramp with the big shoe3 and the wobbly car.e makes funny pathetic stand against the forces of regimentation, the whole world understands and laughs. When in "The Gold Rush" Charlie pretends on New Year's eve in his tabby little cabin in the Klondike, that he is playing host to a brilliant assemblage and does his famous dance, the Oceana xHoll. with two fork3 and two buns, his language is universal language.

And though there is pathos and heartbreak, too, the inherent hu mor can be understood by everybody. That is why, Will Rogers trnce said. 'Charlie Chaplin is better known among the Zulus than Garbo is in Arkiwisas." "The Gold Rush," which wa3 written and directed by Chaplin himself, is being released by United Artists. Snowy Background In "Gold Rush" In The Gold Rush" which is currently on view at the Stite theatre, Charlie Chaplin is again the lovable little tramp whom he has endeared to millions, but this time the serio-comic figure wanders throuhg the snow-capped peaks and mountains of the wilderness of the Klondike during the hectic gold rush days. We see him first as the Lone Prospector, buffeted by a cruel fate as well as by cruel toughs.

Subsequently, romance enters hia dreary life in the shape of a dance-hall queen. But she Is only an adventuress at heart and brings more pathos into the life of the little man but at the end. Chailie actually wins the girl and becomes a tnuti-millionaire, to boot Fifth Column Gets Stymied Chaplin Sevcals Spy Defense In Studio During the production of each of his pictures, Charlie ChapHn insists on secrecy. This is merely a sound merchandising principle, which other producers have also tried, but somehow only Chaplin lias been able to enforce it. Whether from compulsion or devotion, the people who work for him guard the details of each fi'm as zealously as if they were military secrets.

This leads in time to espionage. Because every newspaper is anxious to publish a Charlie Cluplin scoop and because every hostess in Hollywood is equally eager to be the first with genuine gessip, spies try to get in and out of the Chaplin studi0 during, a production. They are, for the most part who are not above selling to the enemy the information they pick up on the set in spite of Chaplin's reiterated warnings. When such fifth columnists are discovered they are dealt with summarily, but on the whole they are unable to do much damage. In his years of making movies.

Chaplin has developed a powerful defense against such sabotage. To begin with, ChapHn, whose "The Gold Rush'" is at the State theatre shoots his pictures in a way that not even thc Players know what thc story is about until the film is screened for them. For when it comes to putting out a picture, Charlie does not believe, in taking everybody into his confidence. Cat and Dog! There are two tenants at the Charles Chaplin studios who get special attention from the master of comics himself. They are Topaze, tlie cat, and Teddy, the dog.

Wrhen Charlie, who may be seen in "The Gold Rush" at the State theatre, leaves Hollywood, he leaves ocm- plete instructions at the studio foi. their care and feeding. "The Gold Rush was written and directed by United Artists. Famous Star Has Many Avocations Few people are aware that Char-le Chaplin, who is starring in 'The Gold Rush," the current attraction at the State theatre through United Artists release, numbers drawing among his many accomplishments. Among his accomplishments are tw'o bookplates which are designed for his library and a great many personal sketches which he has distributed among close friends.

A self-sketched caricature brought a sizeable at an auction sale In a London art gallery when he waa making "Modern Times." Charlie Is Funny So Everybody Laughs Charlie's Humor In "The "Gold Rush" Miexs Slapstick With Pathos Charlie's Fans Who discovered Charlie Chaplin? The critics? The so-called intel-; ligentsia? Net at all. The general public, and in particular the children, can be credited with the dis- covery of the greatest comedian ef our times. Charlie evolved the costume and character he wts to make world-j famous after several shorts for Sennett. Shortly afterwards chll- dren all over the country were im- Hating his now famous walk, wearing rep-icas of the big shoes and baggy pants, and in only a I matter of months, the public ccn- vulsed by his antics mr.de Charlie Chanlin a national figure Charlie, who is now appearing I in The Gold Rush'" at the State theatre has always looked upon the little man he created a clown I who knows how to be funny even when he is pitting himself against the powers that be and suffers the heartbreak and frustration com-j Kon to everyone at some time why he is the most famous actor in the world today and prob-tbly the moat popular that has evjsr lived." The simplest and most likely ex- Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Bush" 1 Wr Charlie Stresses Fun And Laughs In His Work Gcr.ius, somebody has is the word Hollywood gives to success it is unable or unwilling to explain by any other means. There are no unsuccessful geniuses in Hollywood and, conversely, there is nobody who has not, at one time or another, been a genius.

It is a convenient expression, but also a mis'eading one. It is as a matter of fact, such divine hedging as this that has hidden Charlie Chaplin for so long from tbe cleareyed view of the public His critics so unanimously admit his genius that it has never seemed necessary to amplify this statement, and Charlie hag remained an almost mythical figure, shrouded in reverential mystery. Nobody is more annoyed by this attitude than Chaplin himself. He is a comedian, not an oracle, and it irritates him to have his laughter taken so seiiously. He is, and wants to be, before everything else, a clown.

Now, that Charlie is soon to be seen in "The Gold Rush" which starts Thuisday at the State theafe. it is a fitting time to i eion- (iav Coinedv Scene In "Gold Among the most touching and humorous scenes in the film, Charlie is seen doing the Oceana Roll in his shabby little cabin on Ns.w Year's eve, entertaining the lady of his heart present only in his dream. Later his cabin totters the edge of the precipice and eternity, but the little tramp goes merrily about his business. And when he and his fellow prospector are slowly but sure'y starving to death. Charlie boils an old shoe and eats the laces with relish as if he were doing away with a plate of deiciou, steming-hot spaghetti It is quite some time now since the long-haired boys and the short-haired girls have made cults out of anything and everything generally regarded as profane.

It is a long time, for instance, since they first foisted their cultism on the innocent head of Charlie Chaplin. Their defeat on this score didn't occur a moment too soon, for they were attempting to take Chailie away from the people and make him their sole property. What finally licked them was their own belated recognition of the fact that Char'ie Chaplin was funny not because of any abstruse intellectual qualities, but merely because he was very funny! This was the conclusion at which the common man had arrived many years before. The whole story is: People laugh at Chaplin because he is funny. For even though humor has been defined in various ways by various highbrows, humor still remains something at which people laugh.

The people laugh at Charlie Chaplin. When they see 'The Gold at the State theatre, the chances are that not one out of a million will stop to consider why he laughs. They laugh whether it is Chaplin eluding an amorous bear in "The Gold Rush" or Chaplin the butt cf tne feeding machine in "Modern Times." The point is that Chaplin is being funny at al' times whether he is being merely zany, whether he is being satiric, or whether he is mixing fUn with pathos. Divine romance comes at last to with the dance-hall queen, Georgia fun-parked comedy now showing United Artists release. One of the many factors which stsr.d out in the minds of the audience after seeing a CLarlie Chaplin pictuie is that the film invsriably closes with the Little Fellow walking away from the camera alone his pathetically jaunty figure trudging toward the horizon in the hope of better things to come.

So. the audience leaves the the- I stre with a laugh on its lips but a lump in it, throat, for such frus- i ti-ation in the case of the Little Fellow doesn't seem fair. Life nev- er metci out to him his fair pio-port'on, of the govJ things he de- ves. Tot Charlie's famous is the symbol of all that is patictic. good and kind in the Lu-1 fltan race.

He never rebels except at aa unkindcess or injustice done to some person other than himself. However, in The Gold Rush." which is at the State theatre this wef k. Charlie veers away from' the usual Chaplin formula. Perhaps when Charlie was writing this particular story, he. too.

rebelled at rough treatment of the Lin At any rate, in 'The Gold Charlie Chaplin as he dances Hale, in "The Gold Rush," his at the State theatre through Rush." th popular little tramp not ocly gets the girl of his dreams but becomes a multi-millionaire to boot The story of "The Gold Rush" tells of the famous gold tush days In the Klondike where, our hero suffers the rigors of cold, hunger, and unbelievable hardships and nurses a aching heart all the whi'-e he goes on prospecting for the treasure hidden in the earth's surface. Charlie appears in the role of the Lone Prospector and his supporting cast is headed by Mack Swain. Tom Murray. Henry Bergman, Malco'm Waite and Georgia Hale Ch.ir'ie himself wrote and directed 'The Gold Rush" and he aso compose 3 the music which wag directed by Mas Terr. The setting of "The Gold Rush" is the Alascka of the Klondike gold rush with its dance-halls and girs 1- hdince cEdlh gol'C emfeme dance-hall girls; with its miners old and young; with toughs and hangers-on; with newspaper correspondents and a locale tht tems with color and excitement, drama, comedy and romance.

i i.