Chaplin, the great musical composer

[catherine]

charliechaplinfan,

So many books have found their way to me in the last couple of years, mostly at used book sales, for a few dollars, I also found a 1927 first edition WINGS by John Monk Saunders- that was a lovely surprise!

In My Father,Charlie Chaplin, Charles Chaplin Jr. shows insight into his mother's mental fragility throughout the book and describes her 'nervous breakdowns' in an alarmingly undiluted way as a child who should have been shielded from this exposure, although his grandmother and great-grandmother were constant, safe adults in his (and his brother Syd's) life. He describes his mother as "so glamorous and young, more like a big sister to us," but that relationship changes drastically and damage was done with her neglect, outbursts and immaturity. I would have to correct my earlier statement that Charlie Sr. was an attentive father while he was married to Paulette.

The sad subtext throughout the book is Charles Jr.'s self blame for causing his parent's to enter into an unwanted marriage and causing his mother to feel like an 'intruder' and his father to take long absences from his sons throughout their lives.

But don't let that scare you off, there's so much interesting incidental material in the book to enjoy, day to day details of neat stuff, lots of references to music and composers and happy wholesome memories! Worth finding.

[feaito]

Concerning Chaplin's music I only have to say that his song from "Countess from Honk Kong" This Is My Song has been a favorite ever since I listened to the orchestral version of an old Paul Mauriat vinyl that belonged to my mother, when I was barely 8 or 9 years old. Such truly wondrous melody!!

[charliechaplinfan]

Thanks Catherine, Lita Grey Chaplin also has good things to say about Paulette who frequently stood in as mother figure. Lita constantly toured and was unable to deal with her own children who were brought up mainly by her mother. Charlie didn't have any contact with his children for their first few years, the divorce had been so stressful and traumatic for him he avoided the family.

Lita in turn tells of how she told her uncle her complaints about the marriage not knowing that all this would be used against Charlie. It was an extemely nasty fivorce on both sides.

I will look out for the title.