Charlie Chaplin: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series)

This is one great book. Interviews with Chaplin throughout his career. The forward talks about the reporters who do the interviews and how they were able to get Mr. Chaplin to open up about his art. It is so fascinating to hear how he felt and talked about all sorts of things concerning his profession. I haven't finished it yet because I am trying to savor this book, as if it were one grand gourmet meal! If you are a Chaplin fan, you will devour this book. Enjoy!

Kind of boring-academic.

As a life-long Chaplin fan, this book added for me a lot more insight into his already well-documented life.

Liked this more than I thought I would. Gives a fun glimpse into the highly flawed person behind the recognizable icon.

Looks great - as advertised. Thank you!

Once you're through reading Chaplin's own memoirs and David Robinson's CHAPLIN: HIS LIFE AND ART, one may get the impression that's everything a Chaplin-fan needs to know about the comedian. But essential though these two books clearly are, there is lots of other interesting literature on Chaplin available as well; and CHARLIE CHAPLIN: INTERVIEWS certainly fits into that category. Kevin J. Hayes has done a superb job collecting into book-form some of the more interesting interviews Chaplin did during his long career, beginning with "The Funniest Man on the Screen" by Victor Eubank (published 1915), in which Chaplin, who at that time had just signed his Essanay-contract, expresses intelligent and well-articulated thoughts about the art of comedy. There are twenty-four interviews in all, other titles included are:"Beneath the Mask: Witty, Wistful, Serious Is The Real Charlie Chaplin" (Grace Kingsley, 1916)"Charlie Chaplin, Philosopher, Has Serious Side" (Frank Veeland, 1921)"Shy Charlie Chaplin Opens His Heart" (Mordaunt Hall, 1925)"Future of the Cinema: Mr. Charles Chaplin" (Robert Nichols, 1925)"Chaplin Explains Chaplin" (Harry Carr, 1925)"Chaplin Draws a Keen Weapon" (Robert van Gelder, 1940)"Charlie Chaplin's MONSIEUR VERDOUX Press Conference" (George Wallach, 1947)"Ageless Master's Anatomy of Comedy: Chaplin, An Interview" (Richard Meryman, 1967)...and several others.The last interview from 1967, which reads more like an essay than an interview, stands as a particularly interesting comparison to the first interview from 1915; Chaplin appears no less alert as an older, experienced film-maker than he did half a century earlier. Granted, some of the articles carry a certain "fan magazine feel," but on the whole most of them appear more modern in style and content than one might expect. The journalistic prose from the 10s and 20s sounds a bit dated now and then, but not overwhelmingly so. The one part of the book which I could gladly have been without for the sake of reading pleasure, is the MONSIEUR VERDOUX press conference (1947); taking place during a stressful time in Chaplin's life, it mostly includes attacks on Chaplin's politics from the reporters. However, as an historical document, the press conference is of interest, of course.The book includes no illustrations apart from the book cover, but would in any case have felt a bit unnecessary in a book of this kind. CHARLIE CHAPLIN: INTERVIEWS is a book which any fan of the great comedian should read. I'll be sure to get the similar Buster Keaton-book one of these days.

One of the best books on Chaplin

Amazing book for the Charlie Chaplin's fans! :-) Just loved it!

Ein interessantes Buch über einen äußerst interessanten, talentierten und klugen Menschen. Schon zu Chaplins Lebzeiten hat die Kritik seine letzten Filme als "old-fashioned" verrissen, aber er hatte ganz einfach seinen eigenen Stil, die "nachdenkliche Komik". Und genau diese Art Komik vermisse ich heute in Filmen. Seine in dem Buch aufgeführten Selbsteinschätzungen unterstreichen dies noch.