LISA STEIN HAVEN Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp in America, 1947–77 Lisa   S tein   H aven Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp in America, 1947–77 Lisa   Stein   Haven Ohio University Zanesville, Ohio , USA ISBN 978-3-319-40477-6 ISBN 978-3-319-40478-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40478-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016956414 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover image from the archives of Roy Export Company Establishment Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland To Chuck and David, without whom this book could not exist A CKNOWLEDGMENTS This book has been percolating in my mind since about the year 2000, when I began thinking about how I might write it and what items of material culture I might need to enhance it. But the project really began in earnest in 2012, when I began to shape my outline and uncover spe- cifi c archival documents I needed to make this a compelling investigation. From that point, and before that point in some cases, I want to thank the many people who assisted me on this journey in one way or another. No Chaplin project is possible without the support of Roy Export S. A. S.’s Kate Guyonvarch. Her belief in me, no matter what crazy project I come up with, is most important in providing me the confi dence and abil- ity to see the project through to the end. And thank you to the Chaplin children, especially Josephine, Michael and Vickie, for providing permis- sion to use the extensive Chaplin archive for the project. A special thanks to Cecilia Cenciarelli of the Cineteca di Bologna, home of Chaplin’s archive, who has been a vocal cheerleader for this project from early on. Chuck Maland and Frank Scheide have been gracious colleagues, giving endlessly of their time and expertise regarding this project, even helping me to get grants and other opportunities to help fi nance it as well. Larry Howe, Joe McElhaney and Bent Sørensen were also helpful in this regard. Thanks to my interviewees, those people that allowed me to ask them some inane questions that in many ways ended up being the heart and soul of this book: Jim McElwee, Elliot Hearst, Brad Greenquist, Bruce Calvert, Ben Urish, Howie Hirshfi eld, Randy Riddle, Laurence Chadbourne, Michael Vogelle, Michael Cartellone, Gerry Mandel, Doreen Feeney, Lucy Jaffe and Jessica Buxton. Thanks to Michael Hayde and Carrie Pomeroy vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS for reading chapters and providing their frank criticism. And thanks to Michael (Hayde) and Elliot for providing the photos of themselves as young Chaplin admirers. In terms of libraries, archives and other helpful institutions, I’d like to thank the staff of the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library, especially Crystal Miles; Stanford University Green Library staff; the Harry Ransom Center (UT-Austin) staff, especially Richard B. Watson; Columbia University Rare Books and Manuscripts, especially Tara Craig and Catherine Carson Ricciardi; the Museum of Modern Art Archive, especially Michelle Harvey; and the New York Public Library Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room for Rare Books and Manuscripts, especially Tal Nadan. In terms of permissions, I’d like to thank Percy Stubbs of the Allen Ginsberg Trust, William Weege, Catherine Elaine Havelock, Robert Sharrard and especially Garrett Caples of City Lights Bookstore, Crystal Alberts of the University of North Dakota Writers Conference, Rob Winter, Kieron Corless and Bryony Dixon of the British Film Institute, Christopher Wait of New Directions, Leigh Ann Rosemore and Ernest Cunningham, who collected the extensive Chaplin clipping fi le now in my possession that was all-important to this study. Many thanks also to the endless assistance I’ve received from Roy Export S. A. S.’s Arnold Lozano, Cineteca di Bologna’s Andrea Dressano, and Ohio University Zanesville’s Christine Shaw. Thanks to my editor Shaun Vigil of Palgrave Macmillan for his support and assistance. Thanks to my husband Mark for his patience and support in this adventure. And thanks to David Robinson for being my inspiration—always—in regard to what a really great Chaplin book (any book!) should look like. ALSO: Cover photo of Charlie Chaplin in 1915, courtesy Roy Export S.A.S. Scan courtesy Cineteca di Bologna. “Constantly Risking Absurdity (#15). By Lawrence Ferlinghetti from A CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND, copyright ©1958 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. “The Love Nut.” By Lawrence Ferlinghetti from LANDSCAPES OF LIVING AND DYING, copyright ©1979 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix “In a Time of Revolution for Instance.” By Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from OPEN EYE, OPEN HEART, copyright ©1973 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. “Director of Alienation.” By Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from THESE ARE MY RIVERS, copyright ©1976 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. “Adieu à Charlot.” By Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from WILD DREAMS OF A NEW BEGINNING, copyright ©1979 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. “Patriotic Ode on the Fourteenth Anniversary of the Persecution of Charlie Chaplin” and “Sullen Bakeries of Total Recall.” By Robert Kaufman, from SOLITUDES CROWDED WITH LONELINESS, copyright ©1965 by Bob Kaufman. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. Excerpts from Letters to Jack Kerouac courtesy of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center and Notebooks of Allen Ginsberg, cour- tesy of the Stanford University Department of Special Collections and University Archives by Allen Ginsberg. Copyright © [1948. 1957. 1961, 1962, 1963], used by permission of the Wylie Agency, LLC. C ONTENTS 1 Introduction: The Death of the Little Tramp and Chaplin in the Aftermath 1 2 Bohemian Writers and the Resurrection of the Little Tramp 2 7 3 The Beat Chaplinists 5 5 4 Seeing Charlie: Legal and Illegal Chaplin Screenings 83 5 Narrativizing Charlie in Print and Film 1 41 6 Selling Charlie 179 Epilogue: The Little Tramp’s Continuing Longevity, post-1977 231 Appendix A: Film Screening and Television Broadcast Tables 249 xi xii CONTENTS Appendix B: Home Movie Catalog Offerings (A Select Group) 265 Bibliography 275 Index 291