My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin (most read book in the world TXT) 📕

The hero, Paul, is a well-bred young Englishman who has an affair with a queen – her last fling before marrying the old king. The baby Crown Prince is, of course, secretly Paul’s son. While we waited for her guests to arrive, Elinor took me into her other room, where framed on the walls were pictures of young English officers of the First World War. With a sweeping gesture she said: ‘These are all my Pauls.’

She was ardently imbued with the occult. I remember one afternoon Mary Pickford complained of fatigue and sleeplessness. We were in Mary’s bedroom. ‘Show me the north,’ commanded Elinor. Then she placed her finger gently on Mary’s brow and repeated: ‘Now she’s fast asleep!’ Douglas and I crept over and took a look at Mary, whose eyelids were fluttering. Mary told us later that she had to endure the pretence of sleeping for more than an hour, because Elinor stayed in the room and watched her.

Elinor had the reputation of being sensational, but no one was more staid. Her amorous conceptions for the movies were girlish and naïve – ladies brushing their eyelashes against the cheeks of their beloveds and languishing on tiger-rugs.

The trilogy she wrote for Hollywood was of a time-diminishing nature. The first was called Three Weeks, the second His Hour, and the third Her Moment. Her Moment had terrific implications. The plot concerns a distinguished lady, played by Gloria Swanson, who is to marry a man she does not love. They are stationed in a tropical jungle. One day she goes horse-back riding alone, and, being interested in botany, gets off her horse to inspect a rare flower. As she bends over it, a deadly viper strikes and bites her right on the bosom. Gloria clutches her breast and screams, and is heard by the man she really loves, who happens, opportunely, to be passing close by. It is handsome Tommy Meighan. Quickly he appears through the bush. ‘What has happened?’

She points to the poisonous reptile. ‘I have been bitten!’

‘Where?’

She points to her bosom.

‘That’s the deadliest viper of all!’ says Tommy, meaning of course the snake. ‘Quick, something must be done! There is not a moment to spare!’

They are miles from a doctor, and the usual remedy of a tourniquet – twisting a handkerchief around the affected part to stop blood circulating – is unthinkable. Suddenly he picks her up, tears at her shirt-waist, and bares her gleaming white shoulders, then turns her from the vulgar glare of the camera, bends over her and with his mouth extracts the poison, spitting it out as he does so. As a result of this suctorial operation she marries him.

fourteen

AT the end of the Mutual contract I was anxious to get started with First National, but we had no studio. I decided to buy land in Hollywood and build one. The site was the corner of Sunset and La Brea and had a very fine ten-roomed house and five acres of lemon, orange and peach trees. We built a perfect unit, complete with developing plant, cutting-rooms and offices.

During the studio’s construction, I took a trip to Honolulu with Edna Purviance, for a month’s rest. Hawaii was a beautiful island in those days. Yet the thought of living there, two thousand miles from the mainland, was depressing; in spite of its effulgent beauty, its pineapples, sugar-cane, exotic fruits and flowers, I was glad to return, for I felt a subtle claustrophobia, as if imprisoned inside a lily.

It was inevitable that the propinquity of a beautiful girl like Edna Purviance would eventually involve my heart. When we first came to work in Los Angeles, Edna rented an apartment near the Athletic Club, and almost every night I would bring her there for dinner. We were serious about each other, and at the back of my mind I had an idea that some day we might marry, but I had reservations about Edna. I was uncertain of her, and for that matter uncertain of myself.

In 1916 we were inseparable and went to all the Red Cross fêtes and galas. At these affairs Edna would get jealous and had a gentle and insidious way of showing it. If someone paid too much attention to me, Edna would disappear and a message would come that she had fainted and was asking for me, and of course I would go and stay with her for the rest of the evening. On one occasion a pretty hostess, who was giving a garden fête in my honour, pranced me about from one society belle to another and eventually led me into an alcove. Again the message came that Edna had fainted. Although I was flattered that such a beautiful girl always asked for me after she came to, the habit was becoming a little annoying.

The dénouement came at Fanny Ward’s party, where there was a galaxy of pretty girls and handsome young men. Again Edna fainted. But when she came to, she asked for Thomas Meighan, the tall, handsome leading man of Paramount. I knew nothing about it at the time. It was Fanny Ward who told me the next day; knowing my feelings for Edna, she did not wish to see me being made a fool of.

I could not believe it. My pride was hurt; I was outraged. If it were true it would be the end of our relationship. Yet I could not give her up so suddenly. The void would be too much. A resurgence of all that we had been to each other came over me.

The day after the incident I could not work. Towards afternoon I telephoned her for an explanation, intending to fume and fuss; but instead my ego took over and I became sarcastic. I even joked lightly about the matter: ‘I understand you called for the wrong man at Fanny Ward’s party – you must be losing your memory!’

She laughed and I detected a tinge of embarrassment. ‘What are you talking about?’ she said.

I