Large hardcover. Some wear and a tear on the dust jacket, otherwise in excellent condition. This book is a record in words and pictures of the work of one of the most famous men of the 20th century, the Little Tramp who brought the spark of genius to motion pictures and the great gift of laughter to his worldwide audience. From his debut in 1914 until publication of this book, Chaplin made eighty films. Each is separately considered here, with casts (often fuller than those previously published), credits, synopses, and quotations from reviews.
Some of the reviews, written when the films were first shown, are remarkable in their perceptiveness, and others will now seem amazing because of what the critics failed to see. All of Chaplin's films are illustrated with pictures - some of which had never before been published. The many rare stills, assembled in this country and in Europe, from private collections and film archives, make a pictorial record of memorable and hilarious moments in a great career, tracing Chaplin's creative development from the pop-art simplicity of the Keystone slapstick comedies to the artistic perfections of such masterpieces as "Easy Street," "Shoulder Arms," "The Gold Rush," and "City Lights."
A section called "Chapliniana" summarizes the various guest appearances Chaplin made, and tells about the strange mutations which some of his film footage underwent.