Charlie Chaplin in sound and images at the Philharmonie de Paris
Published on 10 November 2019, dans Exhibitions and Museums
In his day he combined avant-garde performance and popular appeal, and Charlie Chaplin has since risen to the rank of legend. One hundred and thirty years after his birth, the pioneering movie genius remains a source of fascination. The Philharmonie de Paris is devoting a beautiful exhibition to the screen idol until January 26th, 2020. Discover it during your stay at the Hotel Marais Bastille.
A legend born in the slums of London
The son of two penniless music-hall entertainers, Charles Spencer Chaplin Junior, known as Charlie Chaplin, combined the talents of actor, dancer and clown with an innate sense of rhythm. In 1914 he created his onscreen persona of The Little Tramp, the childlike, accident-prone but good-hearted character who became a worldwide sensation during the silent film era and still enchants people of all ages today. A master of slapstick and pathos, Charlie Chaplin’s astonishing physical comedy and mimicry helped to make him one of the most important figures in the history of the movies.
The current exhibition reveals the extent of his genius and his approach to dance, rhythm, and the illusion of speech and sound.
From Charlie to The Little Tramp; the incredible rise of a silent screen star
The exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris takes you on a fascinating journey through the incredible career and destiny of Charlie Chaplin.
You will first discover how Charlie was swept up in the world of the music hall from childhood. The course of his life changed when he toured the vaudeville circuit in the United States, where his talents were soon noticed.
Invited to join the fledgling movie industry, he quickly developed his Little Tramp character and soon became the first international film star. His comic timing and genius for physical comedy and mimicry were essential in putting across the essence of his signature character from shyness to insolence, joy to sadness, and indifference to emotion. Charlie Chaplin then revealed himself as a director of consummate talent with his first full-length feature film, The Kid (1921).
Perhaps the least known facet of Chaplin was his talent as a composer. For City Lights (1931) he wrote a synchronised orchestral soundtrack and thereafter composed the scores for all his films. He also wrote various popular songs.
An exhibition for all the family
The exhibition offers an audio guide, allowing you to immerse yourself in the musical world of each period and you can also watch extracts from more than forty films.
The exhibition is intended to be fun and you’ll find many surprises to appeal to all ages. Children are invited to dress up as The Little Tramp for the duration of their visit.
You can even have a great time adding sound effects to a silent movie! Thanks to small digital modules, you can also choose, as Chaplin did in his day, the music and songs of his films. A wonderful way to understand the musical dimension of this extraordinary artiste.
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More information:
Hotel Marais Bastille, a 3-star hotel a few steps from Place de la Bastille