Easy Street - 1917
Charlie with Erich von Stroheim Jr, he was the baby son of the great director. The baby was paid $15.00 for the day’s work (= $275 in 2013)
One of my favorite photos of “the tramp” from Easy Street. I use it on my blog, my icon photo, my Chaplin facebook page and my Chaplin twitter. Sort of the face of Chaplin for the Ages :)
Charlie holding a baby in the poor people’s mission at the beginning of “Easy Street” - 1917.
The baby’ name was Erich von Stroheim Jr, he was the son of silent film director/actor Erich von Stroheim.
No one knew the identity of the baby Charlie is holding until a collection of Erich von Stroheim’s mementos were itemized and May Jones (baby’s mother) had written on the back of a photo from this set, something like “Baby Erich earned fifteen dollars for appearing with Charlie in this scene.” btw $15 dollars in 1917 is equivalent to $300.00 today.
A friend did this colorization of Charlie Chaplin in his English Bobby uniform from “EASY STREET”
I changed my background on my blog, am using the black and white photo and on my icon photo using the colorized version.
I only had ever seen the black and white photo with a water mark but was so thrilled when I finally found it without.
This is another awesome photo, Vaslav Nijinsky born in Ukraine considered the greatest male ballet dancer of the 20th Century, he came to the set of Charlie Chaplin’s film “Easy Street” in 1917, pictured is Edna Purviance in the middle, Eric Campbell the big guy in the back, Nikinsky next to Charlie and his dance troupe.
EASY STREET - January 22, 1917 - his 9th of 12 Mutual Short films.
One of Charlie Chaplin’s most celebrated short films.
EASY STREET - January 22, 1917
Charlie is mesmerized by Edna’s beauty, she is off screen, I have said before no one does love sick eyes like Charlie Chaplin.
This is one of his most celebrated Mutual Short films and really harkens back to his days in South London, he wears the Police uniform of an English Bobby and the streets he designed are replica’s of life in South London as a child and young man before coming to America.
He also touches on the poverty and mean streets.
EASY STREET - 92nd Anniversary of it’s release January 22, 1917
At the beginning of the film “the tramp” homeless goes into a mission for warmth, he is holding the baby for the lady next to him while she listens to the sermon.
I found out that the baby’s name was Erich Von Stoheim Jr (his father was an actor, director, producer during the silent era) The baby’s mother worked as a seamstress in Charlie’s costume department.
Easy Street - January 22, 1917
Charlie Chaplin’s most celebrated of his 12 short films he made for the Mutual Company. Charlie plays an English bobby patrolling the streets of South London, the set was indicative of his young life in South London and what the poor had to endure, homeless, hunger, overcrowding, bullies, drugs, wife beating, sexual assault..he touched on all this bringing a rawness to this film.
Irony is that within 20 years Hollywood films would basically become sanitized due to censors.
