The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
The Circus Clippings 99/376
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A.L. Wooldridge, Picture-Play, New York, January 1927.
BURNING QUESTION – Is the lion hungry? This
scene, so full of suspense, is from Charlie Chaplin‘s latest
picture, „The Circus,“ which has just been completed.
Mr. Chaplin to the left.
(...) Photo, Chicago Tribune, Dec. 11, 1927
& Edward B. Anderson snapped this at Charlie Chaplin‘s
Studio one day when he surprised the great artist
playing the organ for the delectation of a lion he was using
in a scene for his new picture „City Lights.“ The observer
can tell by the pleased expression on the lion‘s face that the
King of Beasts is enjoying Charlie‘s playing. The
cameraman weeping at his instrument is none other than
Rollie Totheroh who has been with Mr. Chaplin
for sixty-five years.
(...) Cream o‘ th‘ Stills, International Photographer,
Los Angeles, June 1930.
Roland Totheroh is Chaplin‘s cameraman since 1915.
The lion is in „The Circus,“ not in „City Lights.“
& Lions Don‘t Scare Charley Chaplin
By Rosalind Shaffer.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (...) A lion farm at El Monte,
on the outskirts of this city, the only establishment
of its kind in the United States, is a favorite place to obtain lions
for motion pictures.
Charles Gay, the owner, who calls his place the Gay
lion farm, has made $30,000 on two lions in the
last five years, by renting them to picture companies.
One of these lions is old Numa, the one that
shakes his head and yawns on the big trade mark of Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer pictures.
Gay tells that recently, before Charles Chaplin began
having all the difficulties with Lita that have forced
him to give up work on his comedy „The Circus,“ Chaplin was
working at the farm with one of the lively young lions.
In the lion sequences the frisky young lion was to sidle up to
Charley and paw his stomach. Charley stretched out
and let the lion do it. Gay says that nothing could induce him
himself, especially if he were as wealthy as Chaplin,
to let that lion touch his stomach. Chaplin may not be a big
man, but Gay is sure he‘s either a very brave one
or a foolish one.
(...) Rosalind Shaffer, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 2, 1927.
Also in Daily News, N. Y., Feb. 2, 1927
& Charlie Chaplin makes a fearless personal appearance
with Numa in „The Circus,“ while Charles Gay, the beast‘s owner,
looks on.
(...) Photo, Picture-Play, Jan. 1927
„A weird, low piece of music suggestive of India“
Editorial content. „Numa Earns a Fortune“ (...)
„By A. L. Wooldridge“ (...)
Photo. „Charlie Chaplin makes a fearless personal
appearance with Numa in „The Circus,“
while Charles Gay, the beast‘s owner, looks on.
,Who do you suppose made the most brazen personal
appearance in a cage with Numa and even made
as if to kick him in the face? You probably couldn‘t guess
in a week. It was Charlie Chaplin! Can you imagine
that? Charlie Chaplin kicking a lion in the face – one of those
back kicks like he made at the dog which followed
him around in The Gold Rush! He did not let his shoe strike,
but I‘d like to ask if there is any one present who
would be willing to attempt it? He even let Numa chase him
in The Circus and I don‘t suppose there are many
people in the world who would want to act with a lion bounding
along immediately in the rear.‘
Picture fans will see a remarkable example of costarring
when Chaplin‘s picture with Numa is released. The
great comedian with the big shoes and the derby is seen
in one sequence fleeing from an angry mule.
He leaps into the first open door he can reach and slams
it only to find he is with a lion, which is asleep.
A dog starts barking at him and Charlie slushes, pleads,
begs, implores him to quit. He manages to open
another door and step out, only to find he has entered
a cage of tigers. He hastily returns just as Numa
is awaking.
Then his excruciating moments begin. Numa rises,
stretches his great body, espies the intruder, and
creeps toward him. Poor old Charlie is backed up against
the iron bars, just as far away as he can get. He
doesn‘t go farther because he can‘t. You understand,
of course, that this is for picture purposes only.
I happened to be on the set the day they were filming
the scene and a peculiar incident happened. They
wanted Numa to lie down and appear sleeping. But Numa
didn‘t want to sleep. It wasn‘t his sleeping time.
Mr. Gay could make him stretch out on the floor of the cage,
but he wouldn‘t stay stretched. After he felt that
he had humiliated himself long enough, he would get up.
,Wait a minute!‘ Chaplin said. ,I have an idea.
Now all you fellows be still.‘
He sat down at the organ which constituted a piece
of the little orchestra and began playing a crooning
song, a weird, low piece of music suggestive of India or the
jungle. And Numa quieted.“ (...)
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The Circus 1927 1928 1929 next previous
