Product Description
Oona O'Neil was named New America Debutante of the 1941-2 social season. At 18 she shocked the world by running off and marrying Charlie Chaplin, 36 years her senior. This text reveals Oona's story and life in the world of Hollywood.Amazon.com Review
Like Jackie O, Oona O'Neill (1925-91) captured publicattention for two reasons: her impressive familial/marital alliances(she was the sole daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill and the lastwife of filmmaker Charlie Chaplin) and her elegant, raven-hairedbeauty. The two women also shared vitas that were filled withchildhood disappointments, humiliating public attention during crises,and the wrenching deaths of loved ones. But as Jane Scovell's newbiography clearly shows, Oona O'Neill Chaplin lacked both the stoicismand personal passion of Jackie Onassis. Hers was a spirit tootender--and fundamentally fragile--to assert itself fully or surviveindependently for any period of time. Hence the book's apt subtitle,"Living in the Shadows."

With information culled from press clips, interviews with Chaplin'sfriends and contemporaries, and previous biographies of EugeneO'Neill, Scovell's book paints an engaging portrait of a privileged,potentially fabulous life gone way wrong. Most fittingly for theirsubsequent tortured relationship, Oona's parents--Eugene O'Neill andwriter Agnes Boulton--met in a Greenwich Village bar dubbed theHellhole. Eight years into their marriage, in which they flittedbetween Greenwich Village, Bermuda, Provincetown, Maine, and NewJersey, O'Neill abandoned the family life for the erstwhile actressCarlotta Monterey (christened Hazel Neilson Tharsing). Oona was two atthe time. O'Neill, a boorish father, saw her only a handful of timesbefore she turned 18; at that point, he disinherited her because hewasn't happy with the oozy publicity she was earning as a New Yorkdebutante. That same year, Oona moved out to Hollywood (in the hopesof pursuing an acting career), and met and married Charlie Chaplin,who was facing a scandalous paternity suit at that moment. Chaplin was54, Oona was 18. She never worked again, and he was at the end of hiscareer. They had eight children (the last when Chaplin was 72), andshe stood by him till his death in 1977, spending most of their yearstogether exiled in Sweden, where Chaplin had gone to avoid a host ofproblems with the U.S. government. After Chaplin's death, Oonareturned to the U.S., where she lived 14 depressed, alcoholic yearsbefore dying at age 66 of cancer.

There's a breezy, slightly superficial tone to this book, despiteScovell's attempt to elucidate fully the potholes and vistas of Oona'sdramatic roadmap. None of Oona's eight children, or close familymembers, seems to have talked to Scovell, nor did Scovell have anysignificant access to Oona's correspondence or other writing. Thoughher dramatic fade is well captured here, Oona never completely bloomsin this book. --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Skipping across the surface of a life
As one begins this book, which starts with fairly lengthy backgrounds on the O'Neill and Boulton families, it seems that one is on the way to learning as much about Oona O'Neill Chaplin as her forebears.This is not the case. I came away knowing her life only superficially. More detail is devoted to Eugene O'Neill and Charles Chaplin (both written about exhaustively elsewhere), but who was Oona?

All I derived from this term-paper-like bio were the surface details of Oona's life: she had a chaotic childhood, she went to good schools, she evolved into a Cafe Society glamour queen by her mid-teens.She decided to become a movie star and moved to LA.She made a very poor screen test before being introduced to Charlie Chaplin.Mr. Chaplin, at 54, was taken by the lush 17-year-old.They married shortly thereafter, just as she turned 18.Eight children, an exile from the U.S. and millions of dollars and accolades later, Chaplin died. Oona, who apparently had already begun drinking, became a confirmed alcoholic and, eventually, a recluse.She died in her mid-60's of pancreatic cancer. This much can as easily be learned on Wikipedia or via Google.

Excellent book presents a wonderful woman
I really like Oona O'Neill Chaplin.What a wonderful woman she was!This book quotes person after person who knew her, from all periods of her life.They say that Oona was a woman who radiated a sort of grace, who had an innate elegance that set her apart, but who did not lose a down-to-earth quality, who loved to fuss over her brood of children, who literally basked in having babies and loved having her children around her (she had eight children altogether), who possessed a radiant and fragile beauty, an almost elfin quality, a naturalness, an easy sense of humor, a lack of ostentation, with a sly calm and native sweetness, who again and again is described as creating for everyone around her a sense of serenity and well-being. People would travel to Switzerland to see Charlie Chaplin - but they came away remembering Oona.Even as a young teenager she was intellectually curious, a girl who would go out on a lake in a boat with a friend or two and read plays aloud to each other; she was popular and social, but in a shy, slightly sorrowful way; she always kind, not exciting jealousy in other girls.Was her father, the famous playwright, justified in rejecting her?No, not at all.He never tried to get to know her, and he looked at everything she did in the worst possible light.His negative view of her was contradicted by everyone else who knew her - and I mean, everyone.Oona maintained life-long friendships with women and with men, and not once in her life did she intentionally try to hurt anyone emotionally, financially, or physically.Not the slightest hint of cheating on Charlie, or of cheating anyone in any way.She helped her brother Shane and his family, her mother, and her step-"son" Sydney Chaplin.The worst that can be said of her is that she failed to intervene fast enough on occasions where Charlie was being overbearing and abusive to a child or a visitor, and some of her children felt overlooked.As to those children, probably they were a bit overlooked.But in this age of multiple divorces, I suspect that many thousands of children today are far more overlooked by their parents than any of Oona's were.And Chaplin was too demanding; she had to balance him against them and such balances will never leave everyone satisfied.Frankly, this books shows that Chaplin was unworthy of her - he was overbearing and doctrinaire in the way older men can get, and his opinions weren't very insightful or sensitive.For example, he had the "Christmas is too materialist" crotchety-ness of those who care more about feeling superior than for their children's enjoyment, while for Oona Christmas was a favorite holiday filled with presents and tree-decorating.Other reviewers here seem to think that this book fails to show us Oona.But in fact she shines forth on every page.Perhaps their problem is that they don't consider a person such as she was to be very much of a person.But this reflects the biases of our times, which discount unfairly the wonderful kind of person she was.The same people who say it takes a village to raise a child somehow devalue an individual who actually dedicates herself to creating a nurturing emotional environment for children, for spouse, for guests, for friends, and for extended family.Oona was a very special person and this book is a clear, easy way to get to know her.Highly recommended.

Tabloid
While I desperately wanted to like this book and was tremendously excited by the topic, I find it difficult to write nice things about the book.While the book has many handsome pictures, I find it difficult to pass other compliments.It would seem difficult to write a biography of somebody while avoiding talking about that person's life, yet Jane Scovell has managed to do just that.

The life of Oona O'Neill had a tragic beginning as she was largely abandon by her father, Eugene O'Neill.The author of "Oona" manages to spend much of the early chapters focusing on the evolution of the O'Neill family.There is no substantial writing on the life of Oona until she meets Charlie Chaplin.Yet even these chapters focus largely on people other than Oona.While Oona did live in the shadow of her husband, why write a biography if you can not present facts about the main character.

It is also quite clear that Scovell is not a fan of Charlie Chaplin.Chapter 9 seems larely devoted to bringing Charlie Chaplin's character into question.While Sir Charles Chaplin was far from a model citizen, this fact would not be a logical choice on which to focus the book.In this Chapter 9, the author suggests Chaplin slept with 2000 women.Endnote 6 reveals her source to be a not so famous historian named Milton Berle.Her source is a comedian with little documentation suggests Charlie has any significant dealings.In this same chapter she uses a letter from Oona's former love interest J.D. Salinger to further debase the actor's legacy.I am not certain what place a scorned lover's opinion has in a focused biography other than to raise character questions.Perhaps the most absurd statement of the book is made on page 173 in which another book is sited as evidence that the United States government had no interest for prosecuting Chaplin for being a communist, but "the government was more upset about his morality ...".The idea that he would have been welcomed back to the country if he agreed to be interviewed not seems proposterous, but it avoids the point of his exile entirely.

With such obvious inaccuracies, it is hard to give credit for much else that Scovell writes.When Scovell does devote her writing to Oona in the waning pages of the book after Charlie's death, it is only to write of her alcholism and love interests like a tabloid photographer.This book seems targeted to exploit the legacy of Oona Chaplin and her husband.

In the shadows of this book as well...
Being very interested in the life of cinematic genius Charlie Chaplin, and knowing what a difficult person he could be, I became interested in the one woman who stuck by him and adored him until his death, then mourned him for years after. However, this book was a disappointment and lacked a great deal of information about it's subject, Oona. Scovell also made too many assumptions, and forced her own opinion under the guise of psychology and lacked the objectivity which one expects in a well written biography.
The book opened with droning on and on about her family geneology, which bored me to tears, but I read on, expecting to soon read about Oona, which never happened. With the exception of brief information about Oona here and there, the book focused on Eugene O'Neil, and Chaplin himself (even worse, some of the "facts" written about Chaplin were false). Sadly, Oona was left out of her own biography.
This book was somewhat of a painful read and lacked professionalism from it's author.

Oona?
This supposed biography of Oona O'Neill Chaplin spends much of its time discussing Eugene O'Neill and Charlie Chaplin.Certainly Oona lived in the shadow of Charlie, but she doesn't emerge as a person in this biography.The book is poorly written.Too much repetition of points made, some really silly sentences of superficial statement.And no depth.Nonetheless, it's an interesting read because of the people and the lives narrated. ... Read more

Product Description
This thorough critical study of Chaplin's films traces his acting career chronologically, from his initial appearance in 1914's Making a Living to his final starring role in 1957's A King in New York. Emphasizing Chaplin's technique and the steady evolution of his Tramp character, the author frames the biographical details of Chaplin's life within the context of his acting and filmmaking career, giving special attention to the films Chaplin directed/produced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A superb Chaplin book
There have been hundreds of books on Chaplin.I've read most of them, wrote two of them, and trained Robert Downey, Jr. for his performance in the Chaplin biopic.I'm an expert on the subject, so I wasn't expecting to be surprised by what I thought would be just another survey book that rehashes the plots of Chaplin's many films.

But Kyp Harness goes much deeper.In lucid, elegant prose he provides a guided tour into the very heart of Chaplin's cinematic achievement--the evolution of his character, his comedy, his thematic development and his genius as a producer and director.He demonstrates, quite convincingly, the nature of Chaplin's greatness, rather than simply stating it as a given.Harness gets to the essence, shrewdly combining plot and theme analysis with a canny sense of such practical performance matters as how Chaplin persuades audiences that his character is real, despite the fact that his performances are so highly stylized.He's particularly good at tracing how Chaplin's best comedy grows from the most serious subject matter. While these topics have all been covered by other books, notably Walter Kerr's The Silent Clowns and John Kimber's The Art of Charlie Chaplin, Harness brings a clear, fresh viewpoint to the discussion.

His book is, paradoxically, a basic primer on Chaplin, summarizing and discussing every one of his films, yet one that's also entirely satisfying to the expert reader.This is due to Harness' many brilliant insights into Chaplin's art.It's exhilarating to read, as though we're present at the moment of creation.I would count it among the best books ever written on the comedian.

Art of Charlie Chaplin
A penetrating and judicious assessment of Chaplin's achievement. No glossy photos, and only those biographical details deemed relevant to the analysis of the films, this book was a genuine pleasure to read. It prompted me to revisit some of the classic films in addition to tracking down a few I had not heard of. The chapter on The Great Dictator is superb. Includes a filmography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

DOCUMENTING THE MOVIES' BIGGEST STAR
Biggest star? I think so, since he remains well known to the public and people who have never seen one of his films know who he is. No matter who else came along, he lasted. Along with the wonderful Buster Keaton, they remain the two lasting forces that defined film comedy. All of his films are documented and discussed and feature a fine gallery of photos. This book should be a welcome addition to any film fan's library. ... Read more

Product Description
Charlie Chaplin's silent films, and even his later "talkies, " have become motion picture classics that remain popular decades after they were made. This absorbing biography examines Chaplin's stormy personal life and the public controversies that surrounded him, providing a genuine portrait of a complex and compelling personality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Charlie Chaplin: The Beauty Of Silence
I think the book "Charlie Chaplin: The Beauty Of Silence," by Alan Schroeder, is a good book all around. It features his childhood, his begining in theater, and his overall success in the silent movie buisness. It gives and details some of Charlie's greatest films, such as "Gold Rush," "The Kid," "City Lights" and "Modern Times." It also records Charlie's downfall during the begining of the sound movies or "talkies."
The only unfortunate thing about the book is its generality. The book talks only about the most general things that happened during his life. The inner details of his life are left out. But, it is still a quality read if all you need are the bare facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1922.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Get to know the man behind the mustache
A candid ride-along with Charlie as he attempts to take a holiday from the tramp.He charmingly shares his triumphs and foibles while skillfully negotiating his public and private life.A must-have for Chaplin collectors. ... Read more

Product Description
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), an immortal of the silver screen, was perhaps the greatest comic genius the world has known. To this day his beloved creation the Tramp remains the most universal representation of humanity in the history of film. Noted film historian and silent-comedy authority Jeffrey Vance has drawn on exhaustive research and interviews with those who knew Chaplin to produce this definitive illustrated account. Composed with full access to the Chaplin family archives, the book chronicles his entire complex life story and his creative process in 500 photographs, many of them rare and recently discovered, newly printed from the original negatives especially for this volume.

Describing the appeal of the Tramp, Chaplin wrote: "This fellow is many-sided-a tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure." The description also befits the artist himself, who endured a deprived childhood in late-Victorian London, numerous romances and four marriages, and political persecution during the anticommunist witch hunts, while leaving a legacy of 75 remarkable years of creative accomplishment. This third Abrams book by Jeffrey Vance on silent-film comedians coincides with the major international video/DVD release of newly restored Chaplin films. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A MUST
If you love Chaplin and I assume you do if you are reading this, you have to own this book.Beautifully illustrated with wonderful photographs and each part of Chaplins career is given the attention it deserves.

Chaplin:Genius of the Cinema
I thought the photographs of Charlie Chaplin captured his hilarious personality.I learned many things I had not known about him in this very detailed book.Things about his several marriages, the money he made, the house he designed.His innerself being serious instead of his funny personality he potrayed.I actually got this book for a great friend of mine who dabbles in acting.It was very hard for me to part with it.I was happy he had a true love in his life and she felt the same way.I highly recommend it!

Amazing life of Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin apparently had one of the most intersting lives I've ever heard of. This book does a great job describing the good and the bad about Chaplin and his entire life and career in the cinematic spotlight. There are tons and tons of pictures. A must read for any Chaplin or silent film fan.

Magnificent
This is a gorgeous volume that's so much more than just a mere coffeetable book.There are 500 photos, many of them never seen before, from both Chaplin's private life and stills from his many movies, both famous pictures and lesser-known ones.It goes to show that black and white photography can be just as stunning, if not more so, than color pictures.And though it's mainly a study of the shorts and features he made over his incredibly long career, offering insights into filming techniques, storylines, cast and crew, and dates, it also has a fair amount of biographical information as well, with chapters on events such as his exile, his politics, his four marriages, and his final years.One might personally disagree with a negative or positive assessment of a certain film or short (I for example don't find 'A Woman of Paris' to be the groundbreaking fantastic masterpiece many film critics hold it up as), but there's no denying Mr. Vance really did his homework.And I too find it confusing as to why some people find it a bad thing that Mr. Vance wrote this book and other books on comedic legends from the era through collaborating with the subject's family and friends and why it's supposed to be a bad thing that this is an authorised biography.Wouldn't you rather get a more objective picture that was created with help from people who actually knew the person instead of the shoddy negative untruthful hackjob that a lot of unauthorised biographies are?

Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin's Full Filled Life

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in April 16, 1889 in London, England to talented parents who both did well in creative arts.Charlie got his parents ability to sing and act, but he later extended his list of talents to writing, dance, production, and even sports.At age ten, his father died and was forced to take care of his ill mother.
At early age he already joined the show business and joined a group called "The Eight Lancashire Lads".As he became more and more known, he sang a motion picture and became famous and as a celebrity.At the end of his career he ended up writing four books, learned how to play several instruments, and even composed and wrote several songs.Charlie lived a long, full life, and died on Christmas Day of 1977 to being eighty-eight years old.
I have a very high recommendation on this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be inspired and can learned by his mistakes.If you want to be interested from the beginning to the end then I recommend this book.
... Read more

Product Description

This first of Chaplin's two published autobiographies has been nearly inaccessible until now. Covering the period of Chaplin's life from his obscure birth to his signing, in 1916, of a $670,000 contract with the Mutual Film Corporation, the book has usually been dismissed as a ghostwritten and unreliable fabrication. Chaplin biographer John McCabe, however, observes that "at times the book is certainly accurate in spirit if not in detail." The republication of Charlie Chaplin's Own Story enables readers to discover how at the age of twenty-seven "the most popular man in the world" wished to be viewed by a public who knew him almost exclusively as the inefatigable Tramp. This work is the most elaborate and intriguing of Chaplin's fictionalized self-portraits. Professor Geduld's detailed introduction provides an authoritative account of Chaplin's theatrical career, which Chaplin covers erratically. Extensive annotations deal with little-known aspects of Chaplin's early life.

Product Description
Most avid moviegoers and film historians know all about Chaplin's successes in such films as "The Kid," "The Gold Rush," "City Lights," and the "Great Dictator," as well as the pleasures he gave his audiences over the length of his magnificent career.But few know about the sadness that lurked behind his comic mask and his seeming inability to bring his personal relations with women and others to a level anywhere near his comic and professional genius.His shortcomings in his personal and social relationships and his attempts to overcome them is what this novel is all about.

Product Description

Customer Reviews (16)

5 STAR RATING!
This book, along with SILENT ECHOES are an absolute "must-have" for any serious film student or fan of early Hollywood cinema.There are no other books like it on the market.Mr. Bengtson has painstakingly poured a great deal of time and effort into researching and piecing together the historic film locations of the great silent age.His work is simply second to none.An unquestionable 5 stars!

Brilliant
I had so much fun reading Silent Traces.I'm a huge fan of Charlie Chaplin and get so much pleasure out of watching his movies.If you're anything like me you can watch his movies over and over and find something new each time.This book helps highlight where scenes were shot and gives background on why certain locations were selected.Its fun to watch the movies, yet again, and hunt for certain landmarks that Silent Traces pointed out.In recounting Chaplin's movies and set locations you also get an idea of how rural Los Angeles was 80 years ago.The contrast in pictures of the same areas from 80+ years ago vs. today are absolutely striking.I found Silent Traces an absolutely fascinating book that I continue to pick up and flip through on a regular basis!This would make an excellent gift for any Charlie Chaplin fan, the silent movie buff, and possibly someone who wants to get an idea of what Los Angeles was like before all the glitz and glam!Enjoy!

John Bengtson Has Done it Again
As an admirer of John Bengtson's Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton, I was delighted to learn of his follow-up book on Charlie Chaplin.One quick glance through the 300 pages of Silent Traces told me that Mr. Bengtson has not only matched his earlier work, he has topped it.The layout of the book is more visually interesting than Silent Echoes, and the photo selection even more comprehensive.As for the groundbreaking detective work of the author, it too has been honed to perfection.I had always thought of Chaplin's films as being studio-bound, and not applicable to this type of then-and-now approach.I was surprised, therefore, to see so many areas of Los Angeles depicted where Chaplin shot his classic scenes.John Bengtson clearly shows us the locations of these scenes as they appear in the twenty-first century.

A wonder
Bengston is insane. He's also a genius. Only crazy person would put as much work as he did into creating a masterpiece in an art and science that, until he came along, no one ever dreamed of.

Think "silent film archeology," but instead of digging into the earth. Bengston dug *above* ground in today's Hollywood to find remnants of the vanished world Charlie Chaplin used as a backdrop. And he found them - lots and lots of them.

Bengston is a man who deeply loves Chaplin's work, the world Chaplin worked in and the world we live in now and he's expressed that love in an entirely unique unprecedented way. This book is beyond great. It's a WONDER. Get it before it goes out of print. Bengston's similar work on Buster Keaton is selling at a massive premium as well it should.

A Must-Have!
Add me to the list of people raving about this book.If you have the Keaton book (Silent Echoes) you'll love this one too.I can't imagine a Chaplin fan (or any fan of classic movies) who wouldn't want to add this to their collection.That "Add To Shopping Cart" button is calling your name! ... Read more

Product Description
Traces the life of the legendary film star, from his impoverished childhood in England through his years of success in motion pictures in the United States to his exile in 1952. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A New Favorite
I was inspired by the two other reviewers, both 16 when they read
this great bio.I discovered Chaplin at an even earlier age - 13,
I think.I wrote an 8th grade term paper on him.Handwritten.

My only other source on Chaplin has been his touching "My Autobiography."
I was thrilled to find McCabe's book - a hard bound 1st edition! - at a
local thrift shop for .50.I'm glued to it.The writing style is charmingly vintage, it's endlessly informative, entertaining, and there
is a previously unknown discovery in each chapter.The author's access
to Stan Laurel was priceless.

But it if you can find it.

Underrated book
First of all, I have to say that I completely agree with the previous reviewer, Elise Olivarez--I am also 16 years old, and I have seen 80 of Chaplin's 81 films--the only exception is the presumed lost one-reeler HER FRIEND THE BANDIT.

John McCabe's book is one of the best interpretations of Chaplin's life and work--well, "interpretation" is probably not the right word to use, inasmuch the author certainly studied Chaplin thoroughly by reading other books and articles before he finally decided to write his own biography about the comic genius.

The authour has--very successfully--tried to give a positive and honestly picture of the man Charlie Chaplin. A number of articles and quotes I never had seen before or heard about--not even in David Robinson's book-- and analyses of his films are included. There's no picture book, though, 29 photos are to find, but many of those are really rare, like the one of his two sons Charles Jr. and Sydney from the early 1930's.

Chaplin's teenage-brides are of course, a part of the history, and the book gives many details about that, too. But in contrast to many other authors--like Kevin S. Lynn, who more or less described Chaplin as a sex-mad-man--McCabe gives a very fair description about that. As he writes in the book, Chaplin only gave his second and worst marriage, with Lita Grey, only attention with three sentences or so in his autobiography, "During the making of THE GOLD RUSH I married a second time. Because we have two grown sons of whom I am very fond, I will not go into any details. For two years we were married and tried to make a go for it, but it was hopeless and ended in a great deal of bitterness." Lita, on her side, took revenge in 1966 with a many hundred pages long, hatefully book titled MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN (she wrote another book right before her death in 1995, WIFE OF THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, but this was not yet published when McCabe's book was ready for print). Since Chaplin never gave his balancing version of their connection, McCabe can only give Lita's version, which he does, but first he writes, "It is important to remember that many of the following details about the Grey-Chaplin marriage come from one of the parties only." Very nice of him, I think.

I can recommend this book to every Chaplin-fan, also to you who think you know everything about him, like me.

Charlie
It's a great book.John McCabe really covered over Chaplin's life.I also learned a lot of new things about Charlie and it made me an even bigger fan.Oh, by the way, look at me, 16 years old and a fan of Charles Spencer Chaplin, lol.Shows anyone and everyone that age simply doesn't matter. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Analyzes Chaplin's physical virtuosity and the principles behind his gags. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

essential resource for early Chaplin filims
For Chaplin fans this book is pure joy. Prof Geduld's has created a joyful narrative of Chaplin's early filims. His insughtful comments on eliments of the filims adds texture to the filims. While originally planned to be a 3part set, only volume 1 has been completed. I was fortunate to meet theProfessor at his Indiana Univ office a few years ago and for all of theChaplin fans I would like to thank him for this book ... Read more