ABOUT THIS BOOK

Film star Charlie Chaplin spent February 1931 through June 1932 touring Europe, during which time he wrote a travel memoir entitled “A Comedian Sees the World.” This memoir was published as a set of five articles in Women’s Home Companion from September 1933 to January 1934 but until now had never been published as a book in the U.S. In presenting the first edition of Chaplin’s full memoir, Lisa Stein Haven provides her own introduction and notes to supplement Chaplin’s writing and enhance the narrative.

Haven’s research revealed that “A Comedian Sees the World” may very well have been Chaplin’s first published composition, and that it was definitely the beginning of his writing career. It also marked a transition into becoming more vocally political for Chaplin, as his subsequent writings and films started to take on more noticeably political stances following his European tour.

During his tour, Chaplin spent time with numerous politicians, celebrities, and world leaders, ranging from Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi to Albert Einstein and many others, all of whom inspired his next feature films, Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), and A King in New York (1957). His excellent depiction of his experiences, coupled with Haven’s added insights, makes for a brilliant account of Chaplin’s travels and shows another side to the man whom most know only from his roles on the silver screen. Historians, travelers, and those with any bit of curiosity about one of America’s most beloved celebrities will all want to have A Comedian Sees the World in their collections.

Available only in the USA and Canada.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Lisa Stein Haven is Associate Professor of English at Ohio University Zanesville. She lives in Zanesville, Ohio. Her publications include Syd Chaplin: A Biography.

REVIEWS

“Sharp and interesting work.”—Studies in Travel Writing

“The collection of these pieces in a single book alone warrants its contribution to scholarship on Chaplin, but readers will also value Chaplin’s tour narrative for his descriptions of meetings with politicians, writers, celebrities, and world leaders; for his commentary on politics, economics
and art; for his humorous and moving retelling of events; and for his writing style. Moreover, Haven’s meticulous research and insightful commentary enhance the reading of the narrative and show its importance to Chaplin’s career.”—Studies in American Humor

“Charlie Chaplin’s world tour after City Lights coincided with the period of the worldwide economic depression. With this first publication in book form of his travel account, we gain new insight into Chaplin’s turn toward more explicit engagement with social and political concerns evident in his next three feature films. Lisa Stein Haven does a superb job of presenting Chaplin’s own writing alongside her own insightful research and commentary.”—Charles J. Maland, author of Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Comedian Sees the World

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Appendix A: Tour Itinerary

Appendix B: From the Archive Pressbooks. Receiving the Légion d’Honneur Medal

Appendix C: From the Archive Pressbooks. The Command Performance Debacle

Appendix D: Notes and Correspondence. Syd Chaplin’s Contribution

Notes

Works Cited

Index

REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you with an electronic file for alternative access.

Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.

It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.