myosotis
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The original Charlie Chaplin 'tramp' suit is apparently for sale on e-bay at present...it looks original and the description looks convincing ( as does the price!).
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charlie-Chapl...lm_TV_Film_Memorabilia_LE&hash=item230f5a19ac
I was interested to read about the boots...which reminded me of Michael's patent for the lean....
This is the original tramp suit that Charlie Chaplin first wore in the part of "The Little Tramp". It was lent to him by Billie Ritchie whilst they were filming for the Alfred Karno Company. Chaplin was supposed to be playing the part of the gentleman cad and Ritchie the tramp, but due to this not working for Chaplin, Ritchie offered to exchange roles. Chaplin, put on the suit, the shoes were too large, so he put them on opposite feet and Charlie Chaplin's iconic creation was born.
Chaplin returned the suit after filming, but became famous as he reprised the character. Ritchie, who had originated the "drunk" role was galled that the directors asked him to make his characters more Chaplin-esque. He was to die in a filming accident involving an ostrich in 1921. His widow Winifred came back to Britain with the suit that was placed in the museum of Harry Brown, a stage doorman of many London Theatres 1930-60. The outfit and cane were believed to have been given to Harry Brown after Billie Ritchie's family read an article pertaining to the collection of memorabilia owned by Harry Brown in their local paper. The cane was later signed by Charlie Chaplin in 1952 at the Odeon Leicester Square where he met Brown. When Harry Brown died the suit was exhibited at the Museum of Moving Images in London, the Museum of Entertainment, Truro, Cornwall and at Exeter University. Unfortunately the corn flower blue overcoat and trunk was lost in one of the moves.
The items came up, remarkably, in Plymouth (at the Plymouth Auction Rooms, 18/5/2005) as three lots, namely the suit, the signed cane and a collection of walking sticks from the museum that included Charlie Chaplin, Billie Ritchie, Winston Churchill and other notables. The signed cane was sold to a collector in Texas, USA. We were able to buy the suit and the collection of canes and have re-united the Charlie Chaplin cane with the suit. The shoes are drilled through the soles.... (actually the heels)...to allow them to be bolted to the floor, for the nearly falling down scenes.
The book "Chaplin: His Life and Art" (Collins, 1985 by David Robinson) which covers the Charlie Chaplin/Billie Ritchie suit saga is also included , as well as newspaper cuttings, a Bonhams cataloge 1996 where the suit was previously sold and the relevant newspaper cuttings from 2005 when we bought the suit. A chance to own a significant part of Chaplin and film history. Open to sensible offers.
http://[URL=http://img862.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinoriginals.jpg/]
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http://[URL=http://img855.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinbootstop.jpg/]
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http://[URL=http://img593.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinbootssole.jpg/]
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charlie-Chapl...lm_TV_Film_Memorabilia_LE&hash=item230f5a19ac
I was interested to read about the boots...which reminded me of Michael's patent for the lean....
This is the original tramp suit that Charlie Chaplin first wore in the part of "The Little Tramp". It was lent to him by Billie Ritchie whilst they were filming for the Alfred Karno Company. Chaplin was supposed to be playing the part of the gentleman cad and Ritchie the tramp, but due to this not working for Chaplin, Ritchie offered to exchange roles. Chaplin, put on the suit, the shoes were too large, so he put them on opposite feet and Charlie Chaplin's iconic creation was born.
Chaplin returned the suit after filming, but became famous as he reprised the character. Ritchie, who had originated the "drunk" role was galled that the directors asked him to make his characters more Chaplin-esque. He was to die in a filming accident involving an ostrich in 1921. His widow Winifred came back to Britain with the suit that was placed in the museum of Harry Brown, a stage doorman of many London Theatres 1930-60. The outfit and cane were believed to have been given to Harry Brown after Billie Ritchie's family read an article pertaining to the collection of memorabilia owned by Harry Brown in their local paper. The cane was later signed by Charlie Chaplin in 1952 at the Odeon Leicester Square where he met Brown. When Harry Brown died the suit was exhibited at the Museum of Moving Images in London, the Museum of Entertainment, Truro, Cornwall and at Exeter University. Unfortunately the corn flower blue overcoat and trunk was lost in one of the moves.
The items came up, remarkably, in Plymouth (at the Plymouth Auction Rooms, 18/5/2005) as three lots, namely the suit, the signed cane and a collection of walking sticks from the museum that included Charlie Chaplin, Billie Ritchie, Winston Churchill and other notables. The signed cane was sold to a collector in Texas, USA. We were able to buy the suit and the collection of canes and have re-united the Charlie Chaplin cane with the suit. The shoes are drilled through the soles.... (actually the heels)...to allow them to be bolted to the floor, for the nearly falling down scenes.
The book "Chaplin: His Life and Art" (Collins, 1985 by David Robinson) which covers the Charlie Chaplin/Billie Ritchie suit saga is also included , as well as newspaper cuttings, a Bonhams cataloge 1996 where the suit was previously sold and the relevant newspaper cuttings from 2005 when we bought the suit. A chance to own a significant part of Chaplin and film history. Open to sensible offers.
http://[URL=http://img862.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinoriginals.jpg/]
[/URL]http://[URL=http://img855.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinbootstop.jpg/]
[/URL]http://[URL=http://img593.imageshack.us/i/charliechaplinbootssole.jpg/]
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