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Title: Rediscovering the Little Tramp
Review: Jeffrey Vance's "Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema" is an essential book and a valuable addition to the Charlie Chaplin bibliography. Along with many previously unseen photographs, Vance has assembled a thoughtful and revealing text, with memorable insights provided by Chaplin's family and noted filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Chuck Jones. Though Chaplin rarely discussed his cinematic technique, the book's unedited 1966 interview with Richard Meryman sheds new light on his working methods. From a critical perspective, the author provides a detailed reassessment of Chaplin's Mutual period (1916-17), with a particularly keen eye toward his later work - notably "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), "Limelight" (1952) and "A King in New York" (1957). Thanks to the diligent research of cinema historians such as Vance, Kevin Brownlow and David Robinson, future generations will have a better understanding of Charles Spencer Chaplin and his enduring artistry.
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