UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS RESEARCHER PRESENTS RARE CHAPLIN FILMS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Only 15 percent of the movies made between 1895 and 1929 survive today, but a University of Arkansas film historian retained by the British Film Institute is adding to the remaining legacy by cataloging 70 hours of previously unavailable outtakes from the films of Charlie Chaplin.

Frank Scheide, associate professor of communication, has been working for the past two years reviewing more than 400 cans of film from Chaplin’s early movies. On Jan. 10, he presented a special screening of some of the footage at the British Film Institute’s National Film Theatre in London.

The footage represents a variety of material, ranging from real-life events caught on camera to bloopers and scenes edited out of feature-length films. Up to 85 years after their creation, these candid shots and lost scenes offer a glimpse into the artistic process behind Chaplin’s comic genius, said Scheide.

"Chaplin experimented by doing variations of his comic business on the set, and then he reviewed the footage - almost like a screen test - to see what worked and what could be changed for greater comic effect," Scheide explained. "Looking at these outtakes, you can actually see how some of his most famous routines evolved."

It’s a precious insight to film historians, previously unable to view this footage. Housed at the British Film Institute in London, the outtakes were originally assembled by early film collector Raymond Rohauer, who acquired the footage after Chaplin ordered that it be destroyed.

Learning of Rohauer’s collection in the 1950s, Chaplin demanded that the films be returned to his own archive. Rohauer complied, turning over the footage still protected by copyright. But he managed to keep the footage filmed prior to 1917, on which Chaplin’s copyright had expired.

After Rohauer’s death, these early films were donated to the BFI and preserved with the help of the Chaplin estate and silent film advocates Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. Scheide’s current efforts to catalog the footage will help scholars use the collection to gain a better understanding of Chaplin’s work.

According to Scheide’s estimates, the catalog should be completed sometime in 2001. And because so many film historians retain an interest in Chaplin, the BFI collection should be put to great use.

Scheide, who has devoted much of his career to the study of silent film, claims that scholars continue to be fascinated with Chaplin because of the dual role he played, both as a pioneer and as a preservationist.

Chaplin began his career in entertainment as a player in a British vaudeville troupe, according to Scheide,. After moving to America, Chaplin devoted himself to making movies, adapting many of his on-stage routines for film. Because of this, he represents an important transitional figure - preserving the theatrical traditions of the 19^th century while developing the 20^th century medium of moving pictures.

"Chaplin’s career spanned from 1914 to 1966. That’s a significant portion of film history," Scheide said. "And he’s still considered one of the major filmmakers of all time, a pioneer."

Though film had been used to document non-fictional events since 1895, the first feature-length movies did not appear until 1912, just two years before Chaplin entered the industry. Chaplin therefore represents one of the first directors to explore the medium. As he experimented with storylines and filming techniques, he set the precedent for modern movie making.

And Chaplin’s present-day popularity is not limited to film historians. People continue to be fascinated by his silent antics. His Little Tramp character has become a public icon - immediately recognizable even to the youngest movie-goers. This is partly due to Chaplin’s tremendous influence on modern comedy, Scheide said, and partly due to the universal appeal of his routines.

"Working in a silent medium, Chaplin became an expert at using subtle movements and body language to communicate with the audience," he explained. "That’s why his comedy still reaches people. It still speaks to us today without ever using the spoken word."

To create his comedic effects, Chaplin acted as much like a choreographer as a director. Rather than working from written scripts, he worked with general scenarios, improvising routines, which he developed and polished through multiple takes.

This process produced a tremendous amount of film, said Scheide. For every foot of film that made it into Chaplin’s movies, as much as forty-five feet hit the cutting room floor, edited out as extraneous or imperfect material. Much of this outtake film was destroyed or disappeared due to lack of preservation.

"He was an extreme perfectionist and very sensitive about people seeing work that he considered flawed," Scheide said. "He wanted his comedy to seem effortless and spontaneous. Showing the outtakes would shatter that illusion. It would be like a magician revealing his tricks."

Yet in spite of Chaplin’s sensitivities, these imperfections are what make the British Film Institute collection so valuable. Not only do they give scholars insight into how Chaplin worked, but they also give an appreciation for how greatly, how tirelessly he worked to create moments that were natural, funny and ultimately unforgettable.