|
Charlie
Chaplin and Carlos Gardel were good friends
Charles
Chaplin (1889 – 1977) (Actor, scriptwriter and director of English cinema.
Los Angeles, 1935) eulogizing Gardel:
"I knew the great singer in Nice... in March of 1931.
Finding myself in
Le
Palais de la Méditerranée, a mutual friend put to
us in contact... He had a superior presence of voice and
figure, an enormous personal sympathy that would gain him the
immediate affection of everyone. So profound was the sympathy
he inspired in me, that I remember clearly that we stayed up
until the first light of dawn, in a night of joy that
would never repeat itself... I told Gardel he would have
triumphant future and advised him to dedicate himself to
the cinema... When Gardel arrived to the United States, he
came to visit me, he was my guest which gave me the
opportunity again to listen to his cherished songs... Days
before initiating the tour he came to bid me goodbye and we
were together awhile. He already spoke correct English and
told me that he was going to make a tour of Central America,
the idea that I applauded. You can tell the public that with
Gardel I lose one of my best friends, and they should know
that the South American countries could not have a better
representative among us. As far as the cinematographic art is
concerned, it has lost a paramount figure that never could be
replaced."
See above text in Spanish
|
|
|
Gardel
with Chaplin in at the villa Oiseau Bleu Ciniez. Nice 1931.
In the background is the actor, Cesar Romero.
 |
|
|
Carlos
Gardel with Sadie Baron Wakefield and Charles Chaplin in Nice in May 1931
In Nice, Gardel performed at Le
Palais de la Méditerranée
(Sp: Palacio del Mediterráneo).
Accompanying them on the left is Sadie Baron- Wakefield, who owned "Craven A"
tobacco company. Gardel met Chaplin at a gala dinner celebration of Chaplin's
new movie, "City Lights"
hosted by Mme Wakefield. She was instrumental in financing one of
Gardel's first films - Buenos Aires City Lights (Luces de Buenos Aires)
- with a title very similar to Chaplin's movie.
From a letter
Gardel wrote to his mother Berthe, dated May 11, 1931
"You will be happy to know
that yesterday, they introduced me to Charlie Chaplin; he is a short
man, very likeable and is almost equal to "the
Tramp" who only recently made us laugh at a theater on
Anchorena street. He came to salute me at the hotel, I sung a few songs
for him. He was very moved when they translated to him Betinotti's
"Pobre mi Madre Querida" (My poor dear mother). Perhaps he
realised that those verses came from the bottom of my heart, as I
remebered you." |
|
