Dylan and Chaplin






Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977)



Chaplin and Dylan - I'm probably not the only one thinking that these two great artists do have some things in common! Let the pics, stories and ideas speak for themselves. Enjoy :-)




1972          2001



The Oscar, Dylan & Chaplin


"In 1972, in a bizarre twist, Charlie Chaplin won a 30-years-delayed music Oscar for his own score to his 1952 film "Limelight" (the film's Los Angeles opening, which made it eligible, hadn't happened until 1972). A nice gesture, only who remembers that score now?"


"Chaplin Knighthood blocked"



"If he (Dylan) had written songs for movies before, he would have been eligible before," says Academy Awards coordinator Patrick Stockstill. "This is only his second song for a film." The first was the memorable "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" from 1973's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid."
(from "The Oscar's are getting in tune")



"A look at Oscar's worst omissions" (Chicago Tribune)





Bob Dylan receives his Golden Globe, 2001






Performing at the Grammy's '02

"Thin and dapper in fedora hat and pencil moustache, Bob Dylan's voice may be creaking as much as ever, but on the
wonderful 'Cry A While' he tells us "Feel like a fightin' rooster, feel better than I ever felt"." (RTE, 20.09.01)







Greed has poisoned men's souls
- has barricaded the world with hate;
has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

from "The Great Dictator"



Well, God is in (his) heaven
And we all want what's his
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is

"Blind Willie McTell"

~ Mutual interests ~



                     




                        




            

"I am an artist, not a politician."

        




"Dylan is still the great chameleon, Chaplin trickster of rock'n'roll." (review, rmd)


"It was pretty funny watching him do his moves which were half rock star and half Charlie Chaplin..." (review, rmd)





        




"Another strong influence on Bob Dylan was not a musician primarily,although he has written music, but a comedian--Charlie Chaplin. After seeing many Chaplin films, Dylan found himself beginning to pick-up some of the gestures of the classic tramp of silent films. Now, as he appears on stage in a humorous number, you can see Dylan nervously tapping his hat, using ity as a prop, almost leaning on it, as the Chaplin tramp did before him." (Stacey Wiliams, Bob Dylan Liner Notes 1962)


"In his serious vein, Mr. Dylan seems to be performing in a slow-motion film. Elasticized phrases are drawn out until you think they may snap. He rocks his head and body, closes his eyes in reverie and seems to be groping for a word or a mood, then resolves the tension benevolently by finding the word and the mood." (Robert Shelton)


"In the context of modern celebrity, Bob Dylan generally comes off as aloof and mysterious. That’s because he shuns the kind of superficial sound bite interviews, talk show appearances and other fame-enhancing exercises expected of most stars these days."




            




"He (Bob) also liked to do an imitation of Charlie Chaplin with the help of a hat and cane and apparently, BOB DYLAN's jacket. Dave went on to say that they got pretty tired of this Charlie Chaplin routine and ambushed him one night with a lemon meringue pie."
(Bobdylanroots. Dave Van Ronk stories)






            




"Dylan bowed deeply at the end, part Chaplin, part gunslinger, and in no hurry to leave the stage he has made for himself."
(Chicago Tribune, Oct. '01)








"During the summer tour, Bob stood still during the formation. Now he does his Chaplin routine: fluffing his hair, scratching his nose, putting his hands on his hips, jogging his knees in the air, adjusting his collar, etc. Hilarious." (reviewer, rmd)




"Devotees have found in him the image of a singing rebel, a musical Chaplin tramp, a young Woody Guthrie, or a composite of some of the best country blues singers." (Liner Notes,John Hammonds, Bob Dylan.com)









"Dylan can easily stand alongside such other important figures of the century as Pablo Picasso, Jack Kerouac, and Charlie Chaplin. Not coincidentally, Dylan has crystallized the art of these three figures in his persona and in his approach to creating. Dylan himself, while no doubt an admirer of the three, always scoffs at his "importance". Any interviewer lucky enough to be able to to interview him but naive, uninformed, or unimaginative enough to ask him how he feels about his place in music as such an important figure will be met with a roll of the eyes, a grunt, and a somewhat bored response. Dylan is reluctant to talk to the press, mistrusts the institution, and knows that many writers are more interested in the myth of Dylan and could never really know who he is. At first, it may appear to some that Dylan is a prickly, cranky character, but when one goes back over some of the interviews Dylan has had to endure over the years, it is a wonder he talks to the press at all."
(Dylan: The Life and Music of America's Folk-Rock Icon by Stephen Matteo)




          


"Constantly-in-motion, his stage moves are an almost comic combination rock star guitar slinging swagger and once again Charlie Chaplin, perhaps with a bit of Harpo Marx and WC Fields thrown in for good measure." (review, Bob Dates)




"After all the music stopped, and the band was standing to take in the appreciation of the audience, Bob stepped up to the front of the stage where an envelope was being given to him. Immediately he turned around, walked to the drum riser, and handed it to George, pointing to him as if to say “this is for you”. Then he walked back to his spot center stage, and looking to the first row, pointed to himself with a look on his face which said “What, this was for me?”. I could see the subtitles in my mind. It was the most Chaplinesque thing I have ever witnessed." (reviewer Markus' observation of Frankfurt 2003)




"In Visalia during "Blowin' in the Wind," Bob had set his guitar down and was blowing in the middle of stage, holding onto his harp with his left hand and making nearly comedic (but very cool) guestures with his right hand!!!!! I really think that the comparisions to Charlie Chaplin that we used to read about may have been dead on!" (review, rmd)









"With respect to the mime thing, Dylan frequently shuffles around onstage like Charlie Chaplin in a silent movie." (review, rmd)




"I've never read anything where Dylan mentions Chaplin as an inspiration, but I find it impossible to think he didn't look to Chaplin. His stage persona (particularily in the early period of his career) shares so many qualities with the Tramp (and various other Chaplin characters, which as we've said before are all basically the same character) that it would be bizarre indeed were it to turn out to be a coincidence. Various performances will back up the Chaplin/Dylan theory. For instance, lets look at 10/31/64 at the start of "I Don't Believe You". Chaplinesque humour at its best. Same thing goes for the Donovan remarks (both on and off-stage) in Don't Look Back. There is an overpowering wit and a touch of satire and sarcasm at all times. Ya gotta love it!" (review, rmd)




"I was reminded many times of Charlie Chaplin tonite, especially when Bob accompanied the guitar solos with movements that were truly athletic. He was also checking out the crowd as he was going through his rock-guitarist moves." (review, rmd)












"he can still come off like Charlie Chaplin's, "The Tramp",..." (review, Bob Dates)




"Mr. Dylan was mum between songs but especially animated while playing. During “Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues,” he darted and duck-walked around the stage — a cross between Chuck Berry and Charlie Chaplin — slicing the air with the neck of his guitar like a sword."
("Dylan dazzles early crowd", Enquirer)


"He did quick, Charlie Chaplin-esque moves around the stage and even a mock Chuck Berry duckwalk." (review, rmd)







"Poised and posing, the little mystery tramp learned body language from Charlie Chaplin..." (Rev. Dr. Jamie Gripton)


"Bob looked more like Charlie Chaplin than he's looked since about 1962." (review, rmd)


"He's in his 60's now and Chaplinesque again." (review, rmd)

Some more Charlie Chaplin web sites:


Charlie Chaplin unleashed (CharlieChaplin.com)

Charlie Chaplin Movie Data base

An essay on Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin Studios

a Charlie Chaplin Tribute site

Charlie Chaplin Photo gallery

A quick biographie and filmography

Chaplin related links

A Tribute to Edna Purviance

Homepage



All images from Chaplin films made from 1918 onwards, Copyright © Roy Export Company Establishment.
Charles Chaplin and the Little Tramp are trademarks and/or service marks of Bubbles Inc. S.A. and/or Roy Export Company Establishment, used with permission.









The Charlie Chaplin Waterville (Eire) Gallery


Memorial in Waterville, on the beautiful Ring of Kerry in the south west of Ireland
Make sure to stop by when you're in the area!






              



              








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