The Kid ~ Charlie Chaplin

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

~Charlie Chaplin

When my friend Erin came to town last spring, with her daughter, we watched one of my all time favorite films ...

Actually, Erin fell asleep after our long day in Little Tokyo, (also seeing the Hello Kitty exhibition) but McKenna and I stayed up and watched the whole movie. 

McKenna is 9 and wasn't too sure about watching an old, black and white, silent movie, but she's a cool kid rolled with it. When I looked over while we were watching the movie, I saw her laughing, and paying close attention, especially in some of the more serious parts. She stayed awake and in the end told me it was really good and that she really like the movie.  :)

I told McKenna that at some point someone would mention Charlie Chaplin or she'd see a photo of him or something and she'd be able to say she knew who he was and had seen one of his films. When I went down to San Diego a couple months later it had already happened. She'd told me she'd been in the car going down El Cajon Blvd, looked out the window and saw a big statue. "You were right, I saw him! I saw a big statue of him and knew who it was! Charles Chaplin!!

This is the full film. If you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a long time (It had been maybe 8 years since I'd sat down and watched the whole movie) you should watch it! It might be in my all time top 10 list of favorite films! 

I remain just one thing, 

and one thing only, and that is a clown.

It places me on a far higher plane than 

any politician.

~Charlie Chaplin

Here is a really interesting documentary about the making of The Kid. There's information about Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, and the establishment of United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, as well as an Iranian filmmakers take on the film.

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world -

not even our troubles.

~Charlie Chaplin