Sunday, February 24, 2013

A letter to Max

Florence's nonchalance at mentioning Charlie Chaplin struck me in this letter. While it might not be strange at all in context, I was shocked to read the film legend referred to simply as "Charlie." Her focus on Charlie's visits and all of his wonderful qualities seems to be a jab at Max, as she finished the first, shorter letter with "I fear...you will describe somebody you have fallen in love with." Though she mentions that Chaplin requested the three of them "go off together," Florence makes it clear that this was Charlie's idea and emphasizes the joy she extracts from her time with Charlie alone, away from Max. I'm curious to know if the "English actress" actually knew Barrie. The letter is actually two letters, separated by a red pencil that matches Max's commentary on the envelope: "copy in part." and "2 parts separated by dots."



Beloved. Charlie came to dinner last night and I gave him your book. He was so happy to get it. I saw his picture "The Kid" in the projection room. It is wonderful wonderful. I cried and laughed and smiled and was so worried some of the terrible policemen in the picture would get him. It was the most exciting thing I ever saw. I introduced him to an English actress that is visiting here. She loved him and made him so happy because she is an artist and a very generous one   she promised him so. She told me she was returning to England in April and was going right to see Barrie and tell him to write a play for Charlie.
Charlie is all excited about buying a yacht. He said lets [sic] you and me and Max and Elmer go off together. I said lets [sic] take pictures in all the _______ we _________ and he is crazy about you acting in them. Well we had a wonderful time. Anyhow as soon as he finishes this picture he asked me if I wouldn't take a trip in his car. We all had the wanderlust very strongly and were flying all over the world at a great rate.

Beloved I will write you a long letter to night as I have to ____ away now. Margaret is not much with me. I like it better alone. It was a little depressing her never accomplishing anything and her relation with Joe is so amazing   she ______ every letter religiously and at great length. I feel that is one reason nobody helps her.
I fear in each letter you write that you will describe somebody you have fallen in love with.
Florence

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1 comment:

  1. Christoph IrmscherFebruary 26, 2013 at 6:45 AM

    Eastman actually had introduced her to Chaplin. He first met Chaplin in early 1919, on a speaking tour that also took him to LA (he spoke about "Lenin and Trotsky"). "Chaplin was then the most famous man in the world, not excepting President Wilson..." He impressed by clipping the top of an evergreen tree with a green apple, the beginning of a friendship that was put to a test when Florence Deshon became Chaplin's lover. You describe the beginning of ths relationship very well here. The phrase you are missing is "in all the countries we visit" (the other blanks are "rush" and "answers"). Margarete is Margarete Mather, an important photographer, who took memorable portraits of Deshon (we have a few).

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