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In Search of Scotland's Forgotten Star
Anyone who has seen Charlie Chaplin's most famous short films - the dozen he made for the Mutual Company in 1916-1917 - remembers their formidable "heavy," Eric Campbell. His appearances in Easy Street, The Immigrant, The Adventurer, The Cure (in fact, all of the Chaplin Mutuals except One A.M.) established Campbell as an enduring symbol of exaggerated menace - one of cinema's most memorable villains. Yet, despite his famous face, little has been known, until now, of this once famous artist. Killed in a car wreck in December 1917, Campbell's career was tragically ended just as it was truly beginning.
Chaplin's Goliath is an extraordinary work of cinema archaeology. Using rare footage and historical documents, interviews with Campbell's granddaughter and several Chaplin experts (including biographer David Robinson) and visiting locations on two continents, writer/director Kevin MacDonald traces the fascinating story of this veritable giant of the screen - from his roots in Scotland to his years in the music halls through his short but intense film career to the bizarre last six months of his life - and beyond.
Besides Eric Campbell's most unforgettable screen moments, Chaplin's Goliath includes previously unseen Mutual outtakes, appearances by Fred Karno and other music hall greats and Chaplin's screen tests for Campbell's replacement. The filmmakers take us to visit Campbell's hometown of Dunoon, Scotland, and his final resting place in America. in between they explore how an actor becomes a cultural icon, showing scenes of a young Oliver Hardy blatantly impersonating Campbell in films featuring Chaplin impersonator Billy West. We can only guess how high Campbell's star would have risen had he lived to pursue his role as the world's favorite villain.
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