Chaplin Office Newsletter - April 16, 2026 |
|
|
Today marks 137 years since the birth of Charlie Chaplin. In 1989, the Mayor of Los Angeles officially declared April 16th Charlie Chaplin Day—so to all, a very happy Charlie Chaplin Day, and a moment to reflect on his enduring influence on film, comedy, and culture.
We begin with Chaplin’s own words, spoken on his 70th birthday in 1959:
“I feel I am privileged to express a hope. The hope is this: that we shall have peace throughout the world, that we shall abolish wars and settle all international differences at the conference table, that we shall abolish all atom and hydrogen bombs before they abolish us. The future of the modern world demands modern thinking. Therefore, let us use the full force of our intelligence instead of obsolete homicidal methods in settling our international differences. Thank you very much.” |
|
| Film Distribution, Festivals and Screenings |
|
| |
A wonderful sold-out series of five performances of The Great Dictator, accompanied live by the Orchestre national de Lyon under the direction of Timothy Brock, took place at the Auditorium de Lyon from 19 to 21 March. The event was presented in partnership with the Institut Lumière.
Since the start of the year, Timothy Brock has also conducted live-to-film concerts of Chaplin’s works in Anchorage, Luxembourg, Porto, Lisbon, Bologna and Lille. Upcoming live orchestral performances include The Kid at the Philharmonie de Paris on 2 and 3 May, with Maestro Brock conducting the Orchestre national de Lille.
On 29 and 30 May, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Philippe Béran, will perform City Lights in Geneva.
Kino Babylon, recently ranked among the world’s 100 best cinemas by Time Out, continues its Chaplin tributes with screenings of The Circus, The Gold Rush, and Modern Times in May, accompanied by the Babylon Orchester Berlin conducted by Ben Palmer, Stefanos Tsialis, and George Morton.
For a full list of Chaplin screenings with live orchestral accompaniment—including events in Madrid, Milan, Geneva, Birmingham, Fort Collins (CO), Uppsala, Cannes, and beyond—visit our regularly-updated list of confirmed screenings. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The documentary Chaplin: Spirit of The Tramp will open the 20th Flatpack Festival in Birmingham with its UK premiere on 8 May. In London, the film will screen at The Cinema Museum on 10 May, followed by a Q&A with Carmen Chaplin, Uma Chaplin, Kathleen Chaplin, and Jayden Chaplin. The museum is housed in the former Lambeth workhouse where a young Charlie, his mother Hannah, and brother Sydney, were admitted.
The Gold Rush and Modern Times were screened at the Rencontres 7e Art Lausanne last month. The festival presented Marin Karmitz with their prestigious Chaplin Trophy, in a rare and meaningful moment where several members of the Chaplin family personally presented the award. This celebrated the enduring collaboration between Roy Export (the Chaplin Office) and mk2 since 2002.
To mark the 90th anniversary of Modern Times, the film was screened for high school students in Dakar, thanks to the support of mk2 films. The event was organised by Marie-Ange Zié (Films Femmes Afrique festival) and Claire Byrski (Urban Zone Colors association), with a filmed introduction by Juliet Copeland of the Chaplin Office.
On 15 May, The Gold Rush will be screened at London’s Regent Street Cinema, introduced by Paul Merton—acclaimed comedian and silent cinema enthusiast—alongside Spencer Chaplin. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A King in New York will feature at the Locarno Film Festival in the "Red & Black – Hollywood Left and the Blacklist" section, exploring themes of repression and artistic defiance.
The Kid is now available for streaming on La Cinetek (10 April–9 July) as part of the Children / Parents selection. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chaplin’s World’s 10th Anniversary |
|
| |
The celebrations are well underway at Chaplin’s World as the museum marks its 10th anniversary with a series of special events.
For a special anniversary weekend on 16–19 April, Chaplin’s World invites you to enjoy cake, live music, balloons, and more. Join the festivities and explore the full programme on their website.
Until 19 April, the Lausanne-Renens Circus School will present its new show, Through Her Eyes, with daily performances at 11 AM and 3 PM. After each show, guests can enjoy free fair games, snacks, and photo opportunities with the artists.
The highlight of the anniversary celebrations will be an attempt to break the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as the Tramp. On Sunday, 7 June at 2:30 PM, Chaplin’s World aims to surpass the previous record of 662 Tramps—so dig out a white shirt, black jacket, black trousers, and black shoes (the more ill-fitting and worn, the better!), and help make history!
Additionally, don’t miss their upcoming movie nights. |
|
| | | |
Jacqueline Riding’s Hard Streets: Working-Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London (Profile Books) launched at the Cinema Museum, accompanied by archival footage of Chaplin revisiting his childhood haunts in Kennington.
The BBC World Service’s audio documentary Afterlife: The Business of Celebrity Legacies, presented by Sean Allsop, includes a segment on Chaplin featuring an interview with Arnold Lozano.
This year’s Fallas festival in Valencia, Spain featured a towering 27-meter-high sculpture of Chaplin (from his film Shoulder Arms) in Plaza del Ayuntamiento. A powerful symbol of hope and peace, this spectacular piece served as the centerpiece of the 2026 festival—before being set ablaze on March 19th! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For spring gift ideas, discover Chaplin-inspired products: teas by Thés Christine Dattner, stationery from Paperblanks, vintage-style toys from Protocol, finger puppets from Unemployed Philosphers Guild, flipbook kits from Marvel & Rosen, vinyl/CD releases from [PIAS], and more.
And now, to close this spring edition—a delightful clip of Charlie Chaplin’s unique appreciation for flowers, filmed by Oona Chaplin in the spring of 1957. Let’s just say he didn’t just stop to smell them…
|
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
