Waiting For Chaplin
I waited for the Chaplin film
In the 96th Street theater
Alone, of course
Alone with my almonds and hat
98 degrees Fahrenheit
In poisonous city air
Requires escape
Into an alternate, better reality
I sit near the sweet octogenarian
Who trembled while pouring
His beer into the thin cool glass
In the same café…waiting for Chaplin
How many Chaplin films has he seen ?
I want to hear his stories
Paint a picture of every
Movie theater he remembers
Lonely 40-something year old men
Focused in anticipation
Occupying the first few rows
Caution settles me into a center, aisle seat
Those guys get it! They own it !
Chaplin will bring you peace
Chaplin, popcorn, and Coke is fine-dining
Chaplin will set you free !
Enter the striking young couple
With exuberant child
Braced in his booster-chair for adventure
They are French ! Chaplin is universal!
Middle-aged daughters with their moms
Such glee they share
Laughing, howling at every gag
Those women know funny !
Beautiful young mothers
With their enlightened, privileged angels
About to follow the genius...
This cinematic Moses !
The loving couple in their 70's
On another movie date...or their first ?
Aware of the magic to come
Blessing the veterans and newly born
Hello to the smart, hip, sassy film critics
Urban sophisticates, ready to glow
Polite, reverent, understanding
No need to comment on perfection
Chaplin is a SUPERHERO !
Chaplin is a celluloid god!
Film never gets better than a Chaplin flick!
My new friends know it
No lover more romantic
No dancer more graceful
No speaker more eloquent
No friend more generous
The Little Tramp will inspire
He puts it all in a better perspective
He is cool, clean air
On a sweltering, acrid summer day
That man is funny, funny, funny
Knee-slapping funny
Jaw-dropping funny
The space where laughter meets tears
I will wait!! A recent convert, a novice
Ready to say an afternoon prayer
Ready to be dazzled by
The prince of the poor...the king of cool
Me and the kids of all ages
Members of a special order
Connoisseurs of joy
About to take communion...
In the church of Chaplin
Pay Day, Sunnyside, The Idle Class
Sparkling gems, re-mastered and enshrined
Into our digital minds
Written by
Directed by
Music by
Produced by
And starring…Sir Charles Chaplin !
Buckle in ! It's showtime folks !
This ride will not disappoint
There is no height requirement
Your good taste gets you through the turnstile
WHAT?...a broken reel !...a high-tech melt-down !!
Is there a stagehand in the house?
Like the days of old...Nineteen-nineteen
When everyone was waiting for Chaplin
Let the improv begin!
Hey, did you hear about the guy…?
Bring on the dancing girls...!
Thank you for your patience...the film will now resume
Ten minute delays do not disturb
A drop of texture and color !
This day is for Chaplin !
We will always wait for Chaplin !
***
Theo J. van Joolen ©2011
***
Written on the occasion of attending the above-mentioned short Chaplin films at Symphony Space theater on 95th & Broadway in New York City. This is one my favorites.
In the 96th Street theater
Alone, of course
Alone with my almonds and hat
98 degrees Fahrenheit
In poisonous city air
Requires escape
Into an alternate, better reality
I sit near the sweet octogenarian
Who trembled while pouring
His beer into the thin cool glass
In the same café…waiting for Chaplin
How many Chaplin films has he seen ?
I want to hear his stories
Paint a picture of every
Movie theater he remembers
Lonely 40-something year old men
Focused in anticipation
Occupying the first few rows
Caution settles me into a center, aisle seat
Those guys get it! They own it !
Chaplin will bring you peace
Chaplin, popcorn, and Coke is fine-dining
Chaplin will set you free !
Enter the striking young couple
With exuberant child
Braced in his booster-chair for adventure
They are French ! Chaplin is universal!
Middle-aged daughters with their moms
Such glee they share
Laughing, howling at every gag
Those women know funny !
Beautiful young mothers
With their enlightened, privileged angels
About to follow the genius...
This cinematic Moses !
The loving couple in their 70's
On another movie date...or their first ?
Aware of the magic to come
Blessing the veterans and newly born
Hello to the smart, hip, sassy film critics
Urban sophisticates, ready to glow
Polite, reverent, understanding
No need to comment on perfection
Chaplin is a SUPERHERO !
Chaplin is a celluloid god!
Film never gets better than a Chaplin flick!
My new friends know it
No lover more romantic
No dancer more graceful
No speaker more eloquent
No friend more generous
The Little Tramp will inspire
He puts it all in a better perspective
He is cool, clean air
On a sweltering, acrid summer day
That man is funny, funny, funny
Knee-slapping funny
Jaw-dropping funny
The space where laughter meets tears
I will wait!! A recent convert, a novice
Ready to say an afternoon prayer
Ready to be dazzled by
The prince of the poor...the king of cool
Me and the kids of all ages
Members of a special order
Connoisseurs of joy
About to take communion...
In the church of Chaplin
Pay Day, Sunnyside, The Idle Class
Sparkling gems, re-mastered and enshrined
Into our digital minds
Written by
Directed by
Music by
Produced by
And starring…Sir Charles Chaplin !
Buckle in ! It's showtime folks !
This ride will not disappoint
There is no height requirement
Your good taste gets you through the turnstile
WHAT?...a broken reel !...a high-tech melt-down !!
Is there a stagehand in the house?
Like the days of old...Nineteen-nineteen
When everyone was waiting for Chaplin
Let the improv begin!
Hey, did you hear about the guy…?
Bring on the dancing girls...!
Thank you for your patience...the film will now resume
Ten minute delays do not disturb
A drop of texture and color !
This day is for Chaplin !
We will always wait for Chaplin !
***
Theo J. van Joolen ©2011
***
Written on the occasion of attending the above-mentioned short Chaplin films at Symphony Space theater on 95th & Broadway in New York City. This is one my favorites.
Chaplin dances with fairies in this clip from Sunnyside...
The following fusion of The Great Dictator with modern war footage and the Hans Zimmer soundtrack from Inception is very clever and well made. The music works so well with the speech. My hat's off to the designer. Needless to say, Chaplin's words are righteous as ever...