#3

An Exceptional-Size American Portrait of Charlie Chaplin as
Live Auction

$1,200
sold
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Description
32" (81 cm.) Composition shoulder head with deeply-sculpted short black curly hair,painted brown side-glancing eyes with white eyedots,black and brown upper eyeliner,thick-stroke brows,closed mouth with row of painted teeth,painted small black moustache,muslin excelsior-filled body with composition hands and black shoes. Condition: very good/excellent,some craquelure at crown and hands. Marks: Charlie Chaplin Doll,World?s Greatest Comedian,Made by Louis Amberg & Son,New York,with special arrangement with Essanay Film Co. (label on costume). Comments: Louis Amberg,portrait of Charlie Chaplin in his role as "The Little Tramp"; Chaplin debuted the role in the 1914 silent film Keystone comedy "Kid Auto Races at Venice",and reappeared in 1915 in an Essanay film "The Tramp". Amberg & Sons were quick to latch onto the marketability of the character and in the same year,1915,produced a licensed model of "The Little Tramp" for Essanay Film. The silent Tramp role was an international favorite and remained the signature persona of Charlie Chaplin until the role was retired in the 1936 film "Modern Times",wherein the Tramp walks down an endless highway into the horizon,never having spoken a word in 22 years. Value Points: extremely rare grand size of the doll,probably an Exhibition Model,wearing his original Amberg costume,with hat,oversized shoes,and cane. Included is a colorful replica poster depicting Chaplin as The Little Tramp in the 1917 film of "The Adventurer"