He was the greatest Hollywood star, a pacifist and an extraordinary artist: Charlie Chaplin entertained people all over the world and all social classes.
It was a great honour to be invited to the opening of Chaplin’s World in Vevey, Switzerland, on 16 April 2016. Charles Chaplin has finally a museum in Switzerland, where he spent the last 25 years of his life with his wife Oona and his eight children. The cultural exhibition is a cult place for movie lovers and fans of Charlie Chaplin. The 3000 m² thematic tour encompassing the Manoir de Ban and its Hollywood-style studio showcases the humour and emotion so dear to Charlie Chaplin and that conquered the entire world. Chaplin’s World is the fourth entertainment site developed by Grévin on the international scene.
The idea of a museum dedicated to Charlie Chaplin and his work originated in a meeting in 2000 between a Philippe Meylan, a Swiss architect from the region
with long-established connections with the Chaplin family, and Yves Durand, a Quebecer a museographer with a passion for cinema and Chaplin. The very first scenarios, initially shared very discreetly with the children of the filmmaker, were based on one key concept: Charlie and the Tramp (“Charlot” in French) were to become the ultimate hosts of a museum venue corresponding in every way to their image and situated at the heart of an estate preserving the integrity of the attributes underlying Charlie Chaplin’s decision to make it his family residence.
THE MANOR OF THE CHAPLIN FAMILY
The 500 m² staging of the Manoir is dedicated entirely to Charlie Chaplin the man, and to his daily life. Some rooms in the Manoir have been recreated with furnishings and personal items. During the tour, visitors learn about the family life around Charlie and gain insight into the reasons that led him to Switzerland and how he lived with his family during the last 25 years of his life. In the dining room, visitors learn about the family’s daily life, including culinary traditions and the parties and many celebrity guests invited into the home.
THE STUDIO
Immerse yourself in the cinematographic world of Charlie Chaplin. The Studio is a 1350 m² structure built on the estate to present the cinematographic world of the artist, actor and filmmaker. The tour starts with a montage of images tracing Chaplin’s life and work. It continues on against a backdrop of 20th century history, moving on to a street right out of an Easy Street decor, one of the most emblematic settings of his movies. Chaplin knew cities, and he always attempted to create authentic decors that were both geographic and symbolic.
(Above) In the basement, the visitor experiences the size of a movie set with many of Chaplin’s best known decors.
(Above) A tribute to Chaplin’s film “Modern Times” (1936) and his co-star Paulette Goddard who became his third wife.
(Above) Chaplin as a Jewish barber in “Modern Times”.
MICHAEL CHAPLIN ON HIS CHILDSHOOD IN VEVEY AND HIS FATHER CHARLES
“I spent a large part of my childhood here in Corsier-sur-Vevey. I attended the neighbourhood school and often brought friends home to play in this magnificent park. I remember that some were disappointed that my father was already an old man with white hair. “That’s not Charlot,” they would say, barely concealing their dismay at not finding the Tramp at home. Alas, he was not there. This tramp, this homeless person, this gypsy whose adventures always ended on the road, never lived here. But at the Chaplin’s World site, we can state that he has finally found an abode, where he will have a good home and settle in.” Michael Chaplin, son of Charlie Chaplin and President of the Chaplin Museum Foundation
VIDEO: OPENING OF CHAPLIN’S WORLD IN CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY
Video: Ruptly TV
Video: 24 Heures (with a brief interview of Michael Chaplin and Eugene Chaplin, sons of Charles Chaplin)
CHARLIE CHAPLIN MUSEUM
More infos on Chaplin’s World
http://www.chaplinsworld.com/
Buy your tickets for Chaplin’s World online
http://tickets.chaplinsworld.com/fr-FR/produits
