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Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Jamesha RayArrived in perfect condition3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A rewarding and fascinating readBy Glen W.Haunting; extremely personal and directly believable; I found Hales moving memoir a rewarding read. She was extraordinary and her lifes account from squalid poverty into the highest echelon of 1920s Hollywood to be an incredible blend of fortune and sadness. I could not put this down; and learned so much of the personalities and celebrities that privately surrounded Charlie Chaplin as well as his documented alter ego Charles. Hale is quite open and I found compassionately honest; as she adored Chaplin; from afar after first seeing a film of his as a teenager in 1916; to being critical as his closest companion and love interest since the making of his greatest film 1925s "The Gold Rush." I need to express here that this memoir is well written; so openly personal and reaches out to the reader as if we were sitting on a couch together. I was indeed quite moved; and I recommend this book highly. I might also add; in order to appreciate the fine acting of Georgia Hale that the reader view her most notable films: "The Salvation Hunters" directed by Joseph von Sternberg and of course her superb portrayal in "The Gold Rush."0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Some interesting anecdotes that sometimes; probably; should be taken with a grain of saltBy Snorre Smari MathiesenAs every other great celebrity to have emerged during the past century; Charlie Chaplin made acquaintances in his life who at some point decided to capitalize on their association with the comedian; by writing revealing accounts based on their experiences with him. By Hollywood standards; the majority of these accounts must be said to share a relatively mild and respectful attitude. Jerry Epsteins book on his friendship with Chaplin; "REMEMBERING CHARLIE;" and his musical collaborator Eric Jamess account "MAKING MUSIC WITH CHARLIE CHAPLIN;" both come off as rather humble in tone; as does Charles Chaplin Jr.s wonderful; perceptive "MY FATHER CHARLIE CHAPLIN." However; one obvious exception to this would be the two books compiled by Chaplins second wife Lita Grey; whose account of her marriage with the comedian; sadly; turned out to become the sole exstensive portrayal of him as a husband to be made public by any of the four women who were married to him.Thus; for the sake of balance alone; I am grateful that Georgia Hale decided to put into words her impressions of Charlie during the years she knew him. Though unable to find a publisher when she wrote her manuscript in the 1960s; the book was eventually published in 1995; ten years after her passing; as "CHARLIE CHAPLIN: INTIMATE CLOSE-UPS." While not without short-comings; the prevailing portrayal of Charlie certainly appears more sympathetic and fully-rounded here than in the books by Lita Grey. Though Charlie and Georgia never married; Hale recalls a love affair which; according to herself; lasted for a considerable time; albeit not without intermissions. The narrative begins with her own; largely impoverished childhood years. A turning point occurred when she first discovered a new comedian with a derby too small and pants too large; the Tramps enthralling ability to make her forget her worries made Chaplin into her personal hero.However; though at first only one of Chaplins millions of admirers; Hales life changed suddenly as she around 1925 was chosen for leading lady in THE GOLD RUSH; the film which; Chaplin for a long time proclaimed; was the one he wished to be remembered for. While recalling anecdotes and memories from the production of this film; Hale shares some interesting impressions of Chaplin as a craftsman and as a person. She remembers; for instance; how Charlie arrived on set one day in a visibly depressed condition; unable to work. It turned out that; on his way to the studio that day; an old man had recognized him and asked for an autograph; to which the comedian; being in a stressed mood; had reacted irritably and brushed the old man off. Though it can be assumed that any celebrity undergoes such days; Chaplin felt terrible about it; until Hale convinced him of how much joy he had given the world through his films; and that it would be unreasonable to expect him to satisfy the wishes of everyone at any given time. Suddenly; Chaplins spirit arose; and he remained productive for the rest of the day.Similar anecdotes; often depicting Chaplins intense creativity when he was in the right mood; make "INTIMATE CLOSE-UPS" into an interesting book to any Chaplin-fan. However; at the same time; some of Hales recollections should probably be read with the awareness that she truly adored Chaplin; and possibly tended to exaggerate her own influence on his life; on occasion. Without any intention of being disrespectful; some of her remembrances do frankly appear rather far-fetched. As far as I can recall; none of the other biographies I have read on Chaplin support Hales claim that he contacted her the night before he was to marry Oona ONeill; asking Hale to "leave the country with him;" and it seems indeed unlikely that Chaplin would have proposed such a thing at that point; given that he and Oona by all accounts were deeply in love and that fifteen years had then passed since his relationship to Hale had been at its most intense. Also of some occasional bother to me personally was the writing-style in the book; which feels a bit too verbal at times.In sum; "CHARLIE CHAPLIN: INTIMATE CLOSE-UPS" provides viewpoints on the comedian from a person who knew him first-hand; which should be of interest to anyone seeking impressions of him beyond the ones immortalized through his character; The Little Fellow. However; it is not as intriguing a read as Charles Chaplin Jr.s book; and for a factually reliable account of Chaplins life; the large biography by David Robinson remains unequalled.