MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 14, 1966

Charlie had his Lillita. She was twelve when they met, fifteen when they married (Hollywood's version of a shotgun wedding). And the whole thing reads like a sad Keystone Cops comedy. The seduction took place some months before marital bliss, during the filming of The Gold Rush in which Lillita, now ""Lita Grey"", was to play the dance hall hostess. Charlie was an ingenious and persistent suitor... the scene switches from beach to back of chauffeur-driven car to steam bath (?!?) to bed. And since Charlie was ""the kind of sexual prodigy most women only dream about"" things were rosy until Mama literally walked in...too late. Came the character change from ""I love you"" to ""Get out of my sight you little whore""... too late. Cut! Scene switch from furtive Mexican marriage to fugitives: Mama and Lita hiding out in a fishing shack after son Sidney's arrival until he can ""officially"" make his debut for the benefit of the public. The brief renewal of romance which produces Charlie Jr. In the meantime champagne, star-studded Hollywood to explore. Lita, slightly overcome by her new role, takes to alcohol; Charlie turns to one of his favorite pursuits...women. He finally reads off a ""Who's Who"" of current conquests and Lita reads him the riot act--in court. The divorce proceedings were a sensation leaving Charlie poorer but free to go on to more conservative chapters of My Autobiography and Lita to continue drowning her sorrows -- she landed in a sanitarium. One gets the feeling that Lita blushes at some of her revelations (the sex scenes do read like a penny dreadful) but confession is good for the soul, and in this case, the pocketbook.

Pub Date: Sept. 14, 1966

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Geis (Grove-Distributor)

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1966

Categories: NONFICTION