Paulette Goddard Books

Plain Pauline Marion Levy humble beginnings poor as poor became Paulette Goddard Beautiful, Sexy, Glamorous, Enchanting, Inspiring and Exciting. Charlie Chaplin's Famous Gamine in Modern Times and The Great Dictator, Paulette went on to get the Hollywood nod by being Oscar Nominated for best supporting actress for the wisecracking seductive nurse in So Proudly We Hail 1943. Paulette Goddard was never one to give up so full of life and charm, a great traveller, a free Spirit with wit and intelligence to capture the heart of genius. This book is about Paulette Goddard's Adventurous Life.

I actually read this book in one go which means I throughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. Colourful is the best way for me to describe this. Although her film work is documented and looked into and talked about as we go through her life, the main focus I felt was on her marriages, men and party lifestyle. There's also a lot of factual information going on. It must be a difficult task to put something together on this woman; more of a challenge, trying to discover who exactly Paulette Goddard was. It fascinated me that all through her life she never gave anyone the correct answer just toyed with her answer. Even her date of birth and birthplace stated as 3 June 1910, Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York, USA is really still a question mark to everyone including the FBI who started to investigate her during the 1930's. Paulette was a master of deceiving the press, friends and generally playing the Hollywood game. In life no one was given a straight answer it baffled all and made her more intriguing. Paulette was a very smart Woman.

There's two thing's I caught on quick about Paulette Goddard she lifted the Spirit in her men and her life was never a boring one. Her Four husbands are just starters, 1927-1931 Edward, Edwin or Edgar James? Very Rich, if Paulette had her way later in life, she would have forgotten she was married to this one, maybe if it wasn't for the nice divorce settlement. Next up 1936-1942 Charlie Chaplin genius, Paulette played a brilliant game with the press, giving them the run around for years about marriage were they, weren't they? Paulette lifted him from his loneliness; Modern Times was the result. Living with a genius was never easy, although they kept their friendship at a distant later on they had much respect for one another. 1944-1949 Burgess Meredith remarkable actor they were well suited and went into many business enterprises together. 1958-1970 his death, Author Enrich Maria Remarque (All Quiet on the Western Front) another incredible mind, Paulette had finally met her match, Paulette recalls this moment in her life 'all we needed was each other'. George Gershwin wanted to marry her, Clark Gable dated her; Diego Rivera painted her calling her Shimmering spirit, inner fire. Her party scene circles, H.G Wells, Aldous Huxley, Harry Hopkins, Jock Whitney, The king of Yugoslavia, Jean Cocteau, Jean Renoir, John Steinbeck, William Saroyan and Stravinsky in later years Andy Warhol and the list goes on. With her men came Furs, Jewels and famous Works of Art, Paulette response "I never give anything back"

All exploits are explained Rumours that spun out of control. The truth about the Paulette/Chaplin marriage. The real reason she didn't get the part in Gone with the Wind. The feud with director Cecil B. DeMille becomes clear. The famous under the table moment at Ciro's with a Director all nicely covered with help from the FBI files.

Paulette came into this world a mystery and wanted to remain one on the way out when asked in the 70's if she was going to write her story `why would I do that I'm still living it' `I'm a free spirit' She was around 66 at the time. If Paulette wanted to see a place she'd just hop on a bus and go there, Paulette had a tendency to do things on a whim her whole life. On her passing so went with her all her secrets. This book was published before she died. So to finish the Story, Paulette Goddard battled breast cancer successfully but sadly died in her home in Ronco Switzerland a few months before her 80th birthday on 23rd April 1990 following a short battle with emphysema. Paulette was buried in Ronco cemetery in Switzerland, next to her late husband Enrich Maria Remarque.

Paulette had no children and was an extremely wealthy woman, toward the end of her life she gave generous endowments to the New York University School of the Arts. They named a residence hall on Washington Square after her and award several scholarships to students in her honor.

Although I clearly throughly enjoyed this, Few have really attempted a piece on this lady. I would love someone like David Stenn to give his written account in a Biography for this star bringing this up to date. What a beautiful Shinning light this woman was.

A.Bowhill

As a Goddard fan, I looked forward to some new insights into her life. But this book doesn't satisfy. It's mostly a rehash of the other information printed about her, with long, rambling paragraphs about people she associated with during her Hollywood days and after. The main problems with this book (besides the fact that it commits the unforgivable sin -- for a movie star bio, at least -- of not including one photograph! -- are the poor writing style and terrible production value. An example of the latter is that you encounter the first of many (many) typos in the fifth line on page one, where the authors recount how Goddard's grandparents moved to Salt Lady City. Later on we learn that Goddard's last husband "because a U.S. citizen" -- maybe he "became" one? The writing is fairly annoying too, with certain words being overused -- one of which is "unique." As well as being overused,the authors make the mistake of using modifiers for it, such as "most unique," "very unique," and "quite unique." Professional writers should know that something is either unique, or it is not. It cannot be a little unique, or a lot unique.

There are also many errors that any fan of Goddard notices right away: the name of Ray Milland's character in "Kitty" is given as "March," although it is "Marcy," actress Vera Zorina's first name is listed as "Zera," actress Eva Gabor's name is listed as "Ava," Goddard's 1940 film "The Ghost Breakers" is referenced as "The Ghost Catchers." You get the idea.

In the end, I enjoyed the book after I got out some paper and a pen to keep track of all these factual, grammatical and typographical errors. Thankfully, I was reading a library copy. You are warned.

Attenborough's Chaplin offers a more politicalized perspective on this iconic star of American cinema. The film focuses on Chaplin's (played by Robert Downey Jr.) rise and fall in American film, culiminating in his exile from the United States after Hoover's relentless attempts to prove him a communist threat finally succeeded. Downey Jr. is really quite good as Chaplin, especially in the evolution of his English accent. (Although as the elderly Chaplin, he is a bit creepy). Anyone who is a tried and true fan of Chaplin, however, will find many details to criticize: his facial expressions aren't quite right, his physical movements don't quite capture the grace of Chaplin's. But, overall, it is a fine film, offering a fascinating glimpse of the personal and political life of perhaps the greatest film star of all time.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. is at his best. His portrayal of Chaplin gave me a real appreciation of the man and his talents. I am now watching as many of the old Chaplin movies as I can find.

Downey's performance in Chaplin is a one-man tour de force. Done at a time before Downey's own problems started creating problems for his acting career, it is probably the role for which he will be best remembered. Downey shows Chaplin to be a complex, multifacetted man who had many both good and bad qualities, but most importantly, was a creative and even visionary artist whose approach still couldn't halt the advent of the talkies. As Downey says in the movie, "If the little tramp speaks, the mystery is gone." But for better or for worse, the technology and the art of cinema were taking off in a different direction, after which it would never be quite the same. Overall Downey's best movie and one that should stand the test of time.

Byt the way, this is an interesting snippet from a brief bio of Chaplin's life from the IMBD website, which I thought I'd post here:

"In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.

In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.

In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.

In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.

In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.

In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same."

I don't care for the light used in this movie. Rest of the movie is really good.

`Chaplin' has a lot going for it. It's a biopic and that always rests well with me. The subject of that said biopic is a man who was famous for his ability to entertain. The star cast in that important role of lead delivers a performance so electrifying there's no wonder why he received the Oscar nomination. The rest of the cast is so star studded you're drawn to the prospect of what you'll see, even if every apart from the star is limited in their screen time. It's faithfully directed by a man who adored and respected his subject. But, without a script, without a story none of this really matters. So, what makes `Chaplin' a film worth every second is the fact that it tells quite a story.

The life of Charlie Chaplin was one filled with rises and falls. He started off struggling but then rose almost immediately before falling back down only to be lifted up once again. It's a rollercoaster of a way to live, but it makes for one interesting journey for the audience. Charlie Chaplin started his life dirt poor. What made things worse was the fact that his mother, for her own good, was admitted to an asylum while Charlie was still quite young. His mothers theatrical aspirations did have an impact on Charlie though, a good one, for he soon made a name for himself as a comedian of the stage. It wasn't until he moved to the states to pursue film roles though that he became the face behind silent film.

`Chaplin' would be little more than a good story without the brilliant performance given by Robert Downey Jr., a performance that captures the essence that was Charlie Chaplin and exposes this man to the full. Downey Jr. understands Chaplin and brings so much light and charisma to this role, a role that defined him as a star and not just a Hollywood bad-boy. I only wish that Robert Downey Jr. could receive more roles of this nature for he really sinks his teeth into this performance and drags out something everyone can admire and respect. He captured the emotional depth of this man while embellishing the signature charm and comedic grace of the legend himself. A far cry from a mere mimic, Downey Jr. slipped away inside this man and recreated him from the ground up.

Sadly, this was released the same year as `Malcolm X' so I can't truthfully say that Robert Downey Jr. was robbed of the Oscar. In fact Denzel Washington was robbed of the Oscar, but that's for another review.

The film exposes the good as well as the bad times in this mans life, from his womanizing days, his many marriages and his confrontations with J. Edgar Hoover, a volatile relationship that caused much heartache in Chaplin's life. It never rushes things but takes it time to flesh out this man and create a feeling of truly knowing him inside and out. Apparently the original cut of the film was nearly four hours long, and while that seems like a long time I'd be interested in seeing the film in its entirety for I'm sure there is so much more of this mans life that would be intriguing to discover. Still, with all the cuts made to the film it never appears condensed or lacking.

The film sports a slew of supporting performances, all of which are brilliantly crafted by the cast. Geraldine Chaplin plays her own grandmother Hannah effortlessly with such commanding presence and Paul Rhys is able to play second fiddle to the star without giving up is star power entirely. The beautiful actresses who played the women in Charlie's life all do splendid jobs, Diane Lane in particular is stunning and makes the most lasting impression. Moira Kelly is wonderful as Chaplin's loving wife Oona, but she lacks the screen presence that Lane brings to her performance. Milla Jovovich is stunning as Charlie's first wife Mildred and Dan Aykroyd is in top form as Mack Sennett and delivers an exciting and well rounded comedic performance. The cast is so extensive it's really hard to single out everyone, but one performer that needs to be mentioned is Kevin Kline who just delivers effortlessly as Charlie's good friend Douglas Fairbanks. He's charming and graceful and so in tune with her character it's an utter joy to watch.

`Chaplin' delivers everything you could ask for in a biopic. It's interesting, informative, entertaining and commanding, giving us reasons to laud, admire and sympathize with a man who brought so much joy to so many people.