Original Charlie Chaplin "Tramp" cane. ...

Description

Original Charlie Chaplin "Tramp" cane. (ca. 1930s) Vintage, Charlie Chaplin "Tramp" curved bamboo cane. The 34.5 in. long cane is composed of a single stalk of bent bamboo with pronounced nodes, or knuckles and curved top piece as handle. The world famous image of Chaplin as "The Tramp" with his characteristic penguin waddle, spinning his cane, is one that permeates cinematic history and culture. In the true spirit of Hollywood lore, Charlie Chaplin's iconic character is said to have been a spontaneous silent film invention quickly assembled in a dressing room at Mack Sennet's Keystone Studio in 1914. Chaplin states in his book Charlie Chaplin: My Autobiography, "...I was hurriedly told to put on funny make-up...I went to the wardrobe and got a pair of baggy pants, a tight coat, a small derby hat and a large pair of shoes. I wanted the clothes to be a mass of contradictions. To add a comic touch, I wore a small mustache, which would not hide my expression." A simple, bent bamboo cane was an essential accessory to that costume, making it quite possibly the most famous walking stick of all time. Very few Chaplin canes exist as they were most often broken and discarded during production. This cane has been repaired, with approx. 9 in. of the tip expertly and sensitively replaced and restored to its' former length. Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 9 December 1999, lot 145. Special shipping arrangements will apply.

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