When Charles Chaplin signed a record-setting contract with the Mutual Film Corporation in February 1916, it was the culmination of events that changed the motion picture business. Mutual’s founders redefined how films were bought, sold, and distributed. Chaplin redefined screen comedy with a character that leapt into the hearts of moviegoers around the world. Together they established the value of star power and created twelves magnificent comedies that have endured for generations. From the nickelodeon to the internet, the Mutual-Chaplin Specials have been viewed by more people than any other films in the entire history of cinema.
Chaplin’s Vintage Year tells the full story of the Mutual-Chaplin Specials, framed within the rise and fall of the Mutual Film Corporation, the worldwide phenomenon known as “Chaplinitis,” the famous $670,000 contract, and the various acquisitions and releases these comedies have enjoyed for nearly one hundred years.
Michael J. Hayde is an author specializing in film, television, and radio history. His books include My Name’s Friday, Flights of Fantasy, and (coauthored with Chuck Harter) Little Elf. Mr. Hayde has appeared on such television programs as Unsolved Mysteries and TV Land’s Myths and Legends, and is a regular contributor to the annual Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Maryland. He lives in Manassas, Virginia, with his wife and four children.View all by Michael J. Hayde
