Manoir de Ban: Charles Chaplin’s home for 25-years. Courtesy photo
I fondly remember Lake Geneva (Matterhorn Region) when Switzerland Tourism blew into Los Angeles on January, 2017 with the most esteemed guest, Eugene Chaplin. A man of remarkable lineage, he is the fifth child of Oona O’Neill and Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin, the grandson of playwright Eugene O’Neill, the brother of Geraldine Chaplin and father of actress/model Kiera Chaplin.
Eugene Chaplin in Los Angeles. Courtesy Switzerland Tourism
An artist in his own rite, Eugene directed the documentary film Charlie Chaplin: A Family Tribute and created the musical ‘Smile,’ a narration of his father’s life through his music. He’s also a recording engineer, having worked with The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Queen. He was in town to promote Chaplin’s World, the first-ever museum dedicated to the life and work of Charles Chaplin in the filmmaker’s former home in Vevey, Switzerland.
Back Story
In 1952 Charles Chaplin was exiled from the U.S. as a result of the House Un-American Activities Committee’s witch hunts, a disturbing period in U.S. history where Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread Communist subversion. The committee used various charges of communism, communist sympathies and disloyalty to attack a number of politicians and other individuals, many Hollywood personalities. Chaplin was considered dangerously progressive and amoral. It was also revealed that he had never bothered to become a U.S. citizen. When Chaplin and family were departing for a trip to England, Chaplin was informed that he would have to submit to an interview concerning his political views and moral behavior in order to re-enter the U.S. Rather than fight a pending investigation by Immigration Services, Chaplin decided not to return to Hollywood. The Chaplin family, though, needed a new address in Europe. His half-brother Sydney Chaplin, suggested they visit Switzerland. Chaplin was taken by the peace and quiet of the Lake Geneva region, with its stunning lake and countryside, not to mention the attractive tax laws.
Gardening was one of Chaplin’s passions at Manoir de Ban. Courtesy photo
He purchased the vacant Manoir de Ban, a neoclassical mansion in Corsier-sur-Vevey, a wine-growing region near the banks of Lake Geneva. This is where he chose to live his remaining years with his family, from 1952 until his death in 1977. According to the Chaplin family, his 25-years at Manoir de Ban constituted his “happy years,” where he would walk in the grounds, garden, play with his children and host friends from around the globe. He also spent a large percentage of his time working on the screenplays for his films A King in New York, A Countess from Hong Kong and The Freak (which was never filmed), as well as adding music to his silent films, which he composed at the family piano. There’s a version of the Gold Rush, where he eliminated the title cards of the silent film, speaking all of the parts instead. In1964 in wrote My Autobiography at the Manoir.
Courtesy Chaplin’s World
On April 17, 2016, Chaplin’s former home and expansive grounds were officially open for the whole world to see. Rechristened Chaplin’s World – Manoir de Ban was repurposed and expanded as a museum that showcases Chaplin’s work and life as a family man in Switzerland. The goal was to allow visitors to discover the man behind the movies. The centerpiece of the museum is the three story, richly decorated Manoir, and the newly constructed Studio.
The grand opening at Chaplin’s World. Courtesy Chaplin’s World
A reproduced Winston Churchill pays a visit to Manoir de Ban.
Courtesy Chaplin’s World
In the Manoir, visitors are introduced to the Chaplin family, which has been restaged with a number of its original furnishings, personal items, photographs and family mementos. Each room focuses on a particular period of Chaplin’s personal life, while the dining room pays homage to the family’s everyday routines as well as the many Hollywood celebrities who visited them.
The new interactive studio features the work of Chaplin the artist which commences with a montage of clips from his half-century of writing, directing, producing, scoring and acting in movies. He outdid himself in the 1928 film, The Circus, where he also wrote and sang the title song for a rerelease in 1969. Curiously, he doesn’t mention the film once in his autobiography. The interactive studio is followed by an exhibition of recreated scenes and sets from many of his most famous films, along with wax figures of Chaplin’s famous co-stars.
Courtesy photo
It’s almost like a theme park where guest can enter the iconic cabin from The Gold Rush, while in the middle of a simulated blizzard, sit in the famous barber’s chair from The Great Dictator (where Chaplin played two roles), or negotiating the cogs of the industrial revolution machine from the madcap scene in Modern Times.
A statue of Chaplin graces the shores of Lake Geneva in Vevey.
Courtesy My Switzerland
A stroll in the Manoir’s 10 acres of expansive green grounds is mandatory with the reward of stunning views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva.
Chaplin fans can also enjoy the onsite restaurant, affectionately named The Tramp.
If you decide to spend additional time in the breathtaking Lake Geneva region, The Modern Times Hotel is conveniently located nearby.
