Chaplin’s World (Vevey, Switzerland)
Charlie Chaplin spent the last 25 years of his life living in Vevey, Switzerland with his fourth wife, Oona, and their eight children. How the Brit that became famous in America ended up living out his days in an 1840 Manor House overlooking Lake Geneva is a sad and fascinating story that I’ll get to, but first let’s get inside his home.
Wandering through stately Chaplin manor you’ll get a real throwback feel to the golden days of Hollywood glamour. Antique French furniture, fine china and plush Queen Anne chairs fill ornately decorated, high ceilinged rooms with grand, floor to ceiling windows that open onto views of the Alps. You could easily imagine Chaplin sitting for tea and enjoying the view with his famous friends. Yet aside from an abundance of private family photos on display, the rooms aren’t much different than any other well-to-do estate home you can tour. Except for two key things.
The first is you’re allowed to sit on the furniture. Well, most of it, anyways, which means it’s probably not original. But who cares. This isn’t a storied historical site with ancient artefacts to be carefully revered. It was an entertainer’s home, which he clearly filled with laughter and he’s still making you laugh as you wander throughout his house today. That’s the other thing that sets this museum apart: everywhere you turn you’ll find another reason to giggle.
Much of the amusement comes from carefully concealed video screens that show clips from his films, archival news footage and private home movies. The latter is the cherry on top of the icing on the cake. They were made in a pre-social media age, which means only Chaplin the consummate entertainer seems to be aware of the camera. There’s rarely a time when he isn’t acting like a clown, while the rest of his family go about their business, laughing at his antics and enjoying large family gatherings with special guests.
You’ll also occasionally encounter one of the many life sized wax-work style mannequins of Charlie and Oona. And for some reason, Albert Einstein pulling faces in the bathroom. It’s almost as if Charlie never passed away. He’s still mugging for attention in his home, practically begging you to join in for some amusing photo opportunities. There’s plenty of personal items and informative text throughout, but this is one museum where the best way to get the measure of the man is to just look and laugh. The house is set within 4 acres of well manicured gardens you should definitely wander through if the weather permits, but the real fun begins in the modern concrete box that’s been added next door.
Inside The Studio
Every 15 minutes the ‘Studio’ welcomes you with a very cursory overview of Chaplin’s work. You won’t learn much about the man, but you’ll definitely see just how amusing he could be. Ten minutes of clips fly by and before you know it the screen rolls up and you’re walking straight through where it just was, into a film studio backlot where interactive stage sets have been recreated for his most famous films. It’s incredibly detailed and the photo opportunities are endless. You can stagger across a gimbal stage, sit for a shave or dance and make faces alongside the Little Tramp. Even if you’ve never seen a single Chaplin film you’ll still have a hell of a lot of fun. Plus, every set has the original films playing. Being able to see the master at work whilst pretending to be one of his troubadours made me want to immediately settle down with some popcorn and his archives. It’s an incredibly engaging experience that will make you fall in love with the Little Tramp.
The only drawback is the inclusion of figures that were influenced by Chaplin. They feel awkwardly out of place in his stage sets because you either won’t know who they are, or they’ll be so famous for their own modern scandals that you’ll get seriously distracted wondering why Michael Jackson and Woody Allen are even there. To their credit, the museum doesn’t shy away from Chaplin’s scandals either.
In 1952 Chaplin was in London promoting his latest film, Limelight. He was 63 years old, and by that point in his storied career he had already co-founded United Artists and made The Gold Rush (1925), Modern Times (1936) and The Great Dictator (1940). But while abroad Chaplin unexpectedly found himself homeless after the US revoked his re-entry permit, a move frequently cited as politically motivated by a hostile press and the McCarthy hearings on communism, which investigated Chaplin. Rather than fight his case, he opted to emigrate to Switzerland. It’s a sad and fascinating story but by that point his legacy had already been cemented.
It’s rare that I can spend two hours in a museum and not feel fatigued, but Chaplin’s World is not so much a museum as an interactive homage to the man that made millions laugh. His distinct style and slapstick is timeless, and if you are able to visit his home you’ll certainly walk away laughing too.
Plan your visit
Chaplin’s World is located at Route de Fenil 2, CH-1804 Corsier Sur, Vevey, Switzerland (~90 minutes form Geneva airport)
Tickets from 20 CHF (~£18) adult / 16 CHF (~£4.5) child / children under 6 free
Visit chaplinsworld.com and follow @chaplins.world on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit the Charlie Chaplin Wikipedia page for more info about the artist.
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter. (It’s FREE!)