In Paris we are often entertained by Paul-Louis Weiller, our very dear friend, who in August invites the whole family for one month to La Reine Jeanne, his beautiful estate on the Mediterranean, where the children get all the swimming and water-skiing they want.
Friends have asked me if I miss the United States – New York? In candour I do not. America has changed, so has New York. The gigantic scale of industrial institutions, of Press, television and commercial advertising has completely divorced me from the American way of life. I want the other side of the coin, a simpler personal sense of living – not the ostentatious avenues and towering buildings which are an ever-reminder of big business and its ponderous achievements.
It was more than a year before I could liquidate all my interests in the United States. They wanted to tax my European earnings on Limelight up to 1955, claiming that I was still an American resident in spite of having barred me from that country since 1952. I had no legal address since, as my American lawyer said, I would have little chance of getting back into the country to defend the case.
Having dissolved all my American companies and divested myself of every American interest, I was in a position to tell them to go sit on a tack. But not wishing to be under an obligation to another nation’s protection, I settled for an amount considerably less than their claim and considerably more than I should have paid.
Cutting my last ties from the United States was sad. When Helen, our maid at the Beverly Hills house, heard that we were not returning, she wrote the following letter:
Dear Mr and Mrs Chaplin,
I have written you so many letters, but never mailed them. It seems just everything has gone wrong since you left – I myself have never suffered so much grief over anyone else except my own family. But everything is so unnecessary and unneeded and unjust and I just can’t get over it. And then we received the sad news that we feared might come – to pack most everything – it just isn’t possible – it just can’t be – the things we packed have nearly been washed away with tears and I still have a headache from grief –I don’t know how you folks stand it. Please, PLEASE, Mrs C, don’t let Mr C sell the house if you can help it. Every room still bears its own personality even though there are mostly the rugs and draperies there – I am so positive minded about this house I would never let anyone else have it. If I only had the money myself, but that’s silly and out of reason for me too. Cut off all the excess that’s possible if you wish. But please, PLEASE keep the house. I know I should not say this but I can’t help it – and I shall never give up the idea but that some day you will all return. Mrs c, enough of that for now – I have three letters to send you but I must get some larger envelopes. Give my regards to everyone, and excuse my pencil as even my pen has gone wrong.
Sincerely, Helen.
We also received a letter from Henry, our butler, who wrote as follows:
Dear Mr and Mrs Chaplin,
I have not written you for a long time as I have an awful time to express myself correctly with my Swiss–English. I had one happy story a few weeks ago, as I had a chance to see the picture Limelight. It was a private showing. Miss Runser invited me. There were about twenty people present. Mr and Mrs Sydney Chaplin, Miss Runser and Rolly were the only ones I knew. I took my seat way in the rear, to be alone with my thoughts. It was well worth it. I probably laughed the loudest but also had the most tears in my eyes. The best picture I’ve ever seen. It has never been shown in L.A. There are several records played over the radio, music from Limelight. Beautiful music. They electrify me when I hear them. Mr C the composer is never mentioned. I am happy to hear the children like Switzerland. Of course, for grown up people it takes more time to get used to any foreign country. I do say Switzerland is one of the better ones. The best schools on the globe. Also the oldest republic on the globe, since 1191. First of August is the 4th of July there. Independence Day. Not a holiday, but you will see the fires on all mountain tops. As a whole, one of the few conservative and prosperous countries. I left there in 1918 for South America. Have been back twice since. I also served two terms in the Swiss Army. Born in St Gallen, eastern part of Switzerland. I have one younger brother in Berne and one in St. Gallen.
The very best wishes to all of you.
Respectfully yours, Henry.
All those who worked for me in California were still on salary, but I could not afford to continue paying them now that I was domiciled in Switzerland. So I arranged for their severance pay, giving them each a bonus, which total amounted to eighty thousand dollars. Edna Purviance, besides receiving her bonus, remained in my employment up to the day she died.
During the casting of Monsieur Verdoux, I had thought of Edna for the important part of Madame Grosnay. I had not seen her for twenty years, for she never came to the studio because her weekly cheque was mailed to her by the office. She confessed afterwards that when she received a call from the studio she
