All the Chaplins and their ilk must be dealt with

On 18 September 1952, Charles Chaplin left the USA for Britain to embark on a tour promoting his latest film Limelight. The next day, Attorney General James McGranery revoked Chaplin's reentry permit, thus banning him from the USA, the country which had been Chaplin's home for nearly forty years. McGranery made his decision after consulting FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, who had been building a file on Chaplin since 1922. It was announced that Chaplin's reentry permit had been rescinded because he "[had] been publicly charged with being a member of the Communist Party, with grave moral charges* and with making statements that would indicate a leering, sneering attitude toward a country whose hospitality [had] enriched him". Before being allowed back into the USA, Chaplin, who was British and had never sought American citizenship, had to appear before the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) and answer questions about his political views and moral behaviour. In the end, Chaplin never applied for reentry and remained in Europe (in Switzerland) for the rest of his life. 

*Apart from being accused of political subversion, Chaplin was also accused of being morally subversive. With the "grave moral charges" McGranery referred to material in the FBI file concerning Chaplin's affair with actress Joan Barry, which occurred in the 1940s. 

Above: Charlie Chaplin photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Below: Chaplin and Buster Keaton in a scene from Limelight, the only film in which these icons appeared together. 

The revocation of Chaplin's reentry permit made headlines and especially conservative journalists were having a field day with the news. One of them was famed gossip columnist Hedda Hopper who had actively campaigned against Chaplin for years. In her column she said that while Chaplin may be a good actor it "doesn't give him the right to go against our customs, to abhor everything we stand for, to throw our hospitality back in our faces [...] I've known him for years. I abhor what he stands for, while I admire his talents as an actor. I would like to say, 'Good riddance to bad company'." (This vicious attack from Hopper was one of the "worst press lashings" Chaplin had ever received, according to Charles Maland, one of Chaplin's biographers.)

The American Legion, one of Hopper's allies and a very powerful organisation with 2.5 million members, went even further and passed a resolution in October 1952, calling on film theaters not to show any of Chaplin's films and in particular to boycott his newest film Limelight. Limelight was subsequently picketed in New York, and theaters in Los Angeles and also in other cities succumbed to the Legion's pressure and cancelled the film's screenings. The Legion also approached United Artists, the distributor of the film, urging them to join "in this drive to rid our country of the likes of Charles Chaplin, his person and his films" (see the disturbing letter below). In their fight against Chaplin, the Legion received support from Ward Bond, president of The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, and RKO boss Howard Hughes.

The actions of the American Legion eventually paid off. Limelight played in approximately 150 of the 2,000 theaters in which it was initially booked and consequently Chaplin withdrew the film from circulation. It wasn't until 1972 that Limelight was rereleased in the USA. 

In April 1972, after a period of twenty years, Chaplin returned to the USA to receive an Honorary Oscar for his work (watch a very emotional Chaplin here, being given a 12-minute standing ovation, the longest in Oscar history). At the Oscar ceremony the following year, an absent Chaplin was awarded his only competitive Oscar for Best Original Dramatic Score for Limelight, a score which he co-wrote with Ray Rasch and Larry Russell. As Limelight was not released in Los Angeles until 1972, it was then eligible for Oscars despite being a 20-year-old film.

Source: Discovering Chaplin

Transcript:

February 11, 1953

United Artists Corporation

302 North 13th Street 

Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear sirs:

I have this day been informed that the World Theatre, this City, will discontinue the Charles Chaplin film "Limelight" immediately.

The American Legion in the spirit of true Americanism calls on you as the distributor agency of the film to discontinue distribution of "Limelight" and follow the lead of the local World Theater and Grauman's Chinese, the Downtown and El Rey Theatres in Los Angeles, California.

Howard Hughes of RKO has stated: "I have been making a most concerted effort to persuade the management of the theater corporation to take the necessary legal measures to cancel all bookings of "Limelight"." The same opposition to the film has been taken by actor Ward Bond as president of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals.

A recent radio poll in Philadelphia has disclosed overwhelming opposition to the picture.

Charles Chaplin by his repeated un-American behavior through the years has spurned the good will of the American people who must answer him in kind. His disrespect for our country and its ideals and his active sponsorship and affection for foreign isms inimical to the United States makes it imperative that we display our objection by refusing to patronize any of his productions.

The American Legion requests all right thinking and loyal Americans to join in this crusade. All the Chaplins and their ilk must be dealt with- and that dealing, in spite of their stand, will be fair and just.

We call on United Artists Corporation to join the World Theatre, the Fox theatres in California, Mr. Ward Bond, Mr. Howard Hughes, the American Legion and all Americans in this drive to rid our country of the likes of Charles Chaplin, his person and his films.

Very truly yours,

(signed)

Joseph A.C Girone

Phila. County Commander

The American Legion

Source