Charlie Chaplin once won third place in a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest, and perhaps he will reappear this Halloween weekend at Ohio University Zanesville's conference celebrating his accomplishments.
OU is hosting Charlie in the Heartland: An International Charlie Chaplin Conference today through Saturday at its Zanesville campus to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chaplin's first visit to the U.S. The conference has several events scheduled, including a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest, speakers and free film showings.
Planning for the conference began about a year and a half ago for Lisa Stein, an assistant professor of English at OU Zanesville and the event's organizer. Because Chaplin is her area of study, the academic conference is designed to bring scholars together to share ideas.
The main point (of the conference) is to reintroduce Chaplin because he has been somewhat forgotten
Stein said.
One of the films shown will be The Thief Catcher. Once thought to be lost, the film was recently discovered at an antique sale in Michigan. The conference will be only the fourth time the movie will be shown since its rediscovery earlier this year, according to a news release. Other films on the roster include The New Janitor and Tillie's Punctured Romance.
Experts from 11 countries will attend this weekend's conference and give presentations about Chaplin and his career. Presenters include David Robinson, a film critic and author of Chaplin: His Life and Art; Cecilia Cenciarelli, archivist and head of Progetto Chaplin in Bologna, Italy; and keynote speaker Charles J. Maland, who wrote Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image.
Christine Shaw, interim director of continuing education and director of public relations at OU Zanesville, said she thought it would be beneficial for more people to become familiar with Chaplin.
A lot of younger people don't know who (Chaplin) is she said. We wanted to keep his spirit alive and his impact on film.
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