Swiss
Extravaganza Highlights Food, Wine, & Charlie's World
The
highly informative Holiday Extravaganza 2017 presented by Switzerland
Tourism was an evening of everything Swiss, delicious and of
interest to Swiss travelers. The informal and fun evening was
planned by representatives of Switzerland Tourism Ursula Beamish-Mader,
Phillippe Vignon CEO GenevaLive Tourism, Matthias Kramer, Francois
Michel, and Franziska Amstutz to inform media members of Charlie's
World, along with destination information on Geneva and the
Matterhorn areas of Switzerland. The highlight of the evening
of Swiss inspired dishes was the authentic Racelette cheese
presentation by Mirko Capodanno, who is from the Ticino area.
Also in attendance was the Los Angeles Consulate General of
Switzerland Emil Wyss and his wife Arie.
Manoir de Ban, Home of the Chaplin Family
The
holiday dinner included Swiss favorites of sausage with European
rolls, roast chicken, pickles onions, salads and Racelette Swiss
cheese. A bevy of outstanding desserts, including pie to die
for and cakes, served with coffee provided a divine ending.
Wonderful Swiss wines brought to Hollywood for the celebration
dinner included Dole Balavaud red wine, and Cave Lacote Swiss
White Wine Chasselas.
Dessert Table
It
was a great pleasure to meet guest speaker Eugene Chaplin, son
of the great Charlie Chaplin, and enjoy a presentation by him
at Raleigh Studios, where Charlie, Mary Pickford and Douglas
Fairbanks worked under contract in Hollywood.
Eugene
Chaplin shared stories of his childhood with Charlie Chaplin
that revealed his father was very strict with all the children
about demonstrating good table manners and striving for excellence
in school. "He was a loving father, but very strict,"
said Chaplin. Eugene spoke about his father's perfectionism,
and love of music. The piano where Chaplin composed music for
his silent films, still sits in the living room of the family
home turned museum. A folding movie screen was set up and scenes
were projected repeatedly until Chaplin felt the music was a
perfect match for the scene. It was a ground-breaking transcription
process for film music. Eugene also said his father swore he
would become an excellent skier, but he never did.
Celebrities
have always flocked to Switzerland, but Charlie Chaplin ended
up there almost by accident. While in Europe promoting his silent
classic, Limelight, London-born Chaplin received a forboding
telegram. America was in the midst of the McCarthy era, and
the telegram said he would be banned from returning to the United
States unless he testified before the House on Un-American Activities.
Chaplin refused, saying, "I'm not going back."
Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith
1919,
on the day they signed contracts with United Artists
Eugene
Chaplin remembers that his father was considering acquiring
property in Southern France with it's temperate climate. However
he fell in love with the beauty of the Geneva region. After
purchasing a 13-acre property facing the Alps, Manoir de Ban
became the family home for the rest of Chaplin's life."We
love Switzerland more and more each day." Charlie Chaplin
wrote in a letter to Clifford Odetts, 1954.
Swiss Area Representatives Francois Michel and Matthias Kramer
with
LA Swiss Consul General Emil Wyss & Arie Wyss
More
than sixteen years ago Michael Chaplin, the oldest son, told
Yves Durand and Philippe Meyland, that the home was going to
be sold. The architect and designer soon convinced the family
to turn it into a museum. Today, the museum devoted to the legendary
icon is a lovely collection of personal archives full of mementos,
costumes and props all preserved in displays. The family dining
table is set for dinner with lovely silver and china used daily
by the Chaplin family. The movie studio is intact and has been
enlarged. Most innovative are the mannequins fashioned laboriously
in Madame Tussaud style and placed strategically throughout
the venue. Charlie Chaplin is reincarnated, along with wax actors
standing in front of scenes from his silent films. Visitors
are invited to stand next to Oona Chaplin and Charlie in their
private screening room. Everything at Charlie's World is designed
to be touched, to be photographed.
The Studio in Chaplin's World
"It
is not the reality that matters in a film but what the imagination
can make of it." 100 years after his first appearance on
stage the brilliant film maker, actor and author Charlie Chaplin
gives a glimpse into his life and his work at the place that
became not only his home but also his home country. With his
great personality and his boundless humanism, he brought joy
and happiness to the world, touching people of all ages in every
society of the world. The Museum site provides visitors a unique
opportunity to meet Charlie Chaplin and to share his precious
memories. Cornèrcard expresses their delight to be part
of this extraordinary project and promises to strive to spread
its message of hope to humankind which will resonate in heartsm
across the nation for generations to come, and work in accordance
with Charlie's own observation "we think too much and feel
too little."
Opening
Video of Charlie's World
https://youtu.be/RBc6lBoSFp0vvvv
If
you visit Switzerland and Chaplin's World:
* Tickets and events at Chaplin's
World
* Information about Geneva
and Matterhorn Regionvvv
* Visit
Switzerland via rail, car and boat - Itineraries,
tickets, regions
GETTING
THERE
Chaplin's World
Route de Fenil 2
CH - 1804 Corsier sur Vevey
OPENING
HOURS
Every day from 10 am to 6 pm
For
travel information to Switzerland visit: www.MySwitzerland.com.
By Bonnie Carroll
About Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since
1983. She is the founder & publisher of Bonnie Carroll's
Life Bites News - www.lifebitesnews.com,
does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes
to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle
publications. Her first children's book C.C. Charles was published
in 2002 and she is currently working on a second book. Contact
her at Contact her at writebc@aol.com.