Marriage Problems; Charlie Chaplin
“Such Is Life”
One hundred year ago today … There was something in the New York 1920 air about marriage, marital problems, and infidelity. Much of entertainment culture was consumed by these issues: Somerset Maugham’s play Caesar's Wife, for example, and one of the major cinema hits of the year, Cecil B. DeMille’s Why Change Your Wife?
Take a look at a couple of the articles headlining page 3 of the Daily News of March 19, 1920.
“‘Jug of Wine’ and Blond Blamed by His Brunette Wife: Mrs. Anne Hutchinson Seeks Separation from Dentist”
“No Remorse Shown by Wife Strangler Who Tried Suicide”
The Daily News 19 Mar. 1920. p. 3.
The kicker, though, was a story about the marital difficulties of one of the most famous people on earth, Charlie Chaplin, and his wife of two years, Mildred Harris Chaplin. Harris, according to the article, was unhappy with Chaplin’s conduct toward her, including his living at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The article concludes with a statement from Chaplin about the situation: “Such is Life in the wild West.”