Charlie's Wedding: A Day To Remember

Charlie has been a popular name among celebrities, and there are a few famous Charlies whose weddings come to mind. Charlie Chaplin, the famous actor and filmmaker, was married four times. His first marriage was to Mildred Harris in 1918, his second was to Lita Grey in 1924, his third was to Paulette Goddard in 1936, and his fourth and final marriage was to Oona O'Neill in 1943. Another notable Charlie is Charlie, played by actor Azhy Robertson, from the film Marriage Story. While the film does not depict a wedding, it does explore the complexities of marriage and divorce. In addition, Charlie's Angels star Jaclyn Smith's son, Gaston, got married, bringing together Smith and her former co-star Kate Jackson for a rare public appearance.

Charlie's first wife, Mildred Harris, and their short-lived marriage

Charlie Chaplin's first wife, Mildred Harris, was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress. Harris was a child star from the age of 10 and was 16 when she met Chaplin in 1918. They dated for several months, and married privately on 23 October 1918 in Los Angeles, after Harris believed she was pregnant. It turned out to be a false alarm, but she did later give birth to Charlie's first child, Norman Spencer Chaplin, on 7 July 1919. Sadly, the child died three days later.

Harris and Chaplin's marriage was short-lived. They quarrelled about her contract with Louis B. Mayer and her career. Chaplin felt she was not his intellectual equal. They separated in Autumn 1919, and Harris filed for divorce in 1920 based on mental cruelty. Chaplin accused her of infidelity but refused to name her lover publicly. Their divorce was granted in November 1920, with Harris receiving $100,000 in settlement and some community property.

Harris went on to have a successful acting career, appearing in films such as The Inferior Sex and For Husbands Only. She died on 20 July 1944 of pneumonia, following a major abdominal operation.

Charlie's second wife, Lita Grey, and their children

Charlie Chaplin's second wife was Lita Grey, born Lillita Louise MacMurray, on April 15, 1908, in Hollywood, California. She was an American actress, known for her roles in Chaplin's films 'The Kid', 'The Idle Class', and 'The Gold Rush'. She first met Chaplin at the age of eight and began working with him at the age of 12, playing a flirting angel in 'The Kid'.

Lita Grey married Chaplin in November 1924, when she was 16 years old. Their relationship began when she became pregnant with his child at the age of 15. They married in secret in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico, to avoid a scandal as Chaplin could have been imprisoned for having sexual relations with a minor. The marriage was troubled, with few shared interests, and Chaplin often being away from home. The couple had two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin, born in May 1925 and March 1926, respectively, within ten months of each other.

Lita Grey and Chaplin divorced in 1927 due to his alleged affairs with other women. The divorce was highly publicized and sensational, with copies of her lengthy divorce complaint, which made scandalous sexual claims, being published and sold. She received a settlement of over $600,000, the largest at the time. Following her divorce from Chaplin, Lita Grey continued her career in vaudeville and later had problems with alcohol. She went on to marry three more times and worked as a sales clerk in her later years. She died of cancer in 1995, aged 87.

Charlie's third wife, Paulette Goddard, and their amicable divorce

Charlie Chaplin's third marriage was to actress Paulette Goddard, who appeared in several of his films, including 'Modern Times' and 'The Great Dictator'. The couple were married from 1936 to 1942 and, although they divorced, it was, by all accounts, on amicable terms.

Goddard was born Pauline Marion Goddard Levy in 1905 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York. She left school at 14 and became a model before being spotted by producer Florenz Ziegfeld. She then appeared as a chorus girl in the Broadway revue 'No Foolin'. Within the next four years, she married wealthy Englishman Edgar James, divorced, and moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in film.

Chaplin was captivated by Goddard and they soon began living together. For two years, Chaplin tutored her in acting, and she made her breakthrough as the Gamine in his final silent film, 'Modern Times' (1936). Her performance brought her to the attention of other producers, but her relationship with Chaplin caused her to lose out on the role of Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). Producer David O. Selznick thought she was perfect for the role, but he withdrew his offer when she could not produce a marriage license validating her relationship with Chaplin.

Despite this setback, Goddard's career flourished. She teamed with Bob Hope for several comedies, including 'The Cat and the Canary' (1939) and 'The Ghost Breakers' (1940). She was also part of the all-female cast of 'The Women' (1939) and starred in the drama 'Hold Back the Dawn' (1941). In 1940, she again worked with Chaplin in his first all-talking feature, 'The Great Dictator' (1940). However, in 1942, she and Chaplin officially divorced—though it was still unclear if they had ever legally married.

Goddard went on to marry actor Burgess Meredith and, later, author Erich Maria Remarque. She lived out her later years in Switzerland, passing away in 1990 at the age of 84.

Charlie's fourth wife, Oona O'Neill, and their soulmate connection

Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill's soulmate connection was evident from the moment they met. Chaplin, who had previously led a lonely life, described meeting O'Neill as "the happiest event of my life". In his autobiography, he wrote:

> For the last twenty years I have known what happiness means. I have the good fortune to be married to a wonderful wife. I wish I could write more about this, but it involves love, and perfect love is the most beautiful of all frustrations because it is more than one can express.

Chaplin and O'Neill met in 1942 when Chaplin was considering O'Neill for a role in his film *Shadow and Substance*. Despite the 36-year age gap, they hit it off immediately and became inseparable. They married the following year on 16 June 1943, a month after O'Neill turned 18.

O'Neill gave up her career plans and settled into the role of a housewife. She supported Chaplin through numerous scandals, including a highly publicised paternity suit, and when he was exiled from the US in 1952. They moved to Switzerland, where they lived until Chaplin's death in 1977. The couple had eight children together, and their deep love for each other was unmistakable. Chaplin wrote in his autobiography:

> As I live with Oona, the depth and beauty of her character are a continual revelation to me. Even as she walks ahead of me along the narrow sidewalks of Vevey with simple dignity, her neat little figure straight, her dark hair smoothed back showing a few silver threads, a sudden wave of love and admiration comes over me for all that she is—and a lump comes into my throat.

O'Neill was by Chaplin's side until the end. After his death, she lived a reclusive life in Switzerland and New York, never recovering from her grief. She died of pancreatic cancer in 1991, aged 66, and was buried next to her husband in Corsier-sur-Vevey.

The 'Marriage Story' film and its plot

The 2019 drama film Marriage Story, written and directed by Noah Baumbach, centres on a couple, Charlie and Nicole Barber, going through a difficult divorce while trying to keep their family together. Charlie, a successful New York City theatre director, and Nicole, a former actress, are experiencing marital troubles. When Nicole decides to move to Los Angeles for a starring role in a TV pilot, tensions rise as Charlie stays in New York for his play's move to Broadway. Despite initially agreeing to split amicably, Nicole hires a lawyer at her friend's urging, and Charlie follows suit after being warned about potential custody issues regarding their son, Henry. The lawyers aggressively argue their clients' cases in court, leading to a series of character assassinations. Throughout the legal battle, Charlie and Nicole remain friendly and share time with Henry, but an attempt to meet and discuss their issues privately ends in an emotionally charged confrontation. Eventually, they agree to relax their demands and finalise the divorce, though not before Nicole discovers her lawyer's underhanded tactics. A year later, both have moved on with their lives and careers, and Charlie decides to move to Los Angeles full-time to be closer to Henry. The film explores the raw and emotional process of divorce and its impact on the family, receiving critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, and performances.

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