When America banished Charlie Chaplin in the early 1950s during the height of the ‘The Commie’s Are Coming’ era, Chaplin fled with his wife Oona and their two young children Michael and Geraldine to Vevey, Switzerland where, by all accounts, he led a tranquil life of semi-retirement. Above is a short clip from a 1975 documentary, ‘The Gentleman Tramp’, showing the Chaplin’s at home in 1973. He is 84 years old here and would live another four years, passing away in December, 1977. The Villa and its lovely surroundings make it clear that leaving Beverly Hills was far from the worst thing that could have happened to a person, though being forcibly ejected from anywhere–like an airplane seat for instance–is always a humiliation. Chaplin wouldn’t return to the States until he was presented with his honorary Oscar in 1972 and frankly I’m surprised he did. The home we see in this clip, Manoir de Ban in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, has since been converted into a museum named ‘Chaplin’s World’. It opened on 17 April 2016 after fifteen years of development, and is described by Reuters as “an interactive museum showcasing the life and works of Charlie Chaplin”. The final shot–Charlie and Oona walking away into the distant countryside–is an obvious homage to the end of ‘Modern Times’ and is no less effective for being so. A lovely way to end a working week…or an unemployed one for that matter. Cheers!