Chapter 20: "Crossroads"

"Mike, can I ask you for a favor?" On that day, Monet approached the theater manager, Mike, and said.

Due to the pleasant collaboration on "Titanic" and Monet's recent success as the "Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire," Mike didn't hesitate and nodded, replying, "No problem, what do you need my help with?"

"The British Carno Theatre Troupe that's currently performing at the Huntington Theater. Could you find a way to help me get in touch with them? I'd like to meet one of the actors from their troupe!" Naturally, the actor Monet wanted to meet was Charlie Chaplin. After watching a performance of "The Masked Bird," Monet had confirmed that this was the comedy genius he remembered. However, at this time, Chaplin was still quite young and hadn't yet donned his iconic mustache. But for Monet, it was a perfect opportunity to make his acquaintance. Otherwise, it might not be as easy once Chaplin became famous.

However, to his dismay, Mike misunderstood his intention. With a knowing smile, he teased, "Oh, I understand. So, which young lady have you set your eyes on?"

Upon hearing Mike's words, Monet paused for a moment, then quickly realized that Mike had misconstrued his meaning. He hurriedly explained, "Mike, you've misunderstood. I want to meet a male actor."

But before he could finish his sentence, Mike took a step back in a "shocked" manner and exclaimed, "Oh my, Tony, so you're into men!"

"No, can your mind come up with something else? I genuinely appreciate this actor's art and I just want to get to know him. There's no other meaning behind it!" Monet explained, somewhat exasperated.

"But I don't really think you have an eye for appreciating art," mumbled Mike. But seeing Monet's intense glare, he quickly added, "Don't worry, I'll go ahead and make the contact for you, I promise to complete the task! By the way, what's the name of the actor you want to meet?"

"Charlie - Charlie Chaplin!" Monet answered, enunciating each word.

As it turned out, Mike's organizational skills were quite impressive. That very evening, Mike invited the key members of the Carno troupe, who were touring the United States, to dinner. Naturally, Charlie Chaplin was among them. Monet also attended the dinner in the capacity of an invited screenwriter.

The Carno Theatre Troupe was established by the renowned British vaudeville theater manager, Mr. Fred Carno. This Mr. Carno was incredibly skilled; he not only trained and coached performers but also wrote scripts, designed sets, props, and costumes. He was, in a sense, a true all-rounder.

Chaplin's inclusion in this prestigious troupe was due to his elder brother, Sidney Chaplin, having joined in 1906. Sidney subsequently recommended his younger brother to the boss, resulting in Charlie Chaplin signing the contract in 1908, a mere two years later. However, it didn't take long for Charlie to surpass his elder brother's achievements.

During the dinner, Monet seized an opportunity to say to Chaplin, "Hello, Mr. Chaplin. I enjoyed your performance in 'The Masked Bird' yesterday. You were splendid!"

"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Monet!" Chaplin replied politely.

"How do you feel about coming to the United States this time?" Monet casually inquired.

"It's been wonderful. Everything here has left me utterly amazed!" Chaplin answered earnestly.

In reality, everything Chaplin said was true. In his memoirs, he once recorded that after his first American tour, upon returning to England, he felt as though he had been exiled. So, when the Jessup Film Company wanted to sign him, he was overjoyed. Despite Jessup being a newly established small company, as long as he could come to the United States, Chaplin wasn't concerned about much else. Of course, this isn't to say that Chaplin wasn't patriotic; he never changed his nationality throughout his life. However, in his later years, the U.S. denied him entry for this reason.

Initially, Monet had wanted to persuade Chaplin to switch to acting in films. However, upon second thought, he realized that advising someone to switch troupes while they were present with their current one could easily lead to getting beaten up.

Thus, the two began chatting about other topics. But, somehow, they drifted into a conversation about Chinese Peking opera. What surprised Monet even more was that Chaplin had actually seen Peking opera and held it in high regard.

This left Monet rather puzzled, so he asked, "Charlie, didn't you say you didn't know Chinese? How did you appreciate Chinese Peking opera?"

"Well, the Peking opera I watched was almost like silent theater. It was entirely conveyed through physical gestures. Uh, it was basically about two people searching for each other and attempting to apprehend the other in a dark room without lights. Uh, what was it called again? I can't quite recall, but it seemed to be a place name," Chaplin explained.

After hearing Chaplin's description, Monet vaguely felt as though he had seen that segment too. He pondered for a moment and then asked, "Are you talking about 'Crossroads'?"

Chaplin nodded repeatedly and answered, "Exactly, 'Crossroads.' Tony, have you seen it too?"

Somewhat guiltily, Monet nodded and replied, "Yes, I've seen it once. It was truly spectacular!" His guilt stemmed from having watched it on television rather than in person.

"Exactly, it was exceptionally thrilling. I was utterly amazed at the time. The control those Chinese actors had over their bodies was incredible. I even suspected they might have trained in ballet. Originally, I thought I could incorporate some of that into my performances, but sadly, I found my body simply couldn't execute those movements!" Chaplin answered with frustration.

After a moment of contemplation, Monet responded, "Actually, those Chinese performers haven't trained in ballet. According to them, they practice a form of body control called Chinese martial arts. However, the martial arts performed on stage and those used in combat are different. Roughly speaking, it's similar to our gymnastics, both aiming for visually appealing movements rather than actual combat effectiveness. But this requires rigorous training from a young age and is quite demanding."

"It seems, Tony, that you know quite a bit about China," Chaplin asked in surprise.

With no other choice, Monet had to pull out the familiar excuse about his "former Chinese girlfriend," which elicited a sigh from Chaplin.