Chaplin’s World

He’s standing right in front of you. Friendly, smiling, facetious, with that eternal twinkle in his eye. Almost alive. As soon as you arrive at the majestic Manoir de Ban, Charlie greets you. He’s the host of these superb premises, called Chaplin’s World, set in the middle of a 4-hectare park hemming in the shores of Lake Geneva. In his final resting place, he is everywhere. The walls of the house exude his presence, his intellectual vivacity and his boundless sense of humor. Charlie in private, Charlie in Hollywood, Charlie in the city, Charlie on stage… In the Kid’s house, the life and work of the man and artist are revealed through the lens of laughter and entertainment.

Developed and staged in partnership with Grévin, Chaplin’s World invites visitors on a magical, dreamlike and laugh-out-loud journey into the world of this genius actor, director, screenwriter and composer. Through his furniture, personal objects and family photos, a real film studio, movie sets and an editing room, Chaplin reveals all his facets, immersing visitors in his intimate and public universe. You’ll meet the Wanderer and the Kid, Oona, his wife, his many children and his famous friends.

Punctuated by life-like wax figures, the visit to Ban Manor continues in the garden where, when they were alone, Charlie and Oona liked to have lunch, under a different tree each time. Here, too, Charlie’s legendary spirit invites reverie. In this enchanting setting, you’ll find yourself smiling…

CHAPLIN’S WORLD
Route de Fenil 2
1804 Corsier Sur Vevey
www.chaplinsworld.com

Three questions for Jean-Pierre Pigeon, director of Chaplin’s World

How did the idea for Chaplin’s World come about?

It all began in the 2000s when Eugène and Michael, two of Charlie’s children, decided to leave the Manoir de Ban. The news reached the ears of entrepreneur and architect Philippe Meylan, who decided that such a heritage could not be left in private hands. People have always been very curious about Charlie Chaplin, there’s always been a real attraction, a desire to see something other than the Vevey cemetery where he lies.Together with Yves Durand, a museographer with a passion for cinema and Chaplin, they carried the project at arm’s length for 16 years, until Chaplin’s World opened in April 2016.

Were the Chaplin family involved in the project?

Without the Chaplin family, there would be no museum. Charlie created companies to protect his copyright. Today, the heirs control all these brands, so everything we’ve done has been subject to the family’s approval. Everything here bears the seal of his descendants. At the inauguration, 24 members of the family were present.

What do you hope to convey through this museum?

We certainly didn’t want it to be a mausoleum. Instead, we wanted it to be a lively place for the whole family, where you can laugh every 30 seconds. Charlie Chaplin conveys beautiful values, both in the first and second degree. He’s a unanimous intellectual figure who represents hyper-contemporary humanism. The word museum isn’t really appropriate. Here, you come home, dress up, put on hats, wander around the mansion, touch the material. Everywhere, Charlie is there, magical, alive.