Mo Rothman
Encyclopedia
Moses "Mo" Rothman was a Canadian
-born, American
studio executive who persuaded Charlie Chaplin
to return to the United States in 1972, ending Chaplin's twenty year, self-imposed exile. Chaplin's return to the United States restored his popularity and public reputation.
Jeffrey Vance, author of the 2003 Chaplin biography
, Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema, wrote that Chaplin's 1972 return to the United States, which was arranged by Rothman, was "one of the greatest P.R.
coups, and personal rehabilitations" in the history of the film industry
. Vance further wrote that, "Rothman is the guy who re-made Chaplin."
, Quebec
, Canada
, on January 14, 1919, to Meyer and Molly Rotman. Rothman was one of his parents four children. His father worked as a kosher butcher. Rothman would later change his name from Moses to Mo once he entered the work force.
Rothman served in the Royal Canadian Air Force
during World War II
, stationed in Dublin, Ireland
. While in Ireland, Rothman began to meet Americans who worked in the film industry
, who invited him to New York City to work in entertainment after the war
Rothman took their advice and moved to New York City after the end of the war. Rothman worked for Universal Pictures
from 1946 to 1952 as an overseas manager in India
, Singapore
and Venezuela
. In 1952, Rothman joined United Artists
' office in Paris, France, as the studio's continental European
manager, where he worked from 1952 to 1959.
Rothman was hired by Columbia Pictures
in 1960 as the CEO of Columbia's international division. He rose to become Columbia Pictures' vice president for worldwide marketing. Rothman also served as Columbia Pictures representative to director Stanley Kubrick
during the production of his 1964 film, Dr. Strangelove. He retired from Columbia Pictures in 1971 to focus on the distribution of Charlie Chaplin's film library.
, D. W. Griffith
and Douglas Fairbanks
. By the early 1950s, Chaplin's star had dimmed due to perceived Communist sympathies and scandals involving his two previous, early marriages to sixteen-year old girls. Chaplin, though a British citizen, had lived in the United States for forty years, but his political affiliations made him a subject of suspicion during the McCarthy Era.
In 1952, Chaplin traveled to his native United Kingdom
to promote the London
premiere of Limelight, the last film he made in the United States. While abroad, United States Attorney General
James P. McGranery
revoked Chaplin's re-entry permit and would not allow him to return to the United States. Chaplin moved to Switzerland
in 1952, and swore never to return to the United States. Chaplin owned and retained the rights to most of his movies, which he took with him to Switzerland.
Rothman's relationship to Chaplin stretched back to the 1950s, when he first met Chaplin while working as United Artists' European manager. In early 1971, a group of investors, led by Rothman, paid Chaplin $6 million dollars, plus 50% royalties, for the distribution rights
to some of his best known movies, including The Great Dictator
, Limelight, City Lights
, The Gold Rush
and Modern Times
. Rothman left his job as vice president of worldwide marketing for Columbia Pictures in 1971 to lead the investors and handle the distribution of Chaplin's films on a full-time basis.
Rothman successfully persuaded Chaplin, who was 83-years old at the time, to return to the United States in order to promote the re-release of his film catalog. Chaplin was hesitant, but agreed to Rothman's offer. Charlie Chaplin, accompanied by both his wife, Oona, and Mo Rothman, arrived in New York City on April 2, 1972. Chaplin attended a tribute to his films held by the Film Society of Lincoln Center
in New York. He was further awarded the honorary Academy Award one week later.
The visit, orchestrated by Rothman, restored Chaplin's popularity and reputation. At the time, the New York Times noted Rothmam's extensive involvement with the visit describing Rothman as "abrupt and ingratiating five times in three minutes” — as a kind of performance in its own right, evoking the manner of "the Hollywood tycoon of the 1930s." Chaplin's daughter, Geraldine Chaplin
, later wrote that Rothman was the "brave and clever reviver of Charlie Chaplin worldwide."
Chaplin died in 1977, his popularity restored. Rothman continued to release his films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During the mid-1980s, Rothman loaned the now defunct United States Information Agency
twelve of Chaplin's films, which were screened at American embassies worldwide as an example of American film and art.
for his contributions to Italian cinema. He served as a jury member for both the Venice Film Festival
and the Cannes Film Festival
in 1985.
Rothman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease later in life. In 2001, his wife, Lyn Rothman, spurred on by her husband's diagnosis, founded the Parkinson’s Appeal for Deep Brain Stimulation, based in London.
Mo Rothman died from Parkinson's disease
in Los Angeles
on September 15, 2011, at the age 92. He was survived by his wife, Lyn Rothmam, whom he had been married to for 37 years; three children from his previous marriage - Keith, Nicole and Monique; two stepchildren, Sebastian and Arabella; and seven grandchildren. He was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
in Los Angeles.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-born, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
studio executive who persuaded Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
to return to the United States in 1972, ending Chaplin's twenty year, self-imposed exile. Chaplin's return to the United States restored his popularity and public reputation.
Jeffrey Vance, author of the 2003 Chaplin biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
, Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema, wrote that Chaplin's 1972 return to the United States, which was arranged by Rothman, was "one of the greatest P.R.
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
coups, and personal rehabilitations" in the history of the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
. Vance further wrote that, "Rothman is the guy who re-made Chaplin."
Career
Rothman was born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on January 14, 1919, to Meyer and Molly Rotman. Rothman was one of his parents four children. His father worked as a kosher butcher. Rothman would later change his name from Moses to Mo once he entered the work force.
Rothman served in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, stationed in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. While in Ireland, Rothman began to meet Americans who worked in the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
, who invited him to New York City to work in entertainment after the war
Rothman took their advice and moved to New York City after the end of the war. Rothman worked for Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
from 1946 to 1952 as an overseas manager in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. In 1952, Rothman joined United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
' office in Paris, France, as the studio's continental European
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
manager, where he worked from 1952 to 1959.
Rothman was hired by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in 1960 as the CEO of Columbia's international division. He rose to become Columbia Pictures' vice president for worldwide marketing. Rothman also served as Columbia Pictures representative to director Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
during the production of his 1964 film, Dr. Strangelove. He retired from Columbia Pictures in 1971 to focus on the distribution of Charlie Chaplin's film library.
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin, one of Hollywood's best known figures, had founded United Artists with Mary PickfordMary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
and Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
. By the early 1950s, Chaplin's star had dimmed due to perceived Communist sympathies and scandals involving his two previous, early marriages to sixteen-year old girls. Chaplin, though a British citizen, had lived in the United States for forty years, but his political affiliations made him a subject of suspicion during the McCarthy Era.
In 1952, Chaplin traveled to his native United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to promote the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
premiere of Limelight, the last film he made in the United States. While abroad, United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
James P. McGranery
James P. McGranery
James Patrick McGranery was an American lawyer and politician.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, he served in World War I as an observation balloon pilot with the United States Army Air Service, and as an adjutant in the One Hundred and Eleventh Infantry...
revoked Chaplin's re-entry permit and would not allow him to return to the United States. Chaplin moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1952, and swore never to return to the United States. Chaplin owned and retained the rights to most of his movies, which he took with him to Switzerland.
Rothman's relationship to Chaplin stretched back to the 1950s, when he first met Chaplin while working as United Artists' European manager. In early 1971, a group of investors, led by Rothman, paid Chaplin $6 million dollars, plus 50% royalties, for the distribution rights
Film distribution
The distribution of a film is the process through which a movie is made available to watch for an audience by a film distributor...
to some of his best known movies, including The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator is a comedy film by Charlie Chaplin released in October 1940. Like most Chaplin films, he wrote, produced, and directed, in addition to starring as the lead. Having been the only Hollywood film maker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was...
, Limelight, City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
, The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush is a 1925 silent film comedy written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin in his Little Tramp role. The film also stars Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite....
and Modern Times
Modern Times (film)
Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by Charlie Chaplin that has his iconic Little Tramp character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great Depression, conditions created, in...
. Rothman left his job as vice president of worldwide marketing for Columbia Pictures in 1971 to lead the investors and handle the distribution of Chaplin's films on a full-time basis.
Rothman successfully persuaded Chaplin, who was 83-years old at the time, to return to the United States in order to promote the re-release of his film catalog. Chaplin was hesitant, but agreed to Rothman's offer. Charlie Chaplin, accompanied by both his wife, Oona, and Mo Rothman, arrived in New York City on April 2, 1972. Chaplin attended a tribute to his films held by the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Film Society of Lincoln Center
The Film Society of Lincoln Center based in New York City, United States, is one of the world's most prominent film presentation organizations. Founded in 1969 by three Lincoln Center executives - William F. May, Martin E. Segal and Schuyler G...
in New York. He was further awarded the honorary Academy Award one week later.
The visit, orchestrated by Rothman, restored Chaplin's popularity and reputation. At the time, the New York Times noted Rothmam's extensive involvement with the visit describing Rothman as "abrupt and ingratiating five times in three minutes” — as a kind of performance in its own right, evoking the manner of "the Hollywood tycoon of the 1930s." Chaplin's daughter, Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
, later wrote that Rothman was the "brave and clever reviver of Charlie Chaplin worldwide."
Chaplin died in 1977, his popularity restored. Rothman continued to release his films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During the mid-1980s, Rothman loaned the now defunct United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
twelve of Chaplin's films, which were screened at American embassies worldwide as an example of American film and art.
Later life
In 1982, Rothman was the recipient of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
for his contributions to Italian cinema. He served as a jury member for both the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 1985.
Rothman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease later in life. In 2001, his wife, Lyn Rothman, spurred on by her husband's diagnosis, founded the Parkinson’s Appeal for Deep Brain Stimulation, based in London.
Mo Rothman died from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on September 15, 2011, at the age 92. He was survived by his wife, Lyn Rothmam, whom he had been married to for 37 years; three children from his previous marriage - Keith, Nicole and Monique; two stepchildren, Sebastian and Arabella; and seven grandchildren. He was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. The original cemetery is located at 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. The cemetery was originally established in 1953 by the neighboring Forest...
in Los Angeles.