Journalists gagged at silent film photocall

Media gathered today at a photocall for the personal movie camera that was used by silent screen legend, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), and were asked to limit their communication to exaggerated facial expressions, over the top gestures, and the occasional prat fall.

Publicists managing the photocall on behalf of Christies, who will offer the camera for auction, maintained a strict silence throughout, though this inevitably damaged the publicity effort beyond repair.

The Keystone Cops of publicity stopped journalists from asking vital questions and TV presenters from speaking to camera. They also vetoed photographers’ cameras which made “clicks, whirrs, and bleeps” that were “more in keeping with the Star Wars era than Charlie Chaplin’s”.

To police their strict, silence rules, the publicists kicked journalists on the seat of their pants, knocked their hats off, tweaked their noses, and punctuated such episodes with comedy horn squeaks. A soundtrack of 1920’s style music played in the background, whilst black and white cue cards were periodically introduced to introduce the photocall’s next set-piece.