A French brigade specialized in the theft of artwork is investigating today the theft of an honorary Oscar awarded to Charles Chaplin (1889-1977) in 1929 at the first ever Academy Awards.
The award disappeared from the Association Chaplin headquarters in Paris, which protects and manages the work of the British actor and director, according to local press reports.
The trophy, with a value of at least 1 million euros, is 30cm tall and is covered by a 24 carat gold layer.
The robbers also stole a set of pens valued at around 80.000 euros apiece that also belonged to the star of the silent film era, famous for his down-and-out character, The Tramp, and his satirical portrayal of Adolf Hitler in The Great Dictator, his first talking picture.
The preliminary investigations suggest that it was stolen by one or several individuals of a society whose name is not stated, but everything points to the fact that the authors were impeccably informed.
Chaplin, considered one of the great creators in the history of cinema, filmed close to 80 movies in six decades of creativity and ingenuity, as an actor and director. (PL)