Skip to Main Content

Chaplin Studio.

Charlie Chaplin's 1918 Footprints in Cement

Field review by the editors.

Hollywood, California

On January 21, 1918, silent film star Charlie Chaplin opened his new movie studio by writing his name and the date in a slab of wet cement, then walking across it in his comically oversized slap shoes. In 1960 the studio was bought by comedian Red Skelton, who dug up the slab and moved it to his Palm Springs home. Six years later music producer Herb Alpert bought the studio, and the slab returned.

Now the studio is owned by the Jim Henson Company, and the slab has a place of honor next to the entrance gate, leading to a door with a life-size painted image of Chaplin.

The slab seems remarkably well-preserved for a chunk of cement that's so old, but this is Hollywood -- where celebrities never age, and apparently neither do their footprints.

But wait! Tinseltown trickery! According to tipster Gary Helsinger: "The signature and footprints of Chaplin at Henson Studios are actually a reproduction. Red Skelton's widow donated the original cement slabs to his alma mater, Vincennes University in Indiana, and they are on display at the Red Skelton Museum there."

Charlie Chaplin's 1918 Footprints in Cement

The Jim Henson Company

Address:
1416 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood, CA
Directions:
The Jim Henson Company. On N. La Brea Ave., north of DeLongpre Ave., on the east side of street. Just to the right of the main gate of the Jim Henson Studios, beneath a large Kermit the Frog on the roof.
Admission:
Free
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Kermit the Frog StatueKermit the Frog Statue, Hollywood, CA - < 1 mi.
Charlie Chaplin CottagesCharlie Chaplin Cottages, Los Angeles, CA - < 1 mi.
Hollywood Goddess GazeboHollywood Goddess Gazebo, Hollywood, CA - < 1 mi.
In the region:
Big Hat From Former Brown Derby, Los Angeles, CA - 4 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in California

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in California.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

California Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings