One is known for his deadpan genius as the star and auteur of such silent-film triumphs as “The Navigator,” “Sherlock Jr.” and “The General.” The other is remembered, if at all, for a scandal that ...

The man is bantam thin, and he enters the store carrying a metal bucket. The expression on his face is a mix of naiveté and determination. He is wearing a flat porkpie hat which, in a few years, will ...