Chaplin's home to become museum

SCREEN legend Charlie Chaplin's Swiss retreat is set to become a museum dedicated to his life, with the signing of a deal to purchase the house.

SCREEN legend Charlie Chaplin's Swiss retreat is set to become a museum dedicated to his life, with the signing of a deal to purchase the house yesterday, one of the agreement's backers said.

The house, overlooking Lake Leman, was Chaplin's home for the final 25 years of his life, and will now house a permanent exhibition, a 200-seat cinema, a shop and a restaurant.

Under the sales agreement, the house is to be sold for 35 million Swiss francs ($A35 million) by the Foundation for the Charlie Chaplin Museum to investors from Luxembourg, enabling the residence to be turned into a tourist attraction, promoter Philippe Meylan said.

After Chaplin's death on Christmas day 1977, Eugene, one of his sons, lived in the home at Corsier-sur-Vevey until last year.

Recently 8,000 tourists flocked to the house when it was open to the public for the first time ever - and only for one day.

The sale still has to be approved by the local Swiss authorities, who have the power of veto over sales of buildings to foreigners.