Charles Chaplin / Charlie Chaplin

Birth name : Charles Spencer Chaplin

Nickname : Charlie, Charlot, The Little Tramp

Height : 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini biography

Charles Chaplin's parents, Charles and Hannah Chaplin, were music hall entertainers. His first stage appearance, at age five, was singing a song in place of his mother who had become ill. At eight he toured in a musical, "The Eight Lancaster Lads". Nearly 11, he appeared in "Giddy Ostende" at London's Hippodrome. From age 17 to 24 he was with Fred Karno's English vaudeville troupe, which brought him to New York in 1910, aged 21. In November of 1913 he signed a contract with Mack Sennett at Keystone and left for Hollywood the next month. His first movie, Making a Living (1914), premiered in February of 1914. He made 35 films that year, moved to Essanay in 1915 and did 14 more, then jumped over to Mutual for 12 two-reelers in 1916 and 19177. In 1918 he joined First National (later absorbed by Warner Bros.) and in 1919 formed United Artists along with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith. His first full-length film was The Kid (1921); his first for UA, which he produced and directed himself, was A Woman of Paris (1923). In 1929 he won a special award "for versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing The Circus (1928) at the first Oscar awards. In 1943 he was accused of fathering a child; the papers made much of the scandal, but he was proven in a court trial not to be the father. The same year he entered his fourth marriage, to Oona Chaplin, daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill. They had eight children. Tired of political and moralistic controversies and plagued with tax problems, he left the United States for Switzerland in 1952. He published his memoirs in 1964. In 1972 he returned to Hollywood to claim a special Oscar honoring his lifetime contributions to movies. He was named Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1975. He died in his sleep from old age.

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England on 16 April 1889. In 1908 he joined Fred Karno's touring stage company with his brother Sydney; Stan Laurel was also a member of the same company. In 1912 the troupe went to perform in America, and Chaplin decided to stay. The following year, producer Mack Sennett saw him perform and decided to take him on at the Keystone Studio, which already boasted such names as Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, the Keystone Kops and Mack Swain. However, Chaplin moved on to become an even a bigger star than any of the above legendary names, making a staggering 35 pictures in one year alone.

His first movie was Making a Living (1914); however, his next film, Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914), was destined to change his entire career. This picture saw him wearing baggy pants borrowed from Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, size 14 shoes belonging to Ford Sterling (and worn upside down to keep them from falling off), a tiny jacket from Keystone Kop Charles Avery, a bowler hat belonging to Arbuckle's father-in-law and Mack Swain's moustache trimmed down to toothbrush size.

From 1915 onwards Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, scored and, of course, starred in all his movies. He joined the Essanay Company the following year and in 1917, The Immigrant (1917) and Easy Street (1917) were both released. In 1918 he and his brother opened their own studio in Los Angeles, and in 1919 he teamed up with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith to form a joint venture they named United Artists, for production of their own films. However, Chaplin did not make a film for the company until 1923 when A Woman of Paris (1923) was released; this was followed in 1925 by the classic The Gold Rush (1925) and in 1927 by The Circus (1928), for which he received an Academy Award.

For the premiere of City Lights (1931), Chaplin traveled to London, and stayed there until 1932 before returning to the U.S. His next film was Modern Times (1936), which proved to be one of his greatest successes, followed four years later by The Great Dictator (1940), which was an indictment of the Nazi regime. Chaplin played a dual role, as a Jewish barber who fought in World War I and as the evil Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania. In 1945 he started working on a new picture, Monsieur Verdoux (1947), which was based on an idea from Orson Welles; he is thus credited in the film. In 1952 he released what is probably his best-known "talkie", Limelight (1952), which also featured his longtime friend, Buster Keaton.

That same year he was found himself swept up in the anti-Communist hysteria known as the McCarthy Era that was engulfing the U.S., and found himself accused by U.S. authorities of having Communist tendencies. Outraged and depressed, he left the U.S. for Switzerland. During his absence from the States he made two more films, A King in New York (1957), released in America 20 years later, and his final film A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), which starred Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren. This last film proved to be Chaplin's only failure and was a box-office flop.

In 1969 Chaplin began new scores for a number of his films, including "The Kid" and "The Circus". He also planned to make a film called "The Freak" with his daughter Victoria Chaplin in the lead role, wearing the wings her father had worn 50 years earlier in "The Kid". However, by this time Chaplin was already into his 80s, and he retired to live in Vevey, Switzerland.

In 1975 he was knighted by the queen. He died in his sleep on Christmas Day, 1977.

Charlie Chaplin, considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular "Little Tramp" character; the man with the toothbrush mustache, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and a funny walk.

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in Walworth, London, England on April 26th, 1889 to Charles and Hannah (Hill) Chaplin, both music hall performers, who were married on June 22nd, 1885. After Charles Sr. separated from Hannah to perform in New York City, Hannah then tried to resurrect her stage career. Unfortunately, her singing voice had a tendency to break at unexpected moments. When this happened, the stage manager spotted young Charlie standing in the wings and led him on stage, where five-year-old Charlie began to sing a popular tune. Charlie and his half-brother, Syd Chaplin (born Sydney Hawkes), spent their lives in and out of charity homes and workhouses between their mother's bouts of insanity. Hannah was committed to Cane Hill Asylum in May of 1903 and lived there until 1921, when Chaplin moved her to California.

Chaplin began his official acting career at the age of eight, touring with The Eight Lancashire Lads. At 18 he began touring with Fred Karno's vaudeville troupe, joining them on the troupe's 1910 US tour. He traveled west to California in December 1913 and signed on with Keystone Studios' popular comedy director Mack Sennett, who had seen Chaplin perform on stage in New York. Charlie soon wrote his brother Syd, asking him to become his manager. While at Keystone, Chaplin appeared in and directed 35 films, starring as the Little Tramp in nearly all. In November 1914 he left Keystone and signed on at Essanay, where he made 15 films. In 1916, he signed on at Mutual and made 12 films. In June 1917 Chaplin signed up with First National Studios, after which he built Chaplin Studios. In 1919 he and Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists (UA).

Chaplin's life and career was full of scandal and controversy. His first big scandal was during World War I, during which time his loyalty to England, his home country, was questioned. He had never applied for US citizenship, but claimed that he was a "paying visitor" to the United States. Many British citizens called Chaplin a coward and a slacker. This and his other career eccentricities sparked suspicion with FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover and the House Un-American Activities Council (HUAC), who believed that he was injecting Communist propaganda into his films. Chaplin's later film The Great Dictator (1940), which was his first "talkie", also created a stir. In the film Chaplin plays a humorous caricature of Adolf Hitler. Some thought the film was poorly done and in bad taste. However, it grossed over $5 million and earned five Academy Award Nominations.

Another scandal occurred when Chaplin briefly dated 22-year-old Joan Barry. However, Chaplin's relationship with Barry came to an end in 1942, after a series of harassing actions from her. In May of 1943 Barry returned to inform Chaplin that she was pregnant, and filed a paternity suit, claiming that the unborn child was his. During the 1944 trial blood tests proved that Chaplin was not the father, but at the time blood tests were inadmissible evidence and he was ordered to pay $75 a week until the child turned 21. Chaplin was also scrutinized for his support in aiding the Russian struggle against the invading Nazis during World War II, and the U.S. government questioned his moral and political views, suspecting him of having Communist ties. For this reason HUAC subpoenaed him in 1947. However, HUAC finally decided that it was no longer necessary for him to appear for testimony. Conversely, when Chaplin and his family traveled to London for the premier of _Limelight (1952)_ , he was denied re-entry to the United States. In reality, the government had almost no evidence to prove that he was a threat to national security. He and his wife decided, instead, to settle in Switzerland.

Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. In 1918 he wed Mildred Harris, they had a son together, Norman Spencer Chaplin, who only lived three days. Chaplin and Mildred were divorced in 1920. He married Lita Grey in 1924, who had two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin. They were divorced in 1927. In 1936, Chaplin married Paulette Goddard and his final marriage was to Oona O'Neill (Oona Chaplin), daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1943. Oona gave birth to eight children: Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Eugene, Jane, Annette-Emilie and Christopher Chaplin.

In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.

In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland. In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.

Spouse

Oona Chaplin (16 June 1943 - 25 December 1977) (his death) 8 children Paulette Goddard (June 1936 - June 1942) (divorced) Lita Grey (26 November 1924 - 25 August 1928) (divorced) 2 children Mildred Harris (23 October 1918 - 1920) (divorced) 1 child

Trade mark

A tramp with toothbrush mustache, undersized bowler hat and bamboo cane who struggled to survive while keeping his dignity in a world with great social injustice.

Trivia

Destroyed the original negative of Sea Gull, The (1933) before a number of witnesses. The film never saw release, possibly because he was dismayed by the poor performance of his lead actress, Edna Purviance.

Grandfather of Dolores Chaplin and Carmen Chaplin.

Long after becoming a millionaire, he continued to live in a shabby hotel room, and kept his studio checks in a trunk for months.

He thought his period with Mutual was the most consistently pleasant period in his career, although he felt that the plots of the films were too formualic for his taste.

Ranked #79 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

He was 29 years old when he wed Mildred Harris; she was 17.

He was 35 years old when he wed Lita Grey; Lita was 16.

He was 47 years old when he wed Paulette Goddard; Paulette was 26.

He was 54 years old when he wed Oona O'Neill (Oona Chaplin); Oona was 18.

On 3 March 1978 his dead body was stolen from the Corsier-Sur-Vevey cemetery. It took until 18 May when the police found it.

His Beverly Hills residence was known as "Breakaway House". Designed by Chaplin himself and built by studio carpenters, it began falling to bits over the years, much to the amusement of visitors. Built on Summit Drive in the Pickfair neighborhood, the house boasted a pipe organ Chaplin continually used to entertain his guests in the great hall; he also screened his films there. His tennis court was a hive of activity; even the elusive Greta Garbo was a frequent player. He seems to have been an inspiring host; many of his guests joined in with his antics, and reflected that they had never been so funny before or since -- it was the influence of Chaplin.

Half-brother of Syd Chaplin

Father of Charles Chaplin Jr.

Father of Sydney Chaplin

Father, with Oona Chaplin, of Geraldine Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, Christopher Chaplin, Jane, Eugene, Michael Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, and Annette-Emilie.

He was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Council (HUAC) in September of 1947, but his appearance was postponed three times, and he never appeared. He sent HUAC a telegram stating "I am not a Communist, neither have I ever joined any political party or organization in my life". HUAC determined that it was no longer needed for him to appear.

Knighted in 1975.

In her book, "Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin", Joyce Milton asserts that Vladimir Nabokov's controversial classic, "Lolita", was inspired by Chaplin's relationship with Lita Grey. On the 100th anniversary of Charlie Chaplin's birth, celebrations were held in Corsier and Vevey, Switzerland, where he last lived. For the occasion, 100 children from the region performed a choreography dressed up as little tramps.

Interred at Corsier-Sur-Vevey Cemetery, Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland.

A much-repeated story claims that he once entered a Charlie Chaplin-look-a-like-contest and finished third! In some versions of the story, he came in second.

Stan Laurel was his understudy on the English stage.

When both Stan Laurel and Chaplin moved to America they shared a room in a boarding house.

Cooking was not allowed in the boarding house where Stan Laurel and Chaplin stayed, so he would play the violin to cover up the sound of Laurel frying up food on a hot plate.

Invented his tramp costume with the help of 'Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle' 's pants. Arbuckle's father-in-law's derby, Chester Conklin's cutaway, Ford Sterling's size-14 shoes, and some crepe paper belonging to Mack Swain (which became the tramp's mustache). The only item that actually belonged to Chaplin was the whangee cane.

His bowler and cane was sold for $150,000 in 1987

He was the first actor to appear on the cover of "Time" magazine, (July 6, 1925).

He was also the first actor to have a comic strip about him; Ed Carey's 1916 strip, "Pa's Imported Son-in-Law", detailed the adventures of Chaplin.

After his body was recovered from grave robbers, Chaplin was reburied in a vault surrounded by cement.

Pictured (as Charlie Chaplin) on one of ten 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating stars of the silent screen, issued 27 April 1994. Designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, this set of stamps also honored Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Zasu Pitts, Harold Lloyd, Theda Bara, Buster Keaton, and the Keystone Kops.

Pictured on one of fifteen 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, issued 3 February 1998, celebrating the 1910s.

In Spain he had a different dubbing actor in each of his sound films. They were: Ricardo Solans (The Great Dictator (1940)), Félix Acaso (Limelight (1952)) and Joaquín Díaz (A King in New York (1957)). The dubbing actor of Monsieur Verdoux (1947) is, at this time, unknown.

Father-in-law of Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée.

Son-in-law of Eugene O'Neill.

Grandfather of James Thiérrée.

Most people (now and during his lifetime) believe that Chaplin had brown eyes because they had only seen him in black and white with black eye makeup on. It fact they were very blue. Chaplin remarked in his autobiography that people meeting him for the first time were always struck by his blue eyes. And his future wife Oona Chaplin wrote "Just met Charlie Chaplin. What blue eyes he has!" to a girlhood friend in 1942.

Was an accomplished musician who, in his later years, often reissued his silent films with scores he had composed himself.

His handprints, footprints and signature were immortalized in cement at Grauman's (now Mann's) Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, but after his fall from grace with the Americans because of his political views, the section of cement was removed from public view. It cannot be located and is now feared lost.

Half brother of Wheeler Dryden.

His mother, Hannah Smith Chaplin, was Romanichal (English Gypsy).

Grandfather of actress Kiera Chaplin.

Grandfather of Aurélia Thiérrée.

Although Adolf Hitler was not at all a fan - in fact he had been misinformed that Charlie was Jewish, and therefore despised him - he was also well aware of how beloved Charlie was throughout the world at that time, and that was the reason he grew the Chaplin moustache: he thought it would endear him to the people. (Source: The Tramp and the Dictator)

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 99-102. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

As a child he was confined to a bed for weeks due to a serious illness. At night his mother would sit at the window and act out what was going on outside. This was a major reason Chaplin became a comedian.

When Chaplin arrived in the U.S. with the Fred Karno troupe on Oct. 2, 1912, in his second trip to America, according to Ellis Island immigration records he had $45 in his pocket. He listed his half-brother, Sydney, as his next of kin even though his mother was still alive. Sailing with him was fellow Karno troupe member Arthur Stanley Jefferson - later to be known as Stan Laurel.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 115-124. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

Did not receive screen credit on the many comedies he made for Keystone in 1914-15, as it was studio policy not to credit its actors (any Keystone film that credits Chaplin is a reissue print). His first screen credit appeared on His New Job (1915), his first film for Essanay.

Called Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925) his favorite movie.

He was voted the 9th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Is mentioned in the song called "Facts of life" from 2004.

Was 73 years old when his youngest son, Christopher, was born.

Received an Honorary Oscar the The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972) (TV), when for the only time in the awards' televised history, the Best Picture Award was not given last. Instead, that moment was chosen to present the award to him. He appeared on stage blowing kisses to the Hollywood audience with tears running down his face while he received a long standing ovation. Ironically, he won another Oscar the following year.

He and Buster Keaton had an interesting relationship. Long considered rivals but always having avoided commenting about each other in the press, Chaplin hired Keaton for a part in Limelight (1952). Keaton, who was flat broke at the time, went into a career decline after having been signed by MGM in 1928, as the studio would not let him improvise in any of his films nor allow him any writing or directorial input, and he was eventually reduced to writing gags--often uncredited--for other comedians' films. In one scene, Chaplin's character was dying. While the camera was fading away, Keaton was muttering to Chaplin without moving his lips, "That's it, good, wait, don't move, wait, good, ahh, we're through." In his autobiography Keaton called Chaplin "the greatest silent comedian of all time."

At the Golden Camera Awards 2005 in Berlin, Geraldine Chaplin told in a moving speech honoring Jerry Lewis about the last time she saw her father alive. He watched a movie of Lewis on television screaming "He`s funny, that bastard!".

Named the #10 Greatest Actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute

In all his years of living and working in the United States he never became a U.S. citizen.

He was the uncle of Spencer Dryden, drummer for the 60's rock band, Jefferson Airplane.

Personal quotes "All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl"

[Returning to Los Angeles after a 20-year self-imposed exile to accept his honorary Oscar in 1971] "Thank you so much. This is an emotional moment for me and words seem so futile, so feeble... I can only say that... thank you for the honor of inviting me here and... oh... you're wonderful, sweet people. Thank you."

"I like friends as I like music, when I am in the mood. To help a friend in need is easy, but to give him your time is not always opportune." END

"The minute you bought your ticket you were in another world."

"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician."

"The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury."

(On being informed that Hitler sat through two screenings of "The Great Dictator") "I'd give anything to know what he thought of it."

I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if Jesus Christ was President.

Answering the bad critics he got on his last movie A Countess From Hong Kong: "If they don't like it, they are bloody idiots. A diplomat falls in love with a prostitute - what better story can they get than that?"

"The summation of my character [The Tramp] is that I care about my work. I care about everything I do. If I could do something else better, I would do it, but I can't."

Salary

Caught in the Rain (1914) $150/week Twenty Minutes of Love (1914) $150/week Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914) $150/week Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) $150/week Making a Living (1914) $150/week

Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia: He has been called the single most in- fluential artist in the history of motion pictures; certainly no other movie star enjoyed the international, iconographic status he attained early in the silent era and maintained well past the coming of sound. And certainly no other creative talent did as much as he to elevate screen comedy to a high art. Perhaps most significant, though, is the fact that he helped make the motion picture a medium of emotional expression, taking it forever out of the category of a mere flickering novelty.

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born to British music-hall entertainers who had skirted around the edges of prosperity without ever achieving it. His parents separated when he was only a year old, and he stayed with his mother, whose stage career dissipated as he got older. Chaplin's father died a hopeless alcoholic, and his mother's increasingly fragile health and tenuous mental state forced him and older half-brother Sydney to work for their suppers. Already steeped in show-business traditions, he did some childhood hoofing and occasionally acted on the legitimate stage. At the age of 17 he joined the music hall troupe of impresario Fred Karno, with whom he honed his pantomimic skills.

While touring with Karno in America in 1912, Chaplin-whose comic drunk was the highlight of the troupe's show-was seen by Mack Sennett, the godfather of movie comedy, who hired him away to appear in moving pictures. He debuted on screen in Making a Living (1914), all but unrecognizable in top hat, frock coat, and mustache. Kid Auto Races at Venice (also 1914) saw him wearing a derby hat and droopy trousers, and brandishing a cane; it was the first appearance of what would come to be known as "the Little Tramp," a character Chaplin continued to refine in his short-subject appearances during a year-long tenure with Sennett's Keystone company.

He began directing with his 13th film, Caught in the Rain (also 1914), and gradually moved away from the simple slapstick frenetics of the Keystones. Already a familiar face to moviegoers, and an increasingly valuable property to Sennett, Chaplin felt he was worth more than the $175 a week he was getting paid, and in 1915 signed with Essanay (another pioneering film company) for $1,250 a week with bonuses. He maintained complete creative control over his short subjects, and during the Essanay period evolved the Tramp character further, adding the little subtleties and the touch of pathos for which he became famous worldwide. The Tramp was truly an Everyman for international audiences, all of whom could easily identify with the downtrodden little fellow whose eternal optimism in the face of adversity inspired them all. It was The Tramp (1915) that gave audiences their first glimpse of a Chaplin trademark: the final shot of the little fellow, alone, shuffling away from the camera down a long, barren stretch of road.

In 1916 Chaplin moved operations to Mutual. By now he commanded a weekly salary of $10,000 (with bonuses adding up to $150,000), enjoyed creative autonomy, and was given a month to produce each of his two-reel comedies-in an era when most were cranked out in a few days. With his characterization set, he applied himself to crafting his films with painstaking precision, often improvising and rehearsing for days to get a sequence that might last only a minute or less. His skill at pantomime and his athletic flair for expressive physical comedy manifested themselves in set pieces that were choreographed like dance routines with splitsecond timing. Easy Street, The Rink, The Cure and The Immigrant are just a few of the brilliant comedies Chaplin made during his stay at Mutual in 1916-17.

First National beckoned him with a million-dollar contract in 1918, demanding only a minimal output (initially eight two-reelers per year) but anticipating the same huge worldwide profits that had come to be expected of his films. A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms (both 1918), and The Kid (1921, his first feature film) are among his best efforts for First National. As well compensated as he was, though, Chaplin longed for the total freedom and security of his own company. In 1919 he cofounded, along with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and D. W. Griffith, the United Artists Corporation, through which the four cinematic giants would release their subsequent product. When Chaplin's contract with First National ran out, he made films exclusively for UA distribution, never again returning to the shackles of a studio contract.

He directed his first United Artists release, the sophisticated A Woman of Paris (1923), which starred his former leading lady Edna Purviance and Adolphe Menjou; Chaplin himself took only a brief cameo. The film flopped badly, and a chastened Chaplin returned to the security of his Little Tramp for The Gold Rush (1925), one of his enduring masterpieces, still an often-revived favorite from the silent era. It exuded the great attention to detail, both in setting and performance, that would become a Chaplin hallmark even as it reduced his output. Fully three years elapsed between it and The Circus (1928), another fine comedy, for which he was awarded a special Oscar at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1928.

Chaplin had by this time already been the recipient of unwanted controversy. Although he campaigned vigorously for the sale of U.S. War Bonds during World War 1, he was castigated for not returning to his homeland to join the Armed Forces (actually, a medical problem kept him out of uniform). His penchant for younger women found him marrying two 16-yearolds, Mildred Harris (an actress from whom he was divorced after two years) and Lita Grey (who bore him two sons and won a million-dollar divorce settlement after three years), a 19-year-old starlet, Paulette Goddard (from whom he was divorced in 1942), and finally, 18-year-old Oona O'Neill (the daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill). All these liaisons generated reams of unwelcome publicity.

In 1928, the talking-picture revolution threw the entire movie industry into turmoil, but Chaplin dealt with sound in his own unique way: He simply ignored it. He reckoned, correctly, that sound would ruin the simple appeal of his Tramp character, and hurl the pathetic little figure into a world more real (and certainly more coarse) than the stylized fantasy milieu he then inhabited. City Lights (1931), his next and arguably greatest picture, made certain concessions: It sported a fully orchestrated musical score-composed, for the most part, by Chaplin himself-and used sound effects sparingly, and to clever effect. The story itself concerned the Tramp's efforts to help the blind girl he loved hopelessly, and the final scene-in which, having had her sight restored through his efforts, the girl first sees that her benefactor is a shabby little wretchstill brings sobs to the throats of audiences with its exquisite poignancy.

Modern Times (1936) saw Chaplin flouting convention yet again by delivering to moviegoers another silent film. Another masterwork, it costarred Paulette Goddard, the former chorus girl whom he married in 1933. A brilliant commentary on the insanity of a rapid-paced, highly industrialized (and, in Chaplin's view, dehumanized) society, it delighted audiences with richly orchestrated comic set pieces. Unfortunately, its apparent anticapitalist overtones would come back to haunt the filmmaker years later.

The Great Dictator (1940) earned Chaplin several Oscar nominations-for his acting, the script, and Best Pictureand saw him tackle dialogue for the first time. It offered a relentlessly ridiculous caricature of Hitler and Nazism, and gave movie fans their last look at the Little Tramp, incarnated for this picture only as a Jewish barber whose resemblance to a fascist dictator gets him into trouble.

Chaplin was off the screen for seven years, during which time the motion picture matured to the point where his next contribution didn't seem nearly as important as his previous efforts. Monsieur Verdoux (1947), a bitter, cynical black comedy, cast him as a murderous Bluebeard, a characterization not appreciated by film fans of the day. (It did, however, get nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar.) The story's pacifist leanings ran him afoul of political conservatives in America, then marshaling their forces for the Cold War against Communism. They pointed to Verdoux and also to Modern Times and its implied distaste for capitalism, and set Chaplin up to be knocked down by the House Un-American Activities Committee, which suspected him of being a Communist. He denied the charges while testifying before the committee, but public outcry for his deportation continued.

Chaplin, for all his years in America, never bothered to become a citizen, and when he went to London in 1952 with fourth wife Oona, he was informed that he would not get a reentry visa to America. Ironically, he was on his way to the British premiere of Limelight his nostalgic tale of a once-great music-hall performer fallen on hard times. Although the film had several wonderful sequencesincluding one that teamed him with another legendary film comic, Buster Keaton-it impressed many as overlong and indulgent. With the U.S., his most important market, sour on him, Chaplin found himself the producer of another flop. (Because it was never "officially" released in Los Angeles in 1952, Limelight was eligible for an Academy Award twenty years later, and in fact won one, for Best Score, in 1972!)

A profoundly bitter Chaplin resolved never to return to America. He settled in Switzerland with Oona and their children (one of whom, Geraldine, became an actress in film), lampooning with consid- erable bitterness American manners and mores in A King in New York (1957, unreleased in the U.S. until 1976), and gamely attempting a directorial comeback with A Countess From Hong Kong (1967), a totally anachronistic, poorly realized romantic comedy starring Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren.

In 1972 Chaplin consented to return to America for the Academy Awards ceremony, where he was presented a special Oscar for career achievement to a tumultuous ovation from the assembled crowd of Hollywood dignitaries. He was similarly feted later at New York's Philharmonic Hall, and was knighted by the Queen in 1975. His "My Autobiography" was published in 1964. A biographical film, Chaplin was released in 1992.

Filmography:

Short films as actor

1914
A Busy Day
Caught in a Cabaret
Caught in the Rain
Cruel, Cruel Love
Dough and Dynamite
The Face on the Bar Room Floor
The Fatal Mallet
A Film Johnnie
Gentlemen of Nerve
Getting Acquainted
Her Friend the Bandit
His Favorite Pastime
His Musical Career
His New Profession
His Prehistoric Past
His Trysting Place
Kid Auto Races at Venice
The Knockout
Laughing Gas
Mabel at the Wheel
Mabel's Busy Day
Mabel's Married Life
Mabel's Strange Predicament
Making a Living
The Masquerader
The New Janitor
The Property Man
Recreation
The Rounders
The Star Boarder
Tango Tangles
Those Love Pangs
Twenty Minutes of Love

1915
The Bank
Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen
By the Sea
The Champion
His New Job
His Regeneration
In the Park
A Jitney Elopement
A Night Out
A Night in the Show
Shanghaied
The Tramp
A Woman
Work
1916
Behind the Screen
The Count
The Fireman
The Floorwalker
One A.M.
The Pawnshop
Police!
The Rink
The Vagabond
1917
The Adventurer
The Cure
Easy Street
The Immigrant
1918
The Bond
Shoulder Arms
A Dog's Life
Triple Trouble
1919
A Day's Pleasure
Sunnyside
1921
The Idle Class
1922
Pay Day
1923
The Pilgrim

Feature films
(as actor and director except as noted)

Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914) (actor only) - first feature-length comedy film ever produced. The Kid (1921)
The Nut (1921) (cameo only)
Souls For Sale (1923) (cameo only)
A Woman of Paris (1923) (cameo, dir)
The Gold Rush (1925)
A Woman of the Sea (1926) (produced only)
The Circus (1928)
Show People (1928) (cameo only)
City Lights (1931)
Modern Times (1936)
The Great Dictator (1940)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Limelight (1952)
A King in New York (1957)
A Countess From Hong Kong (1967) (directed and makes a cameo appearance)

Charlie Chaplin (April 16, 1889 - December 25, 1977)

Charlie Chaplin, who brought laughter to millions worldwide as the silent "Little Tramp" clown, had the type of deprived childhood that one would expect to find in a Dickens novel. Born in East Street, Walworth, London on 16 April, 1889, Charles Spencer Chaplin was the son of a music hall singer and his wife. Charlie Chaplin's parents divorced early in his life, with his father providing little to no support, either financial or otherwise, leaving his mother to support them as best she could. Chaplin's mother Hannah was the brightest spot in Charlie's childhood; formerly an actor on stage, she had lost her ability to perform, and managed to earn a subsistence living for herself, Charlie, and Charlie's older half-brother Sidney by sewing. She was an integral part of Charlie's young life, and he credited her with much of his success. Sadly, she slowly succumbed to mental illness, and by the time that Charlie was 7 years old, she was confined to an asylum; Charlie and Sidney were relegated to a workhouse (a government facility for orphaned and abandoned children) -- not for the last time. After 2 months, she was released, and the family was happily reunited, for a time. In later years, she was readmitted for an 8-month stretch later, during which time Charlie lived with his alcoholic father and stepmother, in a strained environment. Charlie Chaplin's first taste of show business Sidney left home first, working first on a sailing ship, and later on the stage, opening the door for Charlie to follow in his footsteps later. Young Charlie felt more alone than ever without the presence of his brother, his closest friend and confidant. However, there was a bright spot as well in Chaplin's 9th year -- he toured with a stage company, the 8 Lancashire Lads, with a kindhearted couple who led the troupe, and gave Chaplin his first taste of stage life. He also met a young Stan Laurel as part of the troupe.

At the age of 12, Charlie's father died quite young.

At the age of 14, Charlie's mother is readmitted to the asylum, while Sidney is out of town on an extended trip. Charlie provides for himself as best he can, desperate to avoid returning to the workhouse, until Sydney returns home. With Sidney's return, young Chaplin's luck begins to turn for the better. He wins a part in the stage play "Jim, A Romance of Cockney" to glowing reviews. Later in the same year, he earns the part of Billy in a stage adaptation of "Sherlock Holmes," again to sterling reviews, and tours with the company playing that part. The tour continues through the next year, and Hannah is again released, seemingly in her right mind. All seems to be going well, until Hannah relapses, and is institutionalized for the next 7 years; Charlie is 16 years old.

Charlie Chaplin tours with the Karno troupe, and enters films Charlie continues in his acting career, as his brother Sidney joins the Karno troupe, again opening the way there for Charlie. Charlie joins the Karno troupe the next year, again working alongside Stan Laurel. Two years later, Chaplin (along with the rest of the Karno troupe) tour the United States' vaudeville circuit. Two years later, in 1912, Charlie returns with the Karno troupe to the USA, but this time decides to stay. The next year, Chaplin leaves the stage to join Mack Sennet's Keystone Films Studio, marking a milestone both in his own life and in the history of film.

Charlie Chaplin's famous Tramp character is born The pace of film making in early Hollywood seems impossible by today's standards. In just two months, Chaplin appeared in the following Keystone films: Making a Living, Kid Auto Races, Mabel's Strange Predicament, Between Showers, A Film Johnnie, Tango Tangles, His Favourite Pastime, Cruel, Cruel Love. Although Chaplin started at the Keystone company as a bit player, with the introduction of his world-famous tramp character he quickly exploded into a major star. By April, at the age of 25, Chaplin directs his first film, 'Twenty Minutes of Love.'

By November of that year, Chaplin is leaving Keystone, having signed an exclusive contract for the newly formed Essanay Film Company. Sidney follows in Charlie's steps this time, and joins the Keystone company shortly before Charlie left it.

In February of 1915, Chaplin begins work for Essanay, with greater control over his films than ever before -- but not enough to avoid 'creative differences' with his bosses at Essanay. However, another milestone occurs at the same time -- he meets Edna Purviance, who was to be his leading lady for many of his films, as well as an off-again, on-again romance. At Essanay, Chaplin created many of the classic short films he's best remembered for, including His New Job, A Jitney Elopement, The Tramp, A Night in the Show, and The Immigrant. In February of 1916, Chaplin again jumps to another film company, Mutual, where he continues to create some of his finest shorts, including The Floorwalker, The Vagabond, The Pawnshop, Behind the Screen, and The Rink. In both his personal and professional life, his inner circle began to expand. He first hired Henry Bergman (the 'heavy villain' in so many of Chaplin's films), as well as hiring Tom Harrington as his personal secretary, a position which he kept for many decades, becoming Chaplin's right-hand man in many respects. It was also at Mutual that he hired Eric Campbell, the "gentle giant" that was his on-screen nemesis and personal friend, who co-starred in 11 of his 12 Mutual films..

Desiring even more creative control, Chaplin began building his own studio in the fall of 1917, and signed with yet another studio, First National. For the first time, Chaplin has complete control over every step of his films. Sadly, Eric Campbell died in a car accident, causing Chaplin's style of comedy to change, being centered more around Charlie Chaplin himself. For First National, Chaplin continues to create classic shorts: A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms, and The Bond. In 1918, he also marries for the first (but not the last) time, to Mildred Harris. Charlie Chaplin's woman troubles Charlie begins in his personal life a recurring, destructive pattern -- he chases (and frequently marries) a young woman, loses interest in her (being consumed by his creative energies), goes through a messy breakup (or divorce), typically impacting his professional life, and then repeats the pattern. In November of that year, his first true love, Hetty Kelly, dies -- although Chaplin doesn't find this out until he visits England in 1921.

1919 was a year of both great gains and losses for Charlie. One of his most popular short films, Sunnyside, is released -- demonstrating a degree of both pathos and comedy mixed together to a high degree. Chaplin had been slowly moving the Little Tramp towards this more balanced characterization for some time -- and now Charlie the tramp is maturing. Sadly, Charlie the human being suffered a terrible loss, as his & Mildred's infant child is born, horribly deformed, and dies after only 3 days. Charlie sought solace in his work, alienating his wife even more. In that same year, he formed United Artists with his closest friend Douglas Fairbanks and Fairbanks' wife, screen legend Mary Pickford -- in a successful effort to keep the major studios from monopolizing and controlling all aspects of production. In December of that year, A Day's Pleasure was released, dealing with a happy family trying to enjoy a quiet day at the beach -- somewhat ironically, considering the state of Charlie Chaplin's personal life at that stage. But something new was on the horizon -- Charlie Chaplin had begun production of The Kid. Charlie Chaplin - The Kid

The Kid was Charlie Chaplin's first full-length movie. It, more than anything else to that date, made Chaplin a living legend. It took over a year to produce, and was an incredible success for Chaplin, both financially and artistically.

Over the next year, Charlie Chaplin continues working on The Kid, as his perfectionism takes more and more time in creating his film masterpieces. Sadly, he and Mildred Harris divorce at this time, in one of the most bitter Hollywood divorces seen up to this point. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as The Kid is finally released to unanimous praise, and record box office success, in 1921. Charlie Chaplin had gone through a very difficult time, and needed time to relax, and renew himself. He took his first vacation, returning to Europe to crowds that were beyond his wildest dreams. In a bittersweet moment, he learns of Hetty Kelly's death from her brother while in London. More cheerfully, he begins several friendships in London that become lifelong, including with the famous writer H. G. Welles. In addition, he and Sydney brought their mother, Hannah, to the States, where she lived the rest of her life, under the best medical care that Charlie's money could provide.

Returning to America, and to his work, Charlie quickly produces his next film, The Idle Class. Charlie begins working on his next film, Payday, in his professional life, and meets the European actress Pola Negri, with whom he has an off-again, on-again romantic relationship that goes on for nearly a year. Over the course of that year, Charlie Chaplin releases his next film, The Pilgrim (about an escaped convict who takes on the role of a preacher to avoid recapture), and prepares for his first dramatic film, A Woman of Paris, designed to catapult Edna Purviance into her own career. Audiences by now had associated the name Charlie Chaplin with comedy, however, and were not expecting serious fare. Although a good movie, it died at the box office -- and gave Charlie Chaplin his first commercial failure.

Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush - and in a family way That was reversed by his next film, one of the classics of the silent era -- The Gold Rush. It is the story of the Little Tramp going north to the Alaskan gold rush, and by more luck than skill both getting the girl and becoming rich. It is touching, poignant, and hilarious, containing some of Chaplin's most famous routines. However, early in the filming of the movie, Chaplin's leading lady, Lita Grey, had to be replaced by Georgia Hale -- since Charlie Chaplin had married Lita Grey, and she had become pregnant. She was only 16 at the time.

Chaplin worried incessantly about his young wife's pregnancy -- had felt that the death of his first son was, in some way, his fault. Thankfully, in 1925 this child was born healthy -- Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. Charlie had qualms about naming the child after himself, fearing that the boy would live in his father's shadow, but he gave way to Lita. That same year, The Gold Rush (read review) was released to critical acclaim and great financial success. Some believe it is Chaplin's finest film. Ironically, there was a third birth that year that would become integral to Chaplin years later -- Oona O'Neil was born.

The next year, Charlie began work on his next film, The Circus (read review). As John McCabe noted in his excellent biography of Charlie Chaplin, The Circus was not the equal of The Gold Rush, but was a good film in its' own right -- and, given the circumstances under which it was filmed, it was a miracle that it was even palatable.

Charlie Chaplin in a messy divorce Despite the birth of a second son, Sidney, in 1926, Charlie & Lita's marriage broke apart -- bitterly, and publicly. Charges went back and forth, with newspapers gleefully displaying the details of the Chaplins' marital woes. Charlie Chaplin always refused to discuss his marriage with Lita; Lita, however, wrote a one-sided account, Wife of the Life of the Party. The divorce ended in 1927 with a record-breaking divorce settlement of $825,000. The stress was enough to permanently turn Charlie Chaplin's hair prematurely white. During all of this, Charlie continued to film The Circus (read review), one of his lesser-known, but best, films.

In 1928, Charlie Chaplin released The Circus to popular acclaim, and also received a special Oscar for his work on the film as director, actor, producer. Sadly, this positive year was also crushingly negative, as Charlie's beloved mother died. Chaplin's life continued to be centered around his work, even in his grief, as he began work on his next film towards the end of that year: City Lights (read review).

Charlie Chaplin - the end of the Tramp City Lights, released in 1931, was Charlie Chaplin's first non-silent film. But it still was not a 'talking' picture. Chaplin included the musical soundtrack, and used sound effects, but nobody spoke in the picture yet. This was a major gamble for Chaplin, since sound pictures had now become the standard. But it was a gamble that paid off handsomely. The movie was both a financial and critical success, and many believe it to be one of Chaplin's finest films, if not his best.

After City Lights, Charlie Chaplin did something totally out of character; he took a vacation. Actually, Chaplin took vacations quite frequently, both to refresh himself and to find new ideas for his films. But this was his first extended vacation, away from creating a new movie for nearly two years. He talks at length about this time in his autobiography (My Autobiography), including globe-trotting and how he was nearly assassinated in Japan; but perhaps his most pivotal moment was in 1932, when he met Paulette Goddard, who would costar in his next film -- Modern Times -- which would be the Tramp's final film. After the release of Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard were married in secret, while on vacation in the Orient. Upon his return, Charlie began his most audacious comedy yet - The Great Dictator, making fun of Adolph Hitler himself. Hitler, in many ways, was a natural subject for Chaplin to satirize. Hitler, it is said, adopted his mustache in imitation of Charlie. Both were smaller men, of slight build. And Chaplin saw the ideas that Hitler was championing as horrible, evil; and Charlie was determined to show the world what he saw.

Charlie Chaplin attacks Hitler in The Great Dictator The Great Dictator was Charlie Chaplin's first truly talking picture, and when it was finally released in 1940, it was a worldwide sensation. Many people mistakenly think that the character of the Jewish Barber in the film is the Tramp, but Charlie Chaplin was adamant that they are different characters. Although the barber uses many of the Tramp's mannerisms, he is also clearly an individual in his own right. And the barber is far more long-winded, as the famous "Look Up, Hannah" speech at the end of the movie reminds us.

Charlie Chaplin - un-American? In the same year that Charlie Chaplin began working on The Great Dictator, the House Un-American Committee begins investigating Charlie. At first glance, there seems to be no reason for this -- until the second glance. Earlier Chaplin had done his patriotic part in raising money for the war effort, alongside his long time friends Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford -- raising large amounts of money for the war. Charlie was a lifelong pacifist, but he was also a realist who saw that the aggression of the Axis powers had to be stopped. In many ways, Chaplin was politically naive -- such as speaking at fund raisers for the Communist USSR, whom Chaplin simply saw as our allies in the fight. And by suggesting that America immediately open a two front war to help our "friends" in the Soviet Union. These were some of the reasons that the government began keeping tabs on the immigrant film maker (although he worked for all of these years in America, he maintained his British citizenship, and had no intention of becoming an American citizen).

1942 was a very busy year for Charlie Chaplin, at least in his personal life. Paulette Goddard, co-star of Modern Times and The Great Dictator, divorced Chaplin, and went on to be a star in her own right. In that same year, Charlie met another young lady, whom he falls deeply, and permanently, in love with -- Oona O'Neil. Oona, although young, is mature beyond her years -- perhaps from having grown up in the household of her father, Eugene O'Neil, the famous playwright. Eugene O'Neil was opposed to having his daughter date Charlie Chaplin; given Chaplin's track record to date, one can hardly blame him. In addition, Chaplin meets another young lady that year, whose relationship to Chaplin would almost seem to confirm the playwright's suspicions -- Joan Barry.

By all accounts, Joan Barry was a troubled young woman, who had some talent for acting. She had met Charlie Chaplin, who had given her a screen test for a role, but did not hire her for any of his movies. Although they dated on and off, nothing serious came of it. But in Joan Barry's mind, it was very serious -- serious enough that she breaks into Chaplin's home later that year, armed with a gun. Charlie eventually talked her out of any violence, got her to leave quietly, and then called the police, resulting in a restraining order that should have served to keep her out of Charlie Chaplin's life.

Charlie Chaplin in the paternity suit However, two things happened that next year that prevented that from happening. First was Joan Barry's pregnancy; she named Charlie Chaplin as the father. Second, Charlie married Oona O'Neil -- and, in a very real sense, they lived happily ever after. The couple truly loved each other, were devoted to each other, and grew closer as time went on.

In the more immediate term, Charlie Chaplin denied being the father of Joan Barry's child, and a blood test proved his innocence. However, the blood test was inadmissable in the California court at the time, and a jury of his peers ordered Chaplin to pay child support. (This is recreated quite well in the 1992 'Chaplin' movie starring Robert Downey, and is highly recommended viewing).

In 1946, the first of Oona and Charlie Chaplin's children, Michael, is born. Over the years, he will have 7 more siblings (Josephine, Victoria, Eugene, Jane, Annette and Christopher). Charlie also begins his next film, a very great departure from anything Charlie has ever attempted -- the dark comedy Monsieur Verdoux .

Monsieur Verdoux is a very dark comedy, in which the title character, a fired bank clerk, makes his living by marrying rich older women and then killing them for their money. Charlie Chaplin used it to make a statement about the paradox of killing millions in war is virtuous for the winning side, but killing individuals is a crime. Although it has moments both humorous and engaging, it was not the fare that the public was expecting from Chaplin, and it did not do well domestically, although it did well overseas, and Chaplin made a tidy profit from it. He also used Edna Purviance on screen for the last time, essentially as an extra.

Charlie Chaplin's final films In 1951, Charlie Chaplin made one of his finest films, and one of his least well known - Limelight. Limelight is the story of a formerly great dance hall tramp clown, Calvero (portrayed by Chaplin) on a downward spiral, contrasting with a young dancer on her way to fame - into the spotlight. A funny, poignant film, it also teamed two of the great clowns of the silent era, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, for the first and only time.

Limelight did not do well at American movie houses, largely due to the false rumors that Chaplin was a communist, as well as an organized protest by various unions resulting in theaters refusing to show the film. As a result, it was not seen widely in the United States of America for decades. Years later, when it finally played in Los Angeles, it was nominated for the Best Music Academy Award -- and won.

Charlie Chaplin in Exile After Limelight, Charlie took another vacation to England, wanting to show his new wife and children his native country. Upon leaving the territorial waters of the United States of America, Charlie Chaplin received a cable, informing him that the State Department had rescinded his reentry permit -- effectively locking him out of the country as an undesirable alien. There were many reasons for this -- Chaplin's unorthodox political views, the false accusation that he was a Communist, and not least of all, money. There would have been an attempt by the federal government to seize Chaplin's assets, which were enormous. However, his wife Oona returned to the United States, and promptly took all of the liquid assets, as well as liquidating everything she could -- leaving the government without a penny for its' trouble.

Charlie Chaplin was not, however, a man without a country. He was still a citizen of Great Britain, but he did not desire to live there. After the stress of the situation had been dealt with, the Chaplins relocated to Vevey, Switzerland in 1953, where they lived for the remainder of their lives together. After their death, it has been turned into an international Charlie Chaplin museum.

In 1954, Oona renounced her U.S. citizenship, casting her lot with her husband. And, ironically, Charlie Chaplin was awarded World Peace Council Prize in that same year. In the next year, he resumes doing what he does best -- making comedies.

Order this Charlie Chaplin poster and help support clown-ministry.com His next film, A King In New York, was a biting indictment of modern society. In it, he played the role of King Shadov, an European monarch in exile, who comes to New York to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear power. Along the way, he pokes fun at the Red Scare, commercials, movies, celebrities, movie magazines, and life in urban America. Filmed in England, it was the last film in which he was on screen as a major character. In the same year that A King In New York premiered, Charlie Chaplin's half-brother Wheeler Dryden died. Wheeler had been introduced to Charlie many years before by Edna Purviance -- Charlie had been unaware of him. Wheeler was a competent, though not gifted, actor, and idolized his famous brother. He began to work for Charlie in various roles and positions, and years later served as Charlie's assistant director on The Great Dictator and Monsieur Verdoux. Jerome Robinsons' photo journal, Charlie and Me, contains some interesting anecdotes about Charlie's lesser-known sibling.

Chaplin's professional pace seemed to be slowing down, to an outside observer. After all, he was now 69 years old. However, Charlie was not finished working. He had been reediting some of his earlier movies, and composing new music for some of them. Charlie was musical by nature as well as profession, and he wrote some of the most enduring melodies of the century -- not least among them the song 'Smile'. However, before he could release his reedited movies, now narrated by Charlie Chaplin himself, death claimed another old friend -- Edna Purviance died in 1958. And, to add insult to injury, Chaplin's name was removed from Los Angeles' Walk of Fame.

Order this Charlie Chaplin poster and help support clown-ministry.com In 1959, the Chaplin Revue was released, to worldwide acclaim. Charlie Chaplin continued his work in Switzerland, writing and composing, and raising his growing brood of children. In 1964 he published his autobiography, which he humbly titled 'My Autobiography.' It was an interested look into the life of Charlie Chaplin, although incomplete -- he mentioned his marriage to Lita Grey in only one sentence. In 1965, death again intruded on Charlie Chaplin's family life, as his older brother Sidney died. This was a strong blow to Chaplin, second only to the loss of him mother in 1928. Sidney had been his brother, friend, companion, confidant and business manager all rolled into one. Charlie grieved deeply for the loss of his beloved brother.

But Charlie Chaplin did not stop working. After dealing with his grief as best he could, in 1966 Charlie began work on his next, and final, movie, A Countess in Hong Kong. It was a number of firsts for Chaplin -- he did not star in the film, and only had a small, Hitchcock-esque walk-on scene as a porter. Instead, he directed two of Hollywood's largest stars of the day, Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren. Although an interesting idea, it was not a hit at the box office when released in 1967.

Order this Charlie Chaplin poster and help support clown-ministry.com In 1968, Chaplin was now 79 years old. It is not surprising that more and more of his friends and coworkers died -- for example, his longtime cameraman and assistant Rollie Totheroh died the previous year. However, Charlie Chaplin's oldest son, Charles Chaplin Jr., died. Again, Charlie worked through his grief, and threw himself into his work. He was preparing a new film, 'The Freak', about a young girl who sprouts wings, as a vehicle for his daughter -- but it never went past the planning stages. In 1972, Charlie Chaplin did something he never thought he would do -- he returned to the United States of America. He was returning to accept a lifetime achievement Academy Award. The foolishness of 20 years previous had been forgotten, and Chaplin was greeted by America with open arms. Correcting another old injustice, Chaplin's name was added again to the 'Walk of Fame' in Los Angeles. Chaplin was also awarded the Golden Lion at that year's Venice Film Festival .

In 1974, Charlie Chaplin published another book, 'My Life in Pictures.' The next year, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and became Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin.

In 1977, Charlie Chaplin passed away, on Christmas Day. He left behind grieving family and friends, and millions of fans worldwide.

Quotes by Charlie Chaplin:

"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!" "I remain just one thing, and one thing only -- and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician." "Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain" Check out reviews of some of Chaplin's finest films, including The Gold Rush, The Immigrant, The Kid and Limelight (a personal favorite)


Kiera Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, hits the red carpet at Cannes. A legendary heritage and an unrivaled determination for success are the foundation for Kiera Chaplin, granddaughter of notorious Hollywood icon, Charlie Chaplin. She is a woman with an eye for fashion, a voice for music, a mind for entertainment, and a soul for acting. Having a host of talents, Kiera’s experience and know-how of the film industry extends into starring in several pictures: Aimee McPherson Story, The Year That Trembled, and The Importance of Being Earnest to name a few. Born in Belfast, schooled in Switzerland and currently residing in Los Angeles, Kiera Chaplin has inherited the legacy and talents of not only her grandfather but also her great-grandfather and playwright, Eugene O’Neil. Kiera links with an understanding of the entertainment and modeling industries. She has worked with some of the industry’s most celebrated photographers including: George Holtz, Mario Testino, Greg Kadel, Bruce Weber, Ines Van Lanswerde, Herb Ritz, Peter Lindbergh, David Bailey, Michel Comte.

Kiera began her modeling career appearing in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. She’s also had enough savoir faire in the area of modeling to pose for such magazines as Elle, Vanity Fair, Flaunt, Town & Country, People, GQ, and V Magazine. This worldly twenty-two year old turned her attention toward the big screen beyond acting to directing and producing and is recognized for such films as The Professional and My Tribute. Her expertise in fashion is demonstrated through her awards and prizes she has received around the world for her work. The Kiera Chaplin line is most notorious for a piece which is branded with her grandfather’s name on it. It is the first design of the line and is an exclusive piece dedicated to the legendary movie comedian. Charlie Chaplin’s company, Limelight Films, was created in 1952 and has been reactivated 2 years ago by the young entrepreneur.

At 20 years old, Kiera’s vision for Limelight Films was to bring back her grandfather’s legacy to the United States and develop new opportunities in the film arena. She is actively involved in the company and organization of a motion picture financing, production, acquisition and distribution entity. Limelight Films has just distributed the film of Mick Davis “Modigliani” with Andy Garcia and Elsa Zylberstein, theatrically in France. The fashion, music, and entertainment cultures are sure to benefit from the mind and soul of a woman so in touch with all aspects.


In Havana Cuban Film Museum Opens

The lobby at Charles Chaplin theather, in downtown Havana, has been recently chosen as the venue for Cuba’s travelling Museum of Film, where visitors can have a look at the development of the cinema industry since de Lumiere years.

On display are magic lanterns, holographic lamps, gramophones, magnetic films, projecting cameras and all sort of devises covering over a century of filmmaking, while other gadgets such as spare parts and pictures attest to the technological development of this trade in the past 100 years or so.

One of the big attractions of the exhibition are copies of Cuban patents granting permission for the commercialization in the Island of French film equipment made by Pathe company, dating back to 1914.

As a travelling exhibit of high historical value, the museum still lacks a permanent venue.

In charge of its conservation is researcher and organizer Paul Chaviano.

Cuban Cinematheque and its museum are part of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), founded 49 years ago, in 1959, following one of the first cultural decrees by the Cuban Revolution, then in its first year of life. Charles Chaplin theatre usually hosts seasons featuring the best of the world’s film heritage of all times.

(www.cubanow.net)