charlie chaplin biography in malayalam

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കരയിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ചിരിപ്പുസ്തകം

കഷ്ടബാല്യത്തിനും ദുരിതകൗമാരത്തിനുമൊടുവിൽ ഇംഗ്ലണ്ടിൽനിന്ന് അമേരിക്കയിലേക്കു കപ്പൽ കയറുമ്പോൾ ഭാവി ഒരു ചോദ്യചിഹ്നമായിരുന്നു ആ ചെറുപ്പക്കാരന്. പ്രതീക്ഷകളും സ്വപ്നങ്ങളും പോലും ഏറെയൊന്നുമില്ല. അവകാശപ്പെടാൻ പാരമ്പര്യമോ, നേട്ടങ്ങളുടെ നീണ്ട ചരിത്രമോ, വിജയങ്ങളുടെ തലക്കനമോ ഇല്ല. പിന്നോട്ടുവലിക്കാൻ കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളുടെ വലിയ നിരയുണ്ടു താനും. അയാളെ തിരിച്ചറിയുന്ന ഒരാൾപോലും അമേരിക്കയിലില്ല. ഉൽകണ്ഠ ഉള്ളിലടക്കി, ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ, ജനക്കൂട്ടത്തിലൊരാളായി അയാൾ ഭാവിയിലേക്കു നടന്നു. 

40 വർഷം കഴിഞ്ഞുള്ള അവസ്ഥ കൂടി നോക്കാം. 

അന്നത്തെ കൗമാരക്കാരൻ ഇപ്പോൾ യൗവ്വനം പിന്നിട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ലോകപ്രശസ്തൻ. അയാളെക്കുറിച്ചു കേൾക്കാത്ത ഒരാൾപോലും ലോകത്തെങ്ങും കാണില്ല. അയാളുടെ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളിൽ രാജ്യതലവൻമാരും രാജ്യതന്ത്രജ്ഞരുമുണ്ട്. കവികളും കലാകാരൻമാരും ശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞൻമാരുമുണ്ട്. അമേരിക്കയിലെത്തിയപ്പോൾ ഒരു നേരത്തെ ഭക്ഷണത്തിനു പൈസയില്ലാതിരുന്ന ചെറുപ്പക്കാരന്റെ നിമിഷങ്ങൾക്കുപോലും ഇന്നു ലക്ഷക്കണക്കിനു ഡോളറുകൾ വിലമതിക്കും. കണക്കില്ലാത്ത സമ്പത്തിന്റെ ഉടമ. അയാളുടെ ഒരു വാക്കിനുവേണ്ടി കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നവരുണ്ട്. അലക്ഷ്യമായ നോട്ടംപോലും അതീവശ്രദ്ധയോടെ വീക്ഷിക്കുന്നവരുണ്ട്. എവിടെപ്പോയാലും പിന്തുടരുന്ന ആരാധക ലക്ഷങ്ങളുണ്ട്. ഒരു ജീവിതത്തിൽ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നതിലുമേറെക്കൂടുതൽ വേദനയും ഏകാന്തതയും ഒറ്റപ്പെടലും അനുഭവിച്ചെങ്കിലും ലോകത്തെ ഏറ്റവും കൂടുതൽ കരയിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചിരിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത മനുഷ്യനാണയാൾ. അതും ചുണ്ട് ഒന്നനക്കുകപോലും ചെയ്യാതെ. ചുണ്ടിൽ ഒരു ചിരിയോടെയല്ലാതെ അയാളുടെ പേര് ഉച്ചരിക്കാനാവില്ല. അയാളെക്കുറിച്ചാലോചിക്കുമ്പോൾ ചിലപ്പോൾ അറിയാതെ പൊട്ടിച്ചിരിച്ചുവെന്നു വരാം. 

അതേ ചാർലി ചാപ്ലിൻ എന്ന കൊച്ചു വലിയ മനുഷ്യൻ. ലോകസിനിമയിലെ എക്കാലത്തെയും മഹാനായ ചലച്ചിത്രകാരൻ. നിശ്ശബ്ദ സിനിമകളുടെ ചക്രവർത്തി. കാലവും തലമുറകളും നമിച്ച ആ പ്രതിഭയുടെ സംഭാവനകൾ ചലച്ചിത്രലോകത്തുമാത്രം ഒതുങ്ങിനിൽക്കുന്നില്ല. സാഹിത്യലോകത്തും അദ്ദേഹം പ്രതിഭയുടെ മുദ്ര ചാർത്തി. സ്വന്തം ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ കഥ എഴുതിയതിലൂടെ. ഇതിഹാസങ്ങളോളം മൂല്യമുള്ള ഒരപൂർവഗ്രന്ഥം. ജനിച്ചവീണതു മുതൽ ഹോളിവുഡിന്റെ മുടിചൂടാമന്നനായി വിരാജിച്ചതുവരെയുള്ള ഐതിഹാസിക ജീവിതത്തിന്റെയും ചലച്ചിത്രയാത്രയുടെയും ആത്മാർത്ഥവും സത്യസന്ധവുമായ കഥ. ക്ലാസിക് എന്നുറപ്പിച്ചു പറയാവുന്ന ചാപ്ലിന്റെ ‘എന്റെ ആത്മകഥ’ വീണ്ടും മലയാളത്തിൽ. ചേതോഹരമായി മൊഴിമാറ്റിയതു സ്മിതാ മീനാക്ഷി. ജീവിതത്തെ പരിപൂർണമായി മാറ്റിത്തീർക്കാൻ കഴിവുള്ള അത്ഭുതശക്തിയുള്ള അക്ഷരപ്രപഞ്ചം. 

1889–ഏപ്രിൽ 16 ന് രാത്രി എട്ടു മണിക്കാണ് വോൾവെർത്ത് ഈസ്റ്റ് ലെയ്നിൽ ഞാൻ ജനിച്ചത്. തികച്ചും സാധാരണമായി ചാപ്ലിൻ തന്റെ കഥ തുടങ്ങുന്നു. താളുകൾ മറിക്കുമ്പോൾ പരമ്പരാഗത കഥ പറച്ചിൽരീതിയുടെ ചങ്ങലകൾ തകർത്തു മുന്നേറുന്ന, അരങ്ങിൽ വലിയ വിജയമൊന്നും നേടാനാകാതെ പോയ ഒരു ഹാസ്യനടിയുടെ മകനായി പിറന്ന ചാപ്ലിനെ കാണാം. മറ്റൊരു വിവാഹം കഴിച്ചു മാറിത്താമസിച്ചതിനാൽ പിതാവിന്റെ സ്നേഹം അദ്ദേഹത്തിനു നിഷേധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. അസംതൃപ്ത ദാമ്പത്യത്തെത്തുടർന്നു മദ്യശാലകളിൽ അഭയം പ്രാപിച്ച അച്ഛനെ കാണാൻ ബാറിലെ ഇരുട്ടിൽ പരതിനടക്കുന്നുണ്ട് കൊച്ചു ചാപ്ലിനും ജ്യേഷ്ഠൻ സിഡ്നിയും. ദൗർഭാഗ്യങ്ങൾ ഒന്നൊന്നായി ആഘാതമേൽപിച്ചപ്പോൾ ബോധത്തിനും അബോധത്തിനുമിടയിലൂടെ സഞ്ചരിച്ച അമ്മയായിരുന്നു കുട്ടിക്കാലത്തു ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ കേന്ദ്രബിന്ദു. ദാരിദ്ര്യവും കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളും ഏറെ അനുഭവിച്ചെങ്കിലും മക്കളെ അമ്മ തനിക്കുകഴിയുംപോലെ നന്നായി വളർത്തി. അവർ ദാരിദ്ര്യത്തിന്റെ സന്തതികളാണെന്ന് ഒരിക്കലും തോന്നിപ്പിച്ചില്ല. കുറച്ചു പൈസ കൂടുതൽ കിട്ടിയാൽ ഭക്ഷണത്തിനൊപ്പം ഒരു കുടന്ന പൂവും വാങ്ങി മുറി അലങ്കരിക്കാൻ മറക്കാത്ത അമ്മ. തന്റെ പ്രതാപകാലത്ത് ഇംഗ്ലണ്ടിലെ ഭ്രാന്താലയത്തിൽനിന്നും അമ്മയെ മോചിപ്പിച്ച് അമേരിക്കയിൽ കൊണ്ടുവരുന്നുണ്ട് ചാപ്ലിൻ. മകന്റെ വിജയം അതിന്റെ പരിപൂർണതയിൽ അവർ കണ്ടു. പക്ഷേ അപ്പോഴേക്കും അപ്രവചനീയമായി അവർ പെരുമാറാൻ തുടങ്ങിയിരുന്നു. സ്റ്റുഡിയോയിൽ ഒരു ഹാസ്യരംഗം അഭിനയിച്ചതിനുശേഷം ആശുപത്രി മുറിയിലെത്തി അമ്മയുടെ നിർജീവ ശരീരത്തിനുമുന്നിൽ മുട്ടുകുത്തി ചാപ്ലിൻ. സെക്രട്ടറിയെ പുറത്തുനിർത്തി ഒരു മണിക്കൂറോളം മുറിയടച്ചിരുന്നു പൊട്ടിക്കരഞ്ഞു. കാത്തുനിർത്തിയതിനു ക്ഷമാപണം ചോദിച്ച് വീണ്ടും ചാപ്ലിൻ അടുത്ത ഹാസ്യരംഗത്തിലേക്ക്.

വാടകവീടുകൾ മാറിയും തെരുവിലൂടെ അലഞ്ഞും അരങ്ങിൽ ഭാഗ്യം പരീക്ഷിച്ചും ഔപചാരിക വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം പോലും പൂർണമാക്കാൻ കഴിയാതിരുന്ന ചാപ്ലിന്റെ കൗമാരകഥ ആത്മകഥ വായിച്ച് വർഷങ്ങൾകഴിഞ്ഞാലും മനസ്സിൽമായാതെ നിൽക്കും. ഒടുവിൽ അനിശ്ചിതത്വങ്ങളുടെ ഓളങ്ങളിൽ ചാഞ്ചാടി അമേരിക്കയിലേക്ക്. അജ്ഞാതനിൽനിന്നും ഏറ്റവും വലിയ പ്രശസ്തിയിലേക്കുള്ള കുതിച്ചുകയറ്റം. ഒരു നിഘണ്ടു എപ്പോഴും മുറിയിൽ സൂക്ഷിച്ച് ഓരോദിവസം ഓരോ പുതിയ വാക്ക് അദ്ദേഹം പഠിച്ചു. അറിവിനോടുള്ള അടങ്ങാത്ത ദാഹം കൊണ്ടല്ല സ്വപരിശ്രമത്താൽ പഠിച്ചതെന്നു ചാപ്ലിൻ പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്. പകരം അറിവില്ലാത്തവരോടു ലോകം കാണിക്കുന്ന അവജ്ഞയെ മറികടക്കാൻ! 40 വർഷത്തിനുശേഷം അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളിൽ ഉറച്ചുനിന്നതിന്റെ പേരിൽ വിജയങ്ങൾ വെട്ടിപ്പിടിച്ച അമേരിക്കയിൽനിന്നു നിഷ്കാസിതനായി ജൻമനാട്ടിലേക്ക്. സ്വിറ്റ്സർലണ്ടിലെ വീട്ടിൽ വിശ്രമജീവിതം.

75–ാം വയസ്സിൽ ചാപ്ലിൻ ആത്മകഥയെഴുതിത്തുടങ്ങി. എട്ടുവർഷമെടുത്തു അഞ്ഞൂറിൽക്കൂടുതൽ പേജുകളുള്ള പുസ്തകം പൂർത്തിയാക്കാൻ. പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യഭാഗം വിശപ്പിനു സമർപ്പിക്കാമെങ്കിൽ രണ്ടാംഭാഗം ഏകാന്തതയ്ക്ക് അവകാശപ്പെട്ടത്. ലോകമെങ്ങും ആരാധകരുണ്ടായിട്ടും മനസ്സുതുറന്നു സംസാരിക്കാൻ ആരുമില്ലാതെ ഒറ്റപ്പെടൽ അനുഭവിച്ചിരുന്നു ചാപ്ലിൻ വിജയകാലത്തുപോലും. മൂന്നുതവണ വിവാഹം കഴിച്ചെങ്കിലും ഏതാനും വർഷങ്ങൾക്കുള്ളിൽ വിവാഹമോചനങ്ങളും നടന്നു. അമ്പതു വയസ്സു കടന്നിട്ടാണ് അദ്ദേഹം പിന്നീടുള്ള ജീവിതം മുഴുവൻ പ്രണയത്താൽ നിറച്ച ഊന ഒനീൽ എന്ന പതിനെട്ടുകാരിയെ കാണുന്നതും വിവാഹം കഴിക്കുന്നതും. സ്നേഹത്താൽ വീർപ്പുമുട്ടിച്ച രാജ്യം അപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ ഒരു വ്യഭിചാരക്കേസിൽ കുടുക്കുകയും കോടതിയിലേക്കു വലിച്ചിഴച്ചു വിചാരണയുടെ കഠിനകാലത്തിലൂടെ നടത്തിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. സാമ്പത്തിക നഷ്ടമുണ്ടായെങ്കിലും പ്രണയത്തിന്റെ ശക്തിയാൽ പ്രചോദിതനായി വിചാരണയെ ചാപ്ലിൻ അതിജീവിച്ചു. കോടതിയിൽ വിജയിച്ചുവെന്ന വാർത്ത ഭാവഭേദമില്ലാതെ ചാപ്ലിൻ കേട്ടിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ ഊന വാർത്ത റേഡിയോയിൽ കേട്ട് ബോധരഹിതയായി വീണു. താൻ ഒരു വിശുദ്ധനെന്നു ചാപ്ലിൻ ഒരിക്കൽപ്പോലും അവകാശപ്പെടുന്നില്ല. വ്യഭിചാരശാലകൾ കയറിയിറങ്ങിയതും ഏതാനും ദിവസത്തെ സൗഹൃദം കാംക്ഷിച്ചുവന്ന സുന്ദരികളെ കൂട്ടുകാരാക്കിയും ആസക്തിയുടെ അഗ്നിനാളങ്ങളിലൂടെ കടന്നുപോയത് അദ്ദേഹം വിവരിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്; തന്റെ മക്കൾ ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ളവർ ആത്മകഥ വായിക്കുമെന്ന് അറിയാമെങ്കിലും. ഊനയോടുള്ള പ്രണയത്തിന്റെയും സംതൃപ്ത ജീവിതത്തിന്റെയും സങ്കീർത്തനങ്ങളാണ് അവസാന അധ്യായങ്ങൾ. കുട്ടിക്കാലത്തെ വിശപ്പിനെ പ്രതിഭ കൊണ്ട് അതിജീവിച്ചെങ്കിൽ യൗവ്വനത്തിലെ ഏകാന്തതയെ സ്നേഹത്താൽ കീഴടക്കിയതിന്റെ കഥയാണു ചാർലി ചാപ്ലിന്റെ ജീവിതകഥ. 

നിശ്ശബ്ദചിത്രങ്ങളിൽനിന്നു ലോകം ശബ്ദചിത്രങ്ങളിലേക്കു മാറിയപ്പോഴും തന്റെ തട്ടകത്തിൽ ഉറച്ചുനിന്നു ചാപ്ലിൻ ചിത്രങ്ങളൊരുക്കി. കഥകൾ മെനഞ്ഞെടുത്തും തിരക്കഥയെഴുതിയും സംവിധാനവും നിർമാണവും ഏറ്റെടുത്തും പ്രധാനകഥാപാത്രത്തെ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചും എൺപതോളം ചിത്രങ്ങൾ.ശബ്ദം ലോകത്തെ കീഴടക്കിയ കാലത്തും പ്രതിഭ കാലദേശങ്ങളെ അതിജീവിക്കുമെന്നു തെളിയിച്ച് ചാപ്ലിൻ നിശ്ശബ്ദ ചിത്രങ്ങളൊരുക്കി. ഓരോ പുതിയ ചിത്രവും പുതിയ റെക്കോർഡുകൾ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഇപ്പോഴിതാ വർഷങ്ങൾക്കുശേഷവും അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ആത്മകഥ ഒരു സൂപ്പർഹിറ്റ് ചലച്ചിത്രംപോലെ തിയറ്ററുകളെ ഇളക്കിമറിച്ചും നിർത്താത്ത കയ്യടിയും തീരാത്ത തേങ്ങലുകളും നേടി പ്രദർശനം തുടരുന്നു. സ്നേഹവും അനുകമ്പയും സഹതാപവുമുള്ള ജനങ്ങൾ ഉള്ളിടത്തോളം കാലം ചാപ്ലിന്റെ തിയറ്ററിൽ ആളൊഴിയില്ല. ചിരി മറന്നിട്ടില്ലാത്തവർ ഈ കഥ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടും; കരയാൻ മടിയില്ലാത്തവരും. 

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Charlie Chaplin

(1889-1977)

Who Was Charlie Chaplin?

Charlie Chaplin worked with a children's dance troupe before making his mark on the big screen. His character "The Tramp" relied on pantomime and quirky movements to become an iconic figure of the silent-film era. Chaplin went on to become a director, making films such as City Lights and Modern Times , and co-founded the United Artists Corporation.

Famous for his character "The Tramp," the sweet little man with a bowler hat, mustache and cane, Charlie Chaplin was an iconic figure of the silent-film era and was one of film's first superstars, elevating the industry in a way few could have ever imagined.

Born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England, on April 16, 1889, Chaplin's rise to fame is a true rags-to-riches story. His father, a notorious drinker, abandoned Chaplin, his mother and his older half-brother, Sydney, not long after Chaplin's birth. That left Chaplin and his brother in the hands of their mother, a vaudevillian and music hall singer who went by the stage name Lily Harley.

Chaplin's mother, who would later suffer severe mental issues and have to be committed to an asylum, was able to support her family for a few years. But in a performance that would introduce her youngest boy to the spotlight, Hannah inexplicably lost her voice in the middle of a show, prompting the production manager to push the five-year-old Chaplin, whom he'd heard sing, onto the stage to replace her.

Chaplin lit up the audience, wowing them with his natural presence and comedic angle (at one point he imitated his mother's cracking voice). But the episode meant the end for Hannah. Her singing voice never returned, and she eventually ran out of money. For a time, Chaplin and Sydney had to make a new, temporary home for themselves in London's tough workhouses.

Early Career

Armed with his mother's love of the stage, Chaplin was determined to make it in show business himself, and in 1897, using his mother's contacts, he landed with a clog-dancing troupe named the Eight Lancashire Lads. It was a short stint, and not a terribly profitable one, forcing the go-getter Chaplin to make ends meet any way he could.

"I (was) newsvendor, printer, toymaker, doctor's boy, etc., but during these occupational digressions, I never lost sight of my ultimate aim to become an actor," Chaplin later recounted. "So, between jobs I would polish my shoes, brush my clothes, put on a clean collar and make periodic calls at a theatrical agency."

Eventually, other stage work did come his way. Chaplin made his acting debut as a pageboy in a production of Sherlock Holmes . From there, he toured with a vaudeville outfit named Casey's Court Circus and in 1908 teamed up with the Fred Karno pantomime troupe, where Chaplin became one of its stars as the Drunk in the comedic sketch A Night in an English Music Hall .

With the Karno troupe, Chaplin got his first taste of the United States, where he caught the eye of film producer Mack Sennett, who signed Chaplin to a contract for a $150 a week.

Film Career

In 1914, Chaplin made his film debut in a somewhat forgettable one-reeler called Make a Living . To differentiate himself from the clad of other actors in Sennett films, Chaplin decided to play a single identifiable character, and "The Little Tramp" was born, with audiences getting their first taste of him in Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914).

Over the next year, Chaplin appeared in 35 movies, a lineup that included Tillie's Punctured Romance , film's first full-length comedy. In 1915, Chaplin left Sennett to join the Essanay Company, which agreed to pay him $1,250 a week. It is with Essanay that Chaplin, who by this time had hired his brother Sydney to be his business manager, rose to stardom.

During his first year with the company, Chaplin made 14 films, including The Tramp (1915). Generally regarded as the actor's first classic, the story establishes Chaplin's character as the unexpected hero when he saves the farmer's daughter from a gang of robbers.

By the age of 26, Chaplin, just three years removed from his vaudeville days, was a superstar. He'd moved over to the Mutual Company, which paid him a whopping $670,000 a year. The money made Chaplin a wealthy man, but it didn't seem to derail his artistic drive. With Mutual, he made some of his best work, including One A.M. (1916), The Rink (1916), The Vagabond (1916) and Easy Street (1917).

Through his work, Chaplin came to be known as a grueling perfectionist. His love for experimentation often meant countless takes, and it was not uncommon for him to order the rebuilding of an entire set. Nor was it uncommon for him to begin filming with one leading actor, realize he'd made a mistake in his casting and start again with someone new.

But the results were hard to refute. During the 1920s Chaplin's career blossomed even more. During the decade he made some landmark films, including The Kid (1921), The Pilgrim (1923), A Woman in Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), a movie Chaplin would later say he wanted to be remembered by, and The Circus (1928). The latter three were released by United Artists, a company Chaplin co-founded in 1919 with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and D.W. Griffith.

Later Films

Chaplin kept creating interesting and engaging films in the 1930s. In 1931, he released City Lights , a critical and commercial success that incorporated music Chaplin scored himself.

More acclaim came with Modern Times (1936), a biting commentary about the state of the world's economic and political infrastructures. The film, which did incorporate sound, was, in part, the result of an 18-month world tour Chaplin had taken between 1931 and 1932, a trip during which he'd witnessed severe economic angst and a sharp rise in nationalism in Europe and elsewhere.

But Chaplin was not universally embraced. His romantic liaisons led to his rebuke by some women's groups, which in turn led to him being barred from entering some U.S. states. As the Cold War age settled into existence, Chaplin didn't withhold his fire from injustices he saw taking place in the name of fighting Communism in his adopted country of the United States.

Chaplin soon became a target of the right-wing conservatives. Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi pushed for his deportation. In 1952, the Attorney General of the United States obliged when he announced that Chaplin, who was sailing to Britain on vacation, would not permit him to return to the United States unless he could prove "moral worth." The incensed Chaplin said good-bye to the United States and took up residence on a small farm in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.

Final Years and Death

Nearing the end of his life, Chaplin did make one last visit to the United States in 1972, when he was given an honorary Academy Award. The trip came just five years after Chaplin's final film, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), the filmmaker's first and only color movie. Despite a cast that included Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando , the film did poorly at the box office. In 1975, Chaplin received further recognition when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II .

In the early morning hours of December 25, 1977, Chaplin died at his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. His wife, Oona, and seven of his children were at his bedside at the time of his passing. In a twist that might very well have come out of one of his films, Chaplin's body was stolen not long after he was buried from his grave near Lake Geneva in Switzerland by two men who demanded $400,000 for its return. The men were arrested and Chaplin's body was recovered 11 weeks later.

Wives and Children

Chaplin became equally famous for his life off-screen. His affairs with actresses who had roles in his movies were numerous. Some, however, ended better than others.

In 1918, he quickly married 16-year-old Mildred Harris. The marriage lasted just two years, and in 1924 he wed again, to another 16-year-old, actress Lita Grey, whom he'd cast in The Gold Rush . The marriage had been brought on by an unplanned pregnancy, and the resulting union, which produced two sons for Chaplin (Charles Jr. and Sydney) was an unhappy one for both partners. They divorced in 1927.

In 1936, Chaplin married again, this time to a chorus girl who went by the film name of Paulette Goddard. They lasted until 1942. That was followed by a nasty paternity suit with another actress, Joan Barry, in which tests proved Chaplin was not the father of her daughter, but a jury still ordered him to pay child support.

In 1943, Chaplin married 18-year-old Oona O'Neill, the daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Unexpectedly the two would go on to have a happy marriage, one that would result in eight children.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Charlie Chaplin
• Birth Year: 1889
• Birth date: April 16, 1889
• Birth City: London, England
• Birth Country: United Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Charlie Chaplin was a comedic British actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century's silent-film era.
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• Death Year: 1977
• Death date: December 25, 1977
• Death City: Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud
• Death Country: Switzerland

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Charlie Chaplin Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-chaplin
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 5, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• I want to see the return of decency and kindness. I'm just a human being who wants to see this country a real democracy.
• I am for people. I can't help it.
• The Zulus know Chaplin better than Arkansas knows Garbo.
• The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury.
• All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl.
• 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.
• I am known in parts of the world by people who have never heard of Jesus Christ.
• I went into the business for the money, and the art grew out of it.
• The summation of my character 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.
• I've always related to a sort of a comic spirit, something within me, that said, I must express this. This is funny.
• Cruelty is a basic element in comedy. What appears to be sane is really insane, and if you can make that poignant enough they love it.
• I don't think one can do humor without having great pity and a sense of sympathy for one's fellow man.
• I think life is a very wonderful thing, and must be lived under all circumstances, even in misery.
• All my pictures are built around the idea of getting in trouble and so giving me the chance to be desperately serious in my attempt to appear as a normal little gentleman.
• Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.
• Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.
• A day without laughter is a wasted day.

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Overview of His Life

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England, on April 16th, 1889. His father was a versatile vocalist and actor; and his mother, known under the stage name of Lily Harley, was an attractive actress and singer, who gained a reputation for her work in the light opera field.

Charlie was thrown on his own resources before he reached the age of ten as the early death of his father and the subsequent illness of his mother made it necessary for Charlie and his brother, Sydney, to fend for themselves.

Having inherited natural talents from their parents, the youngsters took to the stage as the best opportunity for a career. Charlie made his professional debut as a member of a juvenile group called “The Eight Lancashire Lads” and rapidly won popular favour as an outstanding tap dancer.

Beginning of his career

When he was about twelve, he got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as “Billy” the page boy, in support of first H. A. Saintsbury and then William Gillette in different productions of “Sherlock Holmes”. At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910 as a featured player with the Fred Karno Company.

He scored an immediate hit with American audiences, particularly with his characterization in a sketch entitled “A Night in an English Music Hall”. When the Fred Karno troupe returned to the United States in the fall of 1912 for a repeat tour, Chaplin was offered a motion picture contract.

He finally agreed to appear before the cameras at the expiration of his vaudeville commitments in November 1913; and his entrance in the cinema world took place that month when he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company. His initial salary was $150 a week, but his overnight success on the screen spurred other producers to start negotiations for his services.

At the completion of his Sennett contract, Chaplin moved on to the Essanay Company (1915) at a large increase. Sydney Chaplin had then arrived from England, and took his brother’s place with Keystone as their leading comedian.

The following year Charlie was even more in demand and signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a much larger sum to make 12 two-reel comedies. These include “The Floorwalker”, “The Fireman”, “The Vagabond”, “One A.M.” (a production in which he was the only character for the entire two reels with the exception of the entrance of a cab driver in the opening scene), “The Count”, “The Pawnshop”, “Behind the Screen”, “The Rink”, “Easy Street” (heralded as his greatest production up to that time), “The Cure”, “The Immigrant” and “The Adventurer”.

Gaining independence

When his contract with Mutual expired in 1917, Chaplin decided to become an independent producer in a desire for more freedom and greater leisure in making his movies. To that end, he busied himself with the construction of his own studios. This plant was situated in the heart of the residential section of Hollywood at La Brea Avenue.

Early in 1918, Chaplin entered into an agreement with First National Exhibitors’ Circuit, a new organization specially formed to exploit his pictures. His first film under this new deal was “A Dog’s Life”. After this production, he turned his attention to a national tour on behalf of the war effort, following which he made a film the US government used to popularize the Liberty Loan drive: “The Bond”.

His next commercial venture was the production of a comedy dealing with the war. “Shoulder Arms”, released in 1918 at a most opportune time, proved a veritable mirthquake at the box office and added enormously to Chaplin’s popularity.

He followed “Shoulder Arms” with “Sunnyside” and “A Day’s Pleasure”, both released in 1919. In April of that year, Chaplin joined with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith to found the United Artists Corporation. B.B. Hampton, in his “History of the Movies” says:

“The corporation was organized as a distributor, each of the artists retaining entire control of his or her respective producing activities, delivering to United Artists the completed pictures for distribution on the same general plan they would have followed with a distributing organization which they did not own. The stock of United Artists was divided equally among the founders. This arrangement introduced a new method into the industry. Heretofore, producers and distributors had been the employers, paying salaries and sometimes a share of the profits to the stars. Under the United Artists system, the stars became their own employers. They had to do their own financing, but they received the producer profits that had formerly gone to their employers and each received his share of the profits of the distributing organization.”

(Note: The comments on each film outlined below are taken from articles by David Robinson. We strongly recommend you read the full articles by following our links, since they provide many more insights on Chaplin’s life and work.)

The Kid (1921)

However, before he could assume his responsibilities with United Artists, Chaplin had to complete his contract with First National. So early in 1921, he came out with a six-reel masterpiece: The Kid , in which he introduced to the screen one of the greatest child actors the world has ever known - Jackie Coogan.

Later in 1921, he released “The Idle Class”, in which he portrayed a dual character. Then, feeling the need for a complete rest from his motion picture activities, Chaplin sailed for Europe in September 1921. London, Paris, Berlin and other capitals on the continent gave him tumultuous receptions.

After an extended vacation, Chaplin returned to Hollywood to resume his picture work and start his active association with United Artists. Under his arrangement with U.A., Chaplin made eight pictures, each of feature length, in the following order:

The Masterpiece Features

A woman of paris (1923).

A Woman of Paris was a courageous step in the career of Charles Chaplin. After seventy films in which he himself had appeared in every scene, he now directed a picture in which he merely walked on for a few seconds as an unbilled and unrecognisable extra – a porter at a railroad station. Until this time, every film had been a comedy. A Woman of Paris was a romantic drama. This was not a sudden impulse. For a long time Chaplin had wanted to try his hand at directing a serious film.

The Gold Rush (1925)

Chaplin quickly embarked on a clandestine affair with her; and when the film was six months into shooting, Lita discovered she was pregnant. Chaplin found himself forced into a marriage which brought misery to both partners, though it produced two sons, Charles Jr and Sydney Chaplin.

The Circus (1928)

The Circus won Charles Chaplin his first Academy Award – it was still not yet called the ‘Oscar’ – he was given it at the first presentations ceremony, in 1929. But as late as 1964, it seemed, this was a film he preferred to forget. The reason was not the film itself, but the deeply fraught circumstances surrounding its making.

Chaplin was in the throes of the break-up of his marriage with Lita Grey; and production of The Circus coincided with one of the most unseemly and sensational divorces of twenties Hollywood, as Lita’s lawyers sought every means to ruin Chaplin’s career by smearing his reputation. As if his domestic troubles were not enough, the film seemed fated to catastrophe of every kind.

In the late 1960s, after the years spent trying to forget it, Chaplin returned to The Circus to re-release it with a new musical score of his own composition. It seemed to symbolize his reconciliation to the film which cost him so much stress.

City Lights (1931)

City Lights proved to be the hardest and longest undertaking of Chaplin’s career. By the time it was completed he had spent two years and eight months on the work, with almost 190 days of actual shooting. The marvel is that the finished film betrays nothing of this effort and anxiety.

Even before he began City Lights , the sound film was firmly established. This new revolution was a bigger challenge to Chaplin than to other silent stars. His Tramp character was universal. His mime was understood in every part of the world. But if the Tramp now began to speak in English, that world-wide audience would instantly shrink.

Chaplin boldly solved the problem by ignoring speech, and making City Lights in the way he had always worked before, as a silent film. However he astounded the press and the public by composing the entire score for City Lights .

The premieres were among the most brilliant the cinema had ever seen. In Los Angeles, Chaplin’s guest was Albert Einstein; while in London Bernard Shaw sat beside him. City Lights was a critical triumph. All Chaplin’s struggles and anxieties, it seemed, were compensated by the film which still appears as the zenith of his achievement and reputation.

Modern Times (1936)

Chaplin was acutely preoccupied with the social and economic problems of this new age. In 1931 and 1932 he had left Hollywood behind, to embark on an 18-month world tour. In Europe, he had been disturbed to see the rise of nationalism and the social effects of the Depression, of unemployment and of automation.

He read books on economic theory; and devised his own Economic Solution, an intelligent exercise in utopian idealism, based on a more equitable distribution not just of wealth but of work. In 1931 he told a newspaper interviewer, “Unemployment is the vital question . . . Machinery should benefit mankind. It should not spell tragedy and throw it out of work”.

In Modern Times Chaplin set out to transform his observations and anxieties into comedy. The little Tramp - described in the film credits as “a Factory Worker”- is now one of the millions coping with the problems of the 1930s, which are not so very different from anxieties of the 21st century - poverty, unemployment, strikes and strike breakers, political intolerance, economic inequalities, the tyranny of the machine, narcotics.

The Great Dictator (1940)

When writing The Great Dictator in 1939, Chaplin was as famous worldwide as Hitler, and his Tramp character wore the same moustache. He decided to pit his celebrity and humour against the dictator’s own celebrity and evil. He benefited – if that is the right word for it, given the times – from his “reputation” as a Jew, which he was not – (he said “I do not have that pleasure”).

In the film Chaplin plays a dual role –a Jewish barber who lost his memory in a plane accident in the first war, and spent years in hospital before being discharged into an antisemite country that he does not understand, and Hynkel, the dictator leader of Tomania, whose armies are the forces of the Double Cross, and who will do anything along those lines to increase his possibilities for becoming emperor of the world. Chaplin’s aim is obvious, and the film ends with a now famous and humanitarian speech made by the barber, speaking Chaplin’s own words.

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

The idea was originally suggested by Orson Welles, as a project for a dramatised documentary on the career of the legendary French murder Henri Désiré Landru – who was executed in 1922, having murdered at least ten women, two dogs and one boy.

Chaplin was so intrigued by the idea that he paid Welles $5000 for it. The agreement was signed in 1941, but Chaplin took four more years to complete the script. In the meantime the irritating distractions of a much-publicised and ugly paternity suit had been compensated by his brilliantly successful marriage to Oona O’Neill.

In the late 1940s, America¹s Cold War paranoia reached its peak, and Chaplin, as a foreigner with liberal and humanist sympathies, was a prime target for political witch-hunters. This was the start of Chaplin’s last and unhappiest period in the United States, which he was definitively to leave in 1952.

Limelight (1952)

Not surprisingly, then, in choosing his next subject he deliberately sought escape from disagreeable contemporary reality. He found it in bitter-sweet nostalgia for the world of his youth – the world of the London music halls at the opening of the 20th century, where he had first discovered his genius as an entertainer.

With this strong underlay of nostalgia, Chaplin was at pains to evoke as accurately as possible the London he remembered from half a century before and it is clear from the preparatory notes for the film that the character of Calvero had a very similar childhood to Chaplin’s own. Limelight ’s story of a once famous music hall artist whom nobody finds amusing any longer may well have been similarly autobiographical as a sort of nightmare scenario.

Chaplin’s son Sydney plays the young, talented pianist who vies with Calvero for the young ballerina’s heart, and several other Chaplin family members participated in the film. It was when on the boat travelling with his family to the London premiere of Limelight that Chaplin learned that his re-entry pass to the United States had been rescinded based on allegations regarding his morals and politics.

Chaplin therefore remained in Europe, and settled with his family at the Manoir de Ban in Corsier sur Vevey, Switzerland, with view of lake and mountains. What a difference from California. He and Oona went on to have four more children, making a total of eight.

A King in New York (1957)

With A King in New York Charles Chaplin was the first film-maker to dare to expose, through satire and ridicule, the paranoia and political intolerance which overtook the United States in the Cold War years of the 1940s and 50s. Chaplin himself had bitter personal experience of the American malaise of that time.

To take up film making again, as an exile, was a challenging undertaking. He was now nearing 70. For almost forty years he had enjoyed the luxury of his own studio and a staff of regular employees, who understood his way of work. Now though he had to work with strangers, in costly and unfriendly rented studios. The film shows the strain.

A Countess from Hong Kong

In 1966 he produced his last picture, “A Countess from Hong Kong” for Universal Pictures, his only film in colour, starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando. The film started as a project called Stowaway in the 1930s, planned for Paulette Goddard. Chaplin appears briefly as a ship steward, Chaplin’s son Sydney once again has an important role, and three of Chaplin’s daughters have small parts in the film. The film was unsuccessful at the box office, but Petula Clark had one or two hit records with songs from the soundtrack music and the music continues to be very popular.

Chaplin’s versatility extended to writing, music and sports. He was the author of at least four books, “My Trip Abroad”, “A Comedian Sees the World”, “My Autobiography”, “My Life in Pictures” as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility (playing violin and cello left-handed).

He was also a composer, having written and published many songs, among them: “Sing a Song”; “With You Dear in Bombay”; and “There’s Always One You Can’t Forget”, “Smile”, “Eternally”, “You are My Song”, as well as the soundtracks for all his films. Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception of “A Countess from Hong Kong”), but was the author, actor, director and soundtrack composer of them as well.

He died on Christmas day 1977, survived by eight children from his last marriage with Oona O’Neill, and one son from his short marriage to Lita Grey.

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Chaplin - A Musical Biography

In 1929 Chaplin commented that talking pictures were “ruining the great beauty of silence”. It is a wonderful paradox that the advent of sound would enable him to reach a new level of accomplishment as an artist with the score for City Lights.

Charlie’s Mother: Hannah Chaplin

Hannah was a singer and character comedienne in the British music halls with the stage name of Lily Harley, and she did enjoy some success. Sadly her career was plagued on and off by ill health, and it was when her voice failed during a performance.

Charles Chaplin

• Born April 16 , 1889 · Walworth, London, England, UK
• Died December 25 , 1977 · Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland (stroke)
• Birth name Charles Spencer Chaplin
• The Little Tramp
• Height 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
• Considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin 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 character, the Little Tramp; 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 16, 1889, to Hannah Harriet Pedlingham (Hill) and Charles Chaplin, both music hall performers, who were married on June 22, 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 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 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 age 18, he began touring with Fred Karno 's vaudeville troupe, joining them on the troupe's 1910 United States 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, at which time his loyalty to England, his home country, was questioned. He had never applied for American 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 other career eccentricities sparked suspicion with FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover and the House Un-American Activities Committee (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, the film 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 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 also was scrutinized for his support in aiding the Russian struggle against the invading Nazis during World War II, and the United States 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. Instead, he and his wife decided to settle in Switzerland. Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. In 1918, he married Mildred Harris and they had a son together, Norman Spencer Chaplin, who lived only three days. Chaplin and Harris 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 Chaplin, Jane Chaplin, Annette-Emilie Chaplin, and Christopher Chaplin . In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a great deal. 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". He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 New Year's Honours List. No formal reason for the honour was listed. The citation simply reads "Charles Spencer Chaplin, Film Actor and Producer". Chaplin's other works included musical scores that he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" (1964) and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" (1974). Chaplin died at age 88 of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Vevey, Switzerland. His funeral was a small and private Anglican ceremony according to his wishes. 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. Six of Chaplin's films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress: The Immigrant (1917), The Kid (1921) , The Gold Rush (1925) , City Lights (1931) , Modern Times (1936) , and The Great Dictator (1940) . Charlie Chaplin is 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. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan <[email protected]>
• Spouses Oona Chaplin (June 16, 1943 - December 25, 1977) (his death, 8 children) Paulette Goddard (June 1, 1936 - June 4, 1942) (divorced) Lita Grey (November 26, 1924 - August 25, 1927) (divorced, 2 children) Mildred Harris (October 23, 1918 - April 4, 1921) (divorced, 1 child)
• Children Victoria Chaplin Michael Chaplin Josephine Chaplin Christopher Chaplin Jane Chaplin Eugene Chaplin Sydney Chaplin Norman Spencer Chaplin Annette Emily Chaplin Annie Chaplin Geraldine Chaplin Charles Chaplin Jr.
• Parents Hannah Chaplin Charles Chaplin Sr.
• Relatives Oona Chaplin (Grandchild) Wheeler Dryden (Sibling) James Thierrée (Grandparent) Kiera Chaplin (Grandchild) Carmen Chaplin (Grandchild) Dolores Chaplin (Grandchild) Julien Ronet (Grandchild) Aurélia Thiérrée (Grandchild) Orson Chaplin (Grandchild) Shane Chaplin Saura (Grandchild) George Chaplin (Grandchild) Charlie Sistovaris (Grandchild) Spencer Dryden (Niece or Nephew) Stephan Chaplin (Grandchild) Laura Chaplin (Grandchild) Christian Chaplin (Grandchild) Arthur Gardin (Grandchild) Shannon Chaplin (Grandchild) Osceola Salkind (Grandchild) Tracy Chaplin (Grandchild) Skye Chaplin (Grandchild) Kevin Chaplin (Grandchild) Drunkfux (Niece or Nephew) Syd Chaplin (Half Sibling) Sydney Chaplin (Sibling)
• 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.
• Highly descriptive facial expressions
• Stories often reflect his liberal political beliefs
• Comedy with a deep undercurrent of pathos
• On-screen and off-screen, favored the company of much younger women, who were often innocent if troubled
• 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.
• A much-repeated story claims that he once entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest and finished third! In some versions of the story, he came in second.
• Long after becoming a millionaire, he continued to live in a shabby hotel room, and kept his studio checks in a trunk for months.
• As of 2021, he is the only person to receive a 12-minute standing ovation at the Academy Awards when he appeared to accept an honorary award "for the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century." It is the longest in the history of the Academy Awards up to 2021.
• He was 54 years old when he wed Oona O'Neill ( Oona Chaplin ) in 1943; Oona was age 18 at the time, which deeply disappointed her father Eugene O'Neill , who disowned his daughter as a result of his disappointment. Charlie's marriage to Oona became the longest of his four marriages by far, lasting until his own death.
• 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.
• 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 Tramp (1915) - $1,250 /week
• A Night Out (1915) - $1,250 /week
• Caught in the Rain (1914) - $150 /week
• Twenty Minutes of Love (1914) - $150 /week
• Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914) - $150 /week

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• Charlie Chaplin Biography

About Charlie Chaplin

Known as one of the greatest comedians to ever grace the earth, Charlie Chaplin was born Charlie Spencer Chaplin. A world-renowned personality, he is remembered for his extraordinary comic timings and his ability to emote without words. In the history of motion pictures, Charlie Chaplin stands out as one of the most prominent figures. Here, we will learn about his childhood, Charlie Chaplin date of birth, Charlie Chaplin death date, nationality, achievements and more. 

Early Childhood

The date of birth of Charlie Chaplin was 16th April 1889. He was born in London England to actor parents. The real name of Charlie Chaplin was Charlie Spencer Chaplin and it was inspired by his father’s name, a versatile actor and entertainer. He spent his early childhood years with his mother, a popular singer and actress before she was confined to a mental asylum. Charlie also had a half-brother named Sydney. 

Given to look after themselves, both the brothers found themselves in numerous residential schools and bleak workhouses. In the year 1897, Charlie was able to become a member of a clog-dancing act, the ‘Eight Lancashire Lads’ as an entertainer. 

Career 

Charlie had already gained favour as a tap-dance artist among the ‘Eight Lancashire Lads’, when at the age of 12, he got a chance to act on stage, essaying the role of ‘Billy’, the page boy and then went on to act in William Galette’s Sherlock Holmes, where he played a small role. 

Post this, Charlie Chaplin began his career as a comedian with the Casey’s Court Circus’ vaudeville act. It was the year 1908 when he joined the Fred Karno Repertoire Company as a part of the pantomime troupe. It was here when Charlie Chaplin’s status quickly escalated to that of a star and eventually took him to the United States of America. His portrayal of the Drunk in the sketch ‘A Night in an English Music Hall’ was an immediate hit with the American audiences so much so that in Fred Karno Troupre’s repeat tour of the USA in 1912, Charlie was offered a contract of a motion picture. 

With his Vaudeville commitments expiring in 1913, Charlie agreed to appear before cameras when he joined the Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company. This was Charlie Chaplin’s first entrance into the world of cinema. 

The first onscreen character that he portrayed was that of a mercenary dandy, which, claim historians, did not showcase his talents in the best light. He was then ordered by Sennet to come up with an image that would work better on screen. This was the moment when the iconic too small coat, too large pair of pants, floppy shoes and battered derby completed with a postage stamp moustache look of Charlie Chaplin that we all know and love was born. He also adopted a cane as an all-purpose prop to complete his look. This eventually gave birth to his on-screen alter ego the ‘Little Tramp’  in his second Keystone film ‘Kid Auto Races at Venice’, an immortal presence until today. 

In the vast array of characters portrayed by Charlie Chaplin, however, he was not always confined to the role of a tramp. His characters in the parts that he played were often employed as a fireman, store clerk, waiter, etc. A more apt description of his character portrayal was the archetypical misfit, usually left out by the ‘polite society’, not so lucky in love and of the like. He was also depicted as a survivor, someone who is able to plunge out of his sorrows and move on jauntily to newer adventures. 

The tramp, however, had more of a universal appeal for the character was cheeky yet casually savage. Combined with a gallantry that is unexpected of such a character and the ability to be resilient in the face of adversity struck a chord with a majority of the audiences. The portrayal of this character made Charlie Chaplin the biggest movie star within months after his debut as the same. The 35 comedy films that Charlie Chaplin had with Keystone is usually regarded as the gestation period of the ‘Tramp’ with caricature usually shifting up to be the character. 

On completion of his contract with Sennet, Charlie Chaplin moved on to work with the Essanay Company in 1915. During his time with Essanay studios, the element of paths was incorporated into his comedy by Charlie Chaplin in shorts such as The Tramp and Burlesque on Carmen. 

Given the rise in his popularity, Charlie then moved on to sign an even better deal with the Mutual Film Corporation where he was required to make twelve two-reel comedies. Some of the popular works from this association include The Rink (1916), One A.M. (1916), The Vagabond (1916) and Easy Street (1917). 

In the year 1918, Charlie Chaplin entered a contract with First National Film Corporation where he was required to produce eight short films. Some of the notable works under this include Shoulder Arms (1918), The Pilgrim (1923) and The Kid (1921), his first starring feature. 

Independent Achievements

Charlie Chaplin was famous for being a perfectionist. He went to great lengths to achieve the desired outcomes in his films. He went on from producing for other film studios to building his own production company, United Artists, which he co-founded with D.W. Griffith, and husband and wife Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford (both of whom were superstars). From his own company, Charlie Chaplin produced three movies between 1923 and 1929. This included his masterpiece and only dreams, The Gold Rush (1925), A Woman of Paris (1923) and The Circus (1928). After a  number of successful films, Charlie Chaplin produced his first sound picture in the year 1940, The Great Dictator, regarded as his most overt political satire. This film performed well on the box-office and also earned Charlie Chaplin his only Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category. Among his greatest works from the latter years include Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957) and A Countess from Hong Kong.

Personal Life

Charlie Chaplin’s personal life was rather a tumultuous one. It was after his contract with the First National Film Corporation when Charlie Chaplin got married to Mildred Harris, a 16-year old who worked as a film extra. They, however, got divorced in the year 1921. Charlie Chaplin then again married Lillita MacMurray in 1924, 16-years old at the time, and later became known to the world as Lita Grey, the film star. But this marriage was also short-lived as the couple got divorced, rather noisily, in the year 1927. Post this, in the year 1932, Charlie courted Paulette Goddard, who starred in a number of his productions but the couple separated in 1942. Charlie again re-married in 1943, the 18-year old Oona O’Neill. He was the father of 8 children from his last marriage with Oona O’Neill, along with one son from his marriage to Lita Grey.

Final Years

Charlie Chaplin, in his final years, was conferred with several honours. In 1972 he accepted the Special Academy Award for the immeasurable effect that he projected in the making of motion pictures the art form of this century. His final public appearance was in 1975 when he was knighted. Charlie Chaplin passed away on 25th December 1977.  In addition to being an author and a producer, Charlie Chaplin also honed a number of other skills, he was a musician, played a variety of instruments and authored at least four books. He was truly a remarkable personality whom the world remembers with great fondness.

FAQs on Charlie Chaplin Biography

Q1. Explain the Importance of Charlie Chaplin?  

Ans. Charlie Chaplin is one of the most prominent figures in motion-picture history. His portrayal of comedic characters on-screen revolutionized motion pictures. He was not only an actor and a comedian but also a writer, director and producer. For his immense contribution to the world of motion pictures and making them an art form of the present century, he was presented with a Special Academy Award in the year 1972.

Q2. What is Charlie Chaplin best remembered for? 

Ans. Although Charlie Chaplin portrayed a number of characters on screen, he is best remembered for the characterisation of ‘the Little Tramp’, a recurring silent film character. The comedic relief provided by this character in the oversized pants, tiny coat, battered derby, floppy shoes combined with the postage stamp moustache and cane is Chaplin’s most widely circulated representation. Audiences loved this character for its many traits that tickled their nerves. 

Q3. What is Charlie Chaplin’s Nationality?  

Ans. Sir Charlie Spencer Chaplin, was a British national. 

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Charlie Chaplin (2002 film)

2002 film directed by sakthi chidambaram / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about Charlie Chaplin (2002 film)?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old

Charlie Chaplin is a 2002 Indian Tamil -language comedy film directed by Sakthi Chidambaram , starring Prabhu and Prabhu Deva . Abhirami , Gayathri Raguram and Livingston play other supporting roles. It released on 15 February 2002, and become a commercial success. Prabhu won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his performance in the film. [1] The film's commercial success led to remakes in several languages, such as in Telugu as Pellam Oorelithe , Hindi as No Entry , Malayalam as Happy Husbands , Kannada as Kalla Malla Sulla , [2] Marathi as No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey and in Bengali as Kelor Kirti .

Ramakrishnan is a rich businessman in Ooty who owns an advertising company and tea estates. He is married to Mythili who is very possessive about her husband. Mythili always suspects her husband fearing that he would end up having an affair with some other girl as they are childless after 5 years of marriage, and this brings frequent quarrel between the couple. But Ramakrishnan is a kind hearted honest man and he takes care of his wife with great love.

Thirunavukkarasu is a poor photographer in the same town and initially, Ramakrishnan misunderstands Thiru to be a rogue. Later understands his good nature and provides him a job in his own company. Thiru, who was orphaned after his mother died 3 years ago, is very loyal to Ramakrishnan and Mythili and respects Ramakrishnan as his brother. Ramakrishnan is also very kind to Thiru. One day, Thiru meets a girl Susi and the two fall in love with each other. Susi is a social activist who voices for women empowerment, and daughter of a district judge.

Vishwa is a close friend of Ramakrishnan and is married to Amudha. But Vishwa is a playboy and has affairs with many girls. One day, a small quarrel erupts between Ramakrishnan and Mythili following which Ramakrishnan worries thinking about his wife's continuous suspecting behaviour. Vishwa plans to relax Ramakrishnan by engaging a call girl Thilothama.

Ramakrishnan although not interested in it, finally decides to spend some time with Thiliothama when Mythili is away to Tirupathi. Thilothama comes to Ramakrishnan's guest house where Thiru lives. Suddenly, Mythili cancels her trip and returns home. On the way, she finds Ramakrishnan's car in Thiru's home and she also comes to Thiru's home. Mythili gets shocked to see Thilothama and Ramakrishnan in Thiru's home. Ramakrishnan suddenly manages the situation by lying that Thilothama is none other than Thiru's lover. Mythili believes this while Thiru does not reveal the truth knowing that it would separate Ramakrishnan from Mythili.

Then it is cat and mouse game where Thiru tries to act as Thilothama's love in front of Mythili, at the same time tries hard not to get caught by Susi as she is short-tempered and hates someone lying to her. Finally, Mythili and Susi get to know about the lies told by Thiru and Ramakrishnan. Ramakrishnan and Thiru try hard to find Thilothama and make her tell the truth that nothing happened between them. But to their surprise, Thilothama committed suicide and they have no other proof now.

Susi decides to break up with Thiru while Mythili applies for divorce with Ramakrishnan. Finally, in the court, Ramakrishnan expresses how much he loves Mythili and tells all the truth and requests her to believe him. Also, Amudha and Vishwa convince Susi and Mythili whereby Amudha says that she very well knows about Vishwa's affair with so many girls but she still lives with a hope of getting him back as a loyal husband someday. Mythili and Susi understand Ramakrishnan and Thiru's good nature and they unite in the end.

• Prabhu as Ramakrishnan
• Prabhu Deva as Thirunavukkarasu (Thiru)
• Livingston as Vishwa
• Abhirami as Mythili Ramakrishnan
• Gayathri Raghuraman as Suseela (Susi)
• Vindhya as Amudha Vishwa
• Monal as Thilothama
• Pyramid Natarajan as Judge Samandham, Suseela's Father
• Chinni Jayanth as Thirupathiraj
• Mahanadi Shankar as Police Inspector
• Besant Ravi
• Priyanka as Lakshmi, Home maid

Sakthi Chidambaram revealed that the story was based on a real life incident that had happened to his friend, but altered the happenings to present it in a comedy format. [3] The film was initially called Uthama Purushan , but was later changed to Charlie Chaplin . [4] The initial choices for the two leading female roles had been Gayatri Jayaraman and Sanghavi , but the two were replaced due to date issues. [3]

There are 7 songs in this film composed by Bharani . [5]

Chennai Online wrote, "It is a laugh riot that will drive away your blues. Prabhu with his perfect timing and penchant for comedy, and Prabhu Deva the perfect prop, strike a good chemistry on screen to provide some unpretentious fun-filled time to the viewers, leaving them no time to think or get bored. Livingston pitches his own bit to form the comic-trio". [6] The Hindu wrote "A Comic fare with a clear storyline, a neat screenplay that has no gaping loose ends and witty dialogue with all the essential punches make watching Roja combines' Charlie Chaplin an enjoyable experience". [7]

The film's commercial success led to remakes in several languages, such as:

It is the one among the second highest remade film in Indian cinema after Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (nine languages) along with Anuraga Aralithu , Poovinu Puthiya Poonthenal , Kireedam , Pavitra Bandham , Don , Vikramarkudu , Shutter , Brindavanam , Drishyam , U Turn , Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom , Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam , Kaadhal and Okkadu – all of which have been remade six times. A sequel titled Charlie Chaplin 2 released in 2019. [10] The core plot of the film is loosely based on the 1975 Tamil film Yarukku Mappillai Yaro . [11]

• [2] Srivani, B S (16 September 2011). "Kalla Malla Sulla" . Deccan Herald . Archived from the original on 6 July 2015 . Retrieved 5 August 2012 .
• [3] " "For a film to succeed, its music must become a massive hit" " . Tamil Guardian . Archived from the original on 22 October 2013 . Retrieved 5 August 2012 .
• [4] Swamy, A. "Prabhu: The comeback story" . cinematoday2.itgo.com . Archived from the original on 27 February 2014 . Retrieved 12 December 2015 .
• [5] "Charlie Chaplin" . JioSaavn . 1 January 2002. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024 . Retrieved 13 March 2024 .
• [6] Mannath, Malini. "Charlie Chaplin" . Chennai Online . Archived from the original on 13 March 2005 . Retrieved 14 March 2022 .
• [7] Rangarajan, Malathi (22 February 2002). "Charlie Chaplin" . The Hindu . Archived from the original on 2 October 2003 . Retrieved 21 September 2023 .
• [8] "Kalla Malla Sulla" . Sify . Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 . Retrieved 5 August 2012 .
• [9] Vyavahare, Renuka. "No Entry gets Marathi makeover!" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 21 August 2017 . Retrieved 10 January 2016 .
• [10] Sundar, Mrinalini. "Prabhudheva and Nikki Galrani team up for Charlie Chaplin 2" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 4 April 2020 . Retrieved 18 November 2017 .
• [11] " 'Charlie Chaplin 2' review: Did 2019 really need this dated Prabhu Deva sequel?" . The News Minute . 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021 . Retrieved 13 March 2024 .

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