INFORMATION VINE * The Entertaining History of Charlie Chaplin *.

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Charles Spencer Chaplin was a filmmaker, an English comic actor, and a composer in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon and is considered one of the most important figures in the film industry's history. Chaplin had complete control over his pictures and personally edited all of his films. Chaplin directed, wrote, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for almost all of his films.

Charlie Chaplin Born April 16, 1889

Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889 in South London, England. His parents Hannah and Charles Chaplin Sr. were both music hall entertainers. His childhood was one of poverty and hardship; his father was absent, and his mother struggled financially. 



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Charlie's parents were estranged by around 1891, and his early years were spent with his mother and brother Sydney in London. His mother had no means of income, and Charlie was eventually sent to Lambeth Workhouse when he was seven years old.

Lambeth Workhouse

Charlie Chaplin, his mother, and his brother went to the Lambeth Workhouse in 1896. Over the next few years, the family went in and out of the Lambeth Workhouse until Charlie was fourteen and Hannah was committed to an asylum. The non-disabled would be given work, but the work was hard and harsh. It involved stone breaking for the building trade or crushing bones for fertilizer. 



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Charlie and his brother would be separated from their mother, their hair cut short, placed in the workhouse uniform, and then transferred to the school district. The children were often punished with three strokes, sometimes requiring surgery for treatment after.

1899 - The Eight Lancashire Lads

In 1899, Chaplin joined a troupe of clog dancers called The Eight Lancashire Lads at the age of ten. He got the gig through his father's show business connections. The group toured across the U.K. Traveling with the group gave Chaplin his first professional break at eleven. 



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He performed with the group, and in return, he had board and lodging and payment of half a crown a week to Chaplin's mother. He stated that after dancing, he could hardly move his legs and that it was weeks before he could do a solo dance as the rest of them did.

Charlie Chaplin's Mother

Chaplin has said that his first influence was his mother, who entertained him as a child by sitting at the window and mimicking passers-by. Hannah was a singer and character comedian in the British music halls, but she was plagued on and off by ill health. 



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Her health continued to decline, but she always tried to bring happiness to her children. She suffered from mental illness her whole life and was eventually put into a mental hospital. She remained in care until she died in 1928.

1903-1905 - Sherlock Holmes

When Chaplin was twelve years old, he was offered the Billy the Pageboy role. From July 1903 to February 1906, he played that part while traveling the country. He played Billy the pageboy in three nationwide tours, and his performance was so good that he was asked to do the role alongside William Gillette, the original Holmes. 



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Chaplin starred in the play's West End production at the Duke of York's Theatre. The role stuck with him in his later roles and definitely catapulted his career.

1906 - Casey's Circus

Chaplin found work with a new company and went on tour with his brother. In 1906, he joined the juvenile act Casey's Circus and developed popular burlesque pieces, and was soon the show's star. The act finished touring in July 1907, when Chaplin was eighteen. 



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He had become an accomplished comedic performer, but he struggled to find work and even attempted a solo act, that ended in failure. Then at nineteen, he was signed to the Fred Karno company in America.

1910 - The Karno Company

Chaplin's brother, Sydney, managed to secure a two-week trial for his younger brother, and Chaplin made a huge impact and was signed to contract. He began by playing minor parts but eventually progressed to playing starring roles. In 1910, Chaplin received considerable press attention for his lead role in Jimmy the Fearless. 



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He was then selected to tour North America's vaudeville circuit, where he headed the show and his most successful role was a drunk called the "Inebriate Swell." The tour was twenty-one months long but headed back out in October of the same year.

1914 - Making A Living

Making a Living is the first film Charlie starred in, and it was a one-reel comedy short, completed in three days. The film was released in February 1914, and in the film, Chaplin portrays a charming swindler that wears a large mustache and a top hat in the film and carries a walking cane. 



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Chaplin disliked the film, but a review called him 'a comedian of the first water.' He claimed that the director had deliberately removed the best parts of his performance from the film's final cut.

Cane Hill Mental Asylum

Charlie's mother was admitted to Cane Hill from 1903 until 1912. She was readmitted in 1915, and then in 1921, she was taken in by family until she died in 1928. Charlie Chaplin wrote of a visit to Cane Hill in 1912. He stated it was a sad day because his mother was not well. Their mother was confined to a padded room, and she had been given shock treatment of icy cold showers.



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"I remember mother walking in. She looked pale, and her lips were blue. I told her that she would soon get well. 'Of course,' she said dolefully, 'if only had given me a cup of tea that afternoon. I would have been alright.' The doctor told Sydney afterward that her mind was undoubtedly impaired by malnutrition and required proper medical treatment. I was haunted by her remark about the tea." ------ Charlie Chaplin

1914 - Kid Auto Races at Venice

Chaplin's trademark character 'Little Tramp' debuted in Kid Auto Races at Venice. This was Chaplin's second released film, and it was released in 1914, only five days after Making a Living. Chaplin wanted everything to be contradicting, the baggy pants, the tight coat, the small hat, and large shoes. 



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"I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the makeup made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked on stage, he was fully born." ---- Charlie Chaplin. The film was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2020.

1915 - Plays Cello and Piano

Chaplin recalled seeing both his mother and father on stage. He carried his violin wherever he could and had the strings reversed so he could play left-handed. Since the age of sixteen, he practiced his cello and piano from four to six hours a day, and he also took lessons. 



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He eventually realized he would never achieve excellence, so he gave up, but later, he set up his own music publishing company. Film always remained Chaplin's most important concern. He did compose his own film scores though.

Charlie Chaplin Studios

The Charlie Chaplin Studios still stands today but is now The Jim Henson Studios. Chaplin was the first movie star in history and the only one to have his own studio lot. He built his studio in 1917 in the heart of Hollywood, just south of Sunset Boulevard. 



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Every independent film he ever produced was made at the studio, and his concrete footprints can still be found in front of Sound Stage three. Now in front, there is a Kermit the Frog statue, but he's dressed as Chaplin's Little Tramp.

1918 - First Wife, Mildred Harris

Chaplin married his first wife, Mildred Harris, in 1918. They married because they thought she was pregnant, it ended up being a false alarm. She later gave birth to Charlie's first child, but the baby only lived for three days. 



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Mildred was only sixteen when they married and was an actress, and she appeared in films such as The Inferior Sex and For Husbands Only. The couple divorced after only two years of marriage in 1920, and it was acrimonious.

United Artists

In 1919, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith created their own studio, the United Artists Corporation. They quickly gained fame in Hollywood, and with the rise of sound during that decade, United Artists was helped by the talents of veteran producers. 



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The corporation, unfortunately, began to struggle financially in the 1940s, and in 1951, the production studio was sold, becoming a financing and distributing facility. By the mid-50s, all of the original partners had sold their shares of the company.

1921 - The Kid

Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in the 1921 silent comedy-drama film, The Kid. This was his first full-length film as a director, and it was a huge success. It was the second-highest-grossing film in 1921, and it is considered one of the greatest films of the silent era. 



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The movie made Coogan the first major child star of the movies. Chaplin's firstborn son died just ten days before the production began. The portrayal of poverty and the cruelty of the welfare workers are all reminiscent of Chaplin's childhood.

1923 - A Woman Of Paris

Charlie Chaplin wrote, created, directed, and produced A Woman of Paris in 1923. It was a feature-length silent film and an atypical drama film for Chaplin. This is one of the only films that Chaplin himself doesn't appear in, and it is a serious drama, which is unusual for Chaplin. 



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Chaplin's brief relationship with Peggy Hopkins Joyce inspired the film. Many were not fans of this movie because it wasn't Chaplin's usual comedy with him playing the starring role. The critical response was very positive, but it was a box office failure.

1924 - Second Wife Lita Grey

Charlie met Lita while working on the film The Kid and then again on the movie Gold Rush. Lita was sixteen, and Chaplin was thirty-six when the two started dating, and they were married on November 26, 1924. A few months after they were married, Lita gave birth to their first child, Charles Chaplin, Jr. 



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One year later, Sydney Chaplin was born. The two divorced after two years of marriage in 1926, and it was a bitter divorce. Lita was quite successful but eventually had alcohol problems.

1925 - The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is a comedy film by Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin wrote, produced, and directed the film in 1925, and the film also stars Chaplin in his Little Tramp persona. He drew inspiration for the film from the Klondike Gold Rush photos and decided to combine tragedies and comics. 



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The film received Academy Award nominations for the Best Sound Recording and the Best Music. The film is one of Chaplin's most celebrated works and is the film he said he most wanted to be remembered. It was a huge success in the US and worldwide and the fifth-highest-grossing silent film in 1926.

Cover of TIME Magazine

Charlie Chaplin was the first actor in the world to be on the cover of TIME Magazine. He was on the cover in July 1925, and back in that time, being on the cover of TIME Magazine was an indicator of a person's notability or fame. He was very famous and well-known for his films The Circus, City Lights, and The Great Dictator. 



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Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers who was very talented and is considered by film historians to be the last of the genre. He is remembered for his most recognizable character, the tramp.

1928 - The Circus

Charlie Chaplin wrote, produced, and directed the silent film, The Circus in 1928. The storyline is the ringmaster of an impoverished circus hires Chaplin's little tramp as a clown but finds out that he can only be funny unintentionally. 



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The film's production was the most difficult experience in Chaplin's career because of all the problems and delays, including a studio fire, Chaplin's mother's death, and his divorce from his second wife. The film was the seventh-highest-grossing silent film in 1928 and continues to receive high praise. It performed well at the box office, and Chaplin was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Gandhi

In 1931, Gandhi was in London for the Second Roundtable Conference. Charlie Chaplin sought out a meeting with Gandhi, and the meeting impressed Chaplin so much that he made his famous movie Modern Times. He acknowledged that meeting with Gandhi inspired him to make the movie on the Dehumanising effect of automation. 



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He stated that Gandhi was the most entertaining person he had met. The discussion was started with Chaplin asking why Gandhi was against machinery. Gandhi agreed to meet with Chaplin because he was told he was for the people and made millions laugh.

1931 - City Lights

City Lights was written, produced, directed by, and starred Charlie Chaplin. It is a pre-code silent romantic comedy that follows Chaplin's tramp's misadventures as he falls in love with a blind girl and develops a friendship with an alcoholic millionaire. Sound films were on the rise, but Chaplin wanted to continue working with silent productions. 



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City Lights was the first film that Chaplin composed the film score to, and the movie was an immediate success when it was released in 1931. Critics considered it one of Chaplin's highest accomplishments and one of the greatest films of all time.

Charlie Chaplin was nearly assassinated in Japan in 1932

Some ultra-nationalistic Japanese Navy members were not satisfied with the new rules and planned on assassinating the Japanese Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi. They planned on storming the Prime Minister's residence and killing him and his son. Charlie Chaplin was visiting, and the Prime Minister decided to organize a reception for Chaplin. 



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Conspirators decided they should kill Chaplin because they thought that would lead to a war between the Empire of Japan and the United States. They stormed the residence and shot the Prime Minister but were not aware that Chaplin's visit was postponed at the last minute. He nearly escaped certain death.

1936 - Modern Times

Modern Times was written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1936. It is a silent comedy in which little tramp struggles to survive in the modern world. The film is in regards to the desperate unemployment and financial conditions many people faced during the Great Depression.



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It is the last film the Chaplin portrayed the tramp character and is the first film that you can hear Chaplin's voice in. Modern Times is one of his most popular films, but it did not perform as well commercially at the US box office.

1936 - Third Wife Paulette Goddard

Paulette Goddard was in her early 20s when she met Charlie Chaplin in the early 30s. After dating for a while, they went on a trip to the Orient and came back claiming that they had been married. Official marriage papers were never produced, and people remained skeptical. 



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They did not have any children together, but Paulette played mother to Chaplin's other two children. The couple started to grow apart and eventually divorced amicably in 1942.

1940 - The Great Dictator

Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, scored, and starred in The Great Dictator in 1940. The film is a political comedy-drama and is the first true sound film by Chaplin. It was popular with audiences and became Chaplin's most commercially successful film. 



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Chaplin stated he would never have made the film if he had known the true extent of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. The film was well-received in the US and became the second highest-grossing film of 1940.

1940s - Barry Trials

In 1943, Chaplin was slapped with a paternity suit. While he was still married to his third wife, he met Joan Berry and had an affair with her, and it was alleged that he made her available to other individuals for immoral purposes. She took him to court, where he was indicted for violating the Mann Act but was later exonerated. 



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She then took him to court, trying to prove he was the father of her child; three doctors came to the same conclusion that he was not the father. Blood tests were admissible in court, so he was brought to court anyway, and the jury voted 11 to 1 that he was the father, so Chaplin was forced to pay child support and court fees. Charlie Chaplin changed the paternity laws in America.

1943 - Fourth Wife, Oona O'Neill

Chaplin was supposed to give Oona acting lessons, but they soon began dating. They were married in 1943 when Chaplin was fifty-four years old, and Oona was eighteen years old. The couple ended up having eight children together. 



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Their children were: Geraldine Leigh, Michael John, Josephine Hannah, Victoria, Eugene Anthony, Jane Cecil, Annette Emily, and Christopher James. The couple stayed married for the rest of Chaplin's life. Chaplin died in 1977, and Oona died of cancer in 1991.

1947 - Monsieur Verdoux

The film Monsieur Verdoux is a black comedy film that Charlie Chaplin directed and starred in. He plays the bigamist wife killer, which serial killer Henri Desire Landru inspired. This was the first feature film that Chaplin's character had no resemblance to his tramp character. 



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The film was poorly received in American, and Chaplin's popularity and public image had been damaged by many scandals and political controversies. While promoting the film, Chaplin was subjected to unusually hostile treatment by the press. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

1952 - Limelight

In 1952, Charlie Chaplin wrote, produced, directed, and starred in Limelight. Chaplin stars as a washed-up comedian who saves a suicidal dancer as both try to get through life. The film was heavily boycotted in the United States. 



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The movie was filmed at the Chaplin Studios, and the filming took fifty-five days. While touring to promote the film, Chaplin learned that he had been refused re-entry to the U.S. and that many American theaters refused to play Limelight.

Manoir de Ban

Manoir de Ban was Charlie Chaplin's home for twenty-five years and is located on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It now houses a museum dedicated to the life and work of Chaplin. Chaplin found out that the US had revoked his visa, and his family needed a new address, and they chose Switzerland. 



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Chaplin spent his happy years at Manoir de Ban, walking on the grounds, playing with his children, and hosting friends. He also spent a large amount of time working there, and both Charlie and Oona are buried near the home.

1957 - A King in New York

A King in New York was directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1957. It is a British comedy film and is the last movie that Chaplin played the leading role. Chaplin's character flees the revolutionaries of Estonia and goes to New York City with nothing. 



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He finds work in TV commercials and is later wrongly accused of being a Communist. The film did well in Europe but did not do well in the US due to the lack of distribution. The film was released in the US in 1972, and despite the flaws, the film is an interesting study of life in America through the eyes of its most famous exile.

1960s - Chaplin Suffers A Series of Strokes 

Chaplin suffered a series of minor strokes in the late 1960s but continued to work. However, his health was continually declining and was preventing him from working. His speech, hearing, and sight worsened, and eventually, he was confined to a wheelchair. 



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He did manage to travel back to the US one more time to attend the 1972 Oscars to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, and he won an Oscar for Best Original Score for his film Limelight.

1964 - Release of Chaplin's memoirs, My Autobiography

Charlie Chaplin wrote a book called My Autobiography, and it was published in 1964. It is a revealing look into Chaplin's life, and it was regarded as the best autobiography ever written by an actor. The book also provided the material for the 1992 feature film Chaplin. 



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It tells the story of his childhood, how he perfected his talent, his film career, and his celebrity. The book offers fans an astonishing glimpse into the heart and mind of Hollywood's original genius.

1967 - A Countess From Hong Kong

A Countess from Hong Kong is the last film directed, written, produced, and scored by Charlie Chaplin. It is a 1967 British romantic comedy and is Chaplin's only color film. His cameo in the film marked his final screen appearance. 



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The plot is based loosely on the life of a woman Chaplin met in France. The film originally was called Stowaway in the 1930s, but production was never completed. Chaplin's three oldest daughters appeared in the film, but the film received largely negative reviews.

Hollywood Star

Charlie Chaplin got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1972. His star is located at 6755 Hollywood Boulevard. Chaplin was a pioneer of 20th-century movie-making and became part of the world's comic folklore in a film career that spanned fifty-two years. 



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Thanks to his character Tramp, he was the industry's first superstar. He used mime, slapstick, and other visual comedy routines. He was one of the most creative and influential people of the silent-film era.

1972 Oscars

Chaplin was permitted to come back home to the United States on April 2, 1972, to receive an honorary Oscar, and upon his return, he was hailed by crowds at Lincoln Center. Chaplin appeared extremely moved by the tribute at the Oscars, and his speech was very humble. 



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"First, thank you for your wonderful applause. It is so very gratifying to know that I have so many friends. It's easy for you but difficult for me to speak tonight, as I feel very emotional. I'm glad to be among so many friends. Thank you." ----- Charlie Chaplin

1975 - Awarded A Knighthood By Queen Elizabeth II

On March 4, 1975, Charlie Chaplin was dubbed Sir Charles by Queen Elizabeth II in the ornate ballroom of Buckingham Palace. He was too frail to kneel and was confined to his wheelchair. As Chaplin was brought in before the British Queen, the Welsh Guard's band played the haunting theme from Chaplin's film Limelight. 



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The Queen took a ceremonial sword, tapped him on both shoulders, and said, 'Arise, Sir Charles Chaplin, Kight Commander of the British Empire.' He was unable to stand, causing a very emotional moment, but when it was over, Chaplin was helped to his feet, and he tried to wave his walking cane in celebration.

Comedian

Charlie Chaplin was a comedic actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. Chaplin lit up the audience, wowing them with his natural presence and comedy when he stood in for his mother at a young age and even made fun of her crackling voice. 



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Chaplin started performing at an early age, toured music halls, and worked as a stage actor and comedian. Most of his films were comedies, and he almost always starred in them as his famous character, the tramp.

Composed Music for His Movies

Chaplin's music is an integral part of his film conceptions, and he even conducted the orchestra during recordings. Chaplin was musically untrained but had the advantage of his parents being performers. When he was young, he spent his free time picking out tunes on an old cello. 



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He would spend hours every day teaching himself how to play the cello, violin, and piano. He also took some lessons, and he composed the music for his films. He was apart of every aspect of his films.

Perfectionist

Chaplin was known as a grueling perfectionist. His love for experimentation often meant countless takes, and sometimes he would order the rebuilding of the entire set. It was also not uncommon for him to begin filming with one leading actor, change his mind, and start again with someone new. 



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Virginia Cherrill had a scene where she only says two words, and Chaplin made her redo the scene 342 times. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he wanted it perfect; he would have preferred that he was the only actor in the movie.

Played the Same Character In Most of His Movies

Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character was the tramp. The tramp is a childlike, good-hearted character who is portrayed as a vagrant who behaves with the manners and dignity of a gentleman despite his social status. 



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He does use his cunning to get what he needs to survive and escape the authority figures. The character wore a pair of large baggy pants, a tight coat, a bowler hat, large pair of shoes, a springy and flexible cane, and a toothbrush mustache. This character was featured in the majority of Chaplin's films.

Collaborated with Mabel Normand 

Mabel Normand became Chaplin's mentor when he first signed on to Keystone. He didn't understand how they did things, and Normand was already a veteran of more than 100 films. She directed some of his movies, and some of Chaplin's characteristics were inspired by Normand's work. 



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In 1916, Normand and Chaplin founded the Mabel Normand Feature Film Company, which made her one of the first women to have her name above a studio. Unfortunately, Normand died at the young age of thirty-seven from TB.

Charlie Chaplin Funeral

Chaplin's wife, Oona, and seven of their children were by his bedside when he died on Christmas Day. He died peacefully in his sleep early in the morning, just hours before the family's traditional Christmas celebration. His funeral service was private and restricted to the immediate family that was held in Vevey, Switzerland. 



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Chaplin was buried in Vevey, near his beloved home, and Oona was eventually buried next to him. According to the priest who was with Chaplin when he died, he said to Chaplin, "May the Lord have mercy on your soul," and Chaplin replied with, "Why not? After all, it belongs to Him."

Charlie Chaplin's Body Stolen

In March 1978, Charlie Chaplin's Body went missing. He was in an unguarded and peaceful cemetery, where his coffin was dug up, dragged several feet across the ground, and transferred to a vehicle. Between March 2nd and May 16th, Oona Chaplin received twenty-seven calls demanding money, but she flat out refused to pay. 



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The phone calls were traced, and Roman Wardas was arrested in the phone booth, and his accomplice, Gantscho Ganev, was arrested shortly after. The men later sent Oona letters expressing their sincere regret, and she forgave them.

Chaplin

Chaplin is a 1992 film about Charlie Chaplin's life, and it features Chaplin's daughter Geraldine Chaplin. The film was adapted from Chaplin's 1964 book My Autobiography, and it received mixed reviews. The film was a box office bomb, but Robert Downey Jr.'s performance won him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. 



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The film is based on flashbacks as the elderly Chaplin recalls moments from his life. Downey becomes Chaplin so precisely that even Chaplin's daughter was both impressed and unnerved. The film was released in 1993, and the 15th Anniversary Edition was released in 2011.

Top 10 Most Influential People of the 20th Century

In 1998, many said that Chaplin was the single most important artist produced by the cinema. The image of the Tramp has become a part of cultural history, and Chaplin is considered a pioneer and one of the most influential people of the 20th century. 



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He was also often credited with being one of the medium's first artists. Chaplin also strongly influenced later comedians' work and helped inspire the cartoon characters Felix the Cat, and Mickey Mouse. Chaplin had a role in the development of the film industry.

Charlie Chaplin Statues

There are many Charlie Chaplin statues all over the world. They are located in Trencianske Teplice, Slovakia, Chelmza, Poland, Waterville, Ireland, London, United Kingdom, Ramoji Film City, India, Alassio, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, and Vevey, Switzerland. 



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The statues were put up in honor of Chaplin and his character, The Tramp. In the United States, there is a wall sculpture of him on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum and a life-size tramp sitting on a bench in the lobby of the Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel.

Annual Charlie Chaplin Film Festival

The Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival is a mixture of film and comedy, celebrating Charlie Chaplin and cinema's early decades. Chaplin spent summer holidays in Waterville, Ireland for several years. There are screenings of classic movies, Chaplin films, a circus, street performers, and live comedy events at the festival. 



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It aims to encourage young film-makers to follow in the footsteps of those great pioneers of film. The festival is held every year in August, opening with a parade.