charlie chaplin simple biography

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

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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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Biography Online

Charlie Chaplin Biography

 “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot”

– Charlie Chaplin

Short bio Charlie Chaplin

Chaplin was born in London, 16 April 1889, to parents who worked in the entertainment industry. At an early age, his alcoholic father passed away, and later his mother had a breakdown and was taken to an asylum. This left Charlie and his brother to fend for themselves. Following in their parent’s footsteps, they were drawn to the musical hall, and Charlie gained a prominent reputation as a performer.

Charlie Chaplin had tremendous intensity. He would finance, write and direct all his films himself. He was a great perfectionist and would make his actors perform scenes up to 100 times to get it just right. Yet he also liked to improvise much of his performances and would not stick rigidly to a script.

The film was made one year before the US entered the war against Germany, and was controversial at a time when anti-Semitism was rife in America. Despite his parody of Hitler in this film, Chaplin refused to publicly endorse the war effort in 1942 – causing the authorities to become suspicious of his political leanings.

“Wars, conflict, it’s all business. One murder makes a villain. Millions a hero. Numbers sanctify.”

Monsieur Verdoux (1947);

“Since the end of the last world war, I have been the object of lies and propaganda by powerful reactionary groups who, by their influence and by the aid of America’s yellow press, have created an unhealthy atmosphere in which liberal-minded individuals can be singled out and persecuted. Under these conditions I find it virtually impossible to continue my motion-picture work, and I have therefore given up my residence in the United States.”

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin later said he was not a Communist but refused to condemn Communists because he disliked the nature of the McCarthy era.

“Friends have asked how I came to engender this American antagonism. My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall in line by hating them. Secondly, I was opposed to the Committee on Un-American Activities — a dishonest phrase to begin with, elastic enough to wrap around the throat and strangle the voice of any American citizen whose honest opinion is a minority of one.” – My Autobiography (1964)

Chaplin had great comic talent; this was a talent that shone through in his silent films but also in later years.

“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.”

Charlie Chaplin, as quoted in The Observer (17 June 1960)

Chaplin was put forward for a knighthood in 1956, but, it was blocked by the Conservative cabinet who feared a backlash from the American government.

Chaplin was eventually knighted in 1975. He also was awarded an Oscar in 1972 for his music score in the 1952 film Limelight . He was also awarded an honorary award in 1972 for “the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century.”

He came out of exile to receive the award and the longest standing ovation in the history of the Oscars.

Charlie Chaplin had a turbulent personal life. He had 11 children with three different women and had several other girlfriends and marriages.

He died in his sleep in Vevey, Switzerland on Christmas Day 1977.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Charlie Chaplin”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net , 30th Nov. 2009. Last updated 16 February 2018.

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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.

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More articles on Charlie Chaplin's Life and Work

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.

Charlie’s Father: Charles Chaplin Sr.

His marriage to Hannah did not last long, and they separated when Charlie was only about one year old. Charlie Chaplin had little contact with his father, except for a short period when he and Sydney stayed with Charles Chaplin Sr. during their mother’s

The Older Brother: Sydney

Charlie Chaplin and his brother Sydney were very close and looked out for each other from their childhood days. Four years Charlie’s senior, Sydney played a paternally protective role to his little brother throughout his life.

The Younger Brother: W. Dryden

The son of Hannah Chaplin and Leo Dryden, Wheeler Dryden was taken away from his mother as a baby. He was touring India and the Far East as a vaudeville comedian when he first learned from his father that the famous Charlie Chaplin was his half brother.

Charlie Chaplin's Wives

Charlie Chaplin had three wives previous to Oona O' Neill : Mildred Harris, Lita Grey and Paulette Goddard.

Chaplin Children and Grandchildren

About Charlie Chaplin's descendants

The Gamine: Paulette Goddard

Among Chaplin's leading ladies, Paulette Goddard stands out for a number of reasons. She was the female lead in his last silent film (Modern Times 1936) and in his first talkie (The Great Dictator 1940).

Syd Chaplin’s Father: A New Insight

Only recently has it been possible to say with a degree of certainty that Sydney’s father was an affluent London businessman whose lifestyle and relationships were the very stuff of Victorian melodrama.

Chaplin & Music

“Mother usually brought me to the theatre at night in preference to leaving me alone in rented rooms”

Chaplin as a Composer

Extract from « Charlie Chaplin » by Theodore Huff, published by Henry Schuman Inc., New York 1951

Chaplin and World War I

It is hard today to believe the scale of Chaplin’s popularity during World War I...

Chaplin's Film Premieres

It’s probably no surprise that the first ever “over-the-top” film premiere in Hollywood took place at one of Sid Grauman’s showplaces...

Chaplin Radio Broadcasts

Chaplin may have made the transition to sound film slowly and even reluctantly, but he was using radio to his advantages as early as 1923...

Chaplin and Winter Sports

We’ve all heard and read the accounts of how much Chaplin hated the cold. Lesser known and retold are the accounts of him making the most of nature’s winter assets...

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

One of the first accounts of Charlie’s birthday by the press is found in the Augusta Chronicle on Tuesday, April 16, 1918...

Christmas with Charlie

"How well I remember one Christmas Day sitting on that same seat at Hanwell school, weeping copious tears"...

Tango Entanglement

Charlie himself began to be known for his tango prowess in the early 1930s...

Charlie Chaplin... His Recipes!

It has long been recognized that “food” in one form or another was a very important part of Charlie Chaplin’s life and art...

Chaplin and the Légion d'Honneur

Chaplin's acquisition of the Légion d'Honneur medal and its attendant respect and honor took nearly ten years and probably ten times the difficulty it needed to...

Collecting Charlie Chaplin

The ideas for context collecting Charlie Chaplin are endless...

Who was Professor Bosco?

The name “Professor Bosco” will ring a bell to those familiar with the work of Charlie Chaplin

Filmography

Charlie Chaplin's filmography

Chaplin at Keystone: The Tramp is Born

Building on traditions forged in the commedia dell’arte which he learned in the British music halls, Charles Chaplin brought traditional theatrical forms into an emerging medium and changed both cinema and culture in the process...

Essanay - Chaplin Brand

If the early slapstick of the Keystone comedies represents Chaplin’s cinematic infancy, the films he made for the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company are his adolescence.

Mutual - Chaplin Specials

Buoyed by his enormously successful comedies for Keystone and Essanay, he was offered the largest salary ever extended to a motion picture star.

How to Make Movies

An unreleased film from 1918, although parts were used in The Chaplin Revue (1959). Reconstructed in the 1980s

Filming A Dog's Life

From the moment he entered movies, Charles Chaplin knew that he needed total creative autonomy in order to make the kind of comedy of which he alone was capable...

Filming Shoulder Arms

Chaplin's friends were nervous of his next project, a comedy about the war, which was to become Shoulder Arms. Even Chaplin himself had momentary doubts...

Deleted Scenes from Shoulder Arms

These outtakes were discarded from Chaplin’s 1918 silent comedy Shoulder Arms

Filming Sunnyside

In his autobiography, Chaplin recalled that making Sunnyside was “like pulling teeth”. From time to time, like any artist, Chaplin experienced creative blocks; but this was one of the worst in his career...

Deleted scene from Sunnyside

Deleted barbershop sequence from Sunnyside

Filming A Day's Pleasure

A Day’s Pleasure unusually shows Chaplin as the respectable father of a family and the proud owner of a Model-T Ford.

Filming The Kid

Many of Chaplin's admirers regard "The Kid" as his most perfect and most personal film

Nice and Friendly

An improvised sketch made in 1922

Filming Pay Day

Pay Day was Chaplin’s last two-reeler, and again casts him in an unfamiliar role, as a working man and hen-pecked husband. It proved one of his most trouble-free productions and shooting was completed in one month...

Filming The Pilgrim

A gentle satire on small-town life and religion, with Chaplin as an escaped convict mistaken for the new pastor of a rural community...

The Professor

Is the unreleased film "The Professor" really “the major mystery in the Chaplin canon"?

Filming A Woman of Paris

A Woman of Paris was a courageous step in the career of Charles Chaplin...

Filming The Gold Rush

Charles Chaplin made "The Gold Rush" out of the most unlikely sources for comedy...

How The Gold Rush Was Made

As publicity man for his film, Chaplin hired Jim Tully, who was to achieve fame in the 20s as America’s “hobo writer”. This article by Tully appeared in the original English programme for The Gold Rush

The Music of The Gold Rush

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Art a la Carte

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Filming The Circus

The Circus won Charles Chaplin his first Academy Award - it was still not yet called the Oscar...

Filming City Lights

"City Lights" proved to be the hardest and longest undertaking of Chaplin's career...

Extract of draft typescript of “A Comedian Sees the World” by Charles Chaplin, 1932

"It took three weeks to synchronize my picture City Lights and I can assure you it was a most nerve-racking experience."

Deleted scene from City Lights

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Filming Modern Times

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...

Deleted scene from Modern Times

Charlie tries to cross the street in this deleted scene from Modern Times

Filming The Great Dictator

By waging war against Hitler via the silver screen, Chaplin was making a personal commitment and, albeit with more gravitas, repeating the experience of Shoulder Arms...

Dan James (and Charlie Chaplin)

Recently the Chaplin office was lucky enough to acquire a series of photographs by Dan James, Assistant Director on The Great Dictator...

The Score of The Great Dictator

In July 1940, Charlie Chaplin finished shooting *The Great Dictator*, but there was still plenty of work to be done. Chaplin worked on the score with 38-year-old American composer, Meredith Willson

Filming Monsieur Verdoux

Charles Chaplin, without modesty, described "Monsieur Verdoux" as “the cleverest and most brilliant film of my career”...

Planting the Seeds for Verdoux

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Filming Limelight

Charles Chaplin made "Limelight" at the most troubled period of his adult career In the late 1940s, America's Cold War paranoia reached its peak...

Limelight and the Hollywood Ballet Fad

There seemed to be a sort of fad in the years following World War II of including ballet sequences in films...

"Charlie directed by action—by touch—and not with words"

A telephone interview with Julian Ludwig, who played a small role as one of the three buskers in Limelight

Extracts from the typescript of "Hollywood Chaplin"

by Henry Gris, United Press staff correspondent on the set of Limelight, 1952

Filming A King in New York

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Review of “A Countess from Hong Kong”

“A Countess from Hong Kong has an underlying political context—two revolutions and American diplomacy—but its political perspective goes even deeper..."

Restoration of City Lights Score

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• World Biography

Charlie Chaplin Biography

Born: April 16, 1889 London, England Died: December 25, 1977 Vevey, Switzerland English actor, director, and writer

The film actor, director, and writer Charlie Chaplin was one of the most original creators in the history of movies. His performances as "the tramp"—a sympathetic comic character with ill-fitting clothes and a mustache—won admiration from audiences across the world.

Rough childhood

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in a poor district of London, England, on April 16, 1889. His mother, Hannah Hill Chaplin, a talented singer, actress, and piano player, spent most of her life in and out of mental hospitals; his father, Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr. was a fairly successful singer until he began drinking. After his parents separated, Charlie and his half-brother, Sidney, spent most of their childhood in orphanages, where they often went hungry and were beaten if they misbehaved. Barely able to read and write, Chaplin left school to tour with a group of comic entertainers. Later he starred in a comedy act. By the age of nineteen he had become one of the most popular music-hall performers in England.

Arrives in the United States

In 1910 Chaplin went to the United States to tour in A Night in an English Music Hall. He was chosen by filmmaker Mack Sennett (1884–1960) to appear in the silent Keystone comedy series. In these early movies ( Making a Living, Tillie's Punctured Romance ), Chaplin changed his style. He stopped overacting and became more delicate and precise in his movements. He created the role of "the tramp."

Appearing in over thirty short films, Chaplin realized that the speed and craziness of Sennett's productions was holding back his personal talents. He left to work at the Essanay Studios. Some of his films during this period were His New Job, The Tramp, and The Champion, notable for their comic and sympathetic moments. His 1917 films for the Mutual Company, including One A.M. , The Pilgrim, The Cure, Easy Street, and The Immigrant, displayed sharper humor. In 1918 Chaplin built his own studio and signed a million-dollar contract with National Films, producing silent-screen classics such as A Dog's Life, comparing the life of a dog with that of a tramp; Shoulder Arms, which poked fun at World War I (1914–18); and The Kid, a touching story of slum life.

Established star

In 1923 Chaplin, D. W. Griffith (1875–1948), Douglas Fairbanks (1883–1937), and Mary Pickford (1893–1979) formed United Artists (UA) to produce high-quality feature-length movies. A Woman of Paris (1923), a drama, was followed by two of Chaplin's funniest films, The Gold Rush (1925) and The Circus (1928). Chaplin directed City Lights (1931), a beautiful tale about the tramp's friendship with a drunken millionaire and a blind flower girl. Many critics consider it his finest work. Although movies had made the change over to sound, City Lights was silent except for one scene in which the tramp hic-cups with a tin whistle in his throat while trying to listen politely to a concert.

Modern Times (1936), a farce (broad comedy with an unbelievable plot) about the cruelty and greed of modern industry, contains some of the funniest gags and comic sequences in film history, the most famous being the tramp's battle with an eating machine gone crazy. Chaplin's character of Hynkel in The Great Dictator (1940) is a powerful satire (the use of humor to criticize a person or institution) of German military leader Adolf Hitler (1889–1945). It was the last film using the tramp, and ends with Chaplin pleading for love and freedom.

It was with these more involved productions of the 1930s and 1940s that Chaplin achieved true greatness as a film director. Monsieur Verdoux, directed by Chaplin in 1947 (and condemned by the American Legion of Decency), is one of the strongest moral statements ever put on the screen. Long before European filmmakers taught audiences to appreciate the role of the writer and director, Chaplin revealed his many talents by handling both roles in his productions.

Political views stir trouble

During the next five years Chaplin devoted himself to Limelight (1952), a gentle and sometimes sad work based in part on his own life. It was much different from Monsieur Verdoux. "I was … still not convinced," Chaplin wrote, "that I had completely lost the affection of the American people, that they could be so politically conscious or so humorless as to boycott [refuse to pay attention to] anyone that could amuse them." Further hurting Chaplin's image was a much-publicized lawsuit brought against him by a woman who claimed he was the father of her child. Although Chaplin proved he was not the child's father, reaction to the charges turned many people against him.

While on vacation in Europe in 1952, Chaplin was notified by the U.S. attorney general that his reentry into the United States would be challenged. He was charged with committing immoral acts and being politically suspicious. Chaplin, who had never become a United States citizen, sold all of his American possessions and settled in Geneva, Switzerland, with his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill, daughter of the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953), and their children. In 1957 Chaplin visited England to direct The King in New York, which was never shown in the United States. My Autobiography (the story of his own life) was published in 1964. Most critics considered Chaplin's 1967 film, A Countess from Hong Kong, a disaster.

Return to the United States

By the 1970s times had changed, and Chaplin was again recognized for his rich contribution to film. He returned to the United States in 1972, where he was honored by major tributes in New York City and Hollywood, California, including receiving a special Academy Award. In 1975 he became Sir Charles Chaplin after Queen Elizabeth II (1926–) of England knighted him. Two years later, on December 25, 1977, Chaplin died in his sleep in Switzerland.

All of Chaplin's works display the physical grace, ability to express feeling, and intellectual vision possessed by the finest actors. A film about Chaplin's life, titled Chaplin, was released in 1992.

For More Information

Chaplin, Charlie. Charlie Chaplin's Own Story. Edited by Harry M. Geduld. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985.

Chaplin, Charlie. My Autobiography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1964. Reprint, New York: Plume, 1992.

Hale, Georgia. Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995.

Lynn, Kenneth S. Charlie Chaplin and His Times. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Milton, Joyce. Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Schroeder, Alan. Charlie Chaplin: The Beauty of Silence. New York: Franklin Watts, 1997.

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The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

How Did Charlie Chaplin Become a Worldwide Icon?

Lucy Davidson

12 oct 2022, @lucejuiceluce.

One of film’s most iconic figures, Charlie Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 in London. Born into poverty, Charlie found himself in the workhouse twice before the age of 9. His father, an actor, died when Charlie was 10 and his mother, an actress and singer, suffered with mental illness and was moved into an asylum when he was 14. Charlie and his brother Sydney were forced to take care of themselves, turning to work on the stage as a means of making a living.

However, Chaplin’s natural charisma, eye for business and innovative writing, acting, directing and composing talent quickly led him to stardom.

Here’s how Charlie Chaplin became a worldwide icon.

He had natural talent

Having inherited their parents’ performing talent, the brothers took to the stage. Charlie made his professional debut as the member of a youth group called ‘The Eight Lancashire Lads’. Charlie was quickly popular because of his outstanding tap dancing skills. Aged around 12, he was offered the opportunity to work in a ‘legitimate’ show, appearing as ‘Billy’ the page boy, first in support of H. A. Saintsbury and then William Gillette in different productions of  Sherlock Holmes.

Charlie entered vaudeville comedy and moved to the United States in 1910 to join the Fred Karno Repertoire Company, where he was employed as a featured player. American audiences loved him, with his sketch ‘A Night in an English Music Hall’ proving particularly popular. In 1912, the Fred Karno troupe returned to the US for a repeat tour, and Chaplin was offered a motion picture contract.

He created the character of ‘the Tramp’ early on in his career

It was whilst working with Keystone Film Company that Charlie developed his iconic character, the Tramp. The character, with his instantly recognisable moustache and baggy trousers, was seen first by audiences in Kid Auto Races at Venice and became tremendously popular. Indeed, his initial salary was $150 a week, but his overnight success led to many producers bidding ever-higher sums for his talent. Chaplin went on to play the character of the Tramp in dozens of films.

‘The Kid’ (1921), with Jackie Coogan, combined comedy with drama and was Chaplin’s first film to exceed an hour

Image Credit: First National Pictures (work for hire), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By 1916, Chaplin was fully in demand. He signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a significant fee to make 12 two-reel comedies. Some of the most famous are  The Floorwalker, The Fireman, The Vagabond, Easy Street and  One A.M. 

He became an independent producer

In 1917, Chaplin decided to become an independent producer so that he could have more freedom and decision-making when making his films. He built his own studio in the Hollywood residential section of La Brea Avenue. During World War One, he mounted a national tour on behalf of the war effort. He also made a comedy about war called  Shoulder Arms,  which, released in 1918, was a hit at the box office and hugely added to Chaplin’s popularity.

In 1919 he joined forces with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith to found the United Artists Corporation. Over the coming years, Chaplin released a series of successful films including The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1928) for which Chaplin received his first Academy Award, and City Lights (1931), a silent film produced in the new era of the ‘talkie’.

He created The Great Dictator in response to Hitler

Now one of the most famous performers on the planet, it was striking that in 1940, Chaplin released his most famous film to date, the political satire The Great Dictator. Filmed around the eve of World War Two, it was Chaplin’s first all-talking picture, even though it was 12 years after the advent of sound for film.

Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel

Image Credit: Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Chaplin plays both of the central characters: a fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber. At the end of the film, Chaplin used the inclusion of sound to great effect during a powerful closing speech, delivered by Charlie himself, stepping out of character. The film is widely considered to be the greatest satire ever made and is often cited as one of the finest films ever produced. It is perhaps revealing that this work is Chaplin’s most serious, tragic and human work.

Interestingly, in a later biography, Chaplin made clear that he would never have made the film if he had known the true extent of the horrors the Jewish population were suffering under the Nazi regime at that time. Nonetheless, the film solidified Chaplin’s reputation as an outstandingly intelligent, politically astute figure.

In the later years of his life, Chaplin produced more films such as Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York  (1957) and  A Countess from Hong Kong  (1966). By the time he died, on Christmas Day 1977, he was one of the most famous men in the world. His reputation has endured in the time since.

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Charlie Chaplin

Apr 16, 1889 - dec 25, 1977, discover this historical figure, “a man's true character comes out when he's drunk.”.

Charles Chaplin (1889-1977)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 2546

• 27 wins & 6 nominations total

• Writer (as Charlie Chaplin)

• book "My Autobiography"

• Writer (uncredited)

• original screenplay

• original story
• screenplay by

• an original story written by

• written by (as Charlie Chaplin)

• An Old Steward
• Narrator (voice)
• King Shahdov
• Henri Verdoux - Alias Varnay - Alias Bonheur - Alias Floray
• Hynkel - Dictator of Tomania
• A Jewish Barber
• A Factory Worker (as Charlie Chaplin)
• A Tramp (as Charlie Chaplin)

• Charles Chaplin (uncredited)

• The Lone Prospector

• Station Porter (uncredited)

• Charlie Chaplin

• Charles Chaplin
• Director (as Charlie Chaplin)

• Director (uncredited)

Personal details

• 5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
• April 16 , 1889
• Walworth, London, England, UK
• December 25 , 1977
• Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland (stroke)
• Spouses Oona Chaplin June 16, 1943 - December 25, 1977 (his death, 8 children)
• Children Victoria Chaplin
• Parents Hannah Chaplin
• Relatives Oona Chaplin (Grandchild)
• Other works Composed the love theme for Modern Times (1936) , as a totally instrumental, unnamed composition (although it was the music for a sequence of the film in which smiling was the emphasis. Much later the song became widely known as the named song that we came to know in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century as "Smile" after lyrics had been added by James John Turner Phillips (as John Turner ) & Geoffrey Parsons in the 1950s, at John Turner's Peter Maurice Music Company in the late 1950s. Chaplin was known to be less than pleased that his little melody was re-written with lyrics.
• 20 Biographical Movies
• 68 Print Biographies
• 25 Portrayals
• 158 Articles
• 4 Pictorials
• 16 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia 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.
• Quotes All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl.
• Trademarks 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.
• The Little Tramp
• Salaries The Tramp ( 1915 ) $1,250 /week
• When did Charles Chaplin die?
• How did Charles Chaplin die?
• How old was Charles Chaplin when he died?

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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.