Charlie Chaplin was an English comic actor and producer, who rose to popularity in the silent era.
He is renowned for his screen persona "the tramp". He was brought into the world on April 16, 1889,
in London. Chaplin is viewed as one of the critical leading figures in the history of the entertainment
world. He had been a constructive and imaginative filmmaking producer for around 75 years before
kicking the bucket in 1977.
Early Life
Chaplin’s mother, Hannah Hill Chaplin was a talented singer, actress, and piano player.
When Chaplin was 14 unfortunately she was sent to a mental asylum where she spent most
of her life. Whereas, his father Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr. was quite a successful singer
until he got into a drinking problem. After his parents separated, Charlie and his half-brother, Sidney, burned through
their childhood in orphanages, where they were hungry most of the time and were beaten if
acted mischievously. Chaplin suffered neediness and difficulties in his childhood. He was
shipped off to a workhouse twice before he was 9. Later he was featured in a comedy act
and by the age of 19, he became one of the most popular music-hall performers in England.
Career
Chaplin gave his first performance at music halls at the age of 19 as a stage actor and
comedian. He went to the USA where he was scouted for the film industry and began
appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. In a short period, he developed the Tramp persona
and managed to form a large fan base. Chaplin directed his movies in the early days of his
career and kept on sharpening his speciality. By 1918, he was one of the most outstanding
known figures in the entertainment world. Chaplin multitasked for most of his movies.
He wrote, directed, produced, edited, composed the music and starred at the same time. He
was a stickler for perfection, and his monetary autonomy empowered him to go through
years on the turn of events and the creation of a picture. In 1919, Chaplin established
the distribution company United Artists, which gave him full authority over his movies.
His first feature-length was:
- The Kid (1921),
- A Woman of Paris (1923),
- The Gold Rush (1925),
- The Circus (1928).
In the 1930s, Chaplin refused to move to sound films. He produced instead (both without dialogue):
- City Lights (1931)
- Modern Times (1936)
His latest films:
Charlie Chaplin abandoned the Tramp, which included Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight(1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967).
Awards
Charlie Chaplin was acknowledged with Honorary Academy Award from Jack Lemmon at
the 44th Academy Awards on April 10, 1972, for "the incalculable effect he has had in
making motion picture the art form of this century.” Chaplin got a 12-minute overwhelmingstanding ovation from the
crowd.
Let's learn about Charlie Chaplin's view to see the world and get inspired by it:
1. Life is a beautiful magnificent thing, even to a jellyfish.
