Charles Chaplin – British Celebrity, Actor

Date of Birth

A baggage with besom mustache, undersized bowler hat and bamboo pikestaff who struggled to survive while befitting his address in a apple with abundant amusing injustice.

Highly anecdotic facial expressions

Stories generally reflect his advanced political beliefs

Destroyed the aboriginal abrogating of Sea Gull, The (1933) afore a cardinal of witnesses. The blur never saw release, possibly because he was abashed by the poor achievement of his advance actress, Edna Purviance.

Grandfather of Dolores Chaplin and Carmen Chaplin.

Long afterwards acceptable a millionaire, he connected to alive in a bare auberge room, and kept his flat checks in a block for months.

He anticipation his aeon with Mutual was the best consistently affable aeon in his career, although he acquainted that the plots of the films were too formualic for his taste.

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

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

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

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

He was 54 years old back he wed Oona O’Neill (Oona Chaplin); Oona was 17.

On 3 March 1978 his asleep anatomy was baseborn from the Corsier-Sur-Vevey cemetery. It took until 18 May back the badge begin it.

His Beverly Hills abode was accepted as “Breakaway House”. Designed by Chaplin himself and congenital by flat carpenters, it began falling to $.25 over the years, abundant to the action of visitors. Congenital on Summit Drive in the Pickfair neighborhood, the abode boasted a aqueduct agency Chaplin always acclimated to absorb his guests in the abundant hall; he additionally buried his films there. His tennis cloister was a accumulate of activity; alike the ambiguous Greta Garbo was a common player. He seems to accept been an alarming host; abounding of his guests abutting in with his antics, and reflected that they had never been so funny afore or back — it was the access of Chaplin.Half-brother of Syd Chaplin.

Father of Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin with Lita Grey.

First wife, Mildred Harris was the mother of his aboriginal child, a son alleged Norman Spencer (born July 7, 1919). The baby, who was nicknamed “The Little Mouse,” was built-in with astringent disabilities and lived alone three days.

Father, with Oona Chaplin, of Geraldine Chaplin (born August 1, 1944), Michael Chaplin (born March 7, 1946) Josephine Chaplin (born March 28, 1949), Victoria Chaplin (born May 19, 1951), Eugene Chaplin (born August 23, 1953), Jane Chaplin (born May 23, 1957), Annette Emily Chaplin (born December 3 1959) and Christopher Chaplin (born July 8, 1962).

He was subpoenaed by the Abode Un-American Activities Council (HUAC) in September of 1947, but his actualization was adjourned three times, and he never appeared. He beatific HUAC a buzzer advertence “I am not a Communist, neither accept I anytime abutting any political affair or alignment in my life”. HUAC bent that it was no best bare for him to appear.

Knighted in 1975.

In her book, “Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin”, Joyce Milton asserts that Vladimir Nabokov’s arguable classic, “Lolita”, was aggressive by Chaplin’s accord with Lita Grey. On the 100th ceremony of Charlie Chaplin’s birth, celebrations were captivated in Corsier and Vevey, Switzerland, area he aftermost lived. For the occasion, 100 accouchement from the arena performed a choreography dressed up as little tramps.

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

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

Stan Laurel was his amateur on the English stage.

When both Stan Laurel and Chaplin confused to America they aggregate a allowance in a boarding house.

Cooking was not accustomed in the boarding abode area Stan Laurel and Chaplin stayed, so he would comedy the violin to awning up the complete of Laurel frying up aliment on a hot plate.

Invented his baggage apparel with the advice of Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle’s pants. Arbuckle’s father-in-law’s derby, Chester Conklin’s cutaway, Ford Sterling’s size-14 shoes, and some ache cardboard acceptance to Mack Swain (which became the tramp’s mustache). The alone account that absolutely belonged to Chaplin was the whangee cane.

His bowler and pikestaff was awash for $150,000 in 1987.

He was the aboriginal amateur to arise on the awning of “Time” magazine, (July 6, 1925).

He was additionally the aboriginal amateur to accept a banana bandage about him; Ed Carey’s 1916 strip, “Pa’s Imported Son-in-Law”, abundant the adventures of Chaplin.

After his anatomy was recovered from grave robbers, Chaplin was reburied in a basement amidst by cement.

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

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

In Spain he had a altered dubbing amateur in anniversary of his complete films. They were: Ricardo Solans for The Great Dictator (1940), Félix Acaso forLimelight (1952) and Joaquín Díaz for A King in New York (1957). The dubbing amateur of Monsieur Verdoux (1947) is, at this time, unknown.

Father-in-law of Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée.

Son-in-law of Eugene O’Neill.

Grandfather of James Thiérrée.

Most bodies (now and during his lifetime) accept that Chaplin had amber eyes because they had alone apparent him in atramentous and white with atramentous eye architecture on. It actuality they were actual blue. Chaplin remarked in his adventures that bodies affair him for the aboriginal time were consistently addled by his dejected eyes. And his approaching wife Oona Chaplin wrote “Just met Charlie Chaplin. What dejected eyes he has!” to a boyhood acquaintance in 1942.

Was an able artist who, in his afterwards years, generally reissued his bashful films with array he had composed himself.

His handprints, aisle and signature were immortalized in adhesive at Grauman’s (now Mann’s) Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, but afterwards his abatement from adroitness with the Americans because of his political views, the area of adhesive was removed from accessible view. It cannot be amid and is now feared lost.

Half brother of Wheeler Dryden.

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

Grandfather of extra Kiera Chaplin.

Grandfather of Aurélia Thiérrée.

Although Adolf Hitler was not at all a fan – in actuality he had been apprenticed that Charlie was Jewish, and accordingly abhorred him – he was additionally able-bodied acquainted of how admired Charlie was throughout the apple at that time, and that was the acumen he grew the Chaplin moustache: he anticipation it would attach him to the people. (Source: The Baggage and the Dictator)

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

As a adolescent he was bedfast to a bed for weeks due to a austere illness. At night his mother would sit at the window and act out what was activity on outside. This was a above acumen Chaplin became a comedian.

When Chaplin accustomed in the U.S. with the Fred Karno affiliation on Oct. 2, 1912, in his additional cruise to America, according to Ellis Island clearing annal he had $45 in his pocket. He listed his half-brother, Sydney, as his abutting of kin alike admitting his mother was still alive. Sailing with him was adolescent Karno affiliation affiliate Arthur Stanley Jefferson – afterwards to be accepted as Stan Laurel.

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

Did not accept awning acclaim on the abounding comedies he fabricated for Keystone in 1914-15, as it was collapsed action not to acclaim its actors (any Keystone blur that credits Chaplin is a copy print). His aboriginal awning acclaim appeared on His New Job (1915), his aboriginal blur for Essanay.

Called Battleship Potemkin (1925) his admired movie.

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

Is mentioned in the song alleged “Facts of life” from 2004.

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

Received an Honorary Oscar the The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972) (TV). He appeared on date alarming kisses to the Hollywood admirers with tears active bottomward his face while he accustomed a continued continuing ovation. Ironically, he won addition Oscar the afterward year.

He and Buster Keaton had an absorbing relationship. Continued advised rivals but consistently accepting abhorred commenting about anniversary added in the press, Chaplin assassin Keaton for a allotment in Limelight (1952). Keaton, who was collapsed bankrupt at the time, went into a career abatement afterwards accepting been active by MGM in 1928, as the collapsed would not let him ad-lib in any of his films nor acquiesce him any autograph or authoritative input, and he was eventually bargain to autograph gags – generally bearding – for added comedians’ films. Chaplin, at this point, acquainted apologetic for Keaton due to his adamantine luck, but Keaton accustomed that, admitting Charlie’s bigger affluence and far greater wealth, Chaplin was (strangely) the added depressed of the two. In one arena in Limelight, Chaplin’s appearance was dying. While the camera was crumbling away, Keaton was blubbering to Chaplin after affective his lips, “That’s it, good, wait, don’t move, wait, good, we’re through.” In his adventures Keaton alleged Chaplin “the greatest bashful actor of all time.”

At the Golden Camera Awards 2005 in Berlin, Geraldine Chaplin told in a affective accent anniversary Jerry Lewis about the aftermost time she saw her ancestor alive. He watched a cine of Lewis on television agreeable “He`s funny, that bastard!”.

Named the #10 Greatest Amateur on The 50 Greatest Awning Legends account by the American Blur Institute.

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

He was the uncle of Spencer Dryden, bagman for the 1960s bedrock bandage Jefferson Airplane.

Founder of United Artists forth with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith.

Profiled in in J.A. Aberdeen’s “Hollywood Renegades: The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers”. Palos Verdes Estates, CA: Cobblestone Entertainment.

His achievement as The Baggage in City Lights (1931) is ranked #44 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Is portrayed in “Sesame Street” (1969) skits by Linda Bove (Linda) and Sonia Manzano (Maria).

His achievement as The Little Baggage in City Lights (1931) and a bulk of added pictures is ranked #24 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Cine Characters of All Time.

Composed about 500 melodies, including “Smile” and “This Is My Song”.

Up until his aftermost few movies, he never attempt with a alive script. He would alpha with a adventure in his apperception and consistently retool it, generally cutting hours of scenes that wouldn’t accomplish the final cut until he was satisfied. He spent his nights during filming, critiquing the rushes with his abettor directors. Consequently compared to the above studio’s films, he spent months/years and boundless amounts of money on his productions. He generally said admitting he would not absolution any of his films until he was 100% annoyed with the result.

After finishing his aftermost film, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) in 1966, he composed the music to abounding of his bashful movies, amid them The Circus (1928) in 1968, The Kid (1921) in 1971 and A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) in 1976.

His brand appearance The Baggage appeared in about 70 movies, shorts and features, during a aeon of 26 years, from the one-reeler Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) in 1914 to his boastful affection The Great Dictator (1940) in 1940.

Charlie admired to comedy tennis, but declared golf as “a bold I can’t stand”.

Marlon Brando played the starring role in Chaplin’s aftermost movie, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) in 1966. While Brando had consistently abundantly admired Chaplin’s assignment and looked aloft him as “probably the best accomplished man the [movie] average has anytime produced,” the two superstars didn’t get forth during the shooting. In his autobiography, Brando declared Chaplin as “probably the best barbarous man I’d anytime met.” Chaplin, on his side, said that alive with Brando artlessly was “impossible”.His film, The Great Dictator (1940), was banned in Germany.

Was already alive as a butler in England, a job he enjoyed. He was accursed afterwards he was bent arena a trumpet he had begin in his employer’s attic.

His mother was so poor she was already affected to assurance her son’s additional clothes.

His mother was in and out of brainy hospitals throughout her life.

After Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle was clumsy to acquisition assignment afterwards his abominable trial, Chaplin alone accurate him out of his own pocket.

First amateur to be nominated for a distinct Academy Accolade (Best Actor) for a blur in which he was accustomed as assuming two altered characters. InThe Great Dictator (1940), he played a Jewish Barber, a aberration of his Tramp character, and Adenoid Hynkel, his adaptation of Adolf Hitler.

Was an doubter who believed in some array of “Supreme Force”, according to his son Charles Chaplin, Jr.’s autobiography, “My Father, Charlie Chaplin”.

His father, with whom he lived for alone a abrupt aeon of time in his adolescence while his mother was committed to a brainy asylum, died as the aftereffect of booze corruption at 37, back Charlie was 12.

The actuality that neither City Lights (1931) nor Modern Times (1936), two of Chaplin’s best admired and acclaimed movies, were nominated for a distinct Academy Accolade has puzzled many. One account could be that Chaplin bidding antipathy for the Academy Awards aboriginal on; according to his son Charles Jr., for a time Chaplin alike acclimated the Honorary Accolade he won in 1929 as a doorstop. Apparently his appearance on the Awards afflicted with time, however, as he accustomed and seemed affected by his additional Honorary Accolade in 1972.

According to his babe Geraldine, in the aftermost years of his activity Chaplin began to anguish that he ability not be remembered afterwards his death. This was a above acumen why he accustomed his brand appearance the Tramp to arise on several bartering articles in the 1970s.

In 1934 Chaplin was appointed to serve as best man at anchorperson Alistair Cooke’s alliance to Ruth Emerson (Ruth Emerson Cooke), but Charlie never showed. Reputedly, he and wife-to-be Paulette Goddard were accepting such a acceptable time at Southern California’s Lake Arrowhead, they absitively to stay.

He was built-in four canicule afore Adolf Hitler.

The aftermost cine he saw (and actual abundant enjoyed) was Rocky (1976).

Chaplin remained in appreciably acceptable concrete and brainy appearance for best of his life, still arena tennis consistently able-bodied into his seventies and alive constantly. However, afterwards the antagonism of what angry out to be his aftermost film, [[A Countess From Hong Kong]] (1967), his bloom began to visibly deteriorate.

Cinematic ability that he was, Chaplin never won an Academy Accolade in an acting category, his alone Oscar achievement actuality in the accommodation of composer.

He directed and starred in four of the American Blur Institute’s 100 Funniest Movies: The Gold Rush (1925) at #25, Modern Times (1936) at #33,The Great Dictator (1940) at #37 and City Lights (1931) at #38.

Once played Sherlock Holmes in a comedy play.

While visiting Winston Spencer Churchill in England in 1937, Chaplin begin Churchill belief newspapers and attractive worried. Back Chaplin asked what was advancing him, Churchill replied, “Germany.” Chaplin fabricated some aerial acknowledgment to try to abolish the subject, but Churchill replied, “No, no, it’s absolutely serious.”.

Was a acceptable acquaintance of Winston Spencer Churchill.

He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 Queen’s Honours List for his casework to entertainment.

Chaplin’s bacon bound rose during the Teens from $150 per anniversary in 1913 for Keystone, $1250 per anniversary at Essanay, and $10,000 per anniversary with additional a $150,000 benefit at Mutual to $150,000 per blur in 1918 at First National.

Spent some of his additional time in the tiny apple of Waterville on the southern tip of Ireland. There is a activity sized bronze of Chaplin on the bend of a beach esplanade in the village.

As of 2011 he is the alone being to acquire a twelve minute continuing acclaim at the Academy Awards back he appeared to acquire an honorary accolade “for the boundless aftereffect he has had in authoritative motion pictures the art anatomy of this century.” It is the longest in the history of the Academy Awards.

Great-Uncle of Drunkfux.

All I charge to accomplish a ball is a park, a policeman and a appealing girl.

[Returning to Los Angeles afterwards a 20-year self-imposed banishment to acquire his honorary Oscar in 1971] Acknowledge you so much. This is an affecting moment for me and words assume so futile, so aged . . . I can alone say that . . . acknowledge you for the account of agreeable me actuality and . . . oh . . . you’re wonderful, candied people. Acknowledge you.”

I like accompany as I like music, aback I am in the mood. To advice a acquaintance in charge is easy, but to accord him your time is not consistently opportune.

The minute you bought your admission you were in addition world.

I abide aloof one thing, and one affair only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far college alike than any politician.

The saddest affair I can brainstorm is to get acclimated to luxury.

[on actuality abreast that Adolf Hitler sat through two screenings of The Abundant Dictator (1940)] I’d accord annihilation to apperceive what he anticipation of it.

I accept no added use for America. I wouldn’t go aback there if Jesus Christ was President.

[answering the bad reviews he got on his aftermost movie, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)] If they don’t like it, they are blood-soaked idiots. A agent avalanche in adulation with a prostitute – what bigger adventitious can they get than that?

The accretion of my appearance [The Tramp] is that I affliction about my work. I affliction about aggregate I do. If I could do article abroad better, I would do it, but I can’t.

Words are cheap. The better affair you can say is “elephant”.

I had no abstraction of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the composition fabricated me feel the being he was. I began to apperceive him, and by the time I absolved assimilate the date he was actually born.

I don’t accept that the accessible knows what it wants; this is the cessation that I accept fatigued from my career.

[on his awning character, The Little Tramp] A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a abandoned fellow, consistently hopeful of affair and adventure.

All my pictures are congenital about the abstraction of accepting in agitation and so giving me the adventitious to be badly austere in my attack to arise as a accustomed little gentleman.

Failure is unimportant. It takes adventuresomeness to accomplish a fool of yourself.

I do not accept abundant backbone with a affair of adorableness that charge be explained to be understood. If it does charge added estimation by addition added than the creator, again I catechism whether it has accomplished its purpose.

Movies are a fad. Audiences actually demand to see alive actors on a stage.

Actors look for rejection. If they don’t get it they adios themselves.

I went into the business for the money, and the art grew out of it. If bodies are disillusioned by that remark, I can’t advice it. It’s the truth.

My adolescence was sad, but now I bethink it with nostalgia, like a dream.

Life is a tragedy aback apparent in close-up, but a ball in continued shot.

It isn’t the ups and downs that accomplish activity difficult; it’s the jerks.

I achievement we shall abate war and achieve all differences at the appointment table . . . I achievement we shall abate all hydrogen and atom bombs afore they abate us first.

A day after a beam is a ashen day.

Even funnier than a man who has been fabricated antic is the man who, accepting had article funny appear to him, refuses to accept that annihilation out of the way has happened, and attempts to advance his dignity. Perhaps the best archetype is the bagged man who, admitting his argot and airing will accord him away, attempts in a aristocratic address to argue you that he is actually sober. He is abundant funnier than the man who, berserk hilarious, is bluntly bashed and doesn’t affliction a bellow who knows it. Bagged characters on the date are about consistently “slightly tipsy” with an attack at address because affected managers accept abstruse that this attack at address is funny.

Comedy actually is a austere study, although it charge not be taken seriously. That sounds like a paradox, but it is not. It is a austere abstraction to apprentice characters; it is a adamantine study. But to accomplish ball a success there charge be an ease, a carelessness in the acting that cannot be associated with seriousness.

Through humor, we see in what seems rational, the irrational; in what seems important, the unimportant. It additionally heightens our faculty of adaptation and preserves our sanity.

One of the things best bound abstruse in affected assignment is that bodies as a accomplished get achievement from seeing the affluent get the affliction of things. The acumen for this, of course, lies in the actuality that nine tenths of the bodies in the apple are poor, and secretly resent the abundance of the added tenth.

Figuring out what the admirers expects, and again accomplishing article different, is abundant fun to me.

The aboriginal time I looked at myself on the screen, I was accessible to abandon [the cine contract]. That can’t be I, I thought. Again aback I accomplished it was, I said, “Good night.” Strange enough, I was told that the account was a scream. I had consistently been aggressive to assignment in drama, and it actually was the abruptness of my activity aback I got abroad with the ball stuff.

Naturalness is the greatest requisite of comedy. It charge be absolute and accurate to life. I accept in accuracy absolutely. Absolute things address to the bodies far quicker than the grotesque. My ball is absolute life, with the aboriginal aberration or exaggeration, you ability say, to accompany out what it ability be beneath assertive circumstances.

[in 1915] Motion pictures is still in its infancy. In the abutting few years I apprehend to see so abounding improvements that you could again hardly admit the ball of the present day.

I don’t demand accomplishment of detail in the acting. I’d abhorrence a account that was perfect, it would assume apparatus made. I demand the animal touch, so that you adulation the account for its imperfections.

I anticipate a actual abundant accord of myself. Aggregate is absolute or imperfect, according to myself. I am the absolute standard.

I usually go to see myself the aboriginal night of a new performance, but I don’t laugh. No, I aloof go to see whether or not the blur is taking, and what I’ve done that I shouldn’t do. And if it’s a success, I’m happy. There’s article that makes you feel appealing acceptable in alive that all over the apple bodies are bedlam at what you’re doing. But if it isn’t a success, again it’s terrible, to feel that you’re a abortion all over the apple at the aforementioned time.

[on Douglas Fairbanks] He had amazing allure and agreeableness and a 18-carat adolescent activity which he conveyed to the public.

[on D.W. Griffith] The accomplished industry owes its actuality to him.

[Upon watching the adolescent Jerry Lewis on TV] That adulterated is funny! He knows how to booty the audience.

My alone adversary is time.

I don’t accept I deserve banquet unless I’ve done a day’s work.

[Upon accepting an Honorary Oscar at the 44th anniversary Academy Awards] Acknowledge you so much. This is an affecting moment for me. Words assume so abortive and so feeble. I can alone say acknowledge you for the account of agreeable me actuality and you are all wonderful, candied people. Acknowledge you.

Life is a admirable arresting thing, alike to a jellyfish.

[on accepting a lifetime Oscar, 1972] Words are so futile, feeble.