The Great Dictator
1941
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Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures.
- Overview
- Early life and career
Comedian, actor, producer, writer, and director Charlie Chaplin is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. In 1972 he received a special Academy Award for “the incalculable effect he has had on making motion pictures the art form of this century.”
What is Charlie Chaplin remembered for?
Charlie Chaplin is best remembered for his recurring silent film character “the Little Tramp.” Outfitted in a too-small coat, too-large pants, floppy shoes, and a battered derby, Tramp was shunned by polite society and unlucky in love but ever a survivor. Audiences loved his cheekiness, his deflation of pomposity, his unexpected gallantry, and his resilience.
What were Charlie Chaplin’s achievements?
Charlie Chaplin starred in, wrote, and directed some of most memorable films in motion-picture history, including The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor, Monsieur Verdoux (1947), and Limelight (1952).
What was Charlie Chaplin’s childhood like?
Chaplin was named after his father, a British music-hall entertainer. He spent his early childhood with his mother, the singer Hannah Hall, after she and his father separated, and he made his own stage debut at age five, filling in for his mother. The mentally unstable Hall was later confined to an asylum. Charlie and his half brother Sydney were sent to a series of bleak workhouses and residential schools.
Using his mother’s show-business contacts, Charlie became a professional entertainer in 1897 when he joined the Eight Lancashire Lads, a clog-dancing act. His subsequent stage credits include a small role in William Gillette’s Sherlock Holmes (1899) and a stint with the vaudeville act Casey’s Court Circus. In 1908 he joined the Fred Karno pantomime troupe, quickly rising to star status as The Drunk in the ensemble sketch A Night in an English Music Hall.
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While touring America with the Karno company in 1913, Chaplin was signed to appear in Mack Sennett’s Keystone comedy films. Though his first Keystone one-reeler, Making a Living (1914), was not the failure that historians have claimed, Chaplin’s initial screen character, a mercenary dandy, did not show him to best advantage. Ordered by Sennett to come up with a more-workable screen image, Chaplin improvised an outfit consisting of a too-small coat, too-large pants, floppy shoes, and a battered derby. As a finishing touch, he pasted on a postage-stamp mustache and adopted a cane as an all-purpose prop. It was in his second Keystone film, Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914), that Chaplin’s immortal screen alter ego, “the Little Tramp,” was born.
In truth, Chaplin did not always portray a tramp; in many of his films his character was employed as a waiter, store clerk, stagehand, fireman, and the like. His character might be better described as the quintessential misfit—shunned by polite society, unlucky in love, jack-of-all-trades but master of none. He was also a survivor, forever leaving past sorrows behind, jauntily shuffling off to new adventures. The Tramp’s appeal was universal: audiences loved his cheekiness, his deflation of pomposity, his casual savagery, his unexpected gallantry, and his resilience in the face of adversity. Some historians have traced the Tramp’s origins to Chaplin’s Dickensian childhood, while others have suggested that the character had its roots in the motto of Chaplin’s mentor, Fred Karno: “Keep it wistful, gentlemen, keep it wistful.” Whatever the case, within months after his movie debut, Chaplin was the screen’s biggest star.
Apr 3, 2014 · Learn about the life and career of Charlie Chaplin, a comedic British actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century's silent-film era. From his early vaudeville days to his iconic character "The Tramp" and his filmmaking achievements, discover how he rose from rags to riches and became a legend of the silver screen.
The official Charlie Chaplin youtube channel. Subscribe to our channel for official clips, soundtracks, news and all things Chaplin!
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Learn about the life and career of Charlie Chaplin, one of the most influential stars of the silent film era. Explore his films, scandals, marriages, and legacy on IMDb.
- Writer, Actor, Director
- April 16, 1889
- 2 min
- December 25, 1977
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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.
Oct 20, 2023 · Explore the latest updates on Chaplin's films, music, books and other projects on his official website. Learn about the new releases of City Lights soundtrack album, A Woman of Paris 4K restoration, and The Early Years of Charlie Chaplin book.
