Document Sense Títol

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. His
career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a
year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and
controversy.
Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. His father
was absent and his mother struggled financially—he was sent to a workhouse
twice before age nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental
asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and
later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the Fred
Karno company, which took him to the United States. He was scouted for the
film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon
introduced and adopted the Tramp as his screen persona. He directed his own
films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to Essanay Studios, where
the Tramp persona was developed emotionally in The Tramp (1915). He then
attracted a large fanbase and demanded more money as he moved to Mutual
and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the world's best-paid
and best-known figures.
In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which

gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-length film was The
Kid (1921), followed by A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), and
The Circus (1928). He initially refused to move to sound films in the 1930s,
instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without
dialogue. His first sound film was The Great Dictator (1940), which satirised
Adolf Hitler. The 1940s were marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his
popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, and
some members of the press and public were scandalised by his involvement in
a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women. An FBI investigation
was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the U.S. in 1952 and settle in
Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include
Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A
Countess from Hong Kong (1967).
Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music
for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence
enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture.
His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the
Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes,
as well as autobiographical elements. He received an Honorary Academy
Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art
form of this century" in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work.
He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights,
Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on lists of the greatest
films.
Biography
1889–1913: early years
Background and childhood hardship
Seven-year-old Chaplin (centre, head slightly cocked) at the Central London District
School for paupers, 1897
Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was born on 16 April 1889 to Hannah Chaplin (née
Hill) and Charles Chaplin Sr. His paternal grandmother came from the Smith
[1][2][3][4]
family, who belonged to Romani people. There is no official record of
his birth, although Chaplin believed he was born at East Street, Walworth, in
[5][a]
South London. His parents had married four years previously, at which
time Charles Sr. became the legal guardian of Hannah's first son, Sydney John
[9][b]
Hill. At the time of his birth, Chaplin's parents were both music hall
[10]
entertainers. Hannah, the daughter of a shoemaker, had a brief and
[11]
unsuccessful career under the stage name Lily Harley, while Charles Sr., a
[12] [13]
butcher's son, was a popular singer. Although they never divorced,
[14]
Chaplin's parents were estranged by around 1891. The following year,
Hannah gave birth to a third son, George Wheeler Dryden, fathered by the
music hall entertainer Leo Dryden. The child was taken by Dryden at six
[15]
months old, and did not re-enter Chaplin's life for thirty years.

Document Sense Títol

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Document Sense Títol

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Document Sense Títol

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an

In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which

You might also like