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In this essay I will talk about Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame during the era of silent film. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona 'The Tramp' and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.
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 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.
There is no official record of his birth, although Chaplin believed he was born at East Street, Walworth, in South London. His mother and father had married four years previously, at which time Charles Sr. became the legal career of Hannah's illegitimate son, Sydney John Hill. At the time of his birth, Chaplin's parents were both music hall entertainers. Hannah, the daughter of a shoemaker, had a brief and unsuccessful career under the stage name Lily Harley while Charles Sr., a butcher's son was a popular singer. Although they never divorced, Chaplin's parents were estranged by around 1889. 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 months old, and did not re-enter Chaplin's life for 30 years. When he was about twelve, he got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as ‘Billy’ the page boy, in support of William Gillette in ‘Sherlock Holmes’. At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910 as a featured player with the Fred Karno Repertoire Company.
When his contract with Mutual expired in 1917, Chaplin decided to become an independent producer in a desire for more freedom and greater leisure in making his movies. To that end, he busied himself with the construction of his studios. This plant was situated in the heart of the residential section of Hollywood at La Brea Avenue. Early in 1918, Chaplin agreed with First National Exhibitors' Circuit, a new organization specially formed to exploit his pictures. His first film under this new deal was 'A Dog's Life'. After this production, he turned his attention to a national tour on behalf of the war effort, following which he made a film the US government used to popularize the Liberty Loan drive: 'The Bond'.
His next commercial venture was the production of a comedy dealing with the war. 'Shoulder Arms', released in 1918 at the most opportune time, proved a veritable earthquake at the box office and added enormously to Chaplin's popularity. Chaplin's versatility extended to writing, music, and sports. He was the author of at least four books, 'My Trip Abroad', 'A Comedian Sees the World', 'My Autobiography', 'My Life in Pictures', as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility (playing the violin and cello left-handed).
He was also a composer, having written and published many songs, among them: 'Sing a Song', 'With You Dear in Bombay', and 'There's Always One You Can't Forget', 'Smile', 'Eternally', 'You Are My Song', as well as the soundtracks for all his films. Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (except for 'A Countess from Hong Kong'), but was the author, actor, director and soundtrack composer of them as well.
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.
In the early morning hours of December 25, 1977, Charlie Chaplin died at his home in Corsier-survey, 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.
Charles could make people laugh with simple jokes in his films. I think that now the meaning of humor is very vulgar, but in spite of this, there are a lot of people that enjoy Chaplin's films. One of the most important films that he starred was 'The Great Dictator', where he showed he was against Hitler. He was a real artist who always showed what he thought and felt in his films with a lot of humor.
Charles Chaplin was very important because he proved that we can get what we want in spite of everything. He was very poor and his parent's situation wasn't good, he went through bad times, but he never gave up. He was strong and continued with all his projects. Besides, his humor is universal and makes anyone laugh.
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