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CHARLIE CHAPLIN BIOGRAPHY |
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Charlie Chaplin, actually Charles Spencer
Chaplin, was born in London, England, on April 16th 1889.
Charlie Chaplin's 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 Chaplin was thrown on his
own 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. Having inherited natural talents from their
parents, the youngsters took to the stage as the best
opportunity for a career. Charlie Chaplin made his professional
debut as a member of a juvenile group called "The Eight
Lancashire Lads" and rapidly won popular favour as an
outstanding tap dancer. When he was about fourteen, 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 Chaplin
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. He scored an immediate hit
with American audiences, particularly with his characterization
in a sketch entitled "A Night in an English Music Hall". When
the Fred Karno troupe returned to the United States in the fall
of 1912 for a repeat tour, Charlie Chaplin was offered a motion
picture contract. He finally agreed to appear before the cameras
at the expiration of his vaudeville commitments in November
1913; and his entrance in the cinema world took place that month
when he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company. His
initial salary was $150 a week, but his overnight success on the
screen spurred other producers to start negotiations for his
services. At the completion of his Sennett contract, Charlie
Chaplin moved on to the Essanay Company (1915) at a large
increase. Sydney Chaplin had then arrived from England, and took
his brother’s place with Keystone as their leading comedian.
The following year Charlie Chaplin was even more in demand and
signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a much larger sum to
make 12 two-reel comedies. These include "The Floorwalker", "The
Fireman", "The Vagabond", "One A.M." (a production in which he
was the only character for the entire two reels with the
exception of the entrance of a cab driver in the opening scene),
"The Count", "The Pawnshop", "Behind the Screen", "The Rink", "Easy
Street" (heralded as his greatest production up to that time), "The
Cure", "The Immigrant" and "The Adventurer". When his contract
with Mutual expired in 1917, Charlie 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 own studios. This plant was
situated in the heart of the residential section of Hollywood at
La Brea Avenue. Early in 1918, Charlie Chaplin entered into an
agreement 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, Charlie Chaplin 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". Charlie Chaplin's next commercial venture was the
production of a comedy dealing with the war. "Shoulder Arms",
released in 1918 at a most opportune time, proved a veritable
mirthquake at the box office and added enormously to Chaplin’s
popularity. This he followed with "Sunnyside" and "A Day’s
Pleasure", both released in 1919.
In April of that year, Charlie Chaplin joined with Mary Pickford,
Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith to found the United Artists
Corporation. B.B. Hampton, in his "History of the Movies" says:
"The corporation was organized as a distributor, each of the
artists retaining entire control of his or her respective
producing activities, delivering to United Artists the completed
pictures for distribution on the same general plan they would
have followed with a distributing organization which they did
not own. The stock of United Artists was divided equally among
the founders. This arrangement introduced a new method into the
industry. Heretofore, producers and distributors had been the
employers, paying salaries and sometimes a share of the profits
to the stars. Under the United Artists system, the stars became
their own employers. They had to do their own financing, but
they received the producer profits that had formerly gone to
their employers and each received his share of the profits of
the distributing organization". However, before he could assume
his responsibilities with United Artists, Chaplin had to
complete his contract with First National. So early in 1921,
Charlie Chaplin came out with a six-reel masterpiece, "The Kid",
in which Charlie Chaplin introduced to the screen one of the
greatest child actors the world has ever known - Jackie Coogan.
The next year, he produced "The Idle Class", in which he
portrayed a dual character. Then, feeling the need of a complete
rest from his motion picture activities, Charlie Chaplin sailed
for Europe in September 1921. London, Paris, Berlin and other
capitals on the continent gave him tumultuous receptions. After
an extended vacation, Charlie Chaplin returned to Hollywood to
resume his picture work and start his active association with
United Artists.
Under his arrangement with U.A., Charlie Chaplin made eight
pictures, each of feature length, in the following order: "Woman
Of Paris" (1923) which he wrote, directed and produced, but in
which he only appeared in a cameo role and gave the limelight to
Edna Purviance and Adolphe Menjou; "Gold Rush" (1925); "Circus"
(1928); "City Lights" (1931); "Modern Times" (1936); "The Great
Dictator" (1940), in which Charlie Chaplin played a dual role
and talked on the screen for the first time; "Monsieur Verdoux"
(1947) in which the public saw a new Charlie Chaplin, minus his
traditional moustache, baggy trousers and wobbly cane; and "Limelight"
(1952) . In 1957, Charlie Chaplin released his comedy "A King in
New York" which Chaplin wrote, acted in and directed, as well as
composing the music, and in 1966 he produced his last picture "A
Countess from Hong Kong" for Universal Pictures, starring Sophia
Loren and Marlon Brando.
Charlie 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 violin and cello left-handed).
Charlie Chaplin 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. Charlie Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who
not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception
of "A Countess from Hong Kong"), but was the author, actor,
director and soundtrack composer of them as well.
Charlie Chaplin died on Christmas day 1977, survived by eight
children from his last marriage with Oona O’Neill, and one son
from his short marriage to Lita Grey. |
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