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Sir Charlie Chaplin – Iconic British Comic Actor and Director

I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Inventions and English icons. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call “An Englishman’s Favourite Bits Of England”. Please visit my Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resources.Comwhere I have listed all my articles to date. Sir Charlie Chaplin was one of Britain’s greatest actors/directors who was famous for his great acting, Directing and genius comic performances.

Sir Charlie Chaplin was born into a poor London family of music hall entertainers on April 16th 1889.

Even as a child he found success as a performer, making his stage debut in 1894.

He played a paper-boy in ‘Sherlock Holmes’, which ran from 1903-6, after which he worked as a mime in vaudeville theatres, until he left London for America.

In 1910 when Charlie first arrived in the States he joined the Karno pantomime troupe, and toured with them for six years.

He signed his first film deal at the end of 1913, with Keystone pictures. His film debut was called ‘Making a Living’. It was in the 1915 film, ‘The Tramp’, that Chaplin first appeared as the downtrodden, dreamy character for which he is most famous.

By the early 1920′s Chaplin was making his own films with actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Having control of his own films lead to classics, such as ‘The Kid’, ‘The Gold Rush’, ‘City Lights’, ‘Modern Times’ and ‘The Great Dictator’. These films made him the most popular and successful film star of his time.

When sound films appeared, Charlie’s natural terrain of silent film was eclipsed by the novelty and realism of this new technology.

Chaplin was accused of being a communist by senator McCarthy, and a file was produced that supposedly detailed his subversive political activities since 1922.

In 1952, Chaplin visited Europe and was not allowed to return to the US; he settled in Switzerland. He made a film, ‘The King In New York’, in 1957, which was full of criticism of McCarthy and American society in general.

He was allowed to return to the US in 1972 to receive an Oscar for his services to film.

Filmography

A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) …. An old steward
A King in New York (1957) …. King Shahdov
Limelight (1952) …. Calvero
Monsieur Verdoux (1947) …. Henri Verdoux
The Great Dictator (1940) …. Hynkel – Dictator of Tomania / A Jewish Barber
Modern Times (1936) (as Charlie Chaplin) …. A Factory Worker
City Lights (1931) (as Charlie Chaplin) …. A Tramp
… aka “City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime” – USA (copyright title)
The Circus (1928) (as Charlie Chaplin) …. A Tramp
Camille (1926/II) …. Mike
… aka “The Fate of a Coquette” – USA (subtitle)
The Gold Rush (1925) …. The Lone Prospector
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) (uncredited) …. Station Porter
The Pilgrim (1923) …. The Pilgrim
Pay Day (1922/I) …. Laborer
Nice and Friendly (1922) …. Tramp
The Idle Class (1921) …. Tramp and Husband
… aka “Vanity Fair” – USA (alternative title)
The Nut (1921/I) (unconfirmed) (uncredited) …. Chaplin impersonator
The Kid (1921) (as Charlie Chaplin) …. A Tramp
A Day’s Pleasure (1919) (as Charlie Chaplin) …. Father
… aka “A Ford Story” – USA (alternative title)
Sunnyside (1919) …. Farm handyman
The Professor (1919) …. Professor Bosco
Shoulder Arms (1918) …. Recruit
The Bond (1918) …. Charlie
Triple Trouble (1918) …. The Janitor
… aka “Charlie’s Triple Trouble” – USA (alternative title)
A Dog’s Life (1918) (uncredited) …. Tramp
The Adventurer (1917/I) …. The Convict
The Immigrant (1917) …. Immigrant
… aka “A Modern Columbus” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Broke” – USA (8mm release title (short version))
… aka “Hello U.S.A.” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The New World” – USA (alternative title)
The Cure (1917) …. The Inebriate
… aka “The Water Cure” – USA (alternative title)
Easy Street (1917) …. The Derelict
The Rink (1916) …. A Waiter. Posing as Sir Cecil Seltzer
… aka “Rolling Around” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Waiter” – USA (alternative title)
Behind the Screen (1916) …. Goliath’s Assistant – David
… aka “The Pride of Hollywood” – USA (alternative title)
The Pawnshop (1916) …. Pawnshop assistant
… aka “At the Sign of the Dollar” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “High and Low Finance” – USA (alternative title)
The Count (1916) …. Tailor’s apprentice
… aka “Almost a Gentleman” – USA (alternative title)
One A.M. (1916) …. Drunk
… aka “Solo” – USA (alternative title)
The Vagabond (1916) …. Street Musician
… aka “Gipsy Life” – USA (alternative title)
The Fireman (1916) …. Fireman
… aka “A Gallant Fireman” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Fiery Circle” – USA (alternative title)
The Floorwalker (1916) …. Tramp
… aka “Shop” – USA (alternative title)
Burlesque on Carmen (1916) …. Darn Hosiery
… aka “Charlie Chaplin’s Burlesque on Carmen” – USA (complete title)
Police (1916) …. Charlie, Convict 999
… aka “Charlie in the Police” – USA (alternative title)
A Burlesque on Carmen (1915) …. Darn Hosiery
… aka “Charlie Chaplin’s Burlesque on Carmen” – USA (complete title)
A Night in the Show (1915) …. Mr. Pest and Mr. Rowdy
Shanghaied (1915/I) …. Tramp
… aka “Charlie Shanghaied” – USA (alternative title)
The Bank (1915) …. Charlie, a Janitor
… aka “Charlie in the Bank” – USA (alternative title)
A Woman (1915) …. Gentleman/’Nora Nettlerash’
… aka “Charlie the Perfect Lady” – USA (alternative title)
Work (1915) …. Izzy A. Wake’s assistant
… aka “Charlie the Decorator” – USA (alternative title)
His Regeneration (1915) (uncredited) …. A customer
By the Sea (1915) …. Stroller
… aka “Charlie by the Sea” – USA (alternative title)
The Tramp (1915) …. Tramp
… aka “Charlie on the Farm” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Charlie the Tramp” – USA (alternative title)
A Jitney Elopement (1915) …. Suitor, the Fake Count
In the Park (1915) …. Charlie
The Champion (1915) …. Challenger
… aka “Charlie the Champion” – USA (alternative title)
A Night Out (1915/I) …. Reveller
… aka “Charlie’s Drunken Daze” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Charlie’s Night Out” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “His Night Out” – USA (alternative title)
His New Job (1915) …. Film Extra
His Prehistoric Past (1914) …. Weakchin
… aka “The Hula-Hula Dance” – USA (alternative title)
Getting Acquainted (1914) …. Mr. Sniffels
Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914) …. The City Guy
His Trysting Place (1914) …. Clarence, the Husband
… aka “His Trysting Places” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Henpecked Spouse” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Ladies’ Man” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Very Much Married” – USA (alternative title)
His Musical Career (1914) …. Charlie, Piano Mover
… aka “Charlie as a Piano Mover” – USA (alternative title)
Gentlemen of Nerve (1914) …. Mr. Wow-Woe, Track Fanatic
Dough and Dynamite (1914) …. Pierre, a Waiter
Those Love Pangs (1914) …. Masher
… aka “Oh, You Girls” – USA (alternative title)
The New Janitor (1914) …. Janitor
The Rounders (1914) …. Reveller
… aka “Going Down” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Oh, What a Night” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Love Thief” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Tip, Tap, Toe” – USA (alternative title)
His New Profession (1914) …. Charlie
The Masquerader (1914/I) …. Film Actor/Beautiful Stranger
… aka “The Female Impersonator” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Perfumed Lady” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Picnic” – USA (alternative title)
Recreation (1914) …. Tramp
The Face on the Bar Room Floor (1914) …. Artist
The Property Man (1914) …. The Property Man
… aka “Charlie on the Boards” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Hits of the Past” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Props” – USA (alternative title)
Laughing Gas (1914) …. Dentist’s Assistant
… aka “Busy Little Dentist” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Laffing Gas” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Tuning His Ivories” – USA (alternative title)
Mabel’s Married Life (1914) …. Mabel’s Husband
Mabel’s Busy Day (1914) …. Tipsy Nuisance
The Knockout (1914) …. Referee
Her Friend the Bandit (1914) …. Bandit
The Fatal Mallet (1914) …. Suitor
A Busy Day (1914) …. Wife
… aka “Busy as Can Be” – USA (alternative title)
Caught in the Rain (1914) …. Tipsy Hotel Guest
… aka “In the Park” – USA (reissue title)
Caught in a Cabaret (1914) …. Waiter
… aka “Charlie the Waiter” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Prime Minister Charlie” – USA (alternative title)
Twenty Minutes of Love (1914) …. Pickpocket
Mabel at the Wheel (1914) …. Villain
… aka “A Hot Finish” – USA (alternative title)
The Star Boarder (1914/II) …. The Star Boarder
… aka “The Fatal Lantern” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Landlady’s Pet” – USA (alternative title)
Cruel, Cruel Love (1914) …. Lord Helpus/Mr. Dovey
His Favorite Pastime (1914) …. Drunken masher
… aka “Charlie Is Thirsty” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “Charlie’s Reckless Fling” – USA (alternative title)
… aka “The Reckless Fling” – USA (alternative title)
Tango Tangles (1914) …. Tipsy Dancer
Film Johnny (1914) …. The Film Johnnie
… aka “A Film Johnnie”- USA (original title)
… aka “Charlie the Actor” – USA (alternative title)
Between Showers (1914) …. Masher
… aka “In Wrong Thunder and Lightning” – USA (alternative title)
A Thief Catcher (1914/I) (uncredited) …. Cop
Mabel’s Strange Predicament (1914) …. Tramp
Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) …. Tramp
… aka “The Pest” – USA (alternative title)
Making a Living (1914) …. Swindler
… aka “Take My Picture” – USA (alternative title)

Chaplin’s robust health began to slowly fail in the late 1960s, after the completion of his final film A Countess from Hong Kong and more rapidly after he received his Academy Award in 1972. By 1977, he had difficulty communicating, and was using a wheelchair. Chaplin died in his sleep in Corsier-Sur-Vevey Switzerland on Christmas Day 1977.

Chaplin was interred Corsier-Sur-Veveyn Cemetery, Vaud, Switzerland. On 1 March 1978, his corpse was stolen by a small group of Swiss mechanics in an attempt to extort money from his family. The plot failed, the robbers were captured, and the corpse was recovered eleven weeks later near Lake Geneva. His body was reburied under 6 feet (1.8m) of concrete to prevent further attempts.

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About the Author

My family tree has been traced back to the early Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. I am also a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren both of which has given me an interest in English History which is great fun to research.

I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Inventions and English Icons. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call “An Englishman’s Favourite Bits Of England”. Please visit my Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resources.Com where I have listed all my articles to date. I thought it may interest the reader that the first electric lighted house was in England in 1878.

Authors@Google: Gordon Bell & Jim Gemmell