Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin
Movies have a been a part of our life since we were born. Sure, there are
cartoons, TV shows and series but there’s nothing better than a good
movie in a theatre with some popcorn or even a nice family movie in our
house with our family. Watching a movie while lying on the couch is the
best experience when you’re tired. Movies nowadays are packed with
songs and dialogues and dances. But have you ever thought how our
ancestors watched movies. They used to watch silent movies.
A silent film is a film in black and white with no audible dialogues.
Emotions and actions are expressed visually, sometimes accompanied
with a live music track. Key dialogues are shown in title cards with a
person even reading out the dialogues.
There are many silent movie actors, but Charlie Chaplin or Charlie
Spencer Chaplin Jr. is one of the most iconic actors of the silent movie
era. He was born on 16th April 1889 to Hannah Chaplin and Charles
Chaplin Sr. At the time of his birth, Chaplin’s parents were both music
hall entertainers. Chaplin's childhood was fraught with poverty and
hardship. His mother used to get sick very often, which forced Chaplin
to work at workhouses and go to schools for paupers and destitute
children. "There was nothing we could do but accept poor mother's fate",
Chaplin later wrote, and she was in care until her death in 1928.
Between these hardships, Chaplin began to perform on stage. By age 13,
he had abandoned education. He supported himself with a range of jobs,
while nursing his ambition to become an actor. At 14, he registered with
a theatrical agency in London’s West End. Chaplin was promptly given
his first role as a newsboy in Harry Arthur Saintsbury's Jim, a Romance
of Cockayne. In the show, Chaplin’s comic performance was praised by
many.
Next, he played Billy the pageboy in Charles Frohman's production of
Sherlock Holmes. He was called to London to play the role alongside
William Gillette, the original Holmes and he went for many nationwide
tours of Sherlock Holmes. In May 1906, Chaplin joined the juvenile act
Casey's Circus. By the time the act finished touring in July 1907, the 18-
year-old had become an accomplished comedic performer.
He struggled to find more work and soon, got a contract with Fred
Karno’s prestigious comedy company. Chaplin began by playing minor
roles, eventually starring in lead roles. In April 1910, he was given the
lead in a new sketch, Jimmy the Fearless. It was a big success, and
Chaplin received considerable press attention. Karno selected his new
star to join a tour along North America’s vaudeville circuit.
Six months into the second American tour, Chaplin was invited to join
the New York Motion Picture Company. His first film, Making A Living
was released on 2nd February 1914. He acted in several other like movies
like Mabel’s Strange Predicament, Caught in the Rain. Soon, the
Essanay Film Manufacturing Company of Chicago sent Chaplin an offer
of $1,250 a week with a signing bonus of $10,000. He joined the studio
in late December 1914, where he formed a stock company of regular
players, actors he worked with again and again. Several movies were
released like A Night Out, The Champion, The Tramp etc.
When the Essanay contract ended in December 1915, Chaplin requested
a much higher signing bonus from his next studio, which was given by
Mutual Film Corporation. A contract was negotiated with Mutual that
amounted to $670,000 a year, which made Chaplin – at 26 years old –
one of the highest paid people in the world. He formed his stock
company in Mutual and produced a series of elaborate two-reelers: The
Floorwalker, The Fireman, The Vagabond, One A.M., The Count, The
Pawnshop, Behind the Screen and The Rink.
The Mutual contract stipulated that he release a two-reel film every four
weeks, which he had managed to achieve. He made only four more films
for Mutual over the first ten months of 1917: Easy Street, The Cure, The
Immigrant, and The Adventurer. With their careful construction, these
films are considered by Chaplin scholars to be among his finest work.
Next in June 1917, Chaplin signed to complete eight films for First
National Exhibitors' Circuit. A Dog's Life, released April 1918, was the
first film under the new contract. The film was described by Louis
Delluc as "cinema's first total work of art". Chaplin's next release
was Shoulder Arms.
After the release of Shoulder Arms, frustrated with the company’s lack
of concern for quality, Chaplin formed a new distribution company,
United Artists in January 1919. Before the creation of United Artists,
Chaplin married for the first time. He marries Mildred Harris in
September 1918, which ended in April 1920.
His other movies were The Kid, The Idle Class, Pay Day, The Pilgrim, A
Woman in Paris, The Gold Rush etc. While making Gold Rush he
married Lita Grey on November 1924. She gave birth to his two sons
Charles Spencer and Sydney Earl.
On 6th July 1925, Chaplin became the first movie star to be featured on a
TIME magazine cover. He then released The Circus. At the 1st Academy
Awards, Chaplin was given a special trophy "For versatility and genius
in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus".
City Lights, his next film was released at a time sound films were
introduced, and silent films were an anachronism. After taking a break
from filming for 16 months, he released his new films Modern Times
and The Great Dictator.
He released and produced a lot more movies in which he was praised for
his incredible skill. All too soon , in the early morning of Christmas Day
1977, Chaplin died at home after having a stroke in his sleep. He was 88
years old then and his funeral on 27th December was small and private.
To this day, he is well known as the famous, silent film, comedic actor
the world loved and for me, he will always be in my mind.
Litsa Joseph
Class: 8D

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